Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The first time I fell in love with a paranormal romance

Hi, I'm Teirney, and I'm so happy to be here with you filling in for Rebecca. Sorry I'm a little late in getting this up, but my infant and I take sleep where we can get it. Today we slept until nine thirty. So, now that I'm here, I debated about what to write about. I thought maybe a post on secondary characters might be fun, but as I woke up this morning to a beautiful day in Georgia, I realized I wanted to know when was the first time you fell in love with paranomal romance.

I know I fell in love with a paranormal romance story at the age of five or so. Yes, five. I wasn't allowed to read what is paranormal romance today, and probably wouldn't understand the concept at that age anyhow, but as a five year old, I did get to see my first paranormal love story.

Yes, I said saw my first paranormal romance and it came from the most unlikely of sources. Disney. I'm talking about Beauty and the Beast. In it's basic elements, Belle and the Beast are hero and heroine of their very own paranormal romance. In what other genre could you have talking objects, a witch, a beast and spells? As I think about it today, I still love Beauty and the Beast. It's probably still my all time favorite paranormal romance love story. I'm sure when Disney set out to make the movie, they never thought about it the way I did, but to me, this is the perfect category for such a movie.

Anyhow, as I grew, my love for paranormal romance grew and expanded. I picked up my first Christine Feehan novel at the tender age of 17, and am still reading her and a variety of other paranormal romance stories, including the wonderful ladies of this blog. But I'll never forget the awe and wonder of seeing that movie for the first time. The heroine conquers the spell and reveals the true prince beneath the beast. And how? Love. That's all it takes to create a good story, whether or not paranormal elements are present. But for Disney and me, the talking candle stick and clock just made the movie all the better.

So, how about it? When did you fall in love with a paranormal romance story and what was it?

Thanks for letting me share! It was wonderful to be here.

9 comments:

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Welcome...!

I first fell in love with the paranormal world.. when.. Twilight came out. Yea, I know how many people say that. But that is the truth. Actually it brought me back to reading. My reading took a break to raise my daughter and just to maintain a family life. It was on hold for a few few years, so when Twilight came out, my daughter actually got me interested, I read it and wanted more. And here I am today - devouring everything that I can get my hands on and loving every minute of it! Paper cuts (cuz I am trying to turn the pages so fast) to the late nights staying up trying to finish the book!

Hope you have a great day!

Sandra Sookoo said...

Probably for me it was around 10. My reading material ranged from Anne of Green Gables books to the fantasy stories of Terry Brooks and Tolkien. Elves, fairies, wizards. Good stuff.

It wasn't until I was in my late 20's that I read a "real" paranormal romance. This was by Katie MacAlister and introduced me to the world of vampires. To date, I only read the light, humorous paranormal stuff and nothing in the YA category :-)

I love to write it though--however, recently I've become tired with it and will move onto new projects to save my sanity lol

But you're right, my all time favorite love story is Beauty and the Beast. Hands down. Of course, I'll revert back to Disney for alot of things in life...

Teirney Medeiros said...

Cecile, I think Twilight opened a lot of minds to the paranomral romance genre. I'd been reading the Blackdagger Brotherhood series when I ran out and ended up picking that particular book series up. I do love it, but I also just love paranomal romance in general. I LOVE reading anything with a paranomal element to it. It really makes my day go lovely.

Sandi, I remember reading Goosebumps at the age of ten or so. I don't know if R.L. Stine counts as paranormal romance though, :) However, I did find a book I really liked on vacation my mother in law had called Undead and Unemployed. I can't remember the author now, but it was hilarious and I want to pick up the other two! LOL. Disney will always be my number one movie though. Never was a better story written for screen than Beauty and the Beast. I wish I had it on DVD. (sigh)

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

It really did. I think it bridged a gap too. It brought the ya back to reading. Like my daughter's friends... none of them take to reading much. And her bff was no exception.. but when Twilight came out... she took to reading and has not looked back. Which to me, makes my heart smile! Readign just takes you to another world, and you are right ->>"...I also just love paranomal romance in general. I LOVE reading anything with a paranomal element to it." You especially go to another world with reading paranormal elements...

Annie Nicholas said...

Welcome Tierney and great post!

My first experience was Dracula the movie. I was about eight years old and felt sorry for him. He'd waited all those centuries to find his love again only to get killed. When I finally found some paranormal romances to read much later in life. I was happy to see the HEA and HFN. I HATE sad endings. :)

Rebecca Royce said...

Hey Teirney,

Great blog post today and thanks for filling in for me. You are so right about Beauty and the Beast. I'd never thought about it, but it really, really is. For me, it was this series I read as a kid--The Secret Circle by L.J. Smith. They were these really teen, dramatic books about this coven of teenage witches in New Salem, Mass.

As an adult, the paranormals that Nora Roberts wrote and then Christine Feehan addicted me.

Thanks again!!

Heather B. said...

Great Blog post. I love Beauty and the Beast and the Little Mermaid (it also has the same type of elements if you think about it, magic and mermaids).

My daughter watched Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast over and over (she's 22 now).

I've read all my life but my cousin got me reading Anne Rice, from there I read Laurell K. Hamilton and it just went on and on. I love anything Lora Leigh writes and I am so anxiously awaiting John Matthew's book (BDB), I can't wait. No Twlight for me. Can't take the teenage anxist.

The series you are talking about is by Mary Janice Davidson and there are I think 8 books out and the 9th one comes out soon.
Undead and Unwed
Undead and Unemployed
Undead and Unreturnable
Undead and Unpopular
Undead and Uneasy
Undead and Unworthy
Undead and Unwelcome
Undead and Unfinished (7/6/10)

Her Fred the Mermaid series is cute too and there are only 3 books in that series.

J Hali Steele said...

Hi Teirney, great post. For me it was reading Dracula, the best love story every. *Sigh* just wish they could have been together forever! Maybe that's why I need the HEA in every book I read now.

Unknown said...

I fell in love when I read the 3rd book of vampire academy because it was so sad how dimitri died that I wanted to read a paranormal romance that didnt have a tragic ending like that one did. No offense but twilight was kinda boring not alot of action going on and the sex scene they had was wack