Awhile back I posted a question about what the readers here would put on the wish list for submissions from authors. More paranormal was one of the top requests.
I’ll admit, I am not a huge paranormal romance fan. It isn’t that I don’t like paranormal romance as much as it is that I gravitate to “normal” contemporary or historical characters and books. When I do read a paranormal romance often the paranormal element will be a character with a special skill of some sort…someone who is psychic for example as opposed to someone who is a shape-shifter, werewolf, or vampire…though I have read some excellent stories with ghosts, vampires, and other paranormal characters…and the really good ones make me want to read more in the paranormal genre…probably about like the work of Sarah McCarty is responsible for me reading a lot of western historicals recently.
I’m currently reading Night Pleasures the second book in the Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Sherrilyn has been on my need to read list for a long time just because she’s been recommended by everyone under the sun. I’m finding the recommendations were not misleading. I’m enjoying the book.
What strikes me about this particular paranormal book is that the hero Kyrian of Thrace is a hero like any other hero. It’s true the light hurts his eyes…he likes dark soothing colors rather than bright ones…there are certain rules he must follow…but in general, in this book the paranormal elements of the story do not overwhelm the story…and I like that. The same could be said of Only the Lonely by Susan Gabriel which we released recently…or Stir of Echo…or Temporally Yours…or any of the stories in The Crimson Z.
I don’t particularly go out of my way to find paranormal characters in the books I read…but I do like paranormal characters when I do read them…as long as the paranormal elements don’t overwhelm the story. I like the characters to have feelings, conflicts, thoughts, I like to see them exist in their world, whatever that world is…but I don’t like the world to overwhelm the story.
What about you? What traits do you look for in the paranormal romance novels you read?
i am a believer of paranormal stuffs specially ghosts and stuffs like that-.~
i like to hear paranormal stuffs because it stirs my excitement and imagination”:
My personal favorite is really Justin Bieber, he’s so lovely!
i was just wondering if any of you guys have a first hand experience about Paranormal in real life.*,’
My favorite paranormal character is vampires, always has been, hopefully, always will be. I love the Fae as well, and shifters are always nice. Some of my favorite vampires are Jean Claude, Kisten, and Eric Northman. There are many, many others that are just as sexy, but these three series were some of the first in urban fantasy that I read and will always hold a special spot for me. I love the Fae courts in LKH’s Merry Gentry Series. Even though the Light Court sounds like where the eye should be drawn (but they are seriously messed up, lol), I’m drawn to the Dark Court, Merry’s court, probably because of the Killing Frost and the Darkness, Galen, and all those other sexy dark fae. I do love dark urban fantasy.
Dottie
lords of the underworld by gena showalter
and warriors of the posidien by alssay day
i like the book of sookie character, charlaine harris books
garnet lacey
I read a lot of paranormal books. So its hard to pick what I would look for. I just read Keri Arthor’s series which is werewolves/vampires. Her main hero is werewolf/vampire. Rachel is a very strong character who works to keep nonhumans from attacking humans or killing their own kind. But she also is looking for love. So she comes accross as a bad strong butt kicking girl but with a soft side who really only wants to be a woman in love with children. Its a really good mix. Also her twin brother is gay and it just makes a wonderful story the way all the characters interact. I also love reading and writing about time travel. Lynn Kurland has a great series on two families who seem to interweave through time and in present day. Wonderful characters and she seems to bring characters from her other books in to her newest books. I really like when and author does that in a series. Its always nice to read what may have happen to a character that may not have a big part in one book but is mention in the next book to let you know. She even uses ghost in her books.
I also like demons. Julie Kenner has a series out about Mom with a teenage daughter, 2 yr old son who starts hunting demons after being retired for 14 yrs. Its a very good series and very funny. I like how she makes you feel it could be your best friend who’s hunting demons. Theres the danger of your family being involved but you know she would keep you safe. I do like paranormals that have the dange end to them but you also feel the hero in the story is there to help keep you safe.. Wonderful series. I even read stories about fairies, witches, shifters, anything paranormal.
So again I hope I may have answered some of your question because its very hard for me to limit why I love paranormals so much. I guess the main thing would be the element of danger, and having a hero, no matter what he is, vampire, werewolf, witch,fae, or demon that he is always there with the bad side and good side to protect you and help you work out your problems. I hope that makes sense.
I just ramble when it comes to my love for the paranormal books. I also have most of the paranormals you offer and have enjoyed all of them as well.
