Wednesday, February 9, 2011

To Love a Paranormal Hero

Posted by: Nicole North
Something about a paranormal hero is irresistible. Although we all realize the shape-shifters, vampires, werewolves, sexy aliens, angels, demons, genies, mermen, etc. are more fantasy than reality, something about them draws us in. Maybe because they are fantasy, we're willing to let go and escape from reality. Our minds do enjoy flights of fancy. We don’t have to be children to believe in magic, extraordinary creatures and happy endings.

I have the most fun creating interesting and unusual paranormal entities… and these are usually heroes. Scottish heroes. Scotland has a long history of superstitious beliefs, fairy tales, myths and legends. To many Scots, fairies, selkies, kelpies and mermaids were real. The first step in making something real is to believe in it 100%. No doubts allowed. And to make your reader believe in your hero (or any character) with supernatural abilities, give specific details about him. Show how and why he’s able to do what he does.

In my upcoming March 21 Carina Press release, Laird of Darkness, the hero, Duncan, is half-Fae. His father was human and his mother a Fae or fairy. He inherited some of his mother’s magical Fae abilities. These vary among half-Fae people because of the unpredictability of genetics. Duncan happens to be able to disappear except for a red spot and then fly through the air. No, he isn’t tiny, nor does he have gossamer wings. His normal sized, very manly body simply becomes invisible whenever he wants, his clothing drops to the ground, and he flies through the air like a spirit. He also has enhanced strength while he’s invisible. He can knock men from their horses and send their weapons hurtling through the air. He can pick up a person and carry them through the air, like he does the heroine. He also possesses enhanced Fae senses, which means he sees, hears, smells, etc. better than a normal human.

You might think these abilities make his life easier, but actually his Fae blood causes him a lot of agony. Because he is half-Fae, he is forever linked to Otherworld where the Fae live. And because the entities of Otherworld wanted his Fae mother and her children returned, Otherworld demon creatures were sent after him. They attack him at night in his sleep.

The heroine, a human with extraordinary healing abilities, sees beneath his dark surface to the tormented man beneath--a man who has always been denied love and acceptance. He isn’t the evil villain his reputation paints him to be; he’s simply misunderstood.

Do you love paranormal heroes? If so, what types and why do you love them so much? What is it about them that captures your heart?

Laird of Darkness: Half-Fae Laird Duncan MacDougall is cursed. His nights are haunted by Otherworld creatures sent to kill him. The only way to stop them is to possess the magic bow currently in the hands of his enemy half-brother, Kinnon MacClaren. In desperation, Duncan plans to take MacClaren's bride-to-be hostage and exchange her for the bow.

Lady Alana Forbes has never met her intended, but she hopes he is handsome-and a good lover, for Alana is no innocent virgin. On her way to Castle Claren, Alana and her escorts are intercepted, and she is kidnapped by a man with extraordinary abilities-and every attribute she longs for in a mate.

Duncan didn't expect the woman he thought of as a mere pawn would be so beautiful, and so arousing. Alana is drawn to him as well-but Duncan still needs the bow, and Alana is betrothed to another. How far will Alana go to save the life of the man she's come to love?

Thanks!
Nicole
www.nicolenorth.com

17 comments:

  1. Ooh tortured heroes! I love those the best! Although tortured heroes with a nice Highlands burr....

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  2. :) Thanks, Julia! Yes, I'm a sucker for tortured heroes, too. And the accent only adds to that appeal.

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  3. Great interview! I am a total sucker for tortured paranormal heroes. Can't wait to read this.

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  4. Great post, Nicole. I so agree that making the paranormal normal is half the fun. When I was growing up, I enjoyed I Dream of Genie, and Bewitched and to me, they were real. Even if they hid their talents from others. I wanted everyone to know how special they were so they wouldn't have to hide that side of them.

    I love your heroes and how sexy and needy they are, even if they don't know it! :)

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  5. LOL Thanks so much, Terry!! They are needy, aren't they? But they would throttle us if they knew we said that. LOL I love creating a strong hero with a vulnerability that he hides from the world. The heroine sees this vulnerability and loves him all the more for it.

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  6. Wow. Can't stop staring at the cover. I love paranormal heroes who aren't obviously different on the surface, who could live next door and you wouldn't know it. I like when their strangeness causes them a lil' bit of angst because they're different and then I like it when they finally find that person who can completely accept and love them.

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  7. I don't have a favorite kind of paranormal hero. I've enjoyed demons, angels, Fae, weres, vamps... The list goes on and on. Like Eleri said, it's the idea that this super-human being could live right next door and you'd never know that's so appealing. Though to be totally fair...none of my neighbors looks anything like your cover model :P

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  8. Eleri, indeed, the Carina Press art department did an awesome job on my cover! Those are my favorite kind of paranormal heroes, too. Oh, I love the angsty type. :)

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  9. Seleste, it would be so very cool to live next door to a hot, sexy paranormal dude. LOL Not sure my husband would like it though. :)

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  10. I love paranormal heroes, and I agree that you can add some extra torture to their situations just because of their paranormal existence. Magic gives everything an additional edge. As for favourites...I really can't pick, but I do know I love the fairytale "Beauty and the Beast", the powerful hero who needs rescuing.

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  11. I LOVE Beauty and the Beast, too. In my books, I love to explore that whole quandary of a man needing a woman. At least, quandary in his opinion because some men never want to need anyone. :)

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  12. Love your cover, Nicole! I love JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series heroes. All of them. I think paranormal heroes can get away with being just a little more alpha than a typical contemporary hero and I can accept it because they are "other" while still maintaining some self-delusion of feminist dignity, lol!

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  13. Oh, what a cover! And paranormal, tortured heroes are SO THE BEST! :)

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  14. Hi Christine, thanks!! Yes, I love how a lot of paranormal heroes are very alpha!

    Thanks, J.K!! Absolutely! I'm craving reading about a paranormal tortured hero right now. :)

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  15. I've just started reading paranormal Highlander stories and I must say-they are completely addicting! Your story sounds great. Congrats! I'm not sure I could make a paranormal hero convincing but I do hope to try to play around with it someday. Thanks for the post!

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  16. Hi MJ, Thanks! I know what you mean! I love paranormal Highlander stories too. Well, I admit I also write them, but I started out reading them and that's where the addiction came from. :)

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