Romantic Interlude ~ Difference between the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy

This whole week I've been hedging writing this one love scene in my WIP. Why? Well, because in my seventh book "Vampire Interlude", Sabrina and Bill Gannon finally "do it".

Oops! I guess that was a bit of a spoiler. Well, something to look forward to, I guess, for those of you out there who are fans... all ten of you.

Oh, I see one of you has their hand up. Question?

Yes, if Bill and Sabrina are going to do it, will it be at least five pages long with lots of detail?

Eh, no. I'm not sure how long it will be, when I get done with it. I'm still adding things to it. But for those of you who primarily read paranormal romance you are not going to be reading things like and then he plunged himself inside her and filled her with his seed. Or He thrust into her... a long, languid stroke that made her moan. (Well that one I might reconsider...). Nor will I put in descriptive words of the male genetalia like lance  or my personal favorite from certain erotica tool. *Chuckles* He isn't going to "trace her inner curves and explore her wetness". Oh, there will be teasing of nipples and gazing upon the rock-hard abs and so forth. Gotta have all that going on. Admiration of the bod about to plunder is always a good sell.

I was looking through certain paperback books I have--one's I've won, or by mistake in the early years when I didn't know the difference between "paranormal romance" and "urban fantasy"--and realized in the paranormal romance many times the p.o.v. is done in third person, and from either the man's or the woman's perspective. It usually takes about 3/4 of the book to get to that bedroom scene, by the way. There's a lot of sexual tention--which is alright--all through out the book, and eventually there'll be this big pay-off. But you know, if you paid darn good money to get to the juicy scenes you expect something that's hot and you sure don't want to be sitting on a bus next to some smelly guy while you're trying to read it. Right?? You want to curl up and read this somewhere in your own home with a vibrator handy. *again chuckles*

Ah-hum.

Well, this doesn't mean that urban fantasy has to be dull in comparrison. Not from my view point, anyway. I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse books (urban fantasy) by Charlaine Harris from #1 to end, and can report that the first 4 had plenty of sexual encounters in them. In #5 it would seem that Sookie goes without for a while, and finds a warm-blooded boyfriend who turns into a tiger when the full moon is out. Grrrrowl. I found it amusing that every time they were about to go at it, something interrupted them. And the fact that Sookie is not willing to just jump into bed with a guy just because she's hot for him, mainly because she's been hurt in the last book by someone she trusted, who she thought loved her, was a good enough reason/deturant. Plus, I think she was on the rag.

What I noted is that in most cases with paranormal romances, the woman is resiting the sexual encounter with the vampire (or whatever the supe is), for whatever the reason. In urban fantasy it's (almost always) done in first person (in mine and in the case of the Sookie books), it's also done in first person from the POV of the woman. Our women are as hot for the guy as they are for them. Our women are not shy about sex, but they are reluctant to jump in the sack with just anyone. For my character, Sabrina, she's rather lusty and needs sex on a regular bases. She doesn't stick with one man throughout the series. But she does try to stay with one guy per book. But in the first book it's like she's looking over a tray of the most delicous chocolates trying to figure out which one might be the best, tastiest treat. Hmmm. Tough choice.

While the paranormal romance writer will detail each and every stroke of delight, us urban fant writers are not going to go to that sort of trouble. We're all adults here, and we don't need a flashlight to know what's going on in the dark. Unless it has something to do with the story, we are not going to go into great depths (lol), give page after page of the rutting. No. (Go take your vibrator somewhere else, hon!) That isn't to say that our sex scenes can't be hot. They can. It simply depends upon what we think we want to go on in any portion of the book. In my third book, Vampire Nocturne, Sabrina turns into her were-creature (partially) and seduces Jett, the prince. He's of the Victorian erra, and so her fresh and un-shy approach to sex is welcome... and surprised when she suggest they do it "doggy style".

Lorelei has created the Sabrina Strong series,
is working on more of these adventures, so stay tuned
to news and updates here and at her main blog, Lorele's Muse

The purpose of the sexual encounter in urban fantasy is NOT the main goal of the whole book. Usually there is a lot of stuff happening around, and to our main character. Usually there's a mystery to solve. There's always danger afoot, even if she doesn't quite see it that way. Maybe there's two mysteries--one is solved along the way and it's a minor thing. The other one is usually a murder and the murderer is still at large and is going after the MC. It might be up to the hero/boy friend to try and protect her, but even if he does keep her from being killed, she must solve the mystery, usually facing off with the murderer.

Well, I didn't want to bring you all this way without a little sample of what I was working on. Granted, it's only one paragraph, but I think you'll get the gist of what I meant when I said the woman isn't shy about sex, and wants it at least as much, if not more than they guy in bed with her.

I grabbed the sides of his shirt and pulled, yanking the tails out of his pants, but this proved to be a little difficult, and he used one hand to help me. After a few struggling moments, I had his shirt undone, and he shrugged out of it, having to undo one last button. I wasn't sure, but I think I might have ripped that one off, as I wasn't as patient as he. Now I could view his musculature at my leisure, and he looked much better up close. I slid my hands over his bare chest, marveling at the hard contours. My legs were still spread and he pressed himself against me and I gave a moan. I wasn't about to act coy about sex with Bill. I'd wanted him earlier today and I wanted him worse right now. I tugged at my own shirt and he helped me with it off. The bra went next, as I arched to allow him to get to the hooks in the back. What the hell? Next time I wasn't going to wear a bra, it wasted too much time to take off.

