Chit Chat and All That! with Casey Johnson and Eden Connor talk about the Paranormal

Well it is that time once again for Chit Chat and All That!

This week while we recover from an overdose of chocolate goodies, Casey Johnson and Eden Connor are talking about Paranormal creatures in writing and is the Paranormal genre on its way out.

So grab your drink of choice, make yourself comfortable and read on.

Don't forget to keep the lights on in case you become scared *wink*

What kind of paranormal creatures do you like to see written about and or write about? Paranormal, is it on the way out?

A lush cave, lit by dozens and dozens of candles of all shapes, sizes and colours. Plush, hand woven carpets cover the floor. Rich tapestries cover the walls and separate sections into rooms. Casey welcomes Eden into her den, leading her to the plump chaise, while Casey stretches luxuriously on the carpet. The soundtrack for Queen Of The Damned plays quietly in the background. A bottle of red wine sits on a dark wood table with two large glasses, waiting to be poured.

Casey: Can’t beat lying on a soft carpet, when you’re in a smooth, silk dress. *Heaves a contented sigh* So, I’d say this is a fine setting to discuss the paranormal, wouldn’t you say, honey? I personally love all things paranormal. It speaks to me, no matter what types of creatures are in the story, though I do have a soft spot for vampires, witches, werewolves and deities, such as the Greek and Norse Gods. The powers they posses are wonderful to dream about.  And I love the bad guy as much as the good guy, but there’s something about a vampire with a heart, or soul, like Angel from the television series, or a werewolf with a conscience, like Derek from my series Wolf Smitten. They are heroes, with a hint of the wild, untamed beast in them. *Sighs again dreamily*

Eden: *looks around, fanning* These candles are giving me a hot flash, Casey-Lyne

Eden:  <grin> Lovely cave you have here. I’ll admit to reading my fair share of paranormal erotic romances. One of my favorites is the Demonica Series by Larissa Ione. I can’t quite bring myself to write one, however. In some ways, it seems to me it’s almost ‘cheating’. What I mean by that is, the writer gets to skip the complications of human attraction in at least one character. Paranormal creatures are by and large portrayed as ‘fated’ to love a certain character. Not always, but often enough. I’m not saying I won’t ever write one, just that, well, my degree is in Psychology --of the human variety.

Casey: With a name like Demonica, that sounds like a series I would love!  *Mark names on desktop post-it-it-note* I have always loved the paranormal, and now that I can appreciate a good erotic story, that just adds to the spice, for me. I do get what you mean, though it does take away certain human elements, and can make it easy, maybe a little too easy. I guess that’s another reason why I prefer those creatures that are still partly human like vampires and werewolves. It’s easy enough to still keep human emotions and complications. My Derek still has family and ex lovers to make his life interesting, but I’ll admit that his attraction to Krissy was very much “fated”, as you put it. But I put that down to my romance-aholic side of me. *giggles* After all, it’s instant attraction in my non-paranormal romance, as well. I can’t help it, I love to love!

Eden: I think any fiction is an escape, but paranormal fiction lets a reader pursue the most fanciful ‘of what if’s’. I think at the heart of the attraction, is the  desire every woman has to be found irresistibly attractive to a man. That ‘nature-decreed’ mating , as Lora Leigh has penned so beautifully in her Breeds series, is compelling. She explores the conflicts between the humans who feel they have no choice in the mating matter, and the DNA-recombinant part feline/part human Breeds., who may actually die if their mate is taken from them.

I adore the series, I have every one. We both know it’s the conflicts in romantic fiction which keep a reader spellbound. as well as those Alpha males, whether they are furry or just  infuriatingly human.

Casey: *Laughs* Oh indeed. The Alpha males sure know how to get our attention. Though the leading ladies are very lovely as well. It is wonderful to imagine ourselves as these beautiful, strong women who capture the attention of the hunky Alphas, and yet still be rescued by them without losing that strength and dignity. *Stares off into space, dreamy expression* I’m sorry, I tend to get very distracted by such tantalising thoughts. *Wink* I can talk for hours about anything paranormal, just ask my SO *giggles*

Eden: I think the paranormal Alpha male is the distilled essence of the human variety. He’ll be true his nature, and that means he acknowledges his biological and social need for a female, while many human males all too often deny that part of their natures. The paranormal male is out to mate for life. The human male is out to hook up for tonight. When Human Male meets a female he can’t walk away from, that’s the stuff of contemporary erotic romance.

Casey: I think you’re right about those differences. It seems the vast majority of human men aren’t looking for the life mate, but the night-time-fling. Instant gratification. I think the para male needs it more, or at least is willing to accept that he needs it to belong in the world. In my experience of para reading, the males usually have had a rough life that made them feel unworthy, and they need that someone to make them feel that they have a purpose. They have the physical strength, usually, to take care of themselves in the “wild” world, but their hearts are fragile, in a way.  My favourite leading paranormal male has to be Daemon Sadi from Anne Bishop’s Black Jewels series. He’s a cold hearted man in the search for the woman he was born to love. She gives him purpose, someone to love and protect, and the series follows him finding his purpose, and their love. I love series for that reason. You get to know the characters more.

