Paranormal Romanticus Interruptus by Jane Kindred

I’ve been in yet another writing slump this year. Neo, the cat that I’ve mentioned on the blog before—the elderly one with dementia who yowled constantly—died in April. He was the second of the two who had been my constant companions for more than two decades; Urd, my calico girl, left me at age 21 two summers ago. Still having Neo after Urd’s death kind of delayed the mourning process. There was still a cat in the house. Urd’s things were still mostly Neo’s things, so I didn’t get rid of anything. But when Neo was gone, I kind of lost it. My anxiety went into overdrive, and I had such severe panic attacks every night that I was sure I was having a heart attack and almost went to the emergency room several times. It was my GP who put the two together when I had a phone consultation with her—that grief could be the trigger.

I decided I had to get away from my cat-empty apartment and took a trip up the coast from San Francisco to Mendocino, where I could sit and watch the waves pound against the rocks and soak in a hot tub in my room watching Underworld: Awakening and not have to do anything else. It was heavenly. But I still couldn’t stop thinking about how empty my house was without cats. As soon as I came back, I started looking at rescue kittens. And on Memorial Day weekend, I brought home Sophie.

Sophie is the best medicine. She’s a ridiculous brat, and I love her.

At any rate, that’s why I’ve been AWOL from the blog for a few months. The words were just not there. And when I can’t seem to focus on words, I binge TV. Which is how I discovered my new favorite show (that I somehow only just now realized the awesomeness of): Lucifer.

When the show was cancelled on Fox and the outcry of loyal fans got it picked up again by Netflix, I figured it was time to give it a try. This show is a-MAZE-ing. (See what I did there, Lucifer fans?) For the uninitiated, Maze, short for Mazikeen, is one of the characters on the show, a demoness who leaves Hell with Lucifer Morningstar and tends bar at his nightclub in Los Angeles. And also kicks a lot of ass. She’s just one of several unfairly sexy characters in this ensemble cast that includes the marvelously snarky and blithely narcissistic—as well as unapologetically kinky and bisexual—Lucifer Morningstar; Lucifer’s uptight brother, the angel Amenadiel (played by a moody, conflicted D.B. Woodside, just to kill me); Detective Chloe Decker, who takes Lucifer on as a “consulting” sidekick in solving homicides; Chloe’s ex-husband Dan, another homicide detective with secrets; Lucifer’s therapist, Linda, who has a sexy librarian-in-glasses thing going on; and Lucifer’s mom, the Goddess of All Creation, played by none other than Tricia Helfer. And I haven’t even mentioned the adorkably perky forensic scientist Ella Lopez yet or the surprising character arc of Smallville’s Tom Welling that I won’t give away here. And then when Eve shows up after escaping a boring Adam in boring Heaven…

Well, I think you get the picture. This show is chock full of really well-written characters with a lot of unexpected emotional vulnerability—the kind of characters I strive to create in my writing. (I’d be lucky if I could do it half as well.) I understand that Netflix has renewed the show for one more season, but Season 5 will be its last.

Watching and getting caught up in this series made me think of other paranormal TV series that were prematurely cancelled: Dracula, with its titular character played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, was obscenely cancelled (again by Fox) after one amazing season. Sleepy Hollow was cancelled after the disastrous decision by (checks notes)—uh, Fox—to kill off the female lead, played by Nicole Behaire. Tom Mison and his eyebrow were amazing, but Behaire was crucial to that show’s success. I didn’t even bother watching Season 4, and I wasn’t surprised when I heard it wasn’t coming back. Then there was Penny Dreadful on Showtime (hey, not your fault this time, Fox!) that had amazing actors and boasted such fabulous characters as Frankenstein and his monster, Dr. Jekyll, Dorian Grey, and Dracula, among others, but was apparently too expensive to be worth continuing with for the ratings it was getting. It was cancelled at the end of Season 3.

Paranormal television series, of course, aren’t the only ones that suffer this fate, but when they do, it always feels like the networks didn’t quite get their audience—or maybe didn’t respect it. Though sometimes, like with NBC’s Grimm and Fox’s Fringe, the shows just seem to have run their course. Thankfully, in those latter cases, they ended with what I consider to be two of the most satisfying conclusions in paranormal television history. It’s worth mentioning that none of these shows were actually billed as romances (because when was the last time romance got any respect on television outside of the Hallmark Channel?), but there are some lovely romantic elements in all of them.

