The paranormal romance subgenre is booming now, as I'm sure you know. On bookstore shelves these days you'll see vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, psychics, dragons and all kinds of other unusual creatures in different combinations.
My novella, "Devil in a Kilt" (Red Sage Secrets Volume 27) has a few different paranormal elements. The first and most obvious one is time-travel. A modern day woman holds a sword and is transported back in time to 17th century Scotland. I've always loved a good time-travel romance, especially if the story has a bit of humor and is handled differently from the norm.
The second paranormal element in my story is the shape-shifting hero. He's a sexy Highland chief who's been cursed to change into a hawk at daybreak. At first I thought shape-shifting characters would be hard to create and write. How do you go into bird point of view? Once I started writing it, I found it was no problem at all, especially when the bird thinks just like a man. So what if he has feathers instead of fingers half the time? At least he's a man at night. ;-)
The curse brings us to the next paranormal element, magic--wielded by a witch of the Dark Arts. Almost anything is possible with magic, so it's important to create whatever limits you want on the paranormal world you create. If you have "rules" and motivation or reasons this helps the reader suspend disbelief and totally buy into your story. For example, the witch can spy on them from a distance because she has a crystal ball. She can turn herself into whatever animal she wants because she knows all the spells.
What is your favorite paranormal element to read or write about and why (what do you love about it?) To enter this month's contest all you need to do is answer this question by posting your comment here before Nov. 30. All those on my mailing list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nicolenorthnewsletter/
will be entered into a separate contest. You can enter that contest by joining. One prize is 2 books from my TBR stack and the other prize is a pair of sterling silver and semi-precious stone handmade earrings (made by me) just in time for the holidays. I won't tell you which prize goes with which contest. Make a psychic guess.
;-) I'll pick the winners the first week in December. Thanks in advance for entering!
20 comments:
Hey, Nicole! I love paranormal stuff. Time travel is cool. I like any kind of magic. I like the shapeshifters. Not so much the vampires and werewolves, but I love faeries. :)
I love to read it, but it's especially fun to write it. Anything is possible in a paranormal. In How Faerie Dust Is Made, my human hero just hated how my faerie heroine could simply disappear. I loved writing that. :)
I like the power and magic of dragons. Most of my dragons can speak and are wise. In fact, most of the stories that I write that have paranormal, the element is a mentor, not the main character. Perhaps that is from my respect for magic and animal life.
Having said that, I love a good time travel or ghost, not real fond of the really dark books though.
pub2b
What a fun post! I grew up devouring fantasy fiction and still love reading all flavors of paranormal, especially things that feel like old or forgotten magic. But what I love to write most is time travel! Maybe it's because I was an aspiring historian in a former life...I love history, yet can't seem to write it without imagining what it would be to live there myself.
I love time travel! I'm polishing up my own set during the Civil War for the GH.
I also love vampires, werevolves, shapshifters, ghosts and other paranormal creatures and happenings.
Hi! I love paranormal. I love writing with good and evil so paranormal is right up my ally. I like witches, immortals, time traveling, etc. I think it makes it fun for readers to escape and imagine something else than reality. It's fun to dream and imagine. Us writers do that for readers. :-)
ooh, Susan, Civil War time travel sounds fantastic!! :)
Hi Nicole!
Great post. Oh, to only pick one paranormal element is near impossible I think. :) I absolutely love Time Travels. The idea of being transplanted from a place where the character is content and throwing them into the unknown is fascinating. I love vampires, too. I think it's that whole immortal thing. And witches...:) See, I told you I just couldn't pick one.
I love the vampires and time travel. :)
Nita, that sounds like a fun story with the disappearing faerie! I look forward to reading it.
pub2b, dragons are interesting. I haven't read many (or any?) stories with them yet but I know they're out there. I'm going to have to look for one. It's great that paranormals run the gamut from dark and angsty to light and humorous so there's something for everyone.
Veronica, I agree, time-travels are addictive. Wouldn't it be wild if we could actually travel back in time? Interesting but terrifying. LOL I look forward to reading your time-travel coming out next year.
Susan, Good luck with your Civil War time-travel in the GH! Fingers crossed you final and get a contract as a result. One of my early ms. is a Reconstruction time-travel romance (so about 20 yrs after the Civil War.) It was a blast to write.
Corrina, There are a lot of time-travel fans and IMHO publishers should be buying more of them to feed our craving. Or to help us get published, depending on how you want to look at it. :-) It's also difficult for me to pick one paranormal element as my favorite. I'm a fan of immortals too and have created an immortal hero in another of my manuscripts.
Vicki, absolutely! Vampires are hot. They are the original sensual bad boys. I'm a big fan of Henry on Blood Ties and Mick on the new series Moonlight.
Thanks everyone for entering my contest! Keep reading those paranormals! :-) At the moment I happen to be reading a werewolf story.
Nicole
I like the paranormals with wolves in them-they fascinate me. Don't know why. I read alot, and the paranormals take me away from the sometimes strange reality we live in.
Happy Thanksgiving
Paranormal books are my favorite! Especially vampires, werewolves, witches/wizards, dragons, gargoyles, erm, and a few futuristic ones, too!
I really can't just choose one, every story is unique and great in its own way. :)
love shifter books. Especially big cats and dragons.
vampires mostly, course they can live forever :)
I like books with witches, ghosts and stories where characters have psychic abilities.
I love Vampire romance books, I can't help it, some of my friends like to tease me about it. I just love a man who is tall, dark and has really sharp fangs...
I enjoy pretty much all paranormal books and beings (aliens, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters) with the exception of ghosts and witches. Don't ask me why!
I love shape-shifters. Probably has to do with loving animals. But I read pretty much anything paranormal. :-)
I agree Joye! I think that's why I love paranormals so much. They take me further away from normal everyday life than a contemporary would. Escapism! I'm also a fan of wolves, werewolves or any sort of shapeshifter.
Wendy, I'm with you on the variety too. Reading too much of one thing can get dull.
Pamk, I'd love to read a good shifter book about a big cat. I don't recall reading one.
Lesa and blackroze37, vampires. Immortality and sexy sharp fangs. What's not to love? ;)
Maureen, Sue and Irwirum, a story with a combination of several paranormal elements/creatures can be verrry interesting. I'm elbow deep in revising one now. Werewolf, psychic, etc. I love creating the "world" and the rules for it.
Thanks to all of you for posting and entering my contest!!
Nicole
Denise!! So sorry I missed your post before. I know what you mean. I also love exploring the good vs. evil theme. It's fun but it is also deeply meaningful and emotional. Sometimes I love reading a good dark paranormal with a happy ending. (Well, anything I read I want a happy ending!)
:)
Hi, everyone, the winner of the contest drawing (of those who posted a comment on this blog entry) is Veronica Wolff. She won handmade earrings. Congratulations Veronica!!
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