As a paranormal romance author when I read, I want to be dragged into a fascinating story where anything can happen. I want to be able to see, hear, and feel the world of the story. I think that’s the same desire for most of us who read fiction, whether it’s paranormal romance novels, or any other genre.
Personally, I believe we can learn something from every book we read. As a paranormal romance author, I’ve learned some of the best world building tips from historical romance authors. In one of Mary Balough’s books, the heroine was so desperately worried for her brother (on the battlefield in Waterloo) that I actually wondered about the outcome.
Granted I wasn’t the best history student when it came to regurgitating the exact dates for specific events on a test, but as general knowledge goes, I’d learned places and politcs and involved parties well enough. Except Balough had swept me so deeply into her world, I questioned my education.
Eloisa James recent release, When Beauty Tamed the Beast was another book where the world leaped off the page to surround me, holding me captive through romance, injury recovery and medical limitations of the times. When the scarlet fever outbreak happened, I worried and cried over the remaining pages, wondering if this would be the first historical romance without the anticipated happy ending.
What those authors taught me, in the simple joy of experiencing their worlds, is the secret lies in conveying how the character perceives the world. If the outcome of Waterloo is unknown, of course the characters would worry over the safety of men in battle as well as the political fallout.
As a paranormal romance author, it’s my goal to offer the reader the same sort of escape, though my Shadows of Justice series takes readers to the future rather than the past. It’s about showing the hows and whys of character tension. What’s at stake? Why does it matter. And it boils down to creating the best experience for the reader, be it paranormal, historical, fantasy, mystery or any other genre.
Live the adventure!
Still time to enter the Paranormal Romance Guild Monthly Giveaway! You could win all three Shadows of Justice novels!