As with television series, it often seems that paranormal book series have a tendency to get prematurely cancelled. (As all of Harlequin’s Nocturne authors sadly can attest.) I hope to one day have a chance to write Laurel’s, Rosemary’s, and Rowan’s stories to finish up the Sisters in Sin series, but right now I’m just starting to get back to work on some other projects that have been languishing—my out-of-print House of Arkhangel’sk and Demons of Elysium series, which I’m hoping to get back into print someday, as well as a paranormal romantic suspense series I set aside back in 2014 to do Sisters. Over the past few days, I’ve been able to keep up my old daily word count of 1K per day. Here’s hoping that will continue. (Even if playing with Sophie instead is really, really tempting.)

Are there any television or book series whose cancellations you still pine over? Let us know in the comments so we can check them out and be sad together. ;)

10 Paranormal TV Shows I Can't Get Enough Of

Lately, I've been binge-watching The X-Files and loving it all over again. Maybe not the most romantic of the paranormal options I can think of, but I always had a crush on Scully, so it worked for me. It got me thinking about the other paranormal shows I've watched and loved in recent years, and about the sad fact that most of them have ended. Of the first ten that came to mind, only two are still on the air. (Although some, like The X-Files, had respectably long runs.)

Here's my list in roughly chronological order of first air date:

1. The X-Files
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
3. Charmed
4. Angel
5. Supernatural
6. Hex
7. Ghost Whisperer
8. Medium
9. Fringe
10. Lost Girl

A few others deserve honorable mention: The Secret Circle, a CW show that only lasted a season—it wasn't fantastic, but I thought it had promise—and The Fades. Technically a zombie story, The Fades has a supernatural element, so I'm calling it paranormal. Like Hex, The Fades was a BBC show that ended prematurely, after only six episodes.

The two shows that are still going are Lost Girl, in its fifth season, and the apparently immortal Supernatural, finishing up Season 10 and reportedly coming back in the fall for Season 11. Though Supernatural is the only one on the list with no romantic element, it has epic bromance. Sure, sure; they're brothers. But we've all seen the fanfic. ;)

Two others that are (maybe) both still on the air that I've been enjoying are Haven (SyFy) and Hemlock Grove (Netflix). Hemlock Grove is a weird one, but it's got romance...and bromance. Since I write weird, I can't throw stones. I'd like to blame all this television watching on my weird bent, but I think it goes back a little too far to make that claim

There's one last show I have to mention: Dracula. That cancellation still has me so mad I can't see straight.

And I just realized I forgot two other current shows: Grimm and Sleepy Hollow. So, yay, there are still some paranormal options out there, and probably others that are currently slipping my mind. Which ones are your favorites? Any I missed?

Superheroes and Super Heroes

Something like 30 superhero movies are in the pipeline to be released over the next 5 years. Some people are worried that the film studios are “overdoing it” but over here in Anah&DianneLand, we’re just thrilled.

More superheroes means more super heroes.

No, we’re not being facetious…at least not much. Superhero comics and films are, in general, home to heroes on a grand scale—men and women with larger-than-life personalities, larger-than-life problems, and who find ways to overcome those problems with a larger-than-life obligation to do the right thing. We both love heroes who have an ingrained sense of right and wrong, who are driven to make life better not just for themselves but for those around them, and superheroes almost always fit the bill—even if they’re not always nice while they’re doing it.

And don’t think we’re only talking about male heroes. No way! Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel are high on our lists of favorites, and they’re getting their own movies in the next few years. Black Widow, though she doesn’t have a solo film slated yet, is a huge favorite too. We love her complicated past, and her strong personality…even if we are a little disappointed that the movies haven’t been able to show us her history with Wolverine yet.

We love that shows like Constantine are also being made. Constantine is a classic paranormal comics character from Marvel—though we so wish they’d make a Blade show (or at least another movie). If you’re not familiar with the original John Constantine, you might want to check him out because he’s been toned down for television. 

Original flavor Constantine is an evil-slaughtering, chain-smoking bisexual ne’er-do-well with… not a heart of gold. Gold doesn’t tarnish and Constantine is held together with tarnish and regret. A heart of silver, though, that’s closer to the truth. He may not be a superhero (he’s a super jerk sometimes) but he is a super (anti)hero and we love him for it.

Is the paranormal a place for superheroes? Or super heroes? We like to think so. Werewolves born in back alleys and succubi lurking in penthouses may have a little higher to climb than your average ready-made caped crusader but that just makes it all the more impressive when they reach the heights of heroism. We’re glad to see heroics back in style. 

Until next time,

—Anah & Dianne

A Fantastic 2014

It’s the beginning of a brand new year. And with a new year comes new paranormal movies, TV shows, and games to watch and play. Hooray!

