Have you checked out Rachel Vincent‘s new YA series Soul Screamers from Harlequin TEEN yet? The first book, My Soul to Save, launched the new Harlequin TEEN line in August (read Rachel’s guest-post about it here) and has gotten a great response so far…well, who wouldn’t love a book filled with banshees (or bean sidhes), grim reapers, special powers, and hot guys

Take a look for an ad for My Soul to Save in the special People Magazine Twilight Collector’s Issue, on-sale today! (The ad also mentions the free eBook prequel to the series, My Soul to Lose, which you can download at the Harlequin TEEN website. If you haven’t already, what are you waiting for?!) Click the image below for a closer look:

Plus, here’s a peek at the brand-new cover for the second book in the Soul Screamers series, My Soul to Save:

As it happens with book covers, it went through a little redesign to give more of a close-up of “Kaylee”. Here is the older design:

And speaking of book covers, the Readergirlz blog has a series of posts by Harlequin TEEN authors on the cover art for their books: Gena Showalter posts about Intertwined, and Rachel Vincent on the Soul Screamers covers, which includes some step-up-step photos of the creation of the My Soul to Take design. Interesting look behind a bit of publishing biz! (plus they’re giving away some Harlequin TEEN books and t-shirts to commenters…)

What do you think about the Harlequin TEEN designs so far? Which version of the My Soul to Save cover do you like better? Vote, share your comments and also let us know what YA covers you love the best!

Next week sees the premiere of the new TV series The Vampire Diaries. Based on the books by L.J. Smith, it’s about a teenage girl with hot two vampire brothers – one good, one evil – fighting over her soul and those of her friends, family and neighbours. Everyone’s already well aware of the hit TV show True Blood based on Charlaine Harris‘s Sookie Stackhouse series, and the hugely popular Twilight movies. With more TV and movie rights to popular paranormal book series (like P.C. and Kristin Cast’s YA House of Night series) being snapped up, obviously paranormal has hit Hollywood in a big way just like publishing!

So Harlequin Paranormal Romance Blog wants to know what other books are you dying (ooops, totally unintentional pun there!) to see made into a series for TV or movies? Vote below! And don’t forget to tell us why in the comments or if your choice isn’t already in the poll…

We’ve discussed Buffy the Vampire Slayer on this blog many times as one of readers’ favorite paranormal TV shows — it certainly does have two of the screen’s sexiest vampires with Angel and Spike (and remember when Angel vs. Spike was the big debate years before Edward  vs. Jacob?).  The popularity of Buffy has also been credited as one of the turning points that brought about the current explosion of paranormal romance.

So when rumors started swirling online a couple weeks ago about a possible new Buffy movie without creator Joss Whedon, I’m sure many of you had the same reaction as me — WHAT?!?!?!?!

More details — from Buffy collaborator and the would-be new director Fran Rubel Kuzui – popped in posts and articles from sites like BD Horror all the way to The New York Times. There would be no existing characters like Spike or Willow, and follows the idea that there would be a new slayer for the next generation (would that mean Buffy or Faith dies?)

In the aftermath of other recent franchise revamps like Star Trek, Batman, and Terminator, what do you think about the possibility of a new Buffy — are you totally against the idea, or would you give it a chance?

by Jane Porter, author of King of the Desert, Captive Bride and Flirting with Forty

I’m on a fast, furious deadline due to health interfering with my writing—must write a chapter a day until book is finished Dec 3rd—which often means writing late into the night to make sure each chapter isn’t just down, but perfect. But this coming Friday night I’m taking a break from writing. You see, Twilight madness has hit me, too, and I’m joining a dozen girlfriends at the local theatre for the 7:20 pm showing of the movie based on Stephenie Meyer‘s book.