Eden: I’m a dedicated follower of a few series of paranormal, but--I think my problem with it is that I feel those two series are  going to be hard to top. (Demonica and Breeds) In the post-Twilight era, it would scare the crap outta me to have to write a vampire novel, because that is the standard against which your work would be judged. Truth is, I do have 75% of a novel that might qualify as paranormal. (I’m no expert) I kinda made up some human-looking creatures with magical abilities. Just haven’t finished it. World-building is time-consuming. But I do feel if magic exists in the world, there must be a downside to balance the use of it. Not many paranormal series touch on this concept--most allow the unfettered use of magic  where the only fear is discovery--, but I tend to like the stories which raise the stakes and set a price for the paranormal characters to pay for being paranormal or for using their magic. To me, that would side-step my ‘easy’ objection, and allow for greater conflict.

Casey: That’s something for paranormal writers to consider, and certainly something I might have to explore, myself.

So that was a little bit of a detour. *Giggles* I think we can agree that, although the market is flooded with paranormal right now, that with the amount of variety and roles to  explore, it’s hardly on the way out. If anything, I think it will keep on growing for a while yet!

Eden: I think paranormal is here to stay. The sub-genre allows for great imagination. Since you and I began this chat, I got involved in a Goodreads group that hosts an annual photo/word prompt competition, and ended up with a prompt to write from that is definitely going to have a paranormal bent. It will be a departure for me, but stretching your wings as a writer is half  the fun.

Casey: I couldn’t agree more. I was a bit hesitant about exploring the erotica genre, but now I’m loving it. Broadening our circles can only help us grow more. And now this prompt is inspiring paranormal... Welcome to the dark side. We have cookies *giggles*

Eden: Ah, yes. That’s the same thing a group of stellar hard erotica writers told me recently; come taste the cookies!  Meeting other writers and hearing why they write what they write is beneficial, I think. It can make you question why you are pulled to write your own stuff, and putting some thought into that is never a bad idea. I have bulletin boards filled with story ideas I never expected to write; some hard erotica, some contemporary erotic romance, which I lean toward, and now I have to throw in a dash of paranormal as well. I do expect to write some hard erotica for Naughty Nights Hot Shots series. I like to take the concept for my stories from news articles, and there has been a lot going on in the world lately that has made good food for thought.

Casey: It always adds a nice splash of a different tone in to the mix, I think. My stories are the other way around, mostly paranormal with splashes of romance and erotica thrown in. A lot of fiction writers dabble in the paranormal, though not all of course. But it is definitely a genre that will always have a large audience, and a large amount of authors to answer the call.

Kim Faulks and Eden Connor share their Chit Chat and All That!

Welcome once again to our weekly Chit Chat and All That! Today we have for your reading pleasure the erotically edible Eden Conner and the kinky Aussie, Kim Faulks. 

Eden and Kim are going to be discussing the characters in their books and what gave them inspiration to put these characters to paper.

So grab your drink of choice, pull up a seat and get comfortable, while you read Chit Chat and All That!

Eden: So, Kim, I hear you like furry men, really furry men. What's up with that?

Kim: Well, we tried waxing and to be honest, Grimm wouldn't stop howling when the first strip came off - guess they aren't as tough as I thought. Veet was costing me freakin' fortune... so hairy it is.

Eden: These guys sound very hairy. I prefer a man’s hair be on his chest, arms, legs and the tender triangle only; head hair optional. I do like a sexy bald guy from time to time. Tanner, the guy I'm writing now, is a Marine, and he keeps his buzzed. His years of Physical Training for the military has him hard as a rock, too.
Why is Grimm so furry, Kim?

Kim: Well , Tanner sounds real nice. It would be a nice change not to pick the hair out of the drain after Grimm showers each day. Well, Grimm is a Lycan, the last of his kind and a big pain in my arse. Don't even get me started. What was that Eden, you want to know? Mind if lay back on the couch, this may take a while.

Eden: Make yourself comfortable. Even if it’s not my house. 

Kim: He doesn't help around the house, except for emptying the fridge on a daily basis, poor Harmony (she's the Vampire) all she seems to do is go shopping and try to calm the rest of The Family down after Grimm stirs the shit and sits back to watch the fireworks. If he wasn't such a good goddamn fighter, I'd have kicked his sorry arse out by now. 

Gee, thanks for letting me rant - that feels much better.

Eden: Tanner's the epitome of the emotionally-unavailable male, but he might have met his match in Tori, the Navy psychologist who blows his undercover mission to smithereens. Tell me, does Harmony ever pull Grimm's tail?

Kim: Well, it definitely sounds as though Tanner has his work cut out for him. Nothing like a strong female character that calls the shots.

Harmony is what you would call the peacemaker. She's from one of the high society families and given her upbringing she tends to put everyone else's feelings and wellbeing before her own. Poor thing, hasn't she learned by now that you don't get between a 6'7 140kg Lycan and a 5'3 50kg Goddess called Kali? It's gonna be messy... (clean up in aisle 5. I REPEAT - CLEAN UP IN AISLE 5!)

