[Cia] Two of a Kind

[Cia]

So this new story is set in the world of the Carthera Clans. It's modern but has an ancient feel to it. Magic of the clans and a bit beyond should make this a bit different from my average story. Of course there will be hot guys and a stormy romance, we mustn't leave that out!! I hope you enjoying reading this first chapter! I promise to respond if you leave a review, forum comment, or criticism so don't forget the feedback. I welcome any and all types of constructive criticism too, so don't feel like you have to hold back. I've not bitten anyone yet. (Well, unless they asked for it. You know who you are!)

 

Two of a Kind

[Renee Stevens]

Wonderful first chapter to this story and I think you picked the perfect spot to end the chapter. I just want to reiterate what I said in my review to this story. Thank you for allowing me the small part I play in the stories you create. Your work is truly unique and each story has a life of it's own that is hard to find in writing, whether published or not. There are so many cliche's that are used in writing that it is refreshing that each story even if set in somewhat the same world, has something that set's it apart from the rest, and this story is no different.

[Cia]

Wonderful first chapter to this story and I think you picked the perfect spot to end the chapter. I just want to reiterate what I said in my review to this story. Thank you for allowing me the small part I play in the stories you create. Your work is truly unique and each story has a life of it's own that is hard to find in writing, whether published or not. There are so many cliche's that are used in writing that it is refreshing that each story even if set in somewhat the same world, has something that set's it apart from the rest, and this story is no different.

 

Thanks! I did try to pick a natural stopping point, though I wrote this as one story it can be broken into several chunks. I'm working the end (almost done) and then I'll make sure the chapter separation is good. I have a lot of stories floating in my head and since I 'see' them it's very vivid to me. I am glad I can share that with readers and that it comes across well. I am always very grateful for your help and comments, so thanks! Chapter two will be ready in a few days, yay!!

[Andrew Q Gordon]

Okay so this is my 'virgin' post on a lofty Hosted Author's forum so forgive me if I am verklempt.

 

I like reviews but I think these forums are SO much more fun, I can go back and forth with you and everyone gets to join in.

 

As I said on your story page, you are really good at not totally giving us the picture of your characters but more than enough to see them. I mean what exactly are they? Jaguars? Humans? Hybrids? Shape shifters?

 

I mean it thought Bashta - so I looked it up for this sue me - was a human or at least in human form. So why he dissin' the homo-sapients now??

 

 

But on the other hand, I like how well you hint at things to come without telling us. I am terrible at telegraphing stuff. Benji reads me like a dime store novel, guess everything I am going to do next.

 

Okay so it's a start - now move it along

[Cia]

Awww, your virgin hosted author forum post. I'm honored to break you in, snickers! I love being able to discuss the story, how I came up with the ideas and what the readers are thinking about how I am portraying the plot, characters, and world. Thanks for giving me another opportunity to do that, I try to make a fantasy story understandable without laying out all the facts right off, though how that makes me be accused of doing cliffhangers, I'll never know!

 

Okay, well, this 'world' has certain set rules. It's been laid out a few times in other stories, one on here and one hetero story in a published e-book competition so maybe not everyone is familiar with the broad outlines. I'll lay it out here It won't be giving anything away.

 

So, the Carthera world isn't a future Earth, more alternate. They've always been there, always known about by humans but they were fought a lot with humans through history so there is a long standing animosity and a lot of bias. In more 'modern' times the Carthera have become more accepted in a lot of regions, though not all. They can live beside humans and go to human schools and hospitals... all that now. However, they're structured into clans by their animal halves. The clans tend to live together and within a certain territory one clan and its leader is always dominant and rules over the rest. They can live together but sometimes their animal sides create a bit of friction, they also used to war amongst themselves in the past.

 

As children and youths the Carthera appear human, though inside them they can feel their animal selves, they just aren't physically manifested. They transform after they meet their mates and bond with them in various ceremonies (depends on the animal subtype). The physical characteristics vary depending on Carthera clan and animal type. There are subsets within some of the clans. Their bonds become fully realized when they have sex for the first time and they have a mental bond that cements in place. As you can imagine, lots of different scenarios can come from this basic outline of meeting mates and bonding.

 

The stories on GA are modern but the hetero one on ERomance is set in the past. Carthera are all over the world and live many different ways. I also have 2 more stories set in this world that I am writing as I find the time. I happen to be a fan of shifter half human/half animal fiction but I don't like the basic werewolf/lycan mythos much. I love it when I find a new writer that creates a whole new spin on the genre. This is my own take on it.

