What is your favorite type of paranormal romance – vampires? Immortal folks? Werewolves? Shapeshifters? Ghosts? Does time travel count?
Sarah: I have to say I’m particularly fond of werewolves, vampires and immortals, but don’t have much time (huh) for time-travel, because they are often so predictable and poorly handled. I did read one crazy wack thing where the heroine switched bodies with a mermaid and went back in time (Goddess of the Sea, by PC Cast – I just looked it up) and there were goddessess and merpeople and all manner of stuff and after awhile I had a hard time with the tone, as it seemed to be more of a fairy tale than anything else. With a rather pointed moral. I don’t want moralizing from my romance! I want nookie!
I think the thing I like best about paranormals is when they take place in a reality that is close to the present, or at least close enough that I can recognize it, and focus on how a person who is clearly, even predatorily different, and tries to fit in, and run a “human”-like life, when really, their abilities and physiology are so beyond humans they run the risk of living among them and feeling contempt and envy all the time. I dig stories like that, the ones that focus on alienation and fitting in under extraordinary circumstances.
Candy: I classify “paranormals” as “anything involving magic and alternate realities.” Which I guess would include time-travel, “futuristics,” shape-shifters, wee folk like fairies, mermaids, ghosts, vampires and right-wing columnists and talk show hosts (no, wait, scratch that last one—I DO NOT want Ann Coulter or Sean Hannity invading my nookie time).
I have yet to read a shape-shifting romance that I like, but it’s not so much a problem with the type of romance as it is a problem finding an author whose writing style I like. If the author’s good, I’ll read just about anything she releases. I tried shape-shifter stories by Donna Boyd, Susan Krinard and Tracy Fobes, but all the books left me kinda “eh.”
I’m not sure I have a favorite kind of paranormal. I like ‘em all. Time travel romances do require a LOT of suspension of disbelief, especially with regards to the culture shock and the language barriers (especially when somebody travels to or from medieval England). The keepers on my shelf that have paranormal elements include The Last Mermaid by Shane Abe, Forever His by Shelly Thacker (time-travel), the Dara Joy Matrix of Destiny trilogy and The Vampire Viscount and The Devil’s Bargain by Karen Harbaugh.
Oh wait, the Matrix of Destiny novels feature shapeshifters, durrrr, so I have read shapeshifting romances that I liked.
And speaking of Karen Harbaugh: I was so excited to learn she was writing again, but I thought Dark Enchantment, her new paranormal novel, was really disappointing and kind of meh, unlike the Signet Regencies she wrote, which were generally excellent.
I think the appeal with paranormal romances (for me, anyway) lies in two major factors:
1. The whole “fish out of water” element. I enjoy reading about people trying to cope with something really, really weird, whether it’s discovering they’re now blood-sucking freaks, or struggling with a corset when in their previous life they couldn’t even stand wearing pantyhose, or trying to figure out what those tiny talking people are in the illuminated box. A lot of the fun also allows us to marvel at the weirdness of human culture, kind of like that creative writing exercise in high school/college in which you pretend you’re an alien who just came to earth and you have to describe a football game to your fellow aliens on your home planet while pretending you don’t know ANY of the rules or the purpose of the event.
2. Paranormal nookie. With aliens, mermaids, shapeshifters and the like, we’re going into some seriously taboo territory—I mean, what the protagonist is fucking is not even strictly human. Sexy inter-species humping extravaganza, woot. And then there’s the whole “vampires/Familiars/whatever can make the sex sooo much better than normal via vaguely-explained mystical means,” and yeah, I get a prurient kick out of that too.
Sarah: I have such a hard time with time travel novels. For one thing, anyone going back in time is going to end up with some serious problems, especially if that person is going back to a time when burning the witches was at all a good idea. I mean, modern language vs. middle/old English? Clothing? Synthetic fibers? I mean, I’d think five minutes after the person landed in the past someone would be all, “OK, you’re just a little too different, so come over here next to the fire, mmkay?” So time travels require a good long suspension of belief for me.
I once read a present-into-future, future-into-present series by La Nora, part of her Silhouette series which she is no longer writing (so now you have to “Look for the seal that guarantees an authentic new work by Nora Roberts!” *snort*) and it left me rather indifferent. I thought it was completely unrealistic, and I usually like Nora Roberts’ books for the realistic characterizations – particularly the heroes. Nora writes her some good men, in my never-humble opinion. But this duo of books – it might have been a trilogy I never finished – never really dealt with some of the culture shock issues: what does it mean psychologically to the characters when they jump ahead or behind and must face a world where their loving parent or sibling is either not due to be born for decades, or is long dead? How do you grieve for someone that might be still alive, if one accepts the theory of time periods existing concurrently in parallel, and thus allowing people to travel between them.
I am, however, a big sucker, as I said, for the theme of alienation – trying to fit in when one is so extraordinary that it’s nearly impossible. It’s like the “fish out of water” element you speak of, amplified by the personal feelings and the psychology of knowing you are so very, very different.
And I’m embarrassed to say this, but I never thought about the paranormal nookie, but you are right that it is often SO hot. And so original, and leaves so much room for exploration of superhuman sexual adventures – and I am not talking about the idea that the hero can get it up five minutes after he had an orgasm. That’s superhuman, but I don’t even think a vampire or a werewolf could swing that (no pun intended).
I’d have to say my favorite paranormal to date is Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. Oh, heavens I love that book. I also loved the first of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and the very very beginning of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series before, as my friend JenFu says, she started adding superpowers like charms on a charm bracelet. But finding paranormals that are well written and not dripping with angst and fear has proven difficult for me.
And I don’t know if Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity qualify as “paranormal” or just “not normal.”
And now, Gentle Reader, The Smart Bitches Present to You: The Paranormal Drinking Game!