Eden: I do tend to write strong female characters; women who can handle their own lives, and still put a big, strong man on his knees. I write contemporary erotic romance, probably because I'm a people-watcher and a psych major. I also have two grown children, one male and one female, and I have had the pleasure and pain of watching their real-life romances as they unfold.

What drew you to writing paranormal romance, Kim?

Kim: Your world sounds beautiful and contented Eden and we share the same path as mothers. I have two teenagers; one boy, one girl and I am very fortunate to have them in my life.

I have always been drawn to the darker aspects of the psyche and Paranormal was such an easy genre for me to slip into. I am more of a darker, edgier writer who loves a combination of romance/thriller and horror. You could say I'm a Bram Stoker girl through and through.

Eden: I took up writing erotic romance after my kids both left home. I read paranormal. I can't wait to read Grimm's tale. My muse seems to be drawn to strong female characters. She wants us to tell stories that could happen to any woman tomorrow, I suppose. I've been widowed for a decade now, but I was madly in love with my husband, and that love got us through some tough, tough times as he was a quadriplegic for the last three years of his life. I learned then that tough times don't last, but tough people do. My female characters are usually going through a hard time as we meet them, and I can only hope that my readers can identify with their struggles, both in their lives and in their bedrooms.

Kim: Ah, for me too; you see Grimm is only a secondary character in my story. The real heroes are Eve and Adley. Eve is a heavily young pregnant woman, on the run from a vicious killer that wants her and her baby dead. Adley Scott is a broken down detective that is on the trail for the same killer - the child murderer Edric Hasting. The story is about the resolve that a mother has, overcoming it all to protect those she loves, for there is a prophecy that neither is aware and it will force them into a world that neither understood existed. Until now.

Like your life, Eve's story is one of sacrifice and hard times, but it is those moments of pure joy that will keep her going, doing whatever it takes for those she loves.

Eden: I’ve been hooked on strong female characters that overcome obstacles since I first met Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. I was eleven when I borrowed that book from the library. For days on end I read, even with a flashlight under the covers after my mom sent me to bed. I got to the last page, and someone had torn it out! I threw such a fit, my mom drove me back to the library so I could find another copy and read the last page.

I live in the southern United States, in South Carolina. Most of my stories are set in this area, although I did have a short story in NNP Christmas anthology which was set in New York City.  Where are you from, Kim?

Kim: Well Eden, I'm from a coastal town in Queensland, Australia. I must say we seem to share the same fondness for a strong female lead. There's just something about the underdog that makes you want to stand with them in their corner and fight their battles with them. That's why I tend to hurt my female characters, make them flawed in some way, but strong and able to come out swinging, you know what I mean?

Eden: I do indeed. That’s the magical thing about our profession. You can take me into a werewolf’s heart and mind, and I can teach you the proper use of the word y’all, and that you can say anything you like about a person, so long as you follow it up with ‘bless her heart’, at least here in the south.

Eden: I enjoyed our chat, Kim.  It was fun getting to know you better.

Kim: Thank you Eden, and you too. I've enjoyed our chitchat together; it has been a cozy little trip.

Unedited excerpt by Kim Faulks:

The restaurant was to be their last stop for the day and Natalie was glad for it to end, the endless staring from Mr. Ash was getting on her nerves, his body, his eyes entered her thoughts even though she tried her best to block them out. They passed through the doors and packed tables filled with diners that signaled to her that it was dinner and she hadn't eaten all day, when a man stepped out from the hall dressed in a black t-shirt and jeans. He lifted his hand and pointed behind her. Her gaze was drawn instantly to the reflection of the lights as they bounced off the stainless steel of the gun that at this moment was pointed directly at her client.
She was too close to draw her own gun and the split second decision backed up with years of hard training told her the only thing she could do was rush to him.
She crouched low so that she could whip her arms up and flew towards him. He didn't notice her at first, dismissing her dress jeans, heels and buttoned jacket. Just another customer in a busy restaurant, well he was wrong.
Her hand wound around his wrist and she squeezed, while her other arm pushed on his upper arm where it joined at his shoulder. She whipped him around with the natural movement of her waist and pushed him down to the floor so his face ate the ground with a thud. His hand with the gun was extended upwards, sticking out like a broken wing. She squeezed tightly, grinding the bones of his wrist until she heard the unmistakable crunch of fracturing bones. The gun fell from his gasp as the attacker howled into the floor with pain, but he turned on her, opening his mouth to bite into her hand. She stepped to the side, swiftly bringing up her foot and pressed down on his neck.
She could hear the crack of teeth as the enamel gave way to hard concrete floor and brute force, then she let her foot ease. He would think twice about biting her again next time. You never knew who carried what now-days, diseases and infections were everywhere and a woman in her position had to be careful where her body was concerned. Without her health, she had nothing. Blood splattered the ground in front of her as it poured from both his nose and his mouth, the gurgle and his howling of pain was deafening.