 For February, we will be looking at writing Paranormal Romance. First up - World Building.
Most fantasy books include world building and that is no different for Paranormal Romance. Your characters are going to have to follow or break the rules as their love blossoms, so the reader needs to know what they are. What types of supernatural creatures exist in your world? Are they allowed to interact? Is there a forbidden love aspect? What are the repercussions of that? These questions need to be answered which is why your world building should come first. As you decide the rules of your world, it can help to resolve any plot holes or point out further issues your characters may face. Let's use an example - a vampire and a werewolf fall in love. In most books, they are enemies. To have two fall in love would cause a lot of issues. Their people will not be happy about it. It could lead to fighting or even a war. There are the personal aspects to consider too - can the vampire control themselves? What if they attack the werewolf? What if the werewolf can't control the shift and attacks the vampire? There are of course other issues to consider to such as a vampire is immortal while a werewolf is not. These are all types of conflict they will face. World building can seem daunting, especially if you are a pantser and not a plotter, but I would encourage you to at lease jot down some ideas to keep you right. It will save trouble later on. Look at the following -
The most important aspect is to remember that it is a romance that happens to be between supernatural beings. The romance is the focus and you do not want to make it easy for your characters to be together! Next week, we will look at creating your characters - Happy Writing!
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 Dead men are filled with life… Eleven years ago, heavy metal guitarists Hale and Aleksandr learned that monsters were real. What should have been a routine visit to the mountains turned to tragedy when a vampire attacked, killing Hale’s fiancé and Aleksandr’s brother. When the carnage was over, they vowed to make sure no one else would go through what they did. Armed with knives and anger, they hunt vampires while touring as some of Sweden’s most famous musicians. To the rest of the world, they’ve moved on. Emperor Immortal is stronger than ever. Hale and Aleksandr are stronger than ever. But while their band was growing, their personal lives were spiralling. When six years of building trauma nearly cost Aleksandr his life, Hale made a bargain with the gods to save his best friend’s life. Half a decade later, and he’s still paying that debt. But things are far more complicated than they appear, and it won’t be long be long before their past mistakes catch up to them. The dead are rising. The gods are angry. And they aren’t even Hale’s biggest problem. This collection contains A Riff of Retribution, A Chant of Chains, and A Harmony of Hel. Note: This series contains depictions of substance abuse and self-harm, and talk of attempted suicide. Why you should check it out -
This series dives deep into Norse mythology in a modern setting, bringing in some of the classics and some lesser known stories, and combines it with the life of a professional heavy metal musician. The main characters are all completely different, with their own goals and motivations that are sometimes at odds with each other. If you're looking for a unique take on urban fantasy and have ever wondered about this history of Norwegian black metal, then this is the series for you. Fun fact: In the Danish version of The Death of Baldr, Baldr is killed with a spear made of mistletoe rather than a sprig.  I have worked hard for the peace I've built in Fort Chance: my quiet life with my two snakes, my slow-but-steady business of helping the dead as well as the living move on, no romantic relationships to complicate things… It's close to perfect. This peace is fragile, however. I hide who I am every day, and if I say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time, I could lose everything. I'm a witch—not just any, but a breach witch. My ancestors came from another world, and we've been working hard to hide that fact. We witches are largely self-governed, and other supernaturals certainly have no respect for us. To blend in, I've been using the guise of a Voodoo practitioner for years… But the weight of feeling like an impostor every day is not one I'd carry if I had a choice. When a wraith, a walking nightmare from across the breach, shows up right here in Fort Chance, I may well be the only one who can deal with it… Because wraiths suck the souls out of their victims, and its stalking abilities are the one thing even I can't hide from. Even the dead I have sworn to protect have become unresponsive husks in its wake. Worse, Nova—the most annoying woman I've ever met—seems determined to help for some reason. Worse again, it seems vampires are involved somehow. All I know is this: I neither need nor want anyone's help, certainly not theirs. I prefer to wager my own life to keep Fort Chance safe. At least that way, I'm in control. Can I truly save my home on my own, however… or are we both doomed to lose our souls to the wraith? Why You Should Read It?