Here’s what we’re looking forward to in 2014:

TV

Believe is about a little girl with supernatural powers and the death row inmate charged with protecting her. The fantastic, twisty conflict potential of a death row inmate doing good things makes us pretty hopeful this could be good.

Black Sails and Crossbones — pirates! And more pirates! John Malkovich as Blackbeard! Yes please.

And from pirates to monsters, with Penny Dreadful. Just the title makes Dianne’s little horror-fantasy loving heart go pitter patter. Those old dramatic horror serials were fast-paced, creative, and super fun. We’re hoping the TV show lives up to the name.

Salem is set during the witch trials. We’re looking forward to seeing what the show runners do with it.

Returning shows Agents of SHIELD, Arrow, Being Human, Game of Thrones, Lost Girl, and Sleepy Hollow are all happy-making too! It’s with both anticipation and trepidation that we’re awaiting the release date for season two of Hemlock Grove, which is in production now. 

Movies

300: Rise of an Empire is supposed to be a “sidequel” to the first 300 movie. We loved the live-action-comic book feel of 300 and we’re looking forward to more of the same from 300: Rise of an Empire.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is pretty high on our “to watch” lists. We’re excited to see what the moviemakers can do with the comic book story lines by the same name. Now Dianne just needs to get herself caught up on all the awesome X-Men universe movies that have come out in the past couple years!

Maleficent. Who doesn’t want to see a movie focused on the evil witch queen from Sleeping Beauty? Really!

Guardians of the Galaxy is another comic book movie, yes. But we love comic books. It’s what brought us together in the first place. :)

Dracula Untold could be fun. Or it could be awful. We’re hopeful.

Into the Woods isn’t a comic book movie. It’s a movie based on a musical. As a former (but not reformed!) theater geek, Dianne is excited as all get-out!

I, Frankenstein could be, like Dracula Untold, a complete disaster. Or it could be really, really fun. We’re hoping for the latter. There’s also Vampire Academy, which looks marvellously campy. We’re thrilled to see that vampires are back in style—though did they ever really leave?

The Hobbit: There and Back Again will be out (we hope) in time for Christmas. The release date was pushed back from midsummer so here’s hoping it sticks. 

Finally, the surreal and magical Winter’s Tale, based on the well-received Mark Helprin novel of the same name, will be out in 2014. Really looking forward to this one. We hope it does the book justice. There’s so many beautiful visuals that we can’t wait to see transferred to the screen. 

Games

We’ve loved the previous Dragon Age games, so we’re really looking forward to Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Fable Legends isn’t, from the description, quite what we’ve come to expect from the Fable series, but we’re excited to revisit the world anyway.

What are you looking forward to in media this year?

Paying Homage

We definitely have a bounty of shows and movies that feature the paranormal, but that wasn’t the case ten or so years ago. Some of my current favorites include American Horror Story: Coven, True Blood (depending on the season), Sleepy Hollow, giving Dracula a try, Let the Right One In, The Revenant, Hellboy...but this post is not about the more current offerings. It’s about honoring the forbearers…the shows and movies that broke ground when the genre didn’t enjoy the same popularity as today. I could lose months of word count mulling over which shows or movies deserve mention, and decided on a few that made an impression on me and my writing, and some considered classics of the genre. Many are vampire centric, but vampires, or some semblance of, continue to dominate.

Starting with movies, well, we can go back to Nosferatu, Dracula, and the old Universal movie monsters. All classic. I would have loved to have attended the first movie theater showing of Frankenstein or Dracula. The special effects for that time must have scared the heck out of the audience. Fast forwarding, one of my all time favorites is Frightnight. I could write an entire blog post on that movie, discussing the non CGI special effects and tragic tone of Evil’s transformation back into a human after Peter Vincent killed him. The look of horror and despair on Vincent’s face as he realized the fearful wolf was really a young boy. You don’t see that kind of pathos in many movies these days. Roddy McDowell was great as Peter Vincent, and Chris Sarandon as Jerry Dandridge, the vampire.

Lost Boys anyone? Humor, good vampires, bad vampires, Jason Patric and Keifer Sutherland :) One of the first teen vampire movies, blending style with story, even if it was 80s style. Other great vampire movies: Near Dark; The Addiction, an indie flick staring Lily Taylor; the 1979 Salem’s Lot; Interview with the Vampire; the first couple of Blade movies; and I have to mention Vampire’s Kiss with Nicholas Cage. More of a supernatural thriller, black comedy, and definitely one of Cage’s best roles.

I do love me some werewolf movies, but much of the past movies focused on the horror aspect and not the type of werewolf hero we read about in urban fantasies and paranormals. But some great ones include American Werewolf in London and The Howling.

Of course, all these movies are classified as horror or thrillers, yet they definitely set the stage for urban fantasy/paranormal. Before the current craze, there really wasn’t another category. Interview with the Vampire was classified as horror/romance, and Lost Boys comedy/horror, but both had sympathetic vampires, and were not necessarily straight horror. On a side note, if you do a search for urban fantasy movies, stuff like Harry Potter and Ghostbusters comes up. So does Hellboy, which I absolutely agree with, but I wanted to look at movies that preceded Hellboy, which leads me to my next two movies: The Crow (1994) and Nightbreed (1990). Both movies twisted the previous classification of horror to something closer to urban fantasy/paranormal.

The Crow was actually labeled action/fantasy, which seems to fit. Its gothic stylings and story about a man that comes back to life to avenge the death of his wife truly hit on those supernatural, damaged hero beats. And it had a great soundtrack :)

Nightbreed is a very interesting movie and was completely misunderstood on release. The movie company sold it as a straight slasher type, but it was about a guy, who stumbles upon a community of monsters and outcasts, demon-like, known as the Nightbreed. They take refuge in an abandoned cemetery called Midian. Nightbreed is based off Clive Barker’s novella Cabal. Definitely B movie grade, but very interesting. For someone who features demons in my stories, I found Barker's exploration of the monsters a revelation, at the time. The Nightbreed were not the bad guys. Barker himself said: this picture is much more upfront about the fact we don't want to see the monsters die. We actually find them interesting. And sexy…we're actually on the side of the creatures of darkness. I think this movie would enjoy a second life with so many books featuring demons as heroes.

But really, urban fantasy/paranormal experienced its genesis on television, and Buffy reins supreme. (Dark Shadows absolutely deserves mention. I didn't watch it, but it's significant.) Not just for the wonderful supernatural world Whedon created, but for his exploration of the characters, the wonderful stories and writing. He built an incredible cast with Buffy at the center. She was a girl turned woman who took charge and dealt with her problems.

Before True Blood, in 2007, there was the sadly short lived, Canadian produced Blood Ties based off the Tanya Huff Blood Books. It centered on private investigator, Vicki Nelson, who teamed up with 470-year-old vampire Henry Fitzroy, bastard son of Henry the VIII. Blood Ties only lasted two seasons. Sigh!!! That’s one show that would have benefitted from the current vampire craze. You can find it around on the Internet. Before Blood Ties, was another Toronto based show, Forever Knight, about Nick Knight, an 800-year-old vampire, who seeks redemption for past crimes by working as a homicide detective. Forever Knight ran from 1992 until 1996. Lastly, I should mention Charmed, and I liked some of Charmed, but when they ruined Cole’s character (another demon), it all went downhill for me.

My little retrospective barely scratches the surface and I didn’t even go into zombies (which I write about) and lots of other stuff. So please join in and share some of your favorites that paved the way to the current paranormal craze.

Mimi Sebastian

Paranormal on the Small Screen

The paranormal and urban fantasy genres just got a fresh boost in the mainstream this season with the introduction of two new television shows: Dracula and Sleepy Hollow. Poor Dianne hardly has five minutes to sit down but Anah has been watching Sleepy Hollow with great enthusiasm. Great enthusiasm includes squealing, yelling, tweeting, messaging friends, reblogging gifsets on Tumblr, and—of course—keeping track of the amazing Orlando Jones who plays the dashing but skeptical Frank Irving. 

Sleepy Hollow is genuinely a delight in so many ways. Not only does it have a lovely cast and great production values, but it’s a classic example of the paranormal in the tradition of shows like Buffy and Angel. A sprawling epic anchored in the Book of Revelation, Sleepy Hollow promises seven years of tribulation to be visited upon two Witnesses, Abbie Mills and Ichabod Crane. 

Unlike other shows in the genre, such as Supernatural and Charmed, the main character (so far) has no particular powers of her own and she hasn’t had but a vague suspicion that all is not as it might seem until all Hell breaks loose—literally. Abbie is like most of us, a woman trying to do her job and doing it well until she is thrown into a situation far beyond her understand and forced to adapt. She reads like the heroine of many a successful paranormal or urban fantasy romance. 

And as for romance, Sleepy Hollow is bursting at the seams with it. It is a veritable fount of inspiration when it comes to romantic matters. It is full of parted lovers, the smouldering embers of old loves not yet extinguished, and friends whose every interaction crackles with the potential for passion. We expect that Sleepy Hollow will spark a fresh round of interest in romantic novels in the genre, interest from writers and from readers.

Are you watching any of the shows in our genre this season? Are you inspired?