One of the great things about being an indie author is being able to write a book in a niche romance. Either by creating a new "spliced" genre, or by adding to one that few know exist, thus drawing fresh eyes to it.I write horror as Gail Smith, but there have been occasions when I've taken the romance genre I normally dabble in and placed it in the horror realm. Or rather, I've taken a story of horror and added romantic elements to it. Case in point, BLOOD TENDERLY, which features a demon determined to remove a human female from his domain.
Horror with romance is really not so new. Movies have done it for years. For instance, Bram Stoker's Dracula, starring Gary Oldman, is, at its core, a love story. A story about love lost, and the chance to regain it. But it's considered a horror movie first and foremost. Not a romance movie that contains horror. (I also consider An American Werewolf in London another horror romance.)
Same goes for my book SILENT NIGHT, FINAL NIGHT, which deals with a family fighting for survival in an post-apocalyptic world. It's also a Christmas story. (Talk about sub-genres!) Again, it's a horror story first, but the familial love shared by the husband, wife, and their child is the driving force that helps them survive.
And, yes, believe it or not, both have a Happily Ever After...of sorts.
True, you can find plenty of stories in the romance genre that have horrific elements, especially if they deal with werewolves, vampires, and the like. But I'm always on the lookout for a gut-wrencher that also tears out my heart -- in a good way.
If you know of a story or film that's horror first, and romance second, share it with me!
