The Romance Writers of America Golden Heart ® Award is the industry’s highest honor for unpublished manuscripts, and it warms my paranormal-loving heart to see so many diverse stories in this year’s crop of finalists. These talented women are writing about time travel, demons, vampires, shifters, telepaths, jinn, Voodoo curses, whales, panthers, Egyptologists and doppelgangers–and usually more than one of the above.
Here’s a little taste of what the finalists’ books are about and why their authors chose to write paranormal — or why paranormal chose them:
Mariah Ankenman’s GH story, Dark Secret, is a high-stakes human-demon love story with a “by-the-books straight arrow” human and a “bend-the-rules sexy bad boy” demon who accidentally fall in love while trying to save the world. (I hate it when that happens.) Mariah began writing at the tender age of five when she penned her first book George and the Green Blob. (An early convert to the genre, I see.) Many years and lots of green glob stories later, Mariah set off to the University of Wyoming and received a BFA in playwriting. After a few years in LA working in “The Biz” Mariah decided to head home to the beautiful Rocky Mountains and her first love, novel writing.
For Mariah, paranormal romance is a way to take a vacation from normal for a little while: “I write paranormal because fantasy gives us a chance to escape our world and be a part of one that is magical and fantastic. What’s more fun; Witches, Vampires and magic or taxes, grocery trips and doctor appointments? Give me a wand, wings or fangs because I don’t want a normal life. I want a paranormal one!”
India Powers writes paranormal historical romances set in England during the late Middle Ages and early Regency period. Her Golden Heart finaling manuscript, Demon’s Bane, sounds deliciously genre bending. Here’s the blurb: Hunting the demon that killed his wife, a medieval mage travels through time and meets his wife’s doppelganger in Regency England—but is she a second chance at love or the demon in disguise?
Time travel and demons and mages? Yes, please. I think India echoes many paranormal writers with the following: “The stories that pop into my head always have paranormal elements, so I can’t not write paranormal. I grew up reading myths, fairy tales and fantasy. Apparently they imprinted themselves upon my imagination!”
I couldn’t agree with this more–I don’t think we get to pick what we write, and you can’t help what choses you.
Tara Sheets spent most of her childhood as an American abroad, growing up in different countries. Always a voracious reader, Tara learned from a very early age that books have the power to take you anywhere you want to go, no matter where you are. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with a book-loving family, a furry mop of a dog named Merlin, and one of Tolkien’s ents in her backyard (Where can I get one?) Her GH manuscript, Guardian, makes me nostalgic for the days when I was obsessed with pyramids and Amelia Peabody mysteries. It features an Egyptologist, Kate Lancaster, who discovers a legendary stone that grants absolute power. She joins forces with Noah Jordon, a warrior angel who is charged to protect the stone from falling into the hands of an evil man and his demonic allies.
Given her book description, I wasn’t surprised to learn that Tara writes paranormal for the adventure of it: “I write paranormal because I love the adventure of worldbuilding and the unexpected elements of magic that make a story a true escape from normal life. I have always been fascinated with fairy tales and “happily ever afters”, so the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres really hit it home for me.”
Kay Hudson is one of my own Golden Heart sisters–she finaled in 2012 as well as 2013 (not to mention 2011) with her funny, off-beat paranormal romances. This year she finaled with Jinn & Tonic; last year it was Bathtub Jinn.
Kay on her quirky characters: “I suspect if I tried to write werewolves, they would have fleas and get stuck in doggie doors. Vampires in my stories would probably be hemoglobin intolerant or afraid of the dark. So I write about a jinn who loves Errol Flynn movies, a pooka stuck in the form of a wise-cracking cat, and a cigar-smoking, Spillane-reading goblin who lives in a dumpster, along with relatively normal, if somewhat bemused, people who fall in love and have slightly off-kilter adventures. Those are my stories, and I’m sticking to them.”
A.E. Jones‘s finaling manucript, Mind Sweeper, has enough supernatural punch to satisfy anyone. Here’s her blurb: A human female with the ability to manipulate memories must work with a vampire, a demon and a by-the-book human cop to stop the desperate hunt for a prophesized ‘key of knowledge’ in Cleveland, Ohio of all places, from escalating into a supernatural civil war.
