#san andreas shifters

[ghostieliving]

I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if raw liver boba were to be mentioned as a menu item in one of @gailcarriger 's San Andreas Shifters books, sounds exactly like something that would be offered in a cafe that caters to shifters

[redgoldblue]

anyway shifter AU. Sam is a black panther Callen is a pale caramel puma Deeks is a lion Kensi is a barghest (black dog shifter). Hetty is a hawk.

yes Deeks is an absolute asshole about being ‘king of the jungle’ until he and Sam are shifted in the same place at the same time and he remembers Sam is bigger and can 100% still take him down like this.

yes having a bird shifter in charge of a team that’s ¾ feline is a weird fucking situation to be in but it’s Hetty, no-ones gonna cross her in any form.

Deeks and Kensi look absolutely adorable cuddling in shifted forms and Sam and Callen look so much like a Pair it’s obscene.

[wildwildwestcon]

Hello to all our amazing friends and fans! We have a new announcement for you today, and it's a doozy!

Please help us welcome back our dear friend and yours, Gail Carriger!

Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk, urban fantasy, and sci-fi (plus cozy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School and Tinkered Starsong series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times.

Her first book, Soulless, made Audible’s Best list, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book, an IndieBound Notable, and a Locus Recommended Read. She has received the American Library Association’s Alex Award, the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Elbakin Award, the Steampunk Chronicle‘s Reader’s Choice Award, and a Starburner Award. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea. Get early access, specials, and exclusives via her website gailcarriger.com

Make sure you've booked your hotel room before they're sold out! https://www.wildwestcon.com/wwwc12-hotel/

Also, jump on those early bird pass prices while they're still around! https://www.wildwestcon.com/convention-passes-wwwc12/

As always, stay tuned here and to all our social media for more announcements, news, and updates! See you soon for #WWWC12Heroes and #WWWC12Villains!

[castielsdeadlyparasol]

For the first time in a very long time my brain has not only allowed me to listen to audio books, but it has allowed me to listen go NEW audio books. Over the past 3 days I have listened to the first two books in The R'iyah Family Archives series by AJ Sherwood. I will sit and wait patiently (though thrumming with need) for the third to be released in audio form.

For the uninitiated, this series is modern fantasy, queer, poly, hilarious, and romantic. It feels like all the best fanfiction, while building a totally unique world with extremely loveable characters.

For fans of Gail Carriger, these books scratched a similar itch as her stuff, but especially the San Andreas Shifters.

[booksandwords]

The Sumage Solution by G.L. Carriger

Series: San Andreas Shifters, #1 Read time: 4 Days Rating: 3.5/5

The quote: You’re not writing your own story, you’re living with the disappointment of failing someone else’s outline. — Alec Frederiksen

Warnings for internalised self loathing, homophobia and familial abuse.

Maximillian 'Max' Barker is a submage, born of one of the most powerful mage lines in the world to be a Surge or more, he failed. He now works as a Placer a cog in government bureaucracy. Bryan 'Biff' Frederiksen is the Beta in a queer werewolf pack new to the San Fransisco area. Closeted gay himself with an out Alpha he meets Max while registering their pack with the local authorities. Their chemistry is instant and nothing stops them from exploring it. The plot revolves around their fledgeling relationship and the complication their powers and positions cause them. It's slightly tropey and predictable fun. That due to its execution doesn't quite feel like anything I read before.

This is written in Carriger's usual fun and humourous style. The characters interact well their actions are understandable or at least justifiable by their given characterisation. Watching Max and Marvin together is highly amusing with their similar never back down from verbal battle personalities. Alec and Max have a dynamic that I think there will be more of later, there are similarities there that are unexpected. What I will say though is that there are some moments that are not followed through, confusingly written (I may have misread the phrasing). Alternately they could just be fantastic misdirects. This is a book that deals with a lot of internalised self-loathing in the present and homophobia and familial violence in the past. It does the warnings that are given to it on the blurb.

A highlight of the book are the feminine coded characters, Gladiola, Ms. Trickle and Manifest Destiny. Gladiola is a kitsune Max meets early in the book through his work. like most kitsune, she's poly which is where the drama starts. She is a friend to Max and a bit of a relationship councillor. Ms. Trickle is Max's boss, and a kelpie. There is something fantastic about the way she shows she scares, her gruffness made me smile, we all know someone like that. I knew Mana existed, I know her inevitable partner but I did not expect her to be such a legend. She (the primary pronoun use in the book) is stunning. A nonbinary/ fluid, several hundred-year-old, kitsune, drag queen. Her presentation out of drag is androgynous. Her ability to draw people to her is intense and watching her boot everyone up the ass is a freaking sight to behold. I love her so much. That her story, Vixen Ecology, is told in parallel to all the rest is brilliant to me. It means she is a constant character and companion to the pack and likely helps train Max but also means her relationship is a slow build and slow burn (which it needs to be given her man's current well everything).

"Alpha size, enforcer attitude, Beta calm. If Bryan was an example of this new pack, perhaps it was weird enough to fit into a San Francisco mold." — This is  fantastic imagery. It says a lot about Bryan too.