[Andrew Q Gordon]

That was helpful - but I got another question.

 

So the Carthera once they have sex can never go back to being humoid? Or can they switch? I ask because Bashta said something about Cavel being in human form, as if he assumed Cavel had bonded and thus could be either.

[Cia]

No, they can't go back to humanoid. But their animals are always a part of them, from birth. It's a part of their inherent magic. They are a mix of human and animal but until they meet their mates and bond together their animal half is only a part of their psyche. They exhibit signs of their animal, certain mannerisms, partly because of that mental influence and partly because of being around transformed adults of their kind. Their animals don't exactly speak to them, being animals, but they allow them to sense others of their kind. Their clan animal, their power/ranking, mates are the main things.

[Cia]

Chapter 2 is now posted in GA Stories. Enjoy!!!!

 

Two of a Kind

[Marzipan]

The fact that we are talking about cat's somehow make the roaring men less macho, no matter how big and hulky they appear

 

I just love cat tales! Cia, I'm really peased that you started this!

 

**Dances a happy dance with her annoyed cat**

[Cia]

Did you ever read Bonds Unbroken? That's the first story in this world posted on GA and it has some cats too. There are quite few different types of Carthera in that one though. The next story I'm working on after this one involves yet another clan. Almost endless possibilites in this world, it's great fun since I love animals I know quite a bit about various species. Honestly, I really like shifter stories that don't focus on werewolves, though I do like those. Cats are so soft, often affectionate, yet the big cats hold a fascination for their deadly reputations that makes them a very good character to write. My cat is by turns needy, standoffish, affectionate... I got this story idea one night as he cuddled up on my shoulder and chest as I lay down reading. He was so close I used him as a soft, warm headrest as I read. Boom, cuddly cats came to mind and I thought up Bashta and Cavel! Add in their hot guy human side and we have 2 hot catmen!

[Marzipan]

Did you ever read Bonds Unbroken? That's the first story in this world posted on GA and it has some cats too. There are quite few different types of Carthera in that one though. The next story I'm working on after this one involves yet another clan. Almost endless possibilites in this world, it's great fun since I love animals I know quite a bit about various species. Honestly, I really like shifter stories that don't focus on werewolves, though I do like those. Cats are so soft, often affectionate, yet the big cats hold a fascination for their deadly reputations that makes them a very good character to write. My cat is by turns needy, standoffish, affectionate... I got this story idea one night as he cuddled up on my shoulder and chest as I lay down reading. He was so close I used him as a soft, warm headrest as I read. Boom, cuddly cats came to mind and I thought up Bashta and Cavel! Add in their hot guy human side and we have 2 hot catmen!

 

 

No, shameful of me I have not read all I have planned from you yet, but I it is in my growing read-list too

 

I love all kinds of animals, but feline creatures have won my heart from the very first kitten I called my own. Tigers are my favourite big cats

 

I have watched hours and hours of documents about wild animals, especially big cats, so I'm really looking forward on every detail you have placed in this and your other cat stories too!

[Andrew Q Gordon]

Wait. I was supposed to read Bonds Unbroken first?

 

Cause I read chapter two and I am afraid you are going to ban me from your forum, because I STILL don't get what the Carthea are. I read your last explanation and figured I'd get it in Chapter 2 but I am more confused than before.

 

Are the Carthea men or cats? I ask again because last explanation made it sound like when they bond, they turn into cats, but everyone on the expedition is a man, not a cat and since some are bonded, I am utterly confused.

 

So break it down small, please???Pretty Please???

[Cia]

They are both. You don't have to read Bonds first, it just explains the bonding process a bit better throughout the story. These are not interlocking stories, just set in the same world so I might not explain it all in every detail in each one, though you will get more information in each. Perhaps I haven't been as visually/informationally sharing in this one because of my previous story. I might need to reconsider that.

 

Basically, Carthera are both human and animal. They are sort of twinned souls inside themselves with their human halves and their animal halves. Because I'm a romantic all Carthera have a 'mate' they can be with, but it's not always easy to find them. However, though they have their animal selves inside, until they mate they don't manifest those physical sides their clans share with the true animals they are like. These are the animal types/characteristics I have shared in stories so far. Some mammal clans will have fur even, I just haven't gotten there in my stories yet. Anyway, I hope this helps make it make sense. Essentially, though build may be there before mating (like small for bird clans, big for bear clans) un-mated Carthera look human. When they mate they have both human and animal characteristics that are irreversible. They can't go back and forth, so to speak like traditional were stories.