I love paranormals that mix the fantastical with the mundane (and I love by-the-book cops who get caught up in supernatural shenanigans.) A.E. says: “I write paranormal for several reasons. First, I love to read paranormal so I think that is why I gravitate to writing it. How many times do we hear ‘write what you love’? I also write paranormal because of the world-building. Now, I know that all writers world-build to a certain extent, but for paranormal you are able to break through the normal boundaries and create your own rules which is very liberating. I really like plot lines that include life or death conflict and that is a part of (most) paranormal writing. But I think paranormal can also be funny and that plays a huge role in my writing as well. When you take a normal life event and put a supernatural twist on it, funny ensues. And last but not least, if you like your heroes ‘alpha’ then there is no better place than paranormal. Of course, having cool powers, fangs, fur, and being sexy as H-E-double hockey sticks doesn’t hurt either!”
Dawn Marie Hamilton is another genre-bending finalist. She writes Scottish-inspired fantasy and paranormal romance, and her GH finaling book, Sea Panther, sounds like Pirates of the Carribean-esque romp with time travel. There’s a Scottish nobleman and panther shifter-turned vampire, a Caribbean Voodoo priestess, and a heroine on the run from a hitman. Plus, her hero and heroine get to travel to 1715 Jamaica to break a curse. I love it! Will there be rum?
Dawn (like so many of us!) got her first taste of paranormal from Dark Shadows: “The soap opera Dark Shadows first introduced me to the world of paranormal. The genre has been on my bookshelf since. I write what I like to read.”
I have a soft spot for Paris, so I’m intrigued by finalist Lark Howard‘s series. The inspiration for her GH manuscript, Shadows in the Deep, came in The City of Light:
“I started in romantic suspense. Then one cold winter day I was at Deyrolle in Paris, totally enchanted by the taxidermied animals posed as through they’re frozen mid-party when I entered the room. I thought, “What if the man who owned this establishment could bring these animals to life–sort of NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM meets DR. DOLITTLE?” Naturally he was gorgeous, damaged and hot–and in need of a woman who could redeem him. My paranormal world grew from there and the second in the series, SHADOWS IN THE DEEP, took the Durand family’s psychic abilities to the Caribbean where whales vanish mysteriously and a powerful enemy controls a force that may enslave the world’s non-psychic population. Naturally, there’s a very hot love story. So here I am in paranomral and loving it!”
Ella Sheridan‘s GH finaling manuscript Unbroken is the first of a three-book series featuring her mythical Archai, supernatural species whose races shift into the spectacular creatures of human lore.
Ella also sees writing paranormal worlds as away to temporarily escape real life: “In my everyday life, I’m a freelance editor, karate instructor, mother to a teen and preteen with a chronically dirty house my OCD never stops screaming about — breathe! So, in other words, chaos, panic, pressure, and more chaos — that’s my life. Nothing takes me out of that life like a good, solid paranormal story. Who wouldn’t crave months and months spent with the sexiest characters imaginable in a place where my imagination can run completely unfettered, where I can experience things totally opposite my everyday, mundane, real life? Add in the romance and a hunky alpha male, stir the pot, and you’ve got fantasy in its purest, best form, at least for me!”
What say you, Unbounders? Are you excited to see these stories coming down the paranormal pipeline? I personally hope we’re reading all of these books by next summer, because they sound fantastic. Congratulations to all of the finalists!
Congrats ladies and best of luck to you all.
Thanks for the overview of all these wonderful stories. Now to add more to the toppling TBR pile!
I’m really looking forward to these. Here’s hoping we get to read them soon. 🙂
Good morning ladies. Congratulations to you all! I’m very excited to be going to Nationals this year. While I hope you all do well in your writing career I’m going to be cheering for my chapter member A.E. Jones. You go girl! Cleveland Rocks!
Thanks Dy! You rock too! I am in great company in this category.
Woo hoo my friend and chaptermate AE!!! Mind Sweeper rocks!!!
Thanks for introducing us all, AJ. It’s thrilling to be in the company of all these talented women!
Truly my pleasure! It was so much fun to get to know all of you a little better. (Also: psychics rock.)
What fun this was, to learn so much more about my fellow finalists’ choice to write something that resonates so deeply with me! Thanks, AJ, and good luck to all my GH sisters with their exciting manuscripts. 🙂
Thanks for participating, Ella! I loved reading about all the different places people are coming from in terms of inspiration.
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What a lovely introduction to all the finalists in the paranormal category! All the books sound so good I can’t wait for them to hit the shelves. Congratulations ladies!
I feel the same way! Thanks for stopping by, Nan. 🙂
This is awesome to see all of my fellow paranormal finalists in this blog! Thanks AJ for doing this! I can’t wait to meet my sister finalists in Atlanta.
Thanks for playing, AE! Your books sounds like a lot of fun (Cleveland!), and I can’t wait to see it in print.
