Paranormal romance is one of the fastest growing genres in romance fiction. It has it’s roots in Gothic fiction and uses elements from traditional genres such as science-fiction, horror and fantasy together with romance to create a very creative and complex genre that makes for explosive reading material. You never know exactly what is going to happen next because it breaks away from all the traditional restrictions of a romance book.

Paranormal Romance blends reality with fantasy or science fiction elements. It can be set in a normal urban environment with magical beings living amongst humans without them realizing it or it can be set on another world entirely. Time travel between future and past or between worlds can also be an element used in paranormal romances. Some of the more popular characters used in paranormal romance are vampires, werewolves, witches, faeries, ghosts and magical wielding beings.

Paranormal Romance books are still primarily a story of love about the developing relationship between two people but there is the chance to put a spin on the traditional views of a romance book where the hero of the story is a big brawny male with the ripped open shirt who rescues the weaker female with the heaving bosom and they live happily ever after. Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you, but paranormal romance is allowing authors to create stronger female characters in their books. Rather than females being the weaker, helpless sex in the romance, authors are creating females that can kick demons buts, vanquish vampires and even rescue the male. Creating female characters that today’s readers can relate to.

Paranormal Romance books have become popular because of their mix of fast moving, complex and interesting plot lines and stronger, more modern characters. Add in some cheeky dialogue and it creates a book that allows the reader to take a ride into the unknown where anything can happen and it usually does.