Aceasta carte, “Cloaked in
fur”(Invelit in blana), este o frumoasa povestire populara din legendele si
mitologiile lumii, dar mai ales din povestirile populare romanesti
transilvanene. Autoarea T.F.Walsh este romanca, s-a nascut la Oradea si a
emigrat in Australia in 1981, la varsta de 8 ani, impreuna cu parintii ei si cu
inca doua surori! Si-a terminat Liceul in oraselul Warrawong, iar Facultatea
de Comert, la Universitatea din Wollongong, practicandu-si profesia la mai
multe companii australiene. In preocuparile ei libere o atragea literatura,
astfel, ca orice iubitor de literatura incepe cu poezia, la care se dovedeste
destul de talentata. Multe versuri sunt dedicate mamei sale Florica. Devine
ulterior membra la S.C.W.C-Wollongong (South Coast Writer’s Centre), ca mai
tarziu sa fie tot mai mult atrasa de scrierile in proza, asta pentru ca o
atrageau povestirile fantastice din genul legendelor si mitologiilor. Povesti
cu si despre lupi auzite din povestirile parintilor ei, inca din frageda
copilarie. Asa cum autoarea T.F.Walsh va recunoaste mai tarziu, ea ascultase de
la tatal ei multe povesti si intamplari cu lupi, cu oameni care se
transformau in lupi, dar care trebuiau sa revina la starea de om inainte de
rasaritul soarelui, altfel ramanea lup pana a doua zi! In noptile cu luna,
“prigoliciul”, adica popular, omul care se putea transforma in lup, urla in
padure, adunand lupii adevarati pe care apoi ii ducea pe la stanele de oi ale
ciobanilor.
Eu, la randul meu ascultasem
povestirile parintilor mei, si ai altora mai sugubati, care povesteau cu atata
siguranta in ceea ce spuneau incat mi se facea si frica! Asa odata tatal meu
ne povesti seara la focul sobei, cum “chiar azi” pe la pranz, a venit la el, un
om strain, care l-a intrebat ce mai face, daca nu-I strica lupii, si a
plecat inspre padure. Nu a trecut mult si-au iesit din padure mai multi lupi,
dar unul dintre ei statea de-oparte si urla dupa ceilalti. Au stricat atunci
lupii un manz ce zburda pe langa mama lui. Manzul era intr-adevar a unui
cetatean din Gepiu. O alta povestire de-a dreptul fantastica, culeasa din
foclorul nostru bihorean, descrie o discutie intre un anume Miculai si
prigoliciul care era tot om, dar transformat in lup, iesise in calea omului
sa-l atace. Se porni o lupta salbatica, neinvingandu-se unul pe celalat, la un
moment dat Miculai zice: “Mai, spuse adresandu-se lupului, tu esti prigolici si
maine-i fi om ca tati oamenii; tu vrei sa ma omori da nu ma poti si poate ne-om
lupta pana-om pieri amandoi. Hai mai bine sa ne intelegem: traiesti tu, traiesc
si io si-ti dau lemne din padure si-ti faci casa si-ti dau si lemne da foc, cat
ii trai. Prigoliciu l-o fi inteles, ca mintea lui era minte de om, dar fiind
acuma lup nu putu raspunde, casca doar gura si in loc de vorbe scoase din
grumaz un baunat de rasuna din deal in deal”.(din “Antologie de cultura
populara bihoreana-Legende” prefatata si ingrijita de dl.Craciun Parasca-
Oradea,1980.- Icul lui Miculai, pag.60.-Informator Costea Ioan, 60 ani-
Carasau (Cociuba Mare), 1980. Multe asemenea povestiri, aveau sa reinvie in
amintirile autoarei! Dar acum privite prin mai multe, foarte multe analize
bazate pe studii si cultura acumulata, autoarea T.F.Walsh cu multa tenacitate
reuseste sa adune o carte cu o tema fantastica din lumea mitologiilor despre
lupi, aceste fiare salbatice, dar care totusi isi au viata lor, relatiile lor
ca orice fiinte, dar desigur inumane. In imaginatia autoarei, intre toate
fiintele exista iubire, insa avem un tablou rasturnat al naratiunilor; daca
fiecare fiinta, lup sau om va sta in specia sa, paranormalul apare in lupta de
devenire, de iubire a umanului. Insusi personajul Daciana, in toate actiunile
sale spre iubire si umanitate tinde. Se afla insa in situatia de a se
transforma in lup, atunci cu haita de lupi fugea prin paduri, legitatea vietii
acestora o adora in compania lui Radu. Dar odata schimbata in fiinta umana
Daciana vroia sa gaseasca acum acea salbaticiune care ii devora prietenii ei.