Thanks AJ – my books have funny and serious mixed in, but isn’t that what life’s all about? It just happens to be a bit more ‘out there’ in my books 😉
Wow, so much talent on one page! Great post, AJ. Every time I read something from or about The Lucky 13s, I just get more excited about meeting all of you in Atlanta.
See you soon!
Thanks for stopping by, Sandra! (And congrats on your GH final. 🙂
Thanks for inviting us, AJ. It’s great to see what a variety of paranormal stories have finalled in the GH this year. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Atlanta!
Hi Kay! ::waves:: Thanks for giving us your hilarious rundown of paranormal characters with issues. 🙂 Looking forward to seeing you in Atlanta!
Thanks, AJ, for a great post! I loved reading everyone’s book blurbs and reasons for writing paranormal!
Like everyone else, I hope to read these books in print someday. 🙂
Ditto, India. Thanks for participating. Hope to see you back here sometime!
Hi AJ and Paranormal Finalists!
Wow, your stories sound terrific, but are ALL so incredibly different. I think this is the genre that should be called ‘and the kitchen sink.’
Hope to meet all of you in ATL,( like at the outstanding TGN retreat.)
Right? The genre is definitely proliferating. I think it’s giving us a lot of room to play as writers, which is exciting. Thanks for stopping by today!
Congrats ladies! I can’t imagine how the final judges will ever choose a winner amongst all these great stories. I wish all of you luck in Atlanta. It’s so much fun to attend RWA as a Golden Heart finalist. Everyone treats you like the rock stars you are!
Hi Tammy! I know, isn’t the GH experience a blast? Even though I won’t be on the roller coaster this year, I’m so excited for everyone who is. 🙂
Thanks for featuring us today, AJ! Atlanta will be a blast!
Thanks for participating! And I can’t wait for Atlanta. 🙂
From the same 26 letters of the alphabet… Amazing! And what fun! It’s great to see how differently you each approach the genre, and how unique each result is. Great post, AJ! Thanks for inviting all these wonderful ladies, and thanks, Lucky 13s, for sharing your stories. 🙂
Smiles,
Leslie
Thanks, Leslie, and thanks for stopping by! It is pretty amazing how we can all have such different voices, even within the same genre.
What a fun post! Wonderful imaginations, every one of you. 🙂 I don’t know how the final judges will be able to narrow it down to one!!! Best to all of you in your writing careers.
Smiles,
Leslie
Most of those books sound really good, and I would especially like to read Kay Hudson books. Any available in paperback?
Thank you so much, but I’m still unpublished, I’m afraid. Agents tell me humor is hard to sell, but readers seem to want it.
I am sorry to read it, and yes, humor is a must in my books, especially when I am tired. Perhaps time to go the self publishing route? I would certainly like to read and review your books.
Xaurianx, if you want to get a taste of Kay’s writing, you can read an excerpt from one of her WIPs here: http://www.ghfirebirds.com/excerpt-jinn-on-the-rocks/
Thanks AJ, but I almost never read excerpts, as that is only torturing myself when I want to read more, and can’t. Especially as this book is not available yet.
Oh, I totally understand that. 🙂 Hopefully we’ll all get a chance to read the whole thing soon.
Wow. The stories sound so awesome! No wonder they finaled. A HUGE congratulations to all of the ladies!
Right? I’m totally blown away. Thanks for stopping by!
AJ, what a great idea to introduce all the finalists. Ladies, welcome to Paranormal Unbound and many congratulations!
This is just making me even more excited for RWA in Atlanta. 🙂
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A.J., what a great write-up, thanks for this. And congratulations to all of the finalists. Your stories sound wonderful!
Thanks for coming by, Celia! I loved reading about these stories, and I hope we get to read the full novels soon. 🙂
Thanks to all the finalists for joining us today! We hope you’ll come hang out with us at Paranormal Unbound again sometime. Best of luck to all of you on your writing & publishing journeys.
Thanks, AJ for giving us all this talent on one page!! Congrats to all the Paranormal finalists! Can’t wait to meet you all in Atlanta!
Thanks for coming by, Miranda! It was so much fun to have these talented women as guests.
This was a terrific way to introduce new paranormal authors to folks. I thank you very much as I love the quirky twists that can happen in paranormal stories.
Thanks for coming by! I think it’s so inspiring to see the diversity in the genre.
Congratulations! Best of luck to you all! A special holler to Kay and Lark from my home chapter! Best wishes for everyone’s success!
Thanks for stopping by, Kerrelyn! Your chapter sounds pretty amazing. Plenty of talent! 😉