Categories: paranormal books
Posted by Amy - June 18th, 2010 Comments 8
Zandria Munson took on a challenge when she picked a different sort of supernatural being to become a sexy, irresistible hero in her Nocturne Bite story Prisoner of Temptation. Wondering what kind of hero we’re talking about? You’ll have to read her blog post to find out!
by Zandria Munson, author of Prisoner of Temptation (Harlequin Nocturne Bites, June 2010)
When I made the decision to venture into the realm of paranormal romance I paused to take a look at what was already out on the market. Now while I enjoy vampires and werewolves just as much as the next person, I needed to do something different. I’ve never been much of a follower and so I started considering the variety of entities that comprise the paranormal.
After a few days of brainstorming I stumbled upon an idea that has appealed to me for years – gargoyles. They are usually seen as dark and grotesque little beasties perched at the top of churches, in graveyards and on historic buildings. These creatures are fabled to be men cursed for their transgressions in life with only one recourse to redeem themselves – to guard others and ward off evil. The thing that intrigues me most about these creatures is the concept of turning to stone during the day and becoming gargoyles at night.
Instantly, I knew I wanted to write about them. But one question remained: how was I ever going take these little creatures and make them into something that would inspire a quickened pulse? They needed to meet the qualifications of “sexy”. And so, I pulled out my creative cauldron and tossed in three cups of tall and handsome, a teaspoon of dangerous, a pinch of primordial desire and a dash of irresistible. And thus, the gargoyle clans were born!
There is simply nothing sexier than an alpha male who, with all his strength requires a woman’s interference to vanquish the demons that plague him. And to complete this scenario I knew I needed an equally strong woman who of course has her own insecurities.
This is another aspect of paranormal romance that has lured me. Gone are the days when women in novels are required to be soft and meek and totally reliant upon the alpha male. The modern woman is bold and smart and self sufficient. I chose to have my heroine of Prisoner of Temptation as a witch because I’ve enjoyed the Wicca culture and I needed her to be a force to be reckoned with.
So, in conclusion, My inspiration for my story was my desire to do something different and to retain the dark intrigue of the paranormal world. What intrigues you?
paranormal books
Sarah Mallory
on June 18th, 2010
Fascinating, Zandria, I shall look on gargyles differently from now on. However, I defy even you to use your recipe for a sexy alpha male on a garden gnome (but it might be fun to try).
Ilona
on June 19th, 2010
I’ve looked at Gragoyles as romance material since I read Carved In Stone by Vickie Taylor. Your version sounds equally good, I especially like that you have enhanced the paranormal aspect by making the heroine a witch, so I am adding it to my wishlist
Lisa Richards
on June 20th, 2010
I’ve only read maybe 1 other series where there were Gargoyles, I think the Taylor books, and I throughly enjoyed them. I wonder why no one has done a paranormal with an invisible man. I can see where that could lead to some humorous and awkward moments.
Zandria Munson
on June 23rd, 2010
LOL! I fear you’re right Sarah – my recipe may not work on a garden gnome, but you did make me wonder if one can be made into a sexy alpha male!
Ilona thank you for your comments and I am sure you will enjoy the story. There’s so much that can be done with witchcraft and I took complete advantage of this. *winks*
And Lisa , an invisible man – hmm…an interesting concept. There are so many stones unturned in the world of romance novels. It’s a shame that so many potentially great ideas go ignored on the sidelines of the vampire parade.
Thank you all for stopping by! And for your awesome comments. Don’t forget to check out my website Subterranean!
Jessica
on June 23rd, 2010
Gargoyles! Wow! I can’t wait to see what you came up with. It sure is a different idea, but now that I’m thinking about it I can certainly see how these creatures can be just as sexy as vampires – maybe even more.
Nicole
on June 26th, 2010
Its so refreshing to see someone write about something different other than vampires. Sick of vamp stories! Perhaps Gargoyles will catch on . . .
Lynn
on July 5th, 2010
I feel strongly that you are going to change the landscape of romance books. Best wishes.
Lynn
Zandria Munson
on July 5th, 2010
Thank you all for your encouragement and enthusiasm. I feel that gargoyles are a new and intriguing platform for romance. Also, writing stories on creatures that have barely been explored is wonderful as I have nearly complete freedom to create their world and lives from the ground up. There are no set standards or expectations and this creative freedom is absolute bliss!