Hello and greetings, one and all!
In this post, I thought I’d talk about Paranormal Romance and why I like to write it. As an author for Cerridwen Press, I find it fun, imaginative, and a way for me to think that the hero and heroine will not only have that classic HEA (Happily Ever After) conclusion, but that they’ll have that HEA for hundreds of years, into another lifetime. Most paranormals contain an element of longevity or near-immortality for the shapeshifters, mage, vampires, or demons and angels.
In my case, I happen to have a fascination and appreciation for big cats, specifically, leopards, lions, jaguars and tigers. That’s not to say that I don’t like pumas (cougars or mountain lions, depending upon your preference), cheetas, and snow leopards. But there is a classic difference in definition of a ‘big cat’ and a cougar. Leopards, lions, tigers, and jaguars are all panthers. For example, lions are known scientifically as panthera leo, tigers as panthera tigris, leopards as panthera pardus. Early in history, people thought leopards were part lion and part tiger. I honestly know more about these three than I do about jaguars, but that’s not to say I’m not researching. Perhaps a jaguar will be introduced to the Panthera series in the future. For right now, I wanted to concentrate on leopards, lions and tigers.
In the case of cougars and cheetas, they also cannot roar. Whereas the panthers cannot really ‘purr’. Perhaps some make a purring sound, such as tigers. They kind of make what I call a snuffling sound with their mouths that could be mistaken as a purr. Leopards saw, sounding much like a saw cutting through wood. Lions, of course, are loud. Their roars can be heard for miles! They are also more social than their leopard and tiger ‘cousins’. Leopards are more adaptable, excellent hunters, and opportunistic. Tigers are more solitary, love to swim, and are more likely to kill because they are often hunted and they are not the best hunters. Cougars and cheetas are different, still magnificent animals, but they can purr and make a sort of mewing/screaming sound that can be quite loud. And, cheetas are wicked fast! How many nature videos showcase how a cheeta can chase down prey?
Now this post isn’t all about what makes a big cat a panther. It’s about Paranormal Romance. As I’d mentioned earlier, paranormals allow an author to dig into his or her imagination and create a world that’s unique, mythical, and filled with its own rules and consequences. The Abcynians, the mythical race portrayed in my Panthera series, have rules. Not all can shapeshift, but they are strong, live long lives, age slowly and are bound by the inability to touch gold. The Panthera, those few within the race that can change form and share their souls with a panther, are the leaders, the Elders, often seen as wise and the most protected and protective. They are protected by Abcynian Guards, humans that know what they are and keep their secrets. And they are hindered by a small herb that to us is really catnip. To the Panthera, it is a drug that induces first euphoria and eventually mind control and memory loss. Both men and women can be Panthera, but they cannot change form until they reach 200 years old, and they can chose not to transform at all. Change is painful, it is also wicked painful for their mate (if they are mated) and it can be dangerous if the Abcynian half is hindered by gold or seriously injured. Both Panthera and the Abcynians can convert humans, usually to save a life or heal another quickly. However, the method of conversion will remain secret here, as I hope that you all will take time out to read Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon’s Pride, books 1 and 2, in my Panthera series. There, you can learn all about the differences of this little known race, the rules, the obligations and their love stories.
And that brings us to the ’romance’ part of Paranormal Romance. I’ve always enjoyed writing a love story, believing in happily ever after, a dashing hero and a courageous heroine. I think I read my first romance when I was in the 9th grade, by Nora Roberts! I remember thinking, wow, this is cool. And I read another and another. I’d realize that the manuscripts that I’d written before, yes, I wrote my first book when I was 13, had elements of romance in them. I was a little innocent back then, but the first book featured a heroine that was basically a contemporary Laura Ingalls Wilder with the curiosity of Nancy Drew, who was dating a Hardy Boy. BTW, the Hardy Boy in question was the older one. So when I put down another Silhouette Romance, or bought another Harlequin, I was hooked. Then I purchased a book by Jude Devereaux that changed everything. A Pirate’s Love! It was the first book I’d read where the sensuality went beyond a closed bedroom door. That it was more than a hot and heavy kissing session, usually interrupted by something. I was like, wow, this is great! And my imagination took off. I wanted to write a sweeping epic love story like that! And, thus, I became hooked on the big, fat Historicals and mass market paperbacks. So whether I was reading, going to school, or working, I was always writing. I’ll not confess how many manuscripts are tucked away in my files, but with each that I’d finished, I learned something new. I became more determined to create a world that was unique and long lasting. With an appreciation for history, I focused on my favorite eras, Medieval, Renaissance, Golden Age of Piracy, Georgian/Regency, and Western. Now, I consider Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon’s Pride as Paranormal Romances set in the past, but what I strive to do is let the characters and the story be a reader’s guide to history.
And, by the way, I do love to read big, bad Paranormal Romances by the likes of Sherrilyn Kenyon, J.R. Ward and Christine Feehan. These authors are always on my keeper shelves and I will race to the bookstore to buy their latest just as soon as I know it’s available. Vampires are just sexy and if they are big and strong and protective, that’s even better. I highly recommend their books, and they are excellent in showcasing ‘world building’ and how each uses a unique twist to the vampire lure. I also love Sherrilyn’s Were-Hunter books, as she’s created a whole world within the Dark Hunters and her paranormals that is just for them.
So yes, I love reading and writing Paranormal Romances. If you haven’t read any of the previously mentioned authors, check them out! Don’t forget to look up Lara Adrian, Angela Knight, and Deidre Knight, either. And, if you’d like to know more about the Panthera, both Seductive Persuasion and Rhiannon’s Pride are available from Cerridwen Press! There are buy links for each right on my home page, http://www.francesstockton.com, excerpts, a book video, and review links, too. Check them out and let me know what you think! I love to hear from readers.
Until next time,
Frances Stockton
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