Welcome to our Saturday Spotlight feature where we at Read Indie Fantasy will be hosting a new spotlight every Saturday to showcase the incredible talent of self-published fantasy authors!
Please welcome Mark J. Engels and Werecats Emergent, an urban fantasy shapeshifting adventure crossed with science fiction and described as part coming-of-age story, part political thriller with intense action.
Afflicted, exploited, and deadly…
Teenaged Pawly discovers her secret werecat heritage after unexpectedly morphing into a lynx one Halloween night. She and her twin brother thrill as they explore their newly revealed abilities, never far from the watchful eye of their blended human-werecat family. But the old folks know that unless they can find an outlet for the twins’ growing bloodlust, they will both soon turn feral.
Meanwhile, Pawly’s uncle Ritzi scrambles to develop a means to sate her and her brother’s lethal urges. Resuming his deported father’s scientific research and desperate for funding, Ritzi draws notice from a nefarious rogue state eager to help—and to exploit the twins’ lethal potential.
As her family strives to keep the twins’ blood rage in check, Pawly finds herself caught between a Chicago-area drug cartel and the rogue state wooing her uncle. While either could aid in reining in her inner beast, neither has her family’s best interest at heart. Unless a solution can be found quickly, Pawly and her brother will both succumb to their feral natures. And this time, more than just the family pet will end up torn to shreds.
Werecats Emergent and additional Forest Exiles Saga books feature the modern-day remnant of an ancient clan of werecats, torn apart as militaries on three continents vie to exploit their deadly talents. Stories which fans of Patricia Briggs’ “Mercy Thompson” franchise and Brad Magnarella’s “Blue Wolf” series can sink their teeth into!
Werecats Emergent by Mark J. Engels is the first in a completed series of urban fantasy in the Forest Exiles Saga.
About the Author
Boyhood interests in trains and electronics fostered Mark’s career as an electrical engineer, designing and commissioning signal and communications systems for railroads and rail transit agencies across the United States. Authoring industry trade magazine articles, coupled with long-time participation in anime, manga and anthropomorphic fandoms, led him to write paranormal sci-fi thrillers featuring the modern-day remnant of an ancient clan of werecats. Growing up in Michigan, never far from one of the Great Lakes, Mark and his wife today make their home in Wisconsin with their son and a dog who naps beside him as he writes.
Mark is a member of Allied Authors of Wisconsin, one of the state’s oldest writing collectives, and the Furry Writers’ Guild, dedicated to promoting quality anthropomorphic fiction and its creators.
- Website: Mark-Engels.com
- Bluesky: mark-engels.com
- Facebook: mark.engels.39
So glad and grateful for you and yours having me and my book, thank you! 😘