"Max knew that he wasn’t at his best, even for a Monday. Normally, the Korean great-grandmother on one side and the Japanese grandfather on the other meant he looked younger than his actual thirty. But today, that Greek grandfather – the one the family never talked about – had stuck his oar in and painted dark rings under Max’s eyes." — Okay I'm only sharing this because I have a thing for genetics. And Max's are messed up, selective breeding for power but it has given him an insane look.

"She grinned and gave him the bird. Literally. A tiny quintessence hummingbird illusion formed off her middle finger, flew at him, and buzzed his cheek. Then evaporated with a mild whomp. Nice control for a savage mage. That’s one talented kitsune. A bird bird was a weirdly complimentary insult." — This is Gladiola. I adore her. She's a sassy badass vixen.

“I was born to be a Surge and then I failed.” “How did it happen?” “Puberty hit, my voice dropped, and I told my dad I was gay. Then he basically blasted me with quintessence.” — Here comes toxic masculinity to ruin the day.

“Barker. Line of asshole Surges from Saturation on down, as you might have guessed. I’m a big old disappointing whoops.”  “Yeah, well, I’m male and gay – can’t say my pod was over the moon about me." — Look this is just funny. I adore Max and Marvin together.

"Bryan had said Colin was touch-shy. Homophobic family had messed with his head something fierce. How could anyone be nasty to such a sweet creature? God, the world sucks balls. Or to be more precise, not enough of the world sucks balls. Would be a lot easier on those of us who did, if more people got over their obsession with hating it." — Colin is a sweetie, I like him. He's so endearing and his wolf is so cute, he's so small. He may not be an Omega but he's exactly my kind of character. Sweet and damaged, watching him overcome that to reassure his Beta made me all warm and fuzzy. His book is The Enforcer Enigma, we find out who his mate is in this book and it's exactly the kind of man he needs.

“Did you know, before Super-Saturation, when quintessence was confined to the Sphere, and mages only existed in nascent form, that Victorian scientists called the possibility of power excess soul? Quintessence was different then. Rarer, harder to find, more confined. They called it aether.” — For those who have read Carriger's other series (Finishing School, Parosoal Protectorate, Custard Protocol & Supernatural Society) this is Mana explaining the connection. Because this is in the same world, albeit with slightly altered rules, and there is a link.

"I know English is an imprecise language, but it’s eaten away at all the others and it’s what we tend to use round these parts." — Mana is a Queen (in more ways than one). This is such an accurate line though.

"I love it and I fear it and it is way too intimate. But you need to know it doesn’t hurt me, and I need to know it doesn’t disgust you, so I’ll risk this thing." — This in reaction to body worship. Which is one of my fave things that not enough authors write. But damnit more need to. Oh and yes Max is scarred up, this isn't of tats (though I like worship of either)

Okay so I wanted to really enjoy this book but at about the 70% mark, I started to find it a little off-putting. I was no longer lost in the world and was honestly struggling to find the motivation to finish it. It took a little reflection to figure out what was wrong, why I suddenly had started to dislike a book that to that point was proving itself enjoyable and engaging, I can't abide stupid characters and Max is written as purposefully stupid. He lives in the supernatural world yes he lives in an area without wolves but his job means he would know of their abilities and strength of ties. Max knows that for that enchantment to let him pass when he's with Bryan, for that shielding to happen, isn't a flippant thing. For Bryan to know all his buttons easily isn't a fluke. But he's not even acknowledging the potentials. Yes, we see Bryan's side too but it's too much of a leap of faith to assume that Max wouldn't know or at least guess. I can forgive everything about daddy dearest and the house as repressed memory and the pain of an abused child, I can forgive his fears in the same way Alec does. But not the ignorance of instinct and consequence. In a character that is supposed to be anything but he comes off as stupid. Should it be a minor issue? Yes, but it kind of destroyed some of my enjoyment of the book. I didn't hate it it just lost me a little. It turned it from a maybe 4 star book to a 3.5 star.

[thenovelqueers]

🧜🏻‍♂️ Flippin’ my fins, I don’t get too far 🎵

🐺 Wolves are required for shifter romance 🎵

Hi, y’all!

Welcome to the very first official episode by The Novel Queers! We take a deep dive into G. L. Carriger’s Marine Biology.

If a fun little romp with a reluctant werewolf, a lovesick merman, and the Selkie mafia interests you - give it a listen!

[anisotropic-blue]

Character sketches for Gladdy and Chrys from  the San Andreas Shifters series. Because I wanted to draw people with interesting fashion sense (read: where it would be in character no matter what weird shit I put them in).

What’s that? Male kitsune are supposed to be smaller? Why yes, it does say that. But Tank says Chrys is taller, so...

Completed July 2019

[cicatrixtwigs]

“You didn’t want to come out to them?” “I didn’t.” “Nice to be bi.” “Easy to be invisible. Not quite the same thing.”

The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger

[comic-books-and-bars]

San Andreas Shifters Headcanon:

If Marvin and Alec ever had a baby. This would be that baby.