I’ve read all four of Stephenie Meyer’s books in the series and I’m not the only one in Twilight’s thrall. A week ago I attended a book club in Woodinville, Washington and every woman there but one had read one or more of the Twilight series. I was so impressed! These weren’t teenage readers, either, but women between 40 and 60, all neighbors and friends, many with teenage kids who turned their moms onto the series. Author Megan Crane was the one who turned me onto the books and I’m so glad she did. Last week I had more fun discussing Stephenie’s books than my own which made me think that I should do a fun contest to celebrate the movie Twilight with a Twilight contest.

I held the contest last week, the prize being a copy of Twilight, which is the first book in the series, a small box of yummy See’s chocolates (I have a thing for See’s, especially those Bordeaux), and Jane Porter goodies and the response was huge. Of the fifty posters, most had read the series, although some hadn’t but wanted to. Only one reader hadn’t liked the books at all.

At the book club in Woodinville we talked about the popularity and appeal of the books. These are vampire stories. And shapeshifter stories. We’re talking paranormal here with some mild violence but no love scenes, at least not until book four and even then it’s not explicit. So what’s the charm?

For me, the charm is in the wonderful characterization, and Stephenie’s skill in making me believe this could happen, or want it to happen. I loved her very small town setting of Forks, Washington and her family dynamics of a teenage daughter living with her loving, but a little crusty, father. It’s storytelling at its best, which transcends genres and just becomes great reading, appealing reading, reading that tugs on your heart and captures your imagination.

I’ve bought my ticket for Friday’s movie. I can’t wait to have a girls night out. Are you going to see the movie? Have you read the books? And if so, who turned you on to Twilight in the first place?

• Dr. Carrie Ames from Jennifer Amrintrout’s Blood Ties series
• Angel and Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
• Selene (played by Kate Beckinsale) in the Underworld movies
• Count Saint-Germain in the novels by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
• Louis (played by Brad Pitt) in Interview with the Vampire
• Betsy, Queen of the Vampires, in Mary Janice Davidson’s “Undead” series

Tell us why this vampire is your fave and any other vampires you love in the comments!

Paranormal is hot right now–in books, movies, and TV. But why now? What is it about this moment in history that makes paranormal such a popular genre?

• A story in the Australian newspaper the Courier-Mail notes that “The genre has grown at the expense of military romance, which she says no longer offers the escapism it once did. ‘With Afghanistan and Iraq, it’s a lot more real now,’” according to a store owner.The last upsurge in paranormal romance came in the 1970s, around the release of Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire, when Americans were dealing with the aftermath of the Vietnam War. And the first English gothic novels such as Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho soared in popularity in the early 19th century as Napoleon advanced across Europe. (It should be noted, however, that this is purely anecdotal evidence. It would be possible to find a potentially relevant military conflict for almost any period in history.)
• In an interview at ParanormalRomance.org, author Kim Harrison says, “I feel much of the recent popularity is coming from the greater acceptance for Wicca and alternative religions in general.” Certainly, many paranormal elements come from the mythos and culture of pagan religions. Could the popularity of paranormal be related to the rediscovery these religions in the mainstream?
• Is spirituality in general on the rise? In a time of uncertainty, people may be seeking answers outside of what can be explained by science. An increased interest in paranormal may be one form of expressing the belief that there must be more to the world than we know.

Are you more interested in the genre than you used to be? Is it just because of the availability, or do you think there’s something about this particular time–in the world, or in your life–that led you to paranormal?

I hope everyone’s holiday was full of delicious paranormal books and movies.

Where did the paranormal romance genre come from? Let’s take some time to pay homage to the works which have helped shape the genre over the years. Here are some of my favorite predecessors to modern paranormal romance.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The hit movie and television show of the mid-90s shaped and crystallized a good deal of vampire and demon lore for popular audiences, and arguably created the niche in paranormal hourlongs in primetime TV, paving the way for such shows as Supernatural and Reaper. Buffy’s ensemble included a vampire slayer, a witch, a werewolf, and several vampires, who were paired in various combinations in relationship storylines.

