Nature's Deadliest . . . Eeek.

My husband and I are sitting here, working on separate projects. I'm putting together some stuff for book marketing, and he's working on things for clients. To keep us company, we're watching documentaries on nature's deadliest creatures (Netflix, Discovery Channel). Needless to say, we've decided never to move to Australia, Africa, or Brazil.

It's really fascinating, and honestly, I'm finding myself inspired for future monsters to put in my stories.

There's this fish in Australian oceans that delivers a poison which targets the pain centers of the brain. No amount of medication or morphine or anything else will remove the agony. And it takes hours for it to wear off. Doesn't kill the person, just makes them wish they were dead.

Then there's the dingo - a really pretty wild dog in Australia that can kill an adult in ten minutes.

Next, the different kinds of snakes that kill really quickly. (Three minutes up to 48 incredibly agonizing hours. Lovely.) And of course monstrous crocodiles. And bull sharks, which swim upstream into rivers and kill within three minutes. Don't forget spiders and scorpions and Cape Buffaloes and rhinos and hippos. And killer bees. (Give them five minutes) And hyenas. (Only need three.)

We live in such a beautiful world. But dang, it's dangerous! :-)

Oh, and did you know the anaconda has six rows of razer sharp teeth? And I thought my Eetu fish, with its triple-lined teeth, was bad!

But seriously. If you write fantasy, or simply like to create different deadly creatures, why not get inspiration from these animals? The snakes, beautiful frogs, and spiders have enough differences to generate a lot of creatures.

Anyway . . . back to marketing. :-)

I'm putting together a list of somewhere around 400 middle grade and young adult fantasy books. I'd love to be able to read them all! Should I post them on my blog? I think I will. :-)