More books are sold in the romance category than in any other fiction category. Within the romantic genre, paranormal romance is the most popular subgenre. While regular romances feature romantic heroes who are larger than life men and are everything a woman could wish for, paranormal romances feature romantic heroes who often have fangs and claws. Vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and men who look nothing like the men around us are the dream types that heroines swoon over, and with whom the reader falls in love. So what’s up?
As children, we were raised on fairy tales. Cinderella meets Prince Charming, who attacks her and they marry and live happily ever after. Snow White flees from the evil stepmother, takes care of seven draws, bites a poisoned apple while awakened by the kiss of the prince charming who marries her and they live happily ever after. Sleeping Beauty sleeps in an enchanted castle guarded by the evil witch until Prince Charming rescues her, marries her and lives happily. That’s what girls are raised to believe. Then they grow up and reality hits. Hard.
The girl grows up and becomes a beautiful young woman. She meets good young men who woo her, enchant her, and break her heart. Disappointment sets in.
Maybe she goes far enough in a relationship to end up in marriage. The prince charming who won her heart turns out to be a bully, or even a wife beater. They settle down at home together and she ends up as his slave. Serving him and his friends beer and sandwiches while they spoil the house. She cooks and cleans for a husband who yells at her. Domestic abuse Wife hitting. Verbal abuse. All of this is swept under the rug as she displays a brave facade for the world to see.
Then there are cases where Prince Charming sets out to charm other women. Instead of a faithful husband, she ends up with an unfaithful womanizer who leaves her stranded, who strips her self-esteem while searching for a younger, more beautiful woman.
Barna Research Group conducted a survey in 1999. It appears that in the US, 25% of adults would experience a divorce in their lifetime. That excludes those who cling to loveless marriages.
Is it any wonder why so many women become disillusioned with the classic fairytale romance? Imagination is a form of escape. Books offer an escape from the current malaise of life. For some women, classic romances are hard to swallow. Not after everything they’ve been through. What they have seen of the men around them. In paranormal romances, these men are not like normal men. Many are of completely different species. That could be the appeal of paranormal romances. They are far enough away from normal men to make the end of happily ever after plausible. These heroes often yearn for their only soul mate, abandoning everyone else forever. They pair up and fall in love for life. Something that is so rare in the real world.
Another appeal of paranormal romance that gives it a broader appeal than classic romances is the element of fantasy it contains. Why is Harry Potter so popular? How about The Lord of the Rings? Or even Narnia? It is the element of fantasy that draws the reader into a new world. Through this element, paranormal romance books gain a fan base beyond the regular romance novel. A new series that can be considered paranormal romance is the SFX fantasy series. The first book, Warrior Girl [http://www.sfxfantasy.com/Warrior-Girl.htm]. This begins with a chase scene in which the protagonist, Sarah, flees from one supernatural horror to another. Along the way, he meets Jake, a warlord with many amazing powers. A sweet romance develops. This is one of the stories that attracts both romantic readers and fantastic readers.
