Ever meet a vet who could fly?

I’ve often been asked which of the characters from my books is my favorite.  That’s a tough one. For me, they all are, but there is one who does hold a special place in my heart.  She’s part mischief maker and part warrior. She is the Lady Hawk.

What’s so special about her?  She’s hard working, intelligent, fierce and protective, yet full of fun.  Dr. Rhonda Stockman, veterinarian, accidentally became a were-hawk, and the world hasn’t been the same since.  
We first meet her at the end of Vampire’s Lair, book three in the Children of the Wild series where she is about to discover she is not alone:
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Bill Walker had finished his morning stroll around the perimeter of the two farms. He grinned to himself as he watched Olla trot back to the castle in wolf form. Once she’d disappeared through the gate he glanced at the sky. The hawk still soared high above.
“Every instinct I’ve got tells me you’re one of them. Are you planning to come down here and talk to me or not?” The bird just lay on the air currents, gazing down at him. “All right tell you what. You folk always come up buck naked when you shift back to human. I know that not everybody is as comfortable that way as Olla and Torvil, so I’ll leave the upper door of the barn open, and I’ll hang a robe on a nail for you. You know, just in case you decide you want to talk.
“I’ll just go for that robe now.” He grinned as he turned away. Bill was fully aware as the bird swept down to perch on a nearby tree to keep an eye on him. He disappeared into the house for a moment then returned carrying a white bathrobe. He carried it to the barn then hung it on a peg just inside the door. He turned back and walked out of the barn.
Bill was startled as the hawk swept from the tree and past his head, nearly knocking his hat off. He spun around to see the bird morph into a naked woman just as it alit. Her bare feet touched the floor and in a single stride she had the robe about her shoulders and was tying the belt loosely about her waist.
Doing his best to remain calm, he watched her step towards him. Swallowing hard, Bill found his voice. “Mornin’, miss. Name’s Bill Walker. Is there anything I can get for you?”
Amber eyes that were slowly turning blue watched him closely. She seemed to shake herself then spoke hesitantly, as though she wasn’t accustomed to human speech anymore. “I’d kill for a cup of coffee.”
“Right this way, ma’am. I’ll put on a fresh pot.” He led her into the farmhouse kitchen then dutifully began to build up a pot of coffee. “You like it strong?”
“Not too strong, please, Mr. Walker.”
“Bill, call me Bill. Medium brew is my favorite too.” He started the machine then brought mugs, cream and sugar to the table. He sat across the table from her and smiled. “Thanks for dropping in. I was starting to worry you might be a government agent or something.”
That brought a smile to her face. “I was once,” replied the athletic looking woman, “in a manner of speaking. I was a wildlife officer up until a few weeks ago.”
“Oh? What happened? Quit the job?”
“No, you know damn well what happened.”
“Actually, I know what you are, but, not how you managed to get there, or when it happened.”
“Really, so just what am I, Mr. Bill Walker?”
“I imagine the answer to that would be a were-hawk. You know, a human who can change into an animal. Actually we call them non-humans.”
“So, you believe I can change back into the hawk again? Back and forth at will?”
“Convinced of it. I take it this is something new for you.”
“Yes. I was trying to free a hawk from a power line when someone turned the power back on. I felt the jolt of electricity, and the hawk sank it’s beak into my neck at the same time. We fell onto a rock that exploded into a green mist and I passed out from the pain. The next thing I knew I was looking down at the world.
“It took a number of days for me to clear my mind of the hawk’s natural drives.”
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The Children of the Wild series began as a bit of a dare.  A friend challenged me to do a different take on vampires, so I wrote Immortal Tigress.  That was followed by a second prompt, “Okay, now do werewolves different.”  I wrote Children of the Wolf, book two in the series.  By then I had fallen in love with the characters.  Lady Hawk appeared in book three, and by book five she had completely taken over.
But that’s okay of course.  I’m happiest writing with my favorite characters sitting on my shoulder.

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