[redgoldblue]

for the questions for fic writers thing, if you still feel like it: 7, 15, 36, 45!

hey! i am here i am alive i communicate. theoretically.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

Here's the thing: the vast majority of my worldbuilding occurs in conjunct with canon. holding hands with canon. and it's thus difficult to seperate it from canon's worldbuilding. However, having said that, I really enjoyed and was satisfied with Steve's arc surrounding leaving the military and dealing with John's death in Lips Like Sugarcane, which despite being in an AU was the arc in it that held hands with canon the most.

(I also really love my S/H origin story in Writing Your Name In Indelible Pencil, which is kinda worldbuilding)

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

y'know. i love Lips Like Sugarcane but I think the AU that compels me the most, in and of the alternate universe of it all, was the H50 San Andreas Shifters-style shapeshifter AU from one advent calendar chapter. Although come to think of it, that may actually apply more to worldbuilding.

36. Do you visualize what you read/write?

Almost never, which makes it... challenging sometimes writing description. Especially of original characters. Especially when I get halfway through a story and realise I have no idea what anything looks like. I am very used to fighting that feedback on competition stories.

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

I mean, everything - fanfic was the first thing I wrote, so it was bad when I started. it's good now. I improved on dialogue first, then physical description, then show don't tell, then emotional description, then plotting, and picked up a bunch of little things along the way that make writing run smoother.

(paragraph breaks, bois and gurls. learn to love your paragraph breaks)

fic questions!

[lavenderlaceandlilacs]

After reading the latest San Andreas Shifters book I'm interested in the new pack dynamics we have been given. And I wonder if a Gama will ever come into it. Are they needed now there are no wars the shifters take part in? Is it something you are born into like Alpha or Beta? Questions. Also Poor Kevin 😂

[artoflithium]

Fan art of the two main characters from Gail Carrigers San Andreas Shifters Short Story "Marine Biology".

I couldn't find any mentions of how the mermans, Marvins, fins look, so I drew a simple one. *lacks creativity * Also I hope I managed to make them look a bit like the author described them. I can't maintain the typical manga style when doing digital painting, so Marvins face isn't as handsome as I'd like him to be :'3 And I haven't drawn any wolves in over 8 years. xD

But I hope you guys like this anyway. I currently struggle to find any time to draw, because my work, as much fun as it might be, is pretty exhausting. Any fans of Gail Carrigers books out here? °-°

I wonder, can werewolves breathe under water? Being undead and all they most likely won't need to breathe and should be able to dive without being hurt? XD

[carrigerpigeon]

Some hot Gail Carriger release dates:

How to Marry a Werewolf - May 13, 2018

Competence - July 17, 2018

The Omega Objection - November 2018

[booksandwords]

Marine Biology by G.L. Carriger

Series: San Andreas Shifters, #0.5 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5

The quote: “So, how deep in the closet are you?” “Honey, I shit mothballs.” — Marvin & Alec

This is a very fast introduction to the San Andreas Shifters series. It's Alec and Marvin's story. The plot is simple enough. Werewolf Alec and Merman Marvin (along with his sister Giselle) are working together to hunt down Selkies who stole from a non-profit.  It essentially provides the bare basics of the lore, some of the acronyms, introduces some of the main characters in the series and explains how such an unusual couple came to be. Also kinda importantly how Alec is so unusual. It really isn't even so much about Alec, Marvin and their relationship they kind of fall into place it makes them the perfect kind of couple for such a short piece. Their history and the way it is played and handled was just effective. I also cheer any author that gives me a matriarchal society, and Giselle as the strong female character is brilliant.

“Jesus, Jack, what are you, twelve?” Okay this needs to be its own mini paragraph. I love Jack. Jack is a ghost. The ghost of a drag queen who haunts Alec's parent's house. Jack is all sass and matchmaker and shit-stirrer. He's the sort of character I love. he should theoretically be scared or uncomfortable in his current position but he's not. He thrives on it and has befriended Alec. Look he made me laugh he's got that sense of humour that is right down my alley and we see more of him in The Sumage Solution. Marvin and Alec are funny but not as funny as Jack.

It's by no means essential if you want to skip Marine Biology and go straight into The Sumage Solution. Biff explains a lot of the pack and Alec's history (or more the essentials) in The Sumage Solution. But for those who have never read Gail/ G.L. Carriger this is a great way to see if you'll enjoy her writing. Or if you do like her writing to see if you'll like it in a modern context. I will say it's well worth reading there is something truly appealing about a merman who used to be a goth and a werewolf who is a marine biologist

[anisotropic-blue]

Foxy lady

Took a stab at Manifest Destiny from the San Andreas Shifters series. Not confident I didn’t make her just a tad too feminine...

Completed January 2019

Pattern brush used on kimono dress courtesy of Anca Balaj via Procreate discussion forum

[cicatrixtwigs]

In merfolk, charm was a survival trait. Luring sailors to their deaths using beauty and siren song wasn’t all mythology. Marvin had simply moved onto luring locals to barbecues using throw pillows and canapés. Everyone needs a hobby.

The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger