Unusual paranormal characters in romance ~guest post by Juli D. Revezzo

Today at the Speculative Salon, we're pleased to bring readers an interesting guest article by fantasy author Juli D. Revezzo about strange paranormal creatures that often inhabit spec fiction. Be sure to check out her new PNR release, Passion's Sacred Dance, currently free on Amazon until the end of Saturday.

Unusual paranormal characters in Romance

by Juli D. Revezzo

Modern paranormal romance caters to women who want to dream a little more than the average reader. They crave the weird and just looking at the romance pages in Amazon or at the shelves in a bookstore, you’ll see publishers are catering to that wishlist.

These days the main star of the genre, though, seems to have gelled down to two factions: Vampires and werewolves. As a reader of the genre, and as a lover of mythology, I’ve often wondered why that is. After all, the world’s mythologies offer so many different types of monsters (yes, I said the M word) to choose from.

For instance, in Medieval mythology you’ll find Spring-heeled Jack.

In Scottish mythology you’ll find the pooka and the selkie.

In Greek and Roman mythology you have the shade (which is akin to the ghost), sirens, and the harpies, not to mention gods, dryads, and fauns—the list is endless right in that one mythology. And can’t you just see the *ahem* Erotic antics to be had with a faun?!

(C.S. Lewis missed a great opportunity to write a romance *eg*)

For me I chose focus on the Celts of ancient Ireland and Gaul who battled the Romans in order to preserve their homeland. (Alas, we won’t have time to cover here how that worked out) Warriors, druids, sorcerers, maidens with mystic powers and secrets. Though the mythological records can seem spotty, they carry within them the very seed of romance itself.

(and, wow! Imagine being taken away by an elf king… and a faun? Wait, I think I have a new idea for a book.) 

So, tell me, what unusual character might you want to read (or write) a love story about?

 *~*~*

If you’d like to see what I made of my take on the Celtic mythological beings, my new paranormal romance, PASSION’S SACRED DANCE:

Battling mounting debt, Stacy Macken is determined not to lose her historic art gallery. When Aaron Fielding appears and offers to help, she fights to keep the attraction sizzling between them from clouding her judgment. He may be her savior in disguise--but can she trust him?

Aaron intrigues her with tales of the Tuatha dé Danann, sworn warriors who protect humanity from the monsters seeking their destruction. If Aaron can prove what he claims, she would give up anything to help--even the gallery he claims is sacred ground. But with her property set to stage the next epic battle, she needs answers. An old family diary will confirm the ancient legend is true, if only they can find it in time.

If the battle is lost, the enemy will take control of Earth for the next five hundred years. Stacy and Aaron's budding love might only complicate things.

If you’d like to read more, Passion’s Sacred Dance is free for Kindle from Amazon this week, and coming soon to other venues. I hope you’ll check it out and enjoy the magic!

About Juli D. Revezzo:

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. Her short fiction has been published in Dark Things II: Cat Crimes, The Scribing Ibis, Eternal Haunted Summer, Twisted Dreams Magazine and Luna Station Quarterly. She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of Independent Authors Network and Magic Appreciation Tour. Passion’s Sacred Dance is her first romance novel.

You can find out more about Juli at her homepage: http://julidrevezzo.com/

Blog: http://julidrevezzo.com/blog

Like her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/JD-Revezzo/233193150037011

Follow her on Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

On Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo

Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002694572/Juli-D-Revezzo/

On Twitter: @julidrevezzo

Review of Natalie J. Damschroder's "Heavy Metal"

Heavy Metal
Goddesses Rising ~ Book Two
Natalie J. Damschroder

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing

ISBN:     978-1622668908
ASIN: B00BFQANU0

Number of pages:    341
Word Count: 98,000

Cover Artist: Liz Pelletier



My review:
I have to say that I was incredibly lucky to do this review as I've found a new favorite author to add to my list and new series for to follow! This novel is a breath of fresh air for Paranormal Romance fans. While the world is similar to our world, Miss Damschroder puts a spin on things with the goddesses that walk among society. The powers that are given to each of the characters are unique and I haven't read anything this fresh in a long time.

The heroine, Riley Kordek, is spunky like a Urban Fantasy heroine, but not as snarky. Her character immediately draws the reader in and instantly has you rooting for her. Her background makes you more sympathetic and makes her even more likable. Then there is the steamy hot hero, Sam Remington, who gets his heart broken years ago, but it doesn't turn him into the sometimes whiny wounded soldier. Each of the cast of characters are very likable and I hope that we will see them again in the future!

As mentioned before, the fresh factor is there as she turns the paranormal world on its ear with her very "real" feeling society. This is a quick and easy read, although it's best not to start the book late at night as it is hard to put down. The writing is spectacular and Miss Damschroder has a real talent with the written word and creating amazing characters.

I loved every page of it - I was drawn in from the first sentence until the last and left feeling very satisfied with the ending. If you are a fan of Paranormal Romance, then this book is definitely for you. And be prepared to add Natalie J. Damschroder's name to your list of must-read authors.

Thanks for reading!

R.J.






Book Description:

The world is not what Riley Kordek imagined. On the run from those who’ve targeted her, all Riley wants is a chance to figure out her new ability to bend metal’s energy. When a hot guy who knows more than he should helps her escape her attackers, she thinks she might’ve found someone who can lead her to the answers she needs.

Three years ago, Sam Remington walked away from his employer and the woman he loved, and now, all he’s looking to do is fill the gaping hole left behind. Except, when Sam takes Riley to the Society for Goddess Education and Defense, the stakes rise beyond what either of them could have imagined.

After being alone for so long, falling for Sam would be far too easy—and far too painful, once his old flame calls needing his help. Worse, Riley uncovers a plot with disastrous ramifications not only for herself, but for Sam and the people he loves—and potentially every goddess in the country.
About the Author:

Natalie J. Damschroder is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance—Love with a Shot of Adrenaline. She sold her first book in 1999, and 2013 will see the publication of her 14th novel. She grew up in Massachusetts and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.)

When she's not writing, revising, proofreading, or promoting her work, she does freelance editing and works part time as a chiropractic assistant. She and her husband have two daughters she's dubbed "the anti-teenagers," one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)

You can learn more about her and her books at:
www.nataliedamschroder.com
http://www.goodreads.com/NatalieJDamschroder
https://twitter.com/NJDamschroder
https://www.facebook.com/NJDamschroder 
http://nataliedamschroder.blogspot.com/ 
Everybody Needs a Little Romance - www.everybodyneedsalittleromance.com    

The magic of the Harvest Moon

Last evening, the eastern hemisphere saw the rise of the full moon of September, commonly known as the Harvest Moon. This is the moon all know by its folk name, but most people expect it to occur in October.

This Full Harvest Moon allows farmers to work in their fields late into the night, bringing in crops. It is also called the Full Corn Moon by Native Americans who set this date to mark when corn should be harvested. Other names include: Barley Moon; Hazel Moon; Wine Moon; Singing Moon; Sturgeon Moon; Haligmonath (Holy Month); Witumanoth (Wood Month); Moon When Deer Paw the Earth.

Around the world, the coming Autumn Equinox will be celebrated by many cultures. The energy flowing from the Autumn Equinox through Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox is getting deeper, more hidden. Spiritually, the Dark Moon deities, representing the Underworld, death, reincarnation, and deep spiritual mysteries, now hold control.

In the ancient Incan Empire, the Citua celebration was held on the date of the New Moon nearest the equinox. Everyone performed a ritual cleansing, then smeared their faces with a paste of ground maize (corn). After, they feasted and danced for several days. This was a festival in honor of Mama Quilla, the Moon goddess.

Correspondences of the September Moon
Nature Spirits: trooping faeries
Herbs: copal, fennel, rye, wheat, valerian, skullcap
Colours: brown, yellow-green, yellow
Flowers: narcissus, lily
Scents: storax, mastic, gardenia, bergamot
Stones: peridot, olivine, chrysolite, citrine
Trees: hazel, larch, bay
Animals: snake, jackal
Birds: ibis, sparrow
Deities: Demeter, Ceres, Isis, Nephthys, Freyja, Ch'ang-O, Thoth
Power Flow: rest after labor; balance of Light and Dark. Organize. Clean and straighten up physical, mental, emotional and spiritual clutter.
 
I hope you were able to take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures and magical beauty of the Harvest Moon.

Art: ahoberer78 and Jayne Barnett
Reference: The Months of the Moon

Spotlight and Giveaway: Demon Chained by Erica Hayes

Demon Chained - The Shadowfae Chronicles

Book Five

By Erica Hayes




A powerful djinni, enslaved to her lamp. An undead thief, bound to a cruel demon's whim. A passion that will outlast death itself... 

A dark, delicious urban fantasy romance from the author of Shadowfae.

Jewel is a djinni of the lamp, an enchanted slave, bound to her owner by dark magical cravings she can't resist. She burns for freedom, and when her lamp is stolen—by Tam, a hot and dirty bad-boy thief—she vows to be rid of her new master at any cost. Even as she plots Tam's demise, the lamp's dark fascination makes her long to claim him as her own.

