Be honest. You looked at the title, and you thought—either she’s talking about something fun and naughty, or she’s talking about the paranormal.
Well, actually, I’m talking about both. When mixed just right, I feel the elements can be a very potent combination, indeed.
Let’s start with the paranormal. Halloween is just around the corner. The time of spooks, goblins, and all things scary. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Halloween—I’ve loved the idea that there is one night out of the year when everyone believes…just for a moment…that maybe there is something out there in the darkness. When everyone believes that maybe, just maybe, that howl was from a werewolf (and not the neighbor’s hound dog). Or that maybe, just maybe, that flash of light…was a ghost (and not some kid shining his light in your window).
When the paranormal market heated up a few years ago, I was thrilled. I thought, finally, more of MY kind of books! More vampires, more witches, more werewolves! You see, for a while, it seemed that the only really good vamp books I could find were those written by the oh-so-wonderfully talented Christine Feehan. But then things changed…Susan Sizemore released her lovelies. MaryJanice Davidson took a bite out of the scene. Angela Knight showed us that the undead could be very, very sexy…and the paranormal world began to call to more and more people.
Now, paranormal is HOT. And I’m not just talking about the book sales. The stories are rich, deep, and sensual. Quite honestly, I love those stories! I flip through the pages like the books are on fire. There just seems to be a whole new level of tension that arises in these books. Perhaps it is because so often these characters are in life or death situations—their lovemaking reflects that intensity, and it heightens the read. Or perhaps it is because many of these characters have a beast that lurks very close to the surface of their humanity, and that beast is wild, and often desperate to find a mate. Or perhaps writers feel that they can push the envelope more in these tales…after all, who can say how vampires or witches make love? They like to experiment, they like to be bold. And readers love to read their tales.
So, for me, the mix of paranormal and steamy erotica is a good blend. I tried it out in my upcoming novella, Bite of the Wolf (Red Sage Secrets Volume 15). Yep, I just had to write my own werewolf tale! And you know what? I think I’ll have to write more. Because there is just something about these paranormal stories…something that pushes you to read them, something that pushes you to write them.
What about you? How do you feel about those things that go…BUMP…in the night?
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I adore Paranormals (no small wonder why I’m writing them:wink:). However, you’ve touched on a bit of pet peeve of mine tonight. When you say ‘after all, who can say how vampires or witches make love?’, I’d have to agree that, at least for vampires, the sky’s the limit for your creativity. But for witches, you can merely go ask someone who uses the word to desribe the fact that they are Wiccan, or belong to one of the other Pagan faiths (I won’t get into details, because it can get very complicated. However there are many excellent books available on the different types of paganism).
Please don’t take my comments as scolding or aggressive – I merely wanted to point this out so that you don’t inadvertendly offend a corner of your market that tends to get a ‘book-wall’ reflex when that word is overly abused.
To me, the paranormal books bring forth a new kind of fantasy to the romance market. It’s like a “contemporary fantasy” type of story… set in modern time or the slight future, or an alternate universe where these paranormal aspects live next to us in our realm.
And in this world, we can extrapolate the fantasy and twist and intensify it into something that makes a world run with passion and unknown, a vibrancy that is lacking in the day to day life of 9-5, trips to Wal-Mart, and the bank.
And of course, there are those things that do go BUMP in the night, and those things can remind us, especially this time of year, that things are not always what they appear… ((( insert evil laugh ))))
Natasha,
As someone who has extensively studied the Wiccan faith, I certainly meant no offense. My point was merely that paranormal characters have freer reign in their stories, and that’s why I like them! Thanks for the comment, and I appreciate your honesty!
I agree with Ms. Eden. I have thoroughly enjoyed the paranormal romance novels I have read. I find vampires especially fascinating and sensual. I have a little project of my own in the works. Hopefully, I’ll have more to share soon!
Cynthia – I realized from your evident enthusiasm that you didn’t mean any harm. However, as someone who gets knee-jerk reactions when they hear people wanting to become ‘point and zap’ witches based on the misinformation passed along in fiction, its hard some times for me to not put my 2c in.
Thank you for not taking my comments as a personal attack.