Check out Spirit Court if you like - slow-burn romance, own-voice demi rep, witch familiars, a power struggle between witches and vampires, Voodoo self-acceptance, and personal growth and all the (pretty, green, shiny) magic!  There's always a price with magic... Magic can be tempting, especially when you are navigating the world for the first time. Tempting enough to turn to the dark side. For these witches, they must decide how to use their abilities. Will they choose to help others or help themselves? Either way, there will be a price to pay. Are they willing to pay it? A Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy Collection Why Should You Check It Out?
The Price of Magic is a collection of young adult witch stories. The idea started out as a series of prompts for stories and authors chose one idea each. I have read so many witch stories and I love the genre, but I thought it would be a fun idea to see what it would be like for teenage witches. How would they handle their abilities? How does it affect their lives? A fun fact about the set - its all British and Irish authors! You can pre-order now and the set is released on January 17th, 2026. It will also be available in paperback.  Happy New Year! We hope that 2026 is your year.
We will be bringing you multiple new events, promos, sales and giveaways across the year. This month we will have new releases from authors including our first anthology of the year - The Price of Magic. In February, it will be all about love. If you love Romantasy or Paranormal Romance, be sure to check out our new posts every Monday. We hope you will join us and hopefully get some great reading recommendations or new authors to follow. Have a great New Year!       All books are available on Amazon.
 Have you ever heard of the Lenan Sidhe? I admit I hadn't until I did some research. This Fae is said to be a cross between a muse and a vampire! Quite the combination.
Often depicted as a beautiful woman, she finds a human lover and inspires them to create poetry, song, or prose. But she has an insatiable hunger and gradually drains the life of the person, taking his life force. Also known as the Fairy Mistress, she often helps her lover find success, before their untimely demise. It makes you think of all those famous writers who died young after brief fame... There are so many story ideas that could be written about this type of Fae. Is she malevolent? Or does she drain them by accident? Would someone willingly agree if it meant finally finding fame? This Fae has also been shown to be a man too, so it can work for all types of relationships. Happy writing!  Will O' The Wisps are said to be a type of pixie that live in bogs and marshes. They often appear as a blue light or flame that lead people astray. They are seen as tricksters and mischievous creatures who like to toy with humans.
One of the most recent depictions of the wisp is in the Disney movie Brave. Though they are part of folklore, scientists do believe it created by gases on the marshes and it is known as false fire. I don't know about you, but I prefer the magical explanation ;) The wisp is a great plot device for your story. Perhaps leading your MC on an adventure or into danger... Happy writing!  IRON PG Forte Blurb: A blacksmith with a tragic past, a faery princess with an uncertain future and a love that burns like iron. When an immortal, shape-shifting fae arrives on his doorstep seeking shelter, Gavin O’Malley knows he’s in luck. For Aislinn can give him everything his life’s been missing. Now, all he has to do is find a way to keep her—without losing his soul in the process. Excerpt: It was just past midwinter, at the tail end of yet another cold, December day when Aislinn Deirbhile rode up from Kilbanning. She halted her mount on the rutted, dirt track and surveyed the situation before her. O’Malley’s forge, and the smith’s cottage which was situated across the yard from it, stood all alone in a quiet hollow, just down the road from where Aislinn sat, steeped in thought. The horse on which she was riding, being of a breed perhaps more perceptive than most, was clearly as nervous as she at the prospect; he tossed his head and whinnied softly causing the silver bells on his harness to jingle. “Milady,” pleaded the small man who rode at Aislinn’s side. “Will you not reconsider? Come away from this place—now, before it’s too late. My people are still willing to offer you shelter, as we have done ere these months past, and ye have yet to come to any harm with us.” “Nay, Eoghan.” Aislinn smiled sadly at her companion. Though slight in stature, quite dwarfed, in fact, by the tall, silver-white steed upon which he sat, the spriggan’s courage was that of a giant. “You and your people are true friends indeed, but my enemy is at his strongest now. None can hope to stand against Annwn’s full might.” She turned her gaze back toward the small, stone buildings at the end of the lane and sighed. “If there is any shelter to be had against Winter, or if I’ve any hope of surviving the