by Vicky Walklate (Guest Author)

“I don’t know what’s happened to me! I’m obsessed!”

A dear friend said that recently in a very bewildered tone, and I couldn’t help but laugh. She’s an avid bookworm but up until now, tended to steer clear of genre romance, especially paranormal.

That all changed when she was gifted a Kindle and read my monster romance novellas. Afterwards, Amazon recommended similar books to her, and she was quickly hooked. Vampires, shifters, orcs, she’s trying them all. Her most recent five star read involved a beast king (yes, I have requested more details!) and her dismay when she found out the next one in the series wasn’t published yet was relatable, to say the least.

So, what is it about fantasy and paranormal romance that puts readers in a chokehold? Part of its charm is its unparalleled ability to depict the sheer scope of human emotion, from the darkest of themes to the funniest, most light-hearted moments. Whatever you’re going through, there will be a
supernatural romance that will help you cope with it, or forget about it, at least temporarily. Whether it’s the adventures of a werewolf motorcycle gang, an ancient vampire falling for the kickass hunter stalking them, a tension-filled wedding in a fae court, a grumpy gargoyle falling for a sunshiny
human, or a demon uttering the immortal line “who did this to you?” – you name it, we’ve got it. And if spice is your thing? Whatever you’re into, I guarantee we can satisfy. Prefer mild heat, or none at all? Don’t worry, we’ve got that too!

Another appealing aspect of monster, paranormal and fantasy romance is the sense of security it invokes. The guaranteed Happy Ever After helps with this, of course, but oddly enough, so do the big bad monsters in the stories. But why? We should be terrified the moment they step on to the page.
Our fight or flight instincts are there for a reason, after all. The monster is the enemy, that terrible thing we fear in the dark. Yet in the stories, we see them desiring the main character, wanting to shield them from danger and gain their love. And when the main character feels safe, so do we, the readers.
We can escape from our world, lose ourselves in one where we’re protected by the monstrous entities we’re supposed to fear, and live the characters’ Happy Ever Afters right alongside them. That sounds pretty appealing to me.

Vicky Walklate writes spicy monster and fantasy romance. Links to her series can be found via her website, https://www.vickywalklatebooks.com/