Straddling the Line Between Paranormal Romance &
Horror
By Kelli A.
Wilkins
Greetings Romance Lovers!
It’s mid-September and Halloween is right
around the corner. At this time of year, horror movies are extremely popular
and everyone is focusing on the supernatural. Ghosts, werewolves, vampires, and
other “creatures of the night” seem to be lurking everywhere, just waiting to
leap out and terrify an unsuspecting heroine…
But sometimes the heroine isn’t terrified. Sometimes she’s attracted to that vampire and can’t wait
for the sun to go down so they can roam the night together, like any couple.
That is, any couple in a paranormal romance.
Paranormals are a unique genre in the
romance world. (Where else can a woman make love to an undead creature and not
face criticism?) They straddle the line between traditional romances and the
supernatural/fantasy/horror realm. And to create a convincing paranormal
romance, the author has to do a bit of juggling in all of those worlds.
One of the most important rules when
writing paranormal romances is to invent a believable universe where ghosts, shifters,
vampires, and other types of “otherworldly” characters are real. Sometimes
these creatures interact and coexist with “normal” humans (everyday people accept
that vampires and shapeshifters exist), but most times they stay hidden in the
shadows.
Whatever the basic premise, readers need
to suspend their disbelief and lose themselves in the world the author has
created. The writer has to establish a realistic paranormal character and take
the reader on an exciting journey with the hero and heroine as they fall in
love. After all, this is a romance!
I combined all those elements in
my 2022 paranormal mystery/romance, In Another World. I started with the
premise: What if an undercover cop was
killed in a car and his spirit haunted the car? And what if a woman who was
psychic bought the car and could communicate with him? And what if he wanted
her to solve his murder? Then, what if they fell in love and were able to
consummate their relationship in an alternate reality or “in another world”?
The type of paranormal character that
stars in the story is key to the plot, and can vary from dead human, to nearly
human, to full-fledged monster. Each character and/or story should have a few
“rules” that apply to the characters and the world that the author created.
For example, suppose the hero was once human
and has been cursed to live as another creature (such as a Bigfoot, or a gargoyle).
Can the curse be broken if he finds a human woman to love him? Does he retain
his human memories? Is the woman repulsed by him at first? Do they make love
while he’s in his altered state?
Maybe the hero is an undead creature (a
vampire) or turns into an animal (a werewolf), or is a ghost. How does this
change his personality and way of life? Does he resent humans and live with
others of his kind? What does he do when he’s not transformed? How (and why)
does he transform? What happens when he reveals his true nature to his beloved?
If he’s a ghost, how does he feel about being dead? Is he a vengeful spirit?
Sad because he left his loved ones behind too soon?
As you can see, falling in love with a
non-human can create a lot of conflict and difficulties for the couple. And sometimes
it’s a challenge for the author to make the “monster” into a romantic lead. If
the author doesn’t create a believable paranormal hero, readers won’t buy into
it, and there certainly won’t be any sparks flying in the romance.
Even though the hero isn’t human, he must
have a special appeal that makes the heroine overlook this fact and fall in
love with him. Basically, the hero-creature has to remain true to his
paranormal status and still be attractive to humans (and human readers), just
like a traditional romance hero.
If a paranormal romance includes too much violence
or gore, it could turn into a horror story. (In fact, with a little bit of
rewriting, practically any paranormal romance could be transformed into a dark
and disturbing horror tale!) To avoid this, the author has to find a way to
deal with the unpleasant aspects of being a monster, while still keeping the
hero attractive.
For example, if the hero is a vampire,
he’ll have to feed at some point during the story. The writer and the other
characters must address this. How does the heroine deal with her boyfriend’s
need to drink blood? Does she accept it? Ignore it? Does he feed “off page”
where she can’t see? Does she ever let him feed off her?
These are all crucial things the author
has to consider when developing characters and plotting a paranormal love story.
Readers want to fall in love with a “safe” creature and live vicariously
through the heroine as she navigates the paranormal world. But the monster/hero
shouldn’t be dull or boring, or too predictable, either.
It’s always refreshing when authors break
patterns and have paranormal characters go against stereotype. (Why do all
vampires have to be suave, live in large houses, and dress well?) When I wrote
my paranormal romances, I always tried to give readers something unexpected,
turned a cliché on its ear, or used a different point of view to liven up the
story.
In Killer in Wolf’s Clothing, my
“werewolf” didn’t turn into a four-legged animal; he became a super-aggressive
Alpha male. Beauty & the Bigfoot is a paranormal comedy that explores
the legend of Bigfoot through quirky characters (and some hot love scenes!).
Rothgar, the hero in The Viking’s Witch doesn’t
believe that the heroine has supernatural powers—until she proves it. Confessions
of a Vampire’s Lover is told in first person from the hero’s point of
view and takes place at the beach—and that’s not where you expect to find a
vampire.
Eddie from In Another World is as
close to human as possible, but has his own set of “ghost powers.” His
ex-partner Lou, doesn’t believe Julie has psychic abilities and can communicate
with Eddie until she reveals a few secrets. And Eddie and Julie are able to
have a real relationship in a very unusual way… and a happy-ever-after ending!
As Halloween approaches, take a closer look
at the “monsters” and other supernatural creatures you encounter. But don’t be
afraid… you might just fall in love with one of them!
Here’s the summary and links for In
Another World:
IN ANOTHER WORLD
A
Paranormal Mystery/Romance Novel
Disgraced psychic medium Julie Kershaw has finally met
her soul mate. The problem is he’s dead… and his spirit haunts the car she just
bought.
The spirit of Detective Eddie Mahoney is determined to
find his killer and needs Julie’s help. At first, she refuses. She’s tired of
being called crazy and swore she’d never use her abilities to speak to the dead
again—even if Eddie is handsome and charming.
Eddie persuades Julie to contact his former partner,
Lou Kaplonski, to ask him to reopen his case. Skeptical, Lou dismisses Julie as
a fake—until she proves she can communicate with the dead—and he finds out
Eddie has a lot to say.
Julie channels Eddie’s spirit and together with Lou,
the unusual trio tracks down leads and follows clues to solve Eddie’s murder.
The case takes them down a dark and dangerous path filled with secrets, where
nobody can be trusted.
As they work to find his killer, Julie falls for
Eddie. Funny, smart, and sexy, Eddie is the guy of her dreams—and he doesn’t
look or act the least bit dead. To her surprise, Eddie discovers a clever way
they can be together, and they begin an ethereal romance.
When Lou’s investigation brings him too close to the
killer, his life and Julie’s are put in danger—and Eddie may be the only one
who can save them.
Order
your copy here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09R11STRN
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bpw16g
Read
Reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/in-another-world
Happy Haunting,
Kelli
A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, and 6 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
Her latest release, The Route 9 Killer, was
published in May 2023. This mystery/thriller is set in Central NJ.
Kelli’s paranormal/mystery romance, In
Another World, was released in 2022. She released two horror shorts, More
Than I Bargained For and Silent Sentinel in 2021.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
No comments:
Post a Comment