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COMMENTARY: Why We Read Paranormal Romance Stories

werewolf - pixabay

My name is Kinsey. I write paranormal romance—specifically, werewolves.

Paranormal romance (PR) is a subgenre of romance encompassing any stories with fantasy or science fiction elements. The two arguably oldest sub-sub-genres of PR are also the two non-romance readers are most familiar with, thanks to “Twilight”: Vampires and werewolves.

When I tell women that I write romance, they ask “What kind?” and I answer, “Werewolves,” they’ll respond with A) a quizzical look; B) a tight, embarrassed-for-me kind of smile followed quickly by a change of subject; or C) an enthusiastic declaration for Team Edward or Team Jacob. (When I tell men I write romance they always, and only, make lame jokes about research.)

But paranormal romance includes way more than just fangs and fur. Shapeshifters of all kinds, angels and demons and incubi and succubi, witches, fairies, elves, orcs, aliens from outer space (or just humans living in outer space)—you name it, someone’s written a romance novel about it. Some of these books are dark and angsty, while others are light and fluffy and fun. I just got a tweet today from someone with a new lesbian science-fiction space western series. In the past couple of years, zombie romances have become a thing. But not a thing I care to think about too much, so, moving on…

By Kinsey Holley – Full Story at The Federalist

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