Acest lup trebuia descoperit, dar in acest caz trebuia sa-si tradeze ori
secretele haitei, ori sa se ataseze fiintei umane. Connell Lonescu, un inspector
pe care il iubea deasemenea, si impreuna doreau sa sprijine politia pentru a
descoperi bestia din haita de lupi. Dar, pana la urma avea sa invinga iubirea
pentru fiinta umana! Revenirea intre oamenii adevarati! Autoarea T.F.Walsh
afirma cu convingere ca aceasta nuvela de debut, Cloaked in fur,
publicata la Crimson Romance, este o scriere de fantezie, paranormala, de fictiune,
dar potrivita a fi citita atat de tineri cat si de adulti. Urmarind
comentariile si aprecierile facute de autori remarcabili de acest gen de
scriere, autori traitori in tari din aproape fiecare continent, face ca
prestigiul acestei carti si al autoarei sa devina de fapt o buna imagine a
scrisului romanesc. Este o carte care in parte mai poate fi clasificata si in
genul stiintifico-fantastic, atunci cand in actiunea desfasurarilor povestirii
se face apel la studii moderne de cercetare, spre a demara noi deznodaminte
pentru elucidarea scopului propus de autoarea cartii! Dar, valoarea intr-adevar
meritorie, cred eu, sta in aceea ca intreaga actiune a cartii, tendintele si
sperantele, sunt in castigarea iubirii intre fiintele umane Cuvantatoare si
respectul acestora pentru cele Necuvantatoare, animalele din jurul nostru, cu
care in realitate impartim acest mediu natural, daruit de Dumnezeu tuturor! Ca
o bucurie sufleteasca de tata, sunt mandru ca autoarea este fiica mea mijlocie
Tincuta Florica Walsh dupa sot!
Ioan Miclau „Gepianul”
Cartea nu a fost publicata inca
in limba romana.
Cateva aprecieri de la cititorii
care au citit-o in engleza:
Daciana is having a bad day. Not
one that I've ever experienced. A rogue werewolf is murdering her friends. The
police suspect she may be involved. Her boyfriend, who is an Inspector, doesn't
trust her. The leader of her pack is acting insane. This is a lot for one to
handle all alone. The action in this novel kept me glued to my Kindle. I
couldn't wait to see what happened next. Daciana is a flawed and lovable
character. I liked her spunk, wit, and smart ass comments. Each chapter added
to the suspense. And the ending left me wanting more. Can't wait to see what
happens.
A Brilliant Debut! August 5, 2013
T. B. Markinson
***
Daciana is an intriguing main
character that I was rooting for from the very beginning. Set in the dark and
mysterious Romanian town of Brasov, I enjoyed the romance between Daciana and
Connell. A murder and Daciana's secret life are putting a strain on their
relationship, and the tension between them is palpable. The plot is enjoyable,
with just the right amount of spice and heat that stopped me from putting it
down, I can't to wait read the next book.