Laurie,
The Merry series is the other series by Laurell K Hamilton. She is part fea and must fight for the throne. Her character is a very strong and independant woman much like the Anita character in Laurell Hamilton’s other series. The men in both series are very Alpha male but can be very gentle and caring with those they love. They are sexy with a lot more than just a hint of danger. Certain fae become Merry’s bodyguards and each man she becomes involved with regains his old world powers. Most tend to be some kind of god in the past somehow loosing their godhood and regaining it by being with Merry. The plot of the books is a race between Merry and her cousin to produce a heir and save the realm. This series is very sexual even more than her Anita series has become so those who are offended easily will not enjoy these books.
I really enjoy strong woman and men who you know are Alphas with a take no **it attitude but love their woman and would do anything for them or those they love. That hint of danger is a good thing. We all love those bad boys.
Gabrielle
An interesting point Beth,
Yes, you are right…paranormal characters usually have some kind of extra powers…strengths. You are right if the heroine had those strengths and the hero didn’t he might seem weak by comparisson.
This doesn’t seem to extend as much into stories in which the paranormal element is the heroine is psychic and that sort of thing. It seems to be the case more when the paranormal aspect adds physical strength.
I am with you. I don’t really care which character(s) have paranormal abilities…as long as the story is well-written…with characters whose thoughts, feelings, and actions are believable.
Hi Cara,
I must admit I am not familiar with Mary Janice Davidson’s series…but it sounds layered…and kind of complex…which intrigues me. I am partial to the idea of a hero seeing the heroine as she really is and still being in love. I think in a sense that is what we all want…in our stories and in our real lives.
Armenia,
Did you say very ALPHA shifters. The shifter part might not draw me in…but the alpha part certainly does. You’ve sold me on trying the series…just as soon as I get some time that isn’t editing or reviewing manuscripts.
Hi Donna,
Yes, I agree with you. I like characters that are layered…that are not all good or all bad. I think flaws in heroes and heroines…mistakes…the need to make amends for mistakes or to make up for the mistakes makes for interesting characters. I like villains that are bad…but that are well motivated…so that you think that at some point they were good…if their life had unfolded differently maybe they would be good. I even hold out hope for some villains…thinking maybe…if they meet the right person they will find the goodness. But I suppose that is the romantic in me…which is a very developed streak.
Yes, some of the characters in The Crimson Z are very layered. Zachariah and Lilith both…and in a sense…God. There is the scene in The Crimson Z where Lilith is thrown out of the Garden of Eden…and you feel her anger and her loneliness and you wonder if God had been more patient, less harsh, if Lilith might have turned out differently. Though she is a bad character…there are reasons for her anger. She isn’t just bad because she’s bad. She’s been formed by her past.
Zachariah is a very interesting character too. It’s certainly true that the characters keep drawing you back into the story…it’s a bit of a puzzle figuring out how all of the pieces go together.
Robert Cloud is a very imaginative author…all of his work is very rich and deep and imaginative.
To answer the question you posed in comment #9-most paranormal I read either the guy or both are the paranormal, but I have read a few where it’s the woman who is paranormal and the guy is still human. I think most authors make the guy paranormal (whether the gal is or not)because paranormals are usually stronger than humans and they may be worried about having a gal that is stronger than the guy.
As long as the story is well written and the balance between the characters well handled, it doesn’t matter to me what the combo is.
Of all the paranormal characters, I’m partial to vampires. I like characters that are still human (or at least humanoid) but whose paranormal traits make them better than human (more powerful). I like Sinclair, the husband of Betsy in MaryJanice Davidson’s Undead series. He’s a very powerful, macho vampire, yet he loves her “to death,” yet still sees her as she really is. Very engaging.
I’m like you Laurie in that I don’t particularly seek out paranormal romances, but I do enjoy the characters in some paranormal romances. I love KMM’s Highlander time-travel series. I’m in withdrawal over that one since she’s writing her Fever series. I also enjoy Lora Leigh’s breed series with her very Alpha shifter heroes.
I like strong characters with weak spots – both good characters with a slight bad streak and bad characters with a slight good streak – as is seen in several of the main characters in The Crimson Z. Lillith is a bad character who has done some good but hides the bad and Zachariah is a good character who has suspicions that she is doing the bad yet has been fooling himself for many years. Each is a strong character and each draws us to them in different ways whilst drawing apart from each other as the story progresses and Melanie takes the forefront and breaches the gap. It’s a puzzle that winds its way around and the characters draw you back each time.
Hi Beth,
I expect I probably like psychics, witches, ghosts for the same reason…because they are most like humans. I never really thought about shape-shifters being like humans. I guess I focus more on their animal form.