geasa that have been laid upon me, I must find them here.” “But, Lady,” the little man implored, his distress evident in every line of his face. “How can there be any help for you here? A blacksmith. A worker in iron. The very ether is contaminated with its foul essence! Can you not smell it on the wind? Can you not almost taste it?” “Oh, aye.” Aislinn grinned in reply. “And can you not imagine the look it will put on Tiernan’s face when first he tracks me here? How I wish I could see it!” But just thinking about Tiernan ap Annwn, her would-be husband—nay, her would-be jailer—wiped the smile from her lips in a hurry. She urged her horse forward. “Come. Let us make haste. Night is upon us.” As they picked their way between the rocks and mud of the rutted boreen, Eoghan continued his litany of complaints. “Are ye still after putting your faith in that oracle you consulted this past Samhain? You canna be serous. You know as well as I that most of what occurs in the realm of the Fae is well outside the druid’s ken.” “Indeed, my friend.” Aislinn inclined her head. “But, as I am banished from the Realm ’til Summer’s return, ’twas for information pertaining to this dimension that I sought out the Oracle of Death; as well as for advice on how I might best survive in this world.” “Sure and that Druid must have imbibed a cup too much of the nawglan,” Eoghan said in tones of disgust. “To have bid you find shelter with a blacksmith.” Aislinn sighed. “Ah, my friend, can you not at least enjoy the irony with me? Is not the plan elegant in its subtlety? Sure and ’tis the last thing Tiernan will be expecting me to do; and once I am safe behind yon walls even you must admit I will be beyond his reach for as long as I choose to stay there.” “Aye, Lady.” Eoghan’s voice was grim. “And beyond the reach of any help such as I or mine might wish to offer you, as well. But why talk ye of choosing? Methinks you will not be safe once you are locked behind the walls of such a place. My Lord Tiernan is not the only one whose plans may be thwarted thus. That same iron you trust now to keep your too-ardent suitor out, may very well serve to keep you in.” “I’m not unmindful of the risk, Eoghan. But, hush, my friend. No more talk now. Even in this desolate place, the Night may have ears.” The sound of their horses’ hooves, clattering against the cobbles, echoed loudly on the still, evening air as they entered the smith’s yard. Light spilled out onto the stones when the cottage door swung open and a man appeared in the doorway. Even with his face in shadow, Aislinn’s sight was such she could still detect the frown on his visage as he looked them over. His gaze swept her with barely a pause, seemed hardly to touch at all on Eoghan, who had cloaked his true form, and lingered longest on the horses. He was an exceedingly well-formed man, she observed; eyeing him back with interest for, after all, this was the man, or so the druid insisted, on whom her safety—nay, her very life—might well depend. She estimated his age at about three dozen summers, maybe a couple less. He stood well over six foot; strong and fit and fairly muscled, with hair dark as a raven’s wing and thick, straight brows which almost met above an equally straight nose. Several days’ worth of stubble darkened his cheeks and softened the angles of his jaw. She thought his face would have been quite pleasing, overall, were it not for the scowl that sat too comfortably upon his features, as though it had found a permanent home there. “Well, then?” he asked, at last, and something about the deep timbre of his voice caused a shiver to run down Aislinn’s spine. “And what would you two be wanting?” “Is it Mr. O’Malley to whom I’m speaking?” she inquired. “Mr. Gavin O’Malley? The blacksmith?” “Aye. ’Tis my name,” he said. “Might I know yours?” “Milady,” Eoghan whispered urgently as Aislinn threw him her reins and slid to the ground. “Have a care!” “It is well,” she replied, amused by the spriggan’s concern. Did he think her so far gone in her fear as to forget herself and make a present of her name to the whole outdoors? Still shaking her head at his foolishness, she turned toward the mortal and smiled. “My name need not concern you, for now, sir smith. But, lo, the day grows late. Will you not invite me indoors that we might discuss our business in greater comfort?”  USA Today Bestselling Author PG Forte inhabits a world only slightly less strange than the ones she creates. Filled with serendipity, coincidence, love at first sight and dreams come true.
Originally a Jersey girl, and forever a California girl at heart, PG currently resides in the beautiful Texas Hill Country where she continues to write contemporary and paranormal romance in a variety of sub-genres. The common thread linking them together? Her stories are always centered around themes of friendship, family, and heartfelt feelings. Even the vampires? Yes. Especially the vampires. |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” 
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