Shapeshifters Control Our Lives!
The frightening power of vampires, werewolves, and lycanthropes has lived within our nightmares for centuries, failing to be reasoned out by the rapid advances in science and technology. The truth is that they are very much a part of our reality. However, they are merely the genetically inferior offspring of a more powerful race, known as doppelgangers, who evolved alongside humankind. These shapeshifters adopted a secretive yet manipulative approach when dealing with us, feeding off the sexual desires of men to sustain their society…until desperate times forced a new order.
Christopher Sands, a rising investment banker, was just another victim in a long list of doppelganger schemes. Framed for a crime he wouldn’t commit and watching his family fade farther and farther from his prison bars, Chris makes an unbelievable discovery; shapeshifters aren’t the only race with supernatural abilities. Can he find the strength to accept an even worse fate than prison to not only save his son, but all humankind? Will Michael Sands be able to control the spirits that haunt him to finish what his father cannot?
Targeted Age Group:: Adult – Mature content
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
The original idea came from my first book, *Dillon’s Dream: Water & Earth*.
In the Young Adult novel, which *The Doppler Affect* definitely isn’t,
there is a chapter where mythical doppelgangers play a key role. When I
decided I wanted to write a paranormal adult fiction novel, I asked myself
what modern-day, scientific-based shapeshifters would be like. How would
they gain their ability, what would separate them from the mythical
doppelgangers, and would they have weaknesses? But it wasn’t enough for a
novel, as doppelgangers have been written about in thousands of stories. It
took another year before I was able to integrate it with a spirit walker
idea I had been toying with. From there it only took ten months to write
(it may sound like a long time to some, but I also have a 60-hr a week job).
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
Unlike my first book, none of the primary characters were based off of
people I knew or met. However, the development of characters is something
I love to do. To me, it’s a combination of research and art. The research
is to ensure readers buy in to how a character acts, and the art to add the
‘skin’ that makes them seem real. I first develop a concept of the type of
character I need. Once I have an idea of what I want or need the character
to be, then I use personality trait tables and research to ensure they are
consistent throughout the story (even if they are growing as the story
progresses). Since I like kind, reflective protagonists, I chose Michael
Sands to be just that type of person. I then tracked his decisions,
motives, and growth to my outline that hopefully ensured consistency.
Another example is with the alien race. When I decided the doppelgangers
where a matriarchal society bent on overtaking mankind, I developed an
overarching set of character traits that was at their core of their
‘beehive’ society. Dorothea, their leader and the antagonist of the story,
held these core traits the strongest. My goal with the other doppelgangers
was to show how their societal traits were starting to break down…in
varying ways. I think for the most part my readers were able to understand
this, always there were a couple reviewers who became confused.
About the Author:
Shawn Phillips wrote his first book, a young-adult fantasy novel titled Dillon’s Dream: Water in Earth, in 2009 before following it up with his adult paranormal fiction novel, The Doppler Affect. In addition to the sequel to The Doppler Affect, he currently has two other projects in progress, which he plans to complete in 2015.
He spent his younger years living in southern Michigan farming communities before moving to Holland, Michigan to pursue a chemistry degree at Hope College, which he completed in 1992. After relocating to California, he continued his chemistry studies and obtained his doctorate degree in 1997. After a brief yet enjoyable stint at DuPont, he signed on as a civil servant for the United States Air Force. He has spent more than fifteen years conducting and directing propulsion research at the historic Rocket Lab, located on Edwards Air Force Base.
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