Vampires:
Male vampire seeks human woman: 5 sips
Female vampire seeks male companion: 1 sip
Hero was responsible for turning heroine into vampire: 2 sips
Heroine was responsible for turning hero into vampire: 5 sips
Character is in deep, deep denial about being a vampire, to the point they’re steadfastly denying any vampirishness despite growing pointy fangs and experiencing an unholy thirst for human blood: 2 sips
Vampire character is redeemed as better than average bloodsucker by not killing his victims: 2 sips
Vampire is Carpathian: put the book down.
Vampire character is part of a race or culture of people who must have blood to survive, and aren’t evil: 2 sips
Vampire is evil and is the hero anyway: chug!
Likes being a vampire: 2 sips
Holds humans in lowly contempt: 2 sips
Hates being a vampire and wants to return to human life but cannot, a source of much angst: 2 sips
Paranormals Involving Human/Non-Human Pairings:
Hero needs the heroine in order to propagate his species: 2 sips
But doing so is extremely perilous: 3 sips
To BOTH of them: 4 sips
But he doesn’t mention it: 5 sips
Until he almost kills her with his magnificent rod or lightning sperm, or whatever: 10 sips
Even though we have a niggling suspicion that the lightning sperm probably wouldn’t work anyway because the way genetics work indicates that fertile offspring can usually only be produced by two members of the same species: 1 mug
Time Travel:
He goes forward in time, and stays there: 1 sip
She goes forward and stays there: 1 sip
He travels back in time and stays there: 1 sip
She travels backwards and stays there: 1 sip
One person travels, then returns, and their souls find each other: 5 sips
Woman who travels back in time is thought to be a witch: 2 sips
Woman who travels back in time gets any manner of pox: 5 sips
Person who travels back in time is very conveniently in costume at a ren faire/movie set: 2 sips
Person who travels forward is mistaken for an eccentric movie extra or ren faire participant, resulting in hilarious antics and misunderstandings: 3 sips
And somehow speaks modern English perfectly, though they may ‘tis and ‘twas a little bit here and there: 10 sips
Man who travels forward is immediately comfortable with science and gadgets of the future, particularly the remote controls: 5 sips
Or conversely, tries to find the “little people” trapped inside the heroine’s TV set, resulting in hilarious antics and misunderstandings: 2 sips
Or tries to “protect” the heroine from something innocuous to us but seemingly dangerous to his medieval sensibilities, like a bicycle, resulting in hilarious antics and misunderstandings: 2 sips
Woman who travels back in time makes copious observations about the inconvenience of the wardrobe: 2 sips
Woman who travels back in time loses weight due to effort of day to day life and the weight of all of those clothes, and “develops interesting hollows in her cheeks” thus glamorizing weight loss even hundreds of years ago: 5 sips
One person travels forward or back and does not suffer even one moment of debilitating psychological mind warp by realizing that loved ones have either never been born, or are long long since dead: 1 sip
One person travels and goes immediately insane upon realizing where he/she is: 5 sips
Person who travels back and is horrified at the filthy conditions in the past: 2 sips
Person who travels back isn’t horrified at the filthy conditions in the past, in fact isn’t even slightly fazed at the sight of people chucking champerpot contents out of windows and into the streets below: 10 sips
Traveller is a Viking: 2 sips
Traveller is a Viking wearing an actual horned helmet: 6 sips
Traveller is a very virile Viking: lend book to Sarah, because it makes her laugh to say the title out loud!
Interesting discussion. I tend to like shapeshifters and avoid witchery/new age like crazy. I say I don’t like vampires, but I loved Robin McKinley’s Sunshine. I just haven’t read a lot of time travel, apart from Outlander which I did like.
My favorite paranormal romance of 2004 was Eileen Wilks Tempting Danger (hero werewolf, heroine cop), but I haven’t seen this book discussed much.
As for Bitten, well, I know I’ve said this elsewhere, but I was frustrated by the fact that the backstory, which is only referred to (by the title, even) was the most fascinating part of the story for me. Though Clay was great.
The Last Mermaid is on my shelf.
The Last Mermaid? I have read one mermaid paranormal, which I mentioned in this post, so I’m going to have to look that up.
And you are right that the backstory is fascinating. I heard that Kelley Armstrong was writing an online series telling the full story of how Clay and Elena met. I haven’t looked it up yet.
I’m in it for the nookie, both writing and reading it. I like writing the over the top, DAYUM this is different but I like it kind of nookie. I love reading it for that reason, too.
Okay, admittedly I also go for the woo woo factor, the ‘calgon, take me away’ from normalcy that I so desperately need.
I released an underwater paranormal with underwater nookie. That one was fun!
Jaci….strolling away singing “Under Da Sea”…..
Re: The Last Mermaid, the first two stories are dynamite and really fun. The first story definitely doesn’t have a traditional ending, so brace yourself. The last story was meh. Overall grade would be B+ verging on A-. But immediately after reading the first two stories I re-read the good bits, which I hadn’t done in a while.
Now, are these “the good bits” where you get all antsy in a warm and happy way, or the good bits where the hero or heroine have a great feisty conversation and reveal their inner emotional turmoil?
Because I totally go back and read both kinds!
And I have added the mermaid to my BnF queue.
Is there a word more fun to type than “queue?”
I just have to add something, way after the fact. I can’t stand time-travel novels. I hate how the h/h conveniently has no family hanging around so when the leave their space/time no one i shattered by their leaving. Oh, and how they decide to stay in a totally foreign world because of the lurve they hold for said h/h. There is no love in the world that would prevent me from dragging my lurve back into the times of tampons, ibuprofin, glasses, electricity, internet, voting rights for women, and not having to have 13 children.