Why I Read & Write Paranormal and Urban Fantasy Romance
I remember reading romance novels in high school, tucking them in the seams of my chemistry book in the hopes that everyone would think I was studying and not losing myself in the throes of someone else’s passion. The novels back then were riddled with Pirates, Indians, and hard bodied Sheriffs. Yes, I was snatching my mother’s historicals and plundering the pages, feeding my young mind fantasy and romance.
I wrote my first short story in high school. It was a historical-fantasy set in the times of Rapunzel and unicorns. My hero was a dashing knight that fought the evil army for the hand of his fair maiden. The fire-breathing dragon then ate said hero. My teacher said she wasn’t quite sure how I thought this was a romance. I told her that romances could be tragedies-Romeo and Juliet. She laughed and gave me an A.
Years passed and I didn’t write. I grew a family and worked on my career. In 2008, my husband took a position as a civilian contractor in Kuwait. It was hard but we survived. In the meantime, I was still reading, but I had progressed from the western historical of the late 80’s and 90’s to contemporaries. This wasn’t quite the genre for me at this time. I needed to escape from reality and contemporaries were too close to home.
So, I found Lyndsay Sands. Her vampire series was light, funny and so different from anything that I’d ever read. She made me laugh and brought me out of the depressing mood of missing my hubby. This style let me forget how stressful my days were and allowed me to laugh when my husband wasn’t there to make me smile.
I devoured her series, then moved on to Laurell K. Hamilton, such a different kind of read and not necessarily a romance, although there are some romantic elements in the series. Her book spoke to me in ways that I can’t explain, but I’ll try. They were dark and twisted. The bad guy wasn’t always bad and the good guy didn’t always get the girl. This was just what I needed to pull me away from that place in my heart that wanted to scream at my husband, “What are we doing this for?”
It gave me an outlet for the pain. I loved them. So, I began writing.
In my opinion, this is why so many readers love the paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy genre. We can escape our realities, however bad they are at the time, and lose ourself in a completely made up world with its own set of rules.
Those stories gave me hope that someone would like my twisted sense of humor and ideas. I write dark Urban Fantasies with hardcore heroines that just want to find the light, kind of like me--or at least the woman I strive to be.
Paranormal opened up a world of make believe to readers across the world. It’s a huge genre now, and from the industry news, it’s not going anywhere. I’m glad, because neither am I.
What is it about the paranormal world that draws you in?
By: Rachel Firasek
BLURB:
It's an empath thing...
Using your "powers" to help the Dark Hills Police Department hunt down serial killers doesn't leave much time for dating. Not that Piper Anast is complaining. The last thing she needs is some guy brushing up against her and pumping his pornographic thoughts into her head.
When she meets Bennett Slade, a sexy, tormented vampire, Piper stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter. She can't leave the kid to the evil surrounding her unwanted visions, nor can she resist her draw to Slade. He's the first guy she's been able to touch vision-free in, well, forever.
As she and Slade close in on the evil creature holding his daughter, Piper's powers morph into a deadly fury. To save Slade's daughter-and herself-Piper must face down demons she never knew she had and trust the one thing she keeps from everyone.
Her heart.
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