Who is PJ Taylor?

She’s an investigative reporter by day and a black cat by night. She’s the bespoke heroine of the Eyeshine universe. But who is she, really?

At the beginning of Eyeshine 1, PJ is 28 years old. She’s spent most of her life in Mayhap, Indiana. All she wants is to have a normal, uncomplicated life, but that never seems to be in the cards for her. Instead, she has a talent for sniffing out crime and involving herself in its solution. Vicky Denning, one of her best friends, summed up her unique ability to be in the thick of things like this: “Ambulances chase PJ, not the other way around.”

Origins

Without spoiling the reveals in book 1, we can look in on PJ’s history. She was adopted by her much older brother, Robert, when she was twelve, after their parents were killed in a car crash. Not long after, she began turning into a cat at night. The first time the transformation happened shocked and scarred them both. Imagine if someone turned into a cat right in front of you! By now, at 28, PJ largely has the shifts down, and she has a lot of excuses for dealing with curious friends who wonder why they never see her at night.

Ideals

PJ is as idealistic as her brother is realistic. She believes in the good of mankind and the kindness of karma. She lives in Stoker Hills, where trailers outnumber houses, not out of financial necessity but out of an undying optimism about people everywhere. Of course, no one would be complete without an Achilles’ heel and PJ’s is her insatiable curiosity. She simply cannot let a question go unanswered. As you can imagine, this is both a superpower and a distinct disadvantage. The words “letting go” aren’t in her vocabulary.

Life at Large

You can tell a lot about a person from their home. PJ’s is a cozy tiny home in Stoker Hills, a Mayhap neighborhood with no homeowner’s association to complain when inhabitants keep old cars or scrap metal in their yard. Unconcerned, PJ goes about her business. She knows most of the Hills’ denizens by name and is somewhat of a legend in the community for her easy hospitality. According to PJ, everyone deserves good coffee and conversation.

So… who is PJ, really?

PJ isn’t fearless.

She fakes migraines. She worries. She says awkward things. She trips into danger with alarming regularity.

But if someone needs help—whether it’s a frightened child, an injured stray, or a complete stranger—she never hesitates.

That’s who PJ is.

Some Werecat Trivia

• Fur color varies and may or may not reflect human color.
• Eye color stays the same between human and cat form.
• When in cat form, werecats retain their human memories and linguistic skills and gain the ability to communicate with animals.
• When they turn back into a human, werecats retain their cat memories but can no longer communicate natively with animals.
• Werecat hearing is significantly better than ordinary human hearing.
• Werecat sight is significantly better than ordinary human sight and includes the improved ability to see in dim light that cats enjoy.