But the last thing Tam wants is a spellbound djinni who can't say 'no'. Cursed by a demon to suffer living death, he's tormented by undead longing for pain, pleasure, any sensation he can get. To have this exquisite, besotted Jewel at his bidding is pure torture... because Tam refuses to succumb to her magical allure.

Not when he knows she can't truly be attracted to an ever-dying freak. And not when he’s already on a mission from his cruel demon master: capture and deliver one djinni...

Warning: this novel contains a feisty magical heroine, a besotted fairy best friend and the hottest wise-ass dead-guy hero in town.

Genre: paranormal romance, urban fantasy romance
ISBN: 9780992277505
Word Count: 83,000
Cover Artist: Ravven

 Kobo   BN   iTunes   Smashwords  

About the Author:    

Erica Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy and romance writer.

She writes dark paranormal and urban fantasy romance, and her books feature tough, smart heroines and colourful heroes with dark secrets.

She hails from Australia, where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her. Currently, she's terrorizing the wilds of Northumberland.

Website: www.ericahayes.net
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ericahayes

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ericahayes.author

Let's take a peek at the first chapter.

Demon Chained

Chapter One 

The worst thing about being dead? Low blood pressure. Getting a hard-on is just about impossible.

But I've sure as hell got one now. Squeezing a smug murdering asshole's throat between my thighs does it for me every time. I jam my pistol harder into his forehead, banging his blond head into the metal floor, and I can't deny that adds a certain something, too.

Spit leaks in my mouth, thick and tasty, and I savor it. He can't move his arms, and his cool sweat soaks into my jeans. Bitch of a chafe there tonight. I remember to breathe, and the warm nightclub air tastes good, gritty with smoke and fear. "Tell me what you did wrong, bug guts."

My friend Gavain giggles. He's still lounging in the corner, shirt off, dark hair in tangles, blood-tinged fae sweat glistening on muscles stretched tight like wire. Gavain thinks all kinds of weird shit is funny. That's why he helped me lure this dog to his death. But I don't want to think about Gavain right now. I'm having too much fun.

The gangster grits broken teeth, his hair plastering in splashes of his own blood. "Don't know what you're on about."

Bzzt! Wrong answer. First rule of dealing with a reanimated psycho bent on revenge: tell him what he wants to hear.

I squeeze tighter, lean closer. My oily breath wets his face. "You killed me, motherfucker. You blew my goddamn brains out in front of my little girl. I'm still picking out bone splinters. Ringing any bells?"

Vertebrae pop as I twist my neck to show him the hole, black and sticky with rot beneath my long hair. I was going for a haircut that day, too, before the ambush. If they'd waited half an hour, kids would be running from me in the street. As it is, I can pass for living, just, so long as no one gets too close.

He chokes, either the smell or the pressure, and struggles, bare skin sticking on the metal floor. But he can't shift me. Not with the added weight of anticipation. I've waited a long time for this.

"Jesus, Tam, Joey pulled the goddamn trigger, you know that, I never knew he was gonna—"

"Do I look like I give a shit?" My finger jerks tighter on the trigger, and my teeth clamp together, gums crunching. Joey DiLuca's already top of my face-down-in-a-garbage-skip list. This asshole was just easier to catch. Fury dizzies me, and now my dick's so hard, it hurts. "Blood on my little girl's dress. Bits of my brains in her hair, you shit-eating little worm."

I'm trying to be cool and bad-ass, but my vision smears, black blood staining my tears.

Dying's nothing like they say. I remember everything, and I didn't see white light, or my grandmother strumming a harp, or any shit like that. Everything just stops, like you've pulled the plug on a movie projector. Hell's nothing like people say, either, except for one thing: it's full of snot-faced bureaucrats. Deals with demons take time, and I slammed back into my body too late. My daughter's corpse, flowering scarlet in her dead mother's arms, her murderers long gone. I hadn't spoken to my ex for eighteen months, and I wasn't allowed to see Katie, but it didn't mean she wasn't my sunshine.

My enemies kidnapped her to get to me, and when they had me, they killed her anyway, just for spite. She died because I was too slow. I can't bring her back. But I'll make this slick pretty-boy gangbanger regret ever laying his sleazy hands on her.

His chest heaves under my ass as he struggles to breathe. "Jesus, don't shoot. Crazy motherfucker, get off me—"

"Shut the fuck up." I drag his head back, and my fingers smear his hair. His wet blue eyes lock with mine. He sees his death, and pisses himself. I breathe again, and the warm salt tweaks my sluggish sense of smell. Jesus. The stink feels so good, a shudder rips through me, my balls tight and burning. Sensation plays hard to get when you're dead. If I come when I shoot him, I'm not responsible.