 

Jaguar clan: They all have spots like jaguars, but along their foreheads, temples, neck and down their backs. Cat like ears, sharper senses, retractable claws, night vision like cats but they still look like men in every other aspect. Their hair color indicates animal color most often as well. Their young children are called kitlings.

 

Lynx clan: skin tone like a lynx skin, faint color markings. Pointed ears, fangs, claws, their body muscles also change subtly, mostly around the joints. Applies to other big cat clans as well.

 

Snake clan: Scales down their back in patterns depending on their sub-clan, fangs-either fixed erect or folding erectile fangs. They also have varied venoms like their snake animal counterparts would. Their body shapes, eyes, tongues, skeleton are all different.

 

Bird clans: Builds are smaller/slighter from the beginning with lighter bones. Their hair color usually denotes what type of clan they are. Once they transform they develop wings, talons. Wing patterns are very important.

[Cia]

We have another chapter posted, Yay! A little bit of heat in this one. Watch out where you read Questions, comments, feel free to discuss the story, likes and dislikes.

 

Two of a Kind Chapter 3

 

 

[Cia]

Chapter 4 is posted. This one will give a lot of those details you might not have understood along with a bit of emotion and well... just go read it!!

 

Two of a Kind Chapter 4

[Marzipan]

Chapter four was so awesome! It was perfect

 

There was both sadness and joy in it and wel... it was darn hot! HOT!

 

The annoyin Saul seems to have side of him that I suspected early on - he just felt insicure before Bashta in the beginning. Doesn't wanna lose his place as Cavel's confidant. Well, my opinnion on him He is now totally playing the friend cad right and I think he means it.

 

When is the next chappy out? I wanna read more soooooooon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Bird clans: Builds are smaller/slighter from the beginning with lighter bones. Their hair color usually denotes what type of clan they are. Once they transform they develop wings, talons. Wing patterns are very important.

 

 

Birds? Oh, I so wanna read a story of them :music:

[Cia]

Saulle is a bit of an ass but he's not a bad guy. I always thought he had Cavel's best interests at heart, though he didn't really know how to go about it. I'm glad you liked the heat in the story, even with the instant bond of Carthera mates I like to make the relationships have some sort of natural progression. It is a bit accelerated though. Once you know someone is the right one for you it removes a lot of the complications of a relationship, though not all. I like to explore that with these stories.

 

If you want to read about birds you should read Bonds Unbroken. The main clan in the story, as well as the main character, is a Falcon. Also, if you want to read a short story, hetero, that involves bird Carthera I have one published in a free download e-book anthology on a romance publisher website. Let me know I can hook you up with a link!

[Marzipan]

**hops to read Bonds Unbroken**

[Cia]

A new chapter of Two of a Kind... and you get to see the picture that inspired the story finally!! Hope the visual helps make this chapter. Thoughts, comments, you evil wench sentiments... Feel free.

 

Two of a Kind Chapter 5

 

 

[Marzipan]

Honestly, I didn't see it coming Cia! And usually I'm pretty sharp to figure out the plot twists When the cure was revealed, I was wondering how I missed it! It makse all sense!

 

Great chapter

[Cia]

LOL. Well I did want the cure to be scientific and magical. He is definitely a mix of that. But how it will work out without the mating... hmm... there is still that up in the air. I wonder if anyone caught the hints for that?

[Marzipan]

LOL. Well I did want the cure to be scientific and magical. He is definitely a mix of that. But how it will work out without the mating... hmm... there is still that up in the air. I wonder if anyone caught the hints for that?

 

 

Nah. Of course they will mate. Riggghhhhttt???? Riiiggghhhttt? Cia... you tease...

[Cia]

Another chapter posted and this one is HOT! Enjoy

 

Two of a Kind Chapter 6

[Marzipan]

Meow. Purrrrrrr.

 

That was something **blush**

 

 

 

 

[Cia]

The next chapter is posted, Enjoy!!! Let me know what you think. Good/bad, Like/Don't like!

 

Two of a Kind Chapter 7