by Pamela K. Kinney
April 26, 2022
209 pages
Have you ever been driving, alone, at night, and know that what you saw along the side of the road was not human? Do you ever wonder just what was howling on your last camping trip? Have you ever felt your skin crawl as you passed by that hitchhiker in the fog?
Join Pamela K. Kinney as she explores the North American tales and mythology that deal with shapeshifting frights. From the arid deserts of the American Southwest to the dense forest of the American Northwest, and even farther north to the Last Frontier of Alaska; from the Midwest to the Appalachian Mountains, continuing to the Atlantic Ocean in the east and down south to Florida, the tales of were-beasts are myriad—and hauntingly similar.
With all these stories spanning cultures and landscapes, might there be some spark of truth to them?
209 pages
Have you ever been driving, alone, at night, and know that what you saw along the side of the road was not human? Do you ever wonder just what was howling on your last camping trip? Have you ever felt your skin crawl as you passed by that hitchhiker in the fog?
Join Pamela K. Kinney as she explores the North American tales and mythology that deal with shapeshifting frights. From the arid deserts of the American Southwest to the dense forest of the American Northwest, and even farther north to the Last Frontier of Alaska; from the Midwest to the Appalachian Mountains, continuing to the Atlantic Ocean in the east and down south to Florida, the tales of were-beasts are myriad—and hauntingly similar.
With all these stories spanning cultures and landscapes, might there be some spark of truth to them?
If you're interested in supernatural/paranormal stuff then Pamela Kinney is an expert. She is an author of fiction but she is also a paranormal investigator and has written many excellent non-fiction books about ghost hauntings in the Virginia area. I admit I'm not a believer, but the books cover some really interesting historical information about the haunted places covered in the books. I reviewed them here.
Werewolves, Dogmen, and other Shapeshifters Stalking North America was a bit different. Pamela Kinney obviously scoured the internet for stories from people who have witnessed one of these cryptids. It is an impressive collection of accounts. But they weren't presented as fact, just examples of how people from all over North America throughout history have recounted the similar experiences.
Like the ghost-haunting books, this one excels in the history and myths and legends tied to cryptids. There is a lot of Native American influence of course. So you can be entertained and educated.
This book is for middle school and up. The younger crowd will love the first-hand account stories and learning about different types of cryptids (there were some I hadn't heard of!) in North American myths and legends, and the older will appreciate the historical aspects.
The only issue I had was the writing wasn't as polished as it is in the ghost haunting books.
4 "Were, dog and shapeshifting" Sheep
SharonS
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Pamela K. Kinney is an award-winning published author of horror, science fiction, fantasy, poetry, and a ghost wrangler of nonfiction ghost books published by Schiffer Publishing. Her horror short story, "Bottled Spirits" published by Buzzymag.com was runner up for the 2013 Small Press Award.
Two of her nonfiction ghost books were nominated for Library of Virginia Awards. Her latest nonfiction ghost book to be published by Schiffer Publishing, Paranormal Petersburg, Virginia, and the Tri-Cities Area, will be released August 2015.
She also has done acting on stage and in films, is a Master Costumer--costuming since 1972— and she even does paranormal investigating, including for DVDs for Paranormal World Seekers, filmed by AVA Productions. She was casting director for High Mountain Films' movie, The 19th (been an extra in the film, too), and wrote a horror screenplay, "Crawlspace Creep," now with an Indie production company.
She's a member of Horror Writers Association and the local Virginia chapter.
She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house, husband, and even the cat sometimes suffer for it!
To find out more about Pamela's acting, costuming, and directing, click here.
Under the pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan, she has published erotic and sweet paranormal/fantasy/science fiction romance along with a couple of erotic horror stories. Her erotic urban fantasy by the pseudonym, Sapphire Phelan, Being Familiar With a Witch is a Prism 2010 Awards winner and an Epic Awards 2010 finalist. The sequel to Being Familiar With a Witch, A Familiar Tangle With Hell was released June 2011 from Phaze Books. Both eBooks were combined into one print book, The Witch and the Familiar, released April 24, 2012.
