Sunday, October 05, 2008

Guest Blogger: Michele Bardsley

The winner of Michele's books is: BethRe! Congrats! Give me your snail mail info and I'll pass it along to Michele. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Ten Reasons to Love the Paranormal

1. Dean and Sam Winchester. Do I really need to explain the draw of two hot guys who know how to kick Supernatural ass? Yeah. I didn’t think so.

2. Nina Blackman. The mouthy, cranky, hilarious vampire in Dakota Cassidy’s Accidentally Dead. You don’t know whether to hug her or push her off the Brooklyn Bridge. Maybe you could hug her then toss her over the rail.

3. Amanda Feral. The zombie heroine of Mark Henry’s Happy Hour of the Damned embraces her new . . . er, life by looking fabulous while ingesting the homeless and the occasional hitchhiker. What? A girl’s gotta eat.

4. Sookie Stackhouse. A mind-reading waitress submersed in the paranormal because she decides to date a vampire? Charlaine Harris’s Southern Vampire novels rule.

5. Betsy Taylor. The shoe-loving secretary turned vampire queen threw open the doors for humorous paranormal fiction. All hail MaryJanice Davidson and her Undead series!

6. Jane Jameson. You won’t get to meet her until March 2009, but trust me when I say you’ll want Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs. Jane is a small-town librarian who’s never quite fit in with the citizens of Half-Moon Hollow. Now that she’s a vampire, she’s really an outcast, but luckily there’s the vampire welcoming committee, The Guide for the Newly Undead, and her very hot sire, Gabriel, to help her.

7. