Paranormal ghouls and goblins have certainly changed since I was a kid. The idea of a werewolf or a vampire being anything but the nasty villain in a novel was unheard of ... let alone being the sexy alpha hero!
But there you have it. That's exactly the change that's come about in the world of romance novels. Every type of being from fallen angels to demons, vampires to werewolves, aliens to zombies and everything in between. A romance reader has her/his pick of any type of paranormal being.
Being the science fiction geek that I am, I completely embrace this new wave of paranormal romance. I'm in the middle of several paranormal series and loving every dark minute of this forbidden love. And as a writer ... well, you know I couldn't resist! I have two series out, one involving a vampire hunter and a town with cougar and wolf shifters fighting over land rights. I completely in paranormal nirvana when I'm working on these stories.
What about you? Are you enjoying this new wave of paranormal romance or are you electing to steer clear of it? Because I'm kinda nosy that way ... I'd love to know.
I have a series with Ellora's Cave titled
SHIFTING BONDS. It's the story of a polymorphic shifter looking for her wolf and cougar mates.
Here's the
Blurb:
Veterinarian Jayda Kynslan recently moved to Montana. The mountains hold many secrets but none as mysterious as hers. She’s just discovered she’s a polymorphic shifter—wolf, cougar, human. Jayda’s not sure who she is—or what her heart and body need.
Recently promised to Cole Takoda, the head of the wolf council, Jayda wants to believe their bond will fulfill her every need. But there’s no denying her cougar growls for a mate of its own. Leader of the cougar council, Zane Brodan has no desire to get involved in a romantic relationship. Tangling with a shifter already promised to another is a bad idea—except when it’s a luscious polymorphic shifter doing the tempting.
Cole believes Jayda is his lifemate. Zane can’t resist her seductions. It seems someone wants to ruin all their plans. As the temperature and body count rise, so does Jayda’s need to possess both men—wolf and cougar—and her needs refuse to be denied.
Excerpt:She raced through the shadows, her claws digging deep in the damp forest floor. Lush ferns of summer slapped at her muzzle but didn’t slow her speed. The scent of rabbit rode on the night air laced with the honeyed aroma of silky lupine. Jayda Kynslan tamped down the urge to hunt. Time had become her enemy. Her attention needed to stay focused on more important quarry.
Breaking through the tree line, she stepped onto the edge of the field. The Montana mountain breeze ruffled through her thick pelt of black and Jayda wanted to throw her head back and let instinct loose. But a wolf howl would only give away her position and this night was about secrecy and speed. The protective darkness would soon give way to a blue wash of light. The full moon peeked over the treetops, its face a crimson fire. A blood moon. A superstitious person would read death in its orange glow. Jayda only saw her chance at stealth slipping away. Soon it would sit high in the sky and smile down upon the earth, stealing away the shadows.
Three full moons had passed since that fateful night when Cole Takoda, leader of the wolf shifter council, had held her tight and shown her the magic that was shifting. That night, pain and anger had filled her even as her body had sought equilibrium in its first shift into animal form. Since then, muscle, bone and tissue had learned to morph without agony. The only pain now was the ache in her heart knowing she would never regain the decades her body had held tight to its furtive gift. Allowing herself the freedom to shift had released her from the pent-up frustration that had manifested itself in years of nightmares.
There was no time to mourn the loss.
With caution, Jayda left the darkened secrecy of the forest and ventured into the tall river grass. The song of the wind soughing through the ponderosa pines was joined by the steady rush of the river just ahead of her. Though its banks overflowed with the swell of the recent rains, the current here at the foot of Coppertip Mountain had slowed to a lazy pace. Intent on swimming its expanse, this would be her first venture into the water as a wolf. The thought both thrilled and terrified. Perhaps she hadn’t chosen the best route, but she hoped it would deliver her to her destination ahead of her foe.
The soft carpet of bitterroot beneath her pads swallowed her approach. Scanning the riverbank, Jayda glimpsed a shadow shift just below a rocky outcropping on the other side, not thirty feet from her. Dropping to her belly, she let the grass close around her. Jayda had no intention of being found.
