The Nature Of The Beast

NATURE OF THE BEAST

Hello, and welcome to Tabby's Nocturnal Nights. My name is Brenda, and today I'm going to talk about why I prefer paranormal romances over most other sub-genres. Now, keep in mind these are strictly just my opinions, and may not reflect how others feel.

Okay, now that we have that covered, let's get started. I have often wondered why it is that I love paranormal romances over all the many sub-genres. One reason I came up with after much mulling over is that I love strong men. Duh. Self assured men. Duh. Take charge kind of guys. Men who know how to make a woman feel like a woman. Duh. Yes, we read about men like these in other sub-genres, but there is just something unexplainable about the raw power of a vampire, or the animal instincts of a werewolf. Or the dark nature of a demon.

Reading romance novels had been a pleasurable pastime of mine for years. I would get all squishy and melty inside when reading about a big, strong man, taking care of the heroine, saving her from danger, keeping her safe at all costs. But the thrill had worn off, and I noticed the feminist in me coming out more, ruining the journey with her little snickers and comments.

When I read my first paranormal—this particular one featured a vampire—I was hooked. The hero had alpha written all over him with attitude to spare, and a body that wouldn't quit. And the heroine was no shrinking violet. She couldn't be. She had to deal with the fact that a mythical creature was not just a myth, but flesh and blood, who incidentally wanted her blood along with her body.

Yes!!!! The thrill of reading romance was back!

I devoured paranormal novel after novel. I couldn't get enough. Yet, what made me so crazy over these characters? Why did I enjoy the thought of a strong, nonhuman male, grabbing me, shoving me against a wall, and kissing the daylights out of me, or drinking my blood? Shouldn't the feminist in me be screaming bloody murder? Hmm, actually, the feminist in me was silent. Not once had she surfaced, wanting to kick the hero in the balls for being all macho.

So, I decided to try and figure out why I was so drawn to these characters, who in human fables, have been portrayed as monsters. No answers came to me, so I took this one step further. I turned to science for a possible solution. LOL, strange I know, but hey, I am strange.

This is what I found. When a woman looks for a mate, there are a few specifics she seeks in a male. First, she checks out his shape. The more triangular he is the better. Wide shoulders, broad chest, tapering down to narrow hips. This shape to a woman, signifies strength. Not only strength to protect and provide for her, but strength to protect their children. Second, if he is physically fit, which this conformation shows, it is then a safe bet that he will pass on strong genes to their off-spring.

Okaaaay. So, according to science, women look for the strongest male—the alpha male—to mate with. Hmmm, interesting.

Was this why I loved paranormal creatures? Because they are the epitome of strength? Maybe, maybe not, but there had to be more to it. I wracked my brain for days, and finally I came up with another piece to the puzzle. What else drew me to these characters is the way they love. Most paranormal creatures not only fall deep in love, but they bond with their mate--bond for life. The love they have for their partner is all consuming, unbreakable . . . forever. Never would he stray, not even if a beautiful woman walked passed him naked. He only has eyes for his soulmate.

Whatever the reasons are, reading romance novels—especially paranormals—fulfills a profound part of me that secretly desires to be swept off my feet by a handsome, virile male—vampire. In my real life I am expected to be so many things: a mother, a wife, a provider, a problem-solver, and the list goes on. I rarely have time to just be me, a woman, with a woman's deep desires. So, sitting back on my comfy chair, with a hot paranormal romance novel in hand, I can lose myself between the pages for awhile.

Do any of you ever wonder what it is about paranormal creatures that turns your crank? What answers have you come up with? I would love to hear from you. LOL, we can compare solutions.

Okay, I would like to start a new topic—still on the paranormal subject of course. Do any of you reading this blog watch the show, Supernatural? It features to smoking hotties, fighting all manner of paranormal creatures. I would love to hear from you.

Until next week, happy reading and writing.

Brenda