A great novel with a strong
female protagonist August 5, 2013
Norman J Walsh
***
Get your passport ready! Cloaked
in Fur by T. F. Walsh is taking us to Romania and the Carpathian Mountains,
where deep in the woods, a pack of wulfkin live. Nearby, mankind is totally
unaware of these shapeshifters' existence, but something has been maiming and
killing people and all evidence leads to some kind of wolf or other large
animal. But animal expert, Daciana, knows better, because she is a member of
the pack living outside of the pack restrictions in the city. Wulfkin always
stick with their own kind, but Daciana is different and now she has fallen head
over heels in love with a human, Inspector Connell Lonescu, a detective
investigating the brutal murders, many of whom are connected to Daciana. Being
a possible suspect could endanger the pack, so Daci must find and stop whoever
is doing the killing, because it is not normal, not even by wulfkin standards,
and she must do it without revealing who or what she is to Connell. Is that
even possible? Must she choose between her pack and the man she loves? Lives
are at stake and time is running out in more ways than one for Daciana, as she
risks her own life to save those around her. Is Cloaked in Fur just another
paranormal romance? Nope. Sure we have the hot human guy, the hot shifter girl,
secrets, deceit, life-threatening events, wayward loyalties and love, but there
is never a stop in the action and it felt real! Emotions run high, the tension
between the two main characters is almost sweetly and desperately heartbreaking.
T. F. Walsh has done a marvelous job of painting a fresh face on the genre from
that first leap into the story to the last page, her writing is crisp and
intense. Ms. Walsh's ability to make me draw mental images of the backgrounds
and walk along with Daciana was amazing. Her characters are well-defined, and
fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. The strength of Daciana's and
Connell's characters was completely believable with their flawed edges. I
completely enjoyed this book from start to finish and look forward to more from
this author!
Fast, Fanged and Fantastic!
August 5, 2013
Dii
***
Daciana loves living in the city.
She has her own apartment, a great job as an animal behaviorist, and a
gorgeous, attentive boyfriend who works as an inspector with the local police
force. On the surface, Daciana's life appears ideal... but that's only half the
story. When the full moon reaches its peak, and looms large over the Carpathian
Mountains of Romania, Daciana transforms into a moonwulf. And as part of an
ancient line of shapeshifting wolves, Daciana is expected to live with her pack
family, to mate within the pack, and to maintain the clandestine life of her
elders, thus ensuring the pack maintains its secrecy from humans. Not one to
follow orders or tradition, Daciana has fallen in love with a human, causing
upheaval within her pack at a time when unity is more important than ever. With
a new pack encroaching on their territory, a rogue wolf creating a panic, and a
magical elixir that could change the course of everything, Daciana is torn
between two worlds. Does she stay with her pack family, or risk it all for the
man she loves? There were so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed, it's
hard to know where to start! It's well written, perfectly paced, and filled
with enchanting characters. Daciana is a strong, thoughtful female character
with plenty of flaws and angst. We get to know the range of her emotions and
personality characteristics in a realistic and believable way. Connell is a
gorgeous and lovable character, with his own set of flaws and quirks. He
struggles with his relationship with Daciana, and on more than one occasion has
clearly been to the bar to ease his woes! We get to know Sandulf, Enre, and
others--all important, and all with meaningful contributions to this story. A
great read! I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to the next
installment. Note: This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for
an honest review.
A must-read for paranormal
romance and werewolf fans! August 5, 2013
Moonrise Book Blog
***
I really enjoyed this book and
could not put it down... read the entire book in one sitting. I just wish there
had been a little more world building such as more detail on the differences
between the different types of "wulfs" and why Daciana was living in
the human world just before her final changes. I will be eagerly awaiting a
sequel to see if the Daciana's romance is able to flourish now that she is the
alpha or if she will eventually do less in the human world and more in the
wulfkin world.
Cloaked in fur August 6, 2013
obsessiveglider
***
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This is a dark, compelling,
and intense read, that paves its own path in the genre and strays away from
worn and tired tropes."
Apathy's Hero
***
“This story grabbed me with its
claws and wouldn’t let go until the last page. Part thriller and all romance,
this one will keep you up all night!”
Cynthia Carole, author of The Alpha
***
“T.F. Walsh brings a fresh voice,
mixed with the classics in this highly recommended and suspenseful paranormal
romance.”
Oliviu Craznic, author of ...Si la sfarsit a mai ramas cosmarul (...And
Then The Nightmare Came At Last)
***
“Pulse-pounding excitement and
heart-melting romance. I loved it!”
Lexa Cain, author of Soul Cutter
***
“Fast-paced, dark, and riveting.
A must read!”
Christine Rains, author of 13th Floor series
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