I'm Not A Romance Writer

When I wrote Vampire Ascending and tried to find a publisher--or someone--to take it, I came across a publisher who I thought was interested in "vampire" novels. I'll not name the publisher, because many people are probably published there. I have nothing against them, but that the fact the editor egged me on by telling me that "this might" work for them. When she asked if I belonged to any writer's groups, I told her no. She thought I should join the romance writers association. I refused to. I began to feel that this wasn't the right place for me if she thought my writing would need "work". I explicitly told her my novel was Urban Fantasy.

Long story short, even though she put me on hold, telling me she'd get back to me--and didn't--I put my first chapter up in a writer's forum on a group I used to belong to. There is where my present publisher found me, and invited me to send him my novel. At some point in between, I lost my Internet connection. I lost all email from that point, and had to start anew. I will call it a blessing because I'll never know if this other editor ever got back to me.

Back then I didn't know what the difference between urban fantasy, and paranormal romance was. I could not find anyone who would answer my question. It was like I was supposed to figure this out on my own. Well, I eventually did.

Meanwhile I poured over books by Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, and a few others. The spines are usually a clue as to what these novels are. Charlaine Harris' are published by Ace and it says under the publisher: FANTASY/MYSTERY. Mainly, I would guess, because Harris was a mystery writer before she took a chance with her now very popular vampire series, which is now an HBO series.

Others, like Kim Harrison and Karen Chance's books are under FANTASY. If you look around in a bookstore and go either to the heading of horror, or fantasy, you should find any of these author's books.
You can also tell by the title. Usually the title is telling. Eternal this or that is something a romance author would use as part of the title. Also, if AVON has published it, it is most definitely a romance. A hot guy and babe on the front cover, usually one or both are nearly nude and in some sort of embrace--that would tell me that we are looking at a straight romance, I don't care if the characters are vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, or ghosts.

The point I'm trying to make is authors like Harris and Harrison do not write romance, even though romance is featured in their works. It's basically a fantasy--Urban Fantasy. I enjoy them because I'm not expecting anything but a great story with a lot of fantasy, creatures introduced, and some mystery solved, and some witchcraft, or magic going on.

Although sex/romance will be featured in any of my novels, I'm not going to hammer it to death. Romance--whether there are elves, vampires, shapeshifters between the pages (and sheets), it is still a romance. What is a romance? Well, the basic plot is rather simple. Man and woman either meet for the first time, or have known each other for a while. They are attracted to one another, however something keeps them apart. It can be anything from a danger factor, or the fact that they basically hate one another. But, you, the reader, knows that at some point these two are going to hop into bed and go at it until the cows come home. Wow. Big surprise. But that's why people like these types of books for the hot sex on page 105-120.

An urban fantasy is gives us a basic a story, usually there is a problem or a mystery to solve. It is the adventure, with various interesting characters that pop up, and the ones you've come to know and love throughout the series, and you expect them to act in a certain way. If there's sex along the way, this is a bonus, even though you might hope for such a thing, it is not a necessity in an urban fantasy, although a lot of people may think it should be, mainly because some people are including hot sex scenes in such books, it is not a requirement. Believe me.

Also, I don't write romance because I don't want my main character to be bound by the stringent confines of what is considered a romance (i.e. see above). Maybe the guy she starts out with will not be the one she winds up with--surprise! Maybe the man she's been seeing, or is in love with may die--surprise!

You see what I mean? I don't have to confine my plot to one that is boxed in. I love to think outside the box.

And as far as writing sex scenes into my books, I've had to take a stand on how far I would go with it. I'll say right here that I'm not interested in a spitting match with romance writers to see how many pages I can write a bedroom scene or how pornographic it might become. I'm interested in bringing to my readers a sense of realism, a bit of horror, throw in a romantic thread, problems, mystery, danger, and even humor into my books. It's entertainment of a different kind, or style from romance (they can call it paranormal romance or anything-under-the-sun romance, it is still romance and must adhere to the plot formula). Urban fantasy has become the easiest genre for me to write. You can do anything you want, as long as you tell a great story. If you want to write in a lot of hot sex, you're perfectly free to do so.

So, when I find someone who has left a review on my books stating they wanted to see a bit more sex, that's okay, because they've given me a 4 or 5 star review. That means the amount of sex--which by the way, other people who have read the book think it's perfectly hot, and the various men I introduce are hot, and make for an interesting story--doesn't matter. It is the story which I've told that keeps people riveted to the pages.

Each genre has it's own restrictions, and plot formulas to adhere to. Mysteries are nearly devoid of the need for sex. Sexual tension, or even a budding romance between two characters is okay, but no bedroom scenes. The same goes for science fiction--unless that has changed. Urban fantasy seems to be, at least for me, the most freeing choice to write in.

What do you prefer to read or write? Urban fantasy? Paranormal romance? Other? Why do you like to write it? Let me know. I think it would be interesting to have people chime in on this.