Mouth or jugular? I tap my pistol against his teeth, but he squirms and squeezes his lips shut. I trace the barrel down to his throat, where his pulse flutters, and shove it in tight. "See you in hell."

And that's when she walks in, and everything turns to shit.

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Going Further Outside the Box with Urban Fantasy Characters

I had a great time at the annual Savvy Authors Summer Symposium online writer's conference last month, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to host an urban fantasy brainstorming forum for the event this year. The most popular discussion focused on fantasy creatures in the genre - which new types have excited us, up and coming trends, and which supernatural tropes we're all getting sick of. As usual, opinions were all over the place, but most still believe even the most commonplace creatures can be made fresh with a little author magic.

What I found even more interesting was the expressed desire for characters with new attitudes and characteristics that have nothing to do with what kind of being they may or may not be. It was a welcome reminder that true diversity in any genre goes far beyond the character's surface traits. It goes further than the desire to see more POC and LGBT characters in urban fantasy, though personally I still want more of both. We want heroes and heroines whose unique worldviews and personalities stand out even more than any powerful abilities they have.

Where are the pacifists, the shrinking violets, the socialists? What about someone with a religion that's not some form of Christianity or paganism (and neither seems to inform their decisions when used) - Buddhists, Hindus, etc.? Where are the disabled characters who may be deaf or autistic or physically crippled in some way? It's time to broaden our horizons and reach outside the box of generic tough girls (and guys) who almost all reflect the same mainstream beliefs as their fellow UF counterparts.

I tried to think of a few examples outside the norm off the top of my head, but nothing came to mind. I know there has to be a few out there, so hit the comments if you have some examples to share of any contemporary fantasy characters with distinctive personality traits or belief systems. Or let me know what kinds of new character types you want to read about.

Cheers!
Ella

Spotlight & Giveaway: Heavy Metal by Natalie J. Damschroder

Heavy Metal

Goddesses Rising

Book Two

Natalie J. Damschroder

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
ISBN: 978-1622668908
ASIN: B00BFQANU0
Number of pages: 341
Word Count: 98,000
Cover Artist: Liz Pelletier

Amazon BN Powell’s Books iTunes

Book Description:

The world is not what Riley Kordek imagined. On the run from those who’ve targeted her, all Riley wants is a chance to figure out her new ability to bend metal’s energy. When a hot guy who knows more than he should helps her escape her attackers, she thinks she might’ve found someone who can lead her to the answers she needs.

Three years ago, Sam Remington walked away from his employer and the woman he loved, and now, all he’s looking to do is fill the gaping hole left behind. Except, when Sam takes Riley to the Society for Goddess Education and Defense, the stakes rise beyond what either of them could have imagined.

After being alone for so long, falling for Sam would be far too easy—and far too painful, once his old flame calls needing his help. Worse, Riley uncovers a plot with disastrous ramifications not only for herself, but for Sam and the people he loves—and potentially every goddess in the country.

About the Author:

Natalie J. Damschroder is an award-winning author of contemporary and paranormal romance—Love with a Shot of Adrenaline. She sold her first book in 1999, and 2013 will see the publication of her 14th novel. She grew up in Massachusetts and loves the New England Patriots more than anything. (Except her family. And writing and reading. And popcorn.)

When she's not writing, revising, proofreading, or promoting her work, she does freelance editing and works part time as a chiropractic assistant. She and her husband have two daughters she's dubbed "the anti-teenagers," one of whom is also a novelist. (The other one prefers math. Smart kid. Practical.)

You can learn more about her and her books at:

www.nataliedamschroder.com

http://www.goodreads.com/NatalieJDamschroder

https://twitter.com/NJDamschroder

https://www.facebook.com/NJDamschroder

http://nataliedamschroder.blogspot.com/

Everybody Needs a Little Romance
www.everybodyneedsalittleromance.com a Rafflecopter giveaway

Harry Potter's Diagon Alley Is Now on Google Street View

I admit to being a Potterhead. This has been one of my recent guilty pleasures, enjoying virtual walks down Diagon Alley on Google Maps' Street View.

It lets you explore the set of Diagon Alley from the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London. In Street View mode, you can view 360-degree images of some of your and my favorite shops from J.K. Rowling’s legendary Harry Potter series like Ollivanders Wand Shop, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes joke shop and Mr. Mulpepper’s Apothecary . When the series grew into a successful eight-movie franchise Warner Bros. took more than three months to build the famous wizarding street, and six months to create over 20,000 products to put on the shops’ shelves. The details you can view on this tour are fascinating!

Go on! Take a stroll for yourself! Click to transport.