Let’s face it. Paranormal romance has an expectation of love scenes. Depending on the author, that can be a fade-to-black scene, left to the reader’s imagination, or it can be blow by blow, full-on, spicy sex.
For me, it has always depended on the character. For example, Fane Anghelescu, my Hellhound Alpha, has a forceful personality, although he would not attack a female. However, he is an incubus, and increases his power through sex magic. For him, the more enjoyable and involved the act, the power he will generate, as this illustrates:
Taking a shower … such a simple, everyday action. And yet, with you my little Hunter, that simplicity is more. The pulse of your blood in your neck, as you tilt you lips to mine. Your lips, slightly parted, inviting me to taste, to savour your passion.
The feel of your body beneath my hands, lithe, yet your skin slick with the woody scent of liquid soap. My hand is beneath your chin, holding, imprisoning, but who is the prisoner? Who is the captive? Is my little Hunter caught, and has she entrapped the wolf? Does the wolf care?
Love did not make me weak. It gave me purpose. It showed me the value of caring. And no matter what, your love and the memories of our moments together will remind me and keep me strong
In comparison, we have Casimir, the so-called Psycho Gosselin. By his own admission, he has done things which are despicable. He acknowledges that he is far from saintly. It would not be wrong to say he despises that character he must portray. Only with other members of the Hellfire Pack can he let his guard down. He had never expected to find a Mate, so to realise that Daniela is his Mate makes her all the more precious to him. In return, Daniela appreciates the image he must portray. With her encouragement, he is able to close the chasm of misunderstanding with his sister Alix.
When it comes down to it, every author needs inspiration, so I shall close with the video that gave me just the ambiance I needed for Gavril and Aaleahya, the leads of the Cwn Annwn. With them, it was a love affair that lasted over 200 years until Aaleahya was killed. In ‘Alpha’, Gavril is wondering whether he will find his Mate, or will he suffer the fate of his own dam? A trip to the Carpathians and he meets Aaleahya, a Roma girl. There was no need for him to be the stereotypical ‘alpha male’, because they were so well matched. She was a strong female, for all that her Mate was older than her.
See the whole series of the Diaries of the Cwn Annwn here: https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08WL17FTX
It is no different with books. I read a very interesting book recently, where this process was explained. For example, someone looking for a book like mine might type in ‘shifter romance series’, which might give more than a few returns. The trick is to think like your potential reader. What words will they use to find their preferred genre. These strings of words are what one uses when listing a book on Amazon or Smashwords. A keyword is not a single word. That is the important thing. Consider what a potential reader will look for. The flipside is quite simple. In what category do you list your book? Some categories have fewer books that others. Paranormal romance is a huge category. ‘Military paranormal romance’ is slightly smaller. ‘Urban fantasy military shifters computers’ is even smaller. Pick a small category and hey presto! Sell a hundred books or so and you are a best-seller in that category. So now, you can can add ‘Bestselling Author’ to your accomplishments.
One of the novels in my series is the story of a character who, from “Beta”, is painted as a barely leashed psychopath as he and his siblings were growing up. Rumour had it that he had even murdered his own brother to remove him from the line of succession. He attempted to kill the Alpha’s Mate of the Cwn Annwn. He attempted to shoot the Beta of the Cwn Annwn. He was behind several criminal schemes. All in all, Casimir Gosselin was not a ‘nice’ person.
Is there a solution? The recent attempts to focus on how others view mental health issues in the workplace exemplify the problem. Mental health is such a minefield for most employers that it may be easier to brush it under the proverbial carpet. Most companies exist to make profit, either for the owners or for the shareholders. They want and expect their staff to present the face that doesn’t have problems. If those problems exist, it is better to brush them under the carpet, which can be severely detrimental in the long run. This is something that needs to change. If one must focus on maintaining a mask, then surely focus will be lost from the primary responsibility: to make profit for one’s employers.
himself body and soul in return for his sister’s safety. What more did he need?
sed since I assumed the role of Alpha of the Cwn Annwn. In that time, I have seen the world change dramatically. I have found my Mate. I have lost close family and throughout, I have remained true to my promise to my Goddess.”
y Pack Beta following Roxana’s death. “She’s going to come after you, is that what you mean?”
The grin was all predator as he waved me to a chair. Bhavita shut the door behind her. To my surprise, Fane made me a cup of coffee. He didn’t bother asking how I took my coffee. It was a case of drink what you are given and be glad of it. Just as well I drank black coffee then. Taking a seat, he stretched his legs out in front of himself. That’ll be a 33″ or 34″ inside leg easily, I thought. He had a half smile on his face. He knew I was nervous. Damn him. Okay, I could do this. I have been in sales for nearly 20 years. Asking questions is my job. Eliciting information is my job. So, how bad could this be?
Katie Vincent: The Autistic Romance Author 