Thursday, October 26, 2006

Dark Attractions

It's nearing Halloween, so what an appropriate time to discuss what it is about the paranormal genre of romance that turns us on.
They're everywhere. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, aliens, shapeshifters, mermaids, demons, etc.

Now, if you read the above list simply written on a piece of paper, you might get a shiver to think about what each one really is (save the mermaid; I hope). They are the creatures that haunt our nightmares. The ghoulies that give us a fright this time of year. The dark nightmares that creep into our thoughts.

So why, upon all whys, do we also find them romantic? Heck, we flock to the bookstores for paranormal romance stories and pour over the words, imagining what it would really be like to kiss a demon with glowing eyes and an insatiable desire, or to tilt our neck aside and allow a long-haired, smirking vampire free reign. Werewolves? The animal roughness of them makes us melt.

So my question to you today is: What is your favorite paranormal hero? And why?

And it's out! My newest vampire romance hit the bookstores this week.

Yeah, I know, it's very...purple. I think when I mentioned there was a scene in there where the hero brings the heroine lilacs, the art department really took that whole purple, flowery theme to heart. :-)
Anyway, the hero is a vampire. The heroine isn't a witch (though her mother is, and she did pass along her blood to her daughter). And the thing is, vampires and witches just don't jive. Probably because witch's blood works like acid to a vampire. And who does the hero fall in love with? The one woman who could kill him with just one bite.
:-)
M

6 comments:

Unknown said...

A real zinger of a cover, Michele! Purple or not.
Can't wait to get it!

And as to what makes us thrill to paranormal heroes and heroines. . . I think it's an accute awareness of our own limitations as humans and our instinctive, deeply ingrained need to surmount them. Pure wish fulfillment. We want to be more than we are. so we ally ourselves to the powerful, the savage, the otherworldly, and we experience new heights and lows and temptations through them.

Whaddaya think?

Or maybe we're just so been-there-done-that, that we need to go beyond the bounds of convention and dredge up new possibilities. Novelty is something we crave as a species.

Congrats and best of luck with a great book!

Debra Dixon said...

Michele--

I love a good vampire book! Who doesn't? Some of the appeal is that the "demon" is the ultimate "bad boy" hero that we can change and tame.

One of my all time favorite hero's is Daemon from Anne Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy. Oooh oooh oooh baby! :) Nothing like the 1300 year old warlock son of the Lord of Hell.

Michele Hauf said...

Oooh, Deb, I've never read that book, but I'm going to have to find that one.

And yep, I think it is our mortality that makes us seek 'the other'. We like to fantasize what it could be like. And isn't that what books are for?

Though personally, if a real live vampire showed up on my doorstep? I think I'd run! (Yeah, even if he did look like Johnny or Clive or Christian. Sorry guy, no fangs for me!)
M

anne frasier said...

i like the outsider aspect of a vampire, somebody who lives on the fringe and isn't part of society. he's a tragic figure who's witnessed a lot of horror on a world level and probably on a personal level.

how's that for dark? :D

i love how the purple cover looks on this page. it matches kathleen's cover perfectly. :)

Michele Hauf said...

I noticed that, too! Me and Kathy are matchy-matchy. :-)

M

Unknown said...

Michele, I just got From The Dark! Can't wait to get started on it. Looks scrumptious!

But I'm saving it as a reward for finishing the first 100 pps of my new WIP.

Come on, Pages!

;) Betina