Paranormal romance isn’t just for Halloween anymore. In fact, it hasn’t been for a long time. In the 1990s, vampires entered the romance world in a big way. Since then, paranormal romance has gone from a tiny niche to a huge market. There are old-school vampires that can’t walk in the sun, new kinder, gentler vampires, psychic vampires, and pretty much every other possible permutation of vampire characteristics.
On the heels of vampires came werewolves. Different authors created different werewolf mythologies. Like vampires, the werewolves of romance can be good or evil, and immortal or mortal. Some change on the full moon, others change whenever they need or want to. Other shapeshifters soon came on the scene, from werecats to weresnakes (and pretty much everything else you can think of). I’ve even read a book with an octopus shifter!
As a paranormal romance lover, I really enjoy the diversity available in vampire and shapeshifter romances, but I am always on the lookout for something new. I admit I have a small (okay, huge) demon fetish. Anything with demons is sure to catch my attention. I also enjoy a good old-fashioned ghost story, the spookier the better. I admit that it often annoys me when one of the protagonists is a ghost, because I start getting hung up on the mechanics of ghost sex, and how unlikely a happy ending between a dead person and a living person is going to be. But maybe I’m the only one who does that.
Lately, I’ve also seen a sudden uptick in zombie romance. Zombie fiction has been around for a long time, but zombie romance? It’s weird, but if done well I think it actually works. Squeamish readers might disagree, though. *g*
I’ve read vamps, weres, demons, ghosts, various psychic phenomena, and now zombies. What other kinds of paranormal romance are out there that I need to try?
And readers, what kind of paranormal romance would you like to see more of? I’ve tackled werewolves, and demons (of course), in my Outcasts series and in a couple of standalone stories. I’ve even done werelions in a short series with Beth Wylde, but I haven’t branched out too far into the paranormal world so far. What kind of paranormal plots / characters do you think aren’t done enough? Which ones are overdone?
What’s going to be the “next big thing” in paranormal romance? Anyone care to hazard a guess?
Whatever the next big thing turns out to be, I can’t wait to read it…
Cassandra Gold
Cassandra’s latest release— Outcasts: Unleashing Ciaran (ISBN: 978-1-60088-590-7)
Blurb: After all they’ve been through together, werewolf Drew and his half-demon mate Ciaran are more than ready to live a normal life. Then Drew’s peace of mind is shattered by a mysterious 3 a.m. phone call. A new threat has emerged, from a direction he never thought possible. This time, it may be up to Ciaran to protect Drew…
