Released (The Shapeshifters’ Library Book One) by Amber Polo

Love dogs?  Love books?  Love libraries? Hate Book-burning werewolves?

Once long ago the Shipsfeather Academy was a training ground for an ancient race of dog-shifters whose mission was to protect the world’s knowledge. A powerful curse sealed these librarians in the basement of their building and gave the control of the town to a pack of book-burning werewolves.

Librarian Liberty Cutter watches in horror as the town’s public library goes up in flames and plans to re-establish the library in the abandoned Shipsfeather Academy building. Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog headmaster of the academy and leader of the dog-shifters, knows he must make some changes to continue to keep his pack safe. But even if he could persuade Liberty to believe in a talking sheepdog, how far can she be trusted? And will she ever be able to care for him as a man. He has to try, because Liberty Cutter and her staff of zany librarians may hold the key to the dog-shifters’ freedom…and the future of the town.

Released (The Shapeshifters’ Library Book One) by Amber Polo

(Blue Merle Publishing)

Genre: Light Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Heat:  Warning! This is a sweet fantasy.

Buy links Eformats and Print – Amazon Barnes & Noble 

Why Not Dog-Shifters?

In some ways The Shapeshifters’ Library is the book (or series) of my heart. A huge part of my life was spent inside libraries (working, not reading). Often I found myself purchasing books for others to read. I imagined someday I’d read them all. But now I spend a lot of time writing.

I love shifter books and considered the common types of shifters. Big cats and werewolves seemed to predominate the genre. Maybe they’re the sexiest? I wanted something different. And I hoped to combine libraries and fantasy.

I also spent many years owned by dogs. At one time I lived with five Old English Sheepdogs. I showed and trained them in obedience trials. (See my website for pictures of me with some of those dogs. You’ll notice they are fluffy and clean and I never had time to style my own hair.)

Anyway I started wondering why dogs, who are intelligent, loyal, brave, had wonderful senses of humor (and were definitely cuddly) weren’t common in shifter fantasies. I felt they would have a lot to say if they could talk.

I put together my experience in libraries, my knowledge of the dog world, and my habit of writing quirky humor and romance and The Shapeshifters’ Library was the result.

So combine the libraries and dogs – and what do you have – dog-shifter librarians, of course.  

Mary, you asked if I research anything. Sometimes I think I write as an excuse to research interesting topics. For Book One Released I needed to create an alternative/parallel history to explain how a race of dog-shifters came to be. For Book 2 Retrieved (out Nov 15) I needed to research the mounds in the Eastern and Midwestern states to find their link to dog-shifters.

One reviewer called Released a “cozy” fantasy. So maybe I’ll start a new genre.

  

Amber Polo has had a lifelong love of libraries. A fascination with ancient libraries and curiosity about why werewolves outnumbered dog-shifters in literature inspired her new urban fantasy series The Shapeshifters' Library filled with librarian dog-shifters.

 To help writers and readers reduce stress, her Relaxing the Writer: Guidebook to the Writers’ High, offers suggestions and simple exercises.

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