X-Files – Just before Buffy (re)popularized vampires, X-Files was the quintessential paranormal paranoia show, blending elements of police procedural, paranormal, and sci-fi. During its ten-year run, X-Files touched on just about every paranormal element, from ghosts to psychic powers of all kinds to various mythical creatures.

Anne Rice – The bestselling Vampire Chronicles, starting with Interview with a Vampire in 1976 (and further popularized by the 1994 movie) painted and alluring and seductive portrait of immortal, intelligent, and passionate vampires.

Bewitched – The sitcom about a suburban witch was one of several otherworldly new shows of the mid-60s, including The Addams Family, I Dream of Jeannie and The Twilight Zone. The popularity and seven-year run of Bewitched demonstrated how magical and real world situations could be effectively melded to appeal to a widespread audience.

Dracula – Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel is the source for most of the vampire “facts” we know today. Stoker gathered his lore from local folk legends. While not the first vampire book, Stoker’s is probably the earliest well-known source; many modern authors draw their conception of vampires at least in part from the mysterious and aristocratic character of Count Dracula.

Frankenstein – First published in 1818, Mary Shelley’s story of the scientist who creates a living monster from dead flesh is another enduring classic of the genre which has influenced and inspired so many works since that it is impossible to gauge the size of its effect. Shelley wrote the tale for a scary story contest with friends. Inspiring!

Gothic novels – Extremely popular in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the genre of gothic fiction combined paranormal elements—ghosts and beyond-the-grave communication being a particular favorite—with stories of romantic, upper-class figures and mysterious, exotic settings. Ann Radcliff’s late-18^th century novels (The Mysteries of Udolpho among others) were especially popular and have influenced such diverse figures as Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte and Anne Rice.

Fairy tales/folklore – Paranormal stories take their basic inspiration from long-told tales—from the traditional village storytellers to campfire stories to modern-day urban legends. The concepts of ghosts, vampires, and special mental powers, among other paranormal classics, have cropped up in the oral traditions of so many cultures that there must be something basic and fundamental about them—which accounts for their enduring popularity.

What are your favorite classics of paranormal?

It’s All Hallows’ Eve!  There isn’t a better occasion to celebrate all that is paranormal!

Tonight, after giving out goodies to the neighborhood kiddies, I plan to fire up my TV and watch Pushing Daisies and Reaper, then run a hot bath to ward off the chill and soak in a good, scary read while I soak in the tub!  On tap for tonight: The Beast Within by Lisa Renee Jones, from Silhouette Nocturne, about an immortal demon fighter; and after I’ve inhaled that novel I’m going to dive into Heart of Stone by C.E. Murphy, from LUNA, about a gargoyle who comes to life!

After all that I’ll probably need to sleep with the lights on. 

What’s your favorite paranormal read to get you in the mood for Halloween?

Wherever you look, paranormal is HOT in popular culture right now. TV shows like Pushing Daisies, Reaper, and Moonlight; movies like 30 Days of Night and I am Legend; and of course, in books. Nowhere is paranormal hotter than in print! From YA to erotica to mystery, fictional characters everywhere are dealing with vampires, werewolves, aliens, immortals, shapeshifters, and more, either in battle or in the bedroom (and sometimes both!).

In fact it seems like you can’t walk through a bookstore or read a bestseller list lately without coming across paranormal books by Gena Showalter, Susan Grant, Susan Krinard, Brenda Joyce, J.R. Ward, Stephenie Meyer, Sherrilyn Kenyon – the list goes on and on.

Which is why we started this blog: as a place for authors, editors, readers, and fans of paranormal and specifically those who like their paranormal with a heaping side of romance and perhaps a dash of otherworldly sex.

In the coming weeks and months we’ll be posting links to authors and to other paranormal sites and blogs, and hopefully sparking discussions on all kinds of topics related to the genre.

For now though, we’ll leave you with this: why is paranormal so popular right now? What is it about Western culture that makes us so eager to embrace the idea that there are beings out there that exist on the fringes of “normal”?

Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!