Yes, the characters not being believable in their behavior and action is what has in the past sort of turned me off of the sub-genre. Now that I am reading a bit more paranormal I am finding that maybe I got one bad book…rather than it being the case of a paranormal being thin on story and heavy on paranormal world.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve added Shelly to my list. I like funny stories with good characterization…and a good story. I’m not much on slapstick humor…though I really like humor that evolves from the scene or the characters. I really respect authors that can write humor. I myself cannot.
Hi Nancy and Everyone Else who is following the thread,
You mentioned that you like strong female leads. For whatever reason that made me wonder whether you like your hero to be the paranormal character (shifter, werewolf, vampire, ghost, whatever) or whether you like your heroine to be the paranormal character, or whether you like both the hero and heroine to be paranormal characters.
I am not well versed on the paranormal genre…guess I need to read more. Everyone has been giving me good recommendations, which I am adding to my reading list. Thanks for the recommendations.
Hi Jane,
I like ghost stories too…I particularly enjoyed Virginia the ghost in Abby Blythe’s novella Incorrigible which is part of The Crimson Z anthology. Virginia has as much personality as any of the living and breathing characters in the book…and as the title suggests…she is incorrigible.
I think I like that she so unapologetically enjoyed sex when she was alive…I like that she has no shame about it or about enjoying it during her life.
There are also some really funny scenes in that story. I love the one where the hero comes to breakfast after a night of sex with the heroine (who is not Virginia the ghost.) Virginia who loved to cook when she was alive has put together a breakfast casserole which is baking in the oven. The heroine goes to take the casserole out of the oven…almost drops it. Virginia rescues it. But what the hero sees is the casserole floating across the room to the table. Very funny scene.
I also like psychics and witches. Lucien from Only the Lonely by Susan Gabriel has given me a bit of a soft spot for vampires as well.
Hi Gabrielle,
I am not familiar with the Merry Gentry series. What is it you especially like about the characters in that series?
I find characters fascinating. I find it fascinating to try to understand what it is that draws us strongly to some characters and not as much to other characters.
I expect that I could study that for a long time and never fully understand, because I think it is different for all of us. I still like hearing the opinions.
Hi Sherry S.,
Thanks for all the recommendations. I like Christine Feehan’s work a lot. I believe she used to write romantic suspense…and I used to like those titles a lot. I haven’t read any of her paranormals. I very much like take charge heroes…but I do like them to have a soft spot for the heroine. I like that contrast between hard and soft…or harsh and gentle.
So…you don’t like a lot of conflict in your books? I tend to like lots of internal conflict…don’t care as much about the external conflict…but I really like to see the hero and heroine have to struggle through differences to make their relationship work. I guess that makes me feel like they will make it if they are severely tested before they reach their happy ever after.
I DEFINITELY want a happy ending. ALWAYS in romance. I’m not much on sad stories. There is enough sad in the real world.
I prefer shifters and witches best. I think it’s because they are still the closest to humanity. I know vamps are supposedly still human but so many are portrayed as older than most of us can imagine living that I can’t relate to the as well. Of course there are exceptions to this as well.
I read it because I’ve always love sci-fi and fantasy type stories, but if the characters are not believable in their emotions or actions, it can turn me off that book, author, or even kind of paranormal being(that last is usually only temporary though).
My absolute fave paranormal author is Shelly Laurenston/G.A. Aiken because she writes great characters that have me practically falling out of my chair from laughing so hard.
I read paranormal for the escapism it provides. It helps if there is a great storyline and believeable characters. Yes, we all know that there aren’t really vampires and shifters out there among us, but it is fun to believe for however long it takes to read the book. I lean toward the books with strong female leads, like Anita Blake, Merry Gentry, Riley Jensen and Mercy Thompson.
I love ghost stories, but I also enjoy shifter books especially those from Cynthia Eden.
My favorite paranormal characters tend to change often. Lately I have been enjoying the characters from the Merry Gentry series. There are so many that I love from that series including Merry but I think at the moment my favorite is Doyle.
Gabrielle
One of my favorite hero’s is Gregori from Christine Feehan’s Dark Magic he’s a take charge man but he also shows a vulnerable side to his lifemate Savannah. With her he shows that it does bother him being called the bogeyman of the Carpathians. This is one of my favorite books in the series. I also love Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books and Shellely Laurenston’s pack series they are all great I have a bunch of paranormal book that I read. I almost forgot about Lora Leigh’s breed series love them in them she shows how much it bothers them to be called animals because of their DNA. I love for my books to have just a little bit of conflict in them and of course they have to have a lot of emotions and it always has to have a happy ending. The hero has to save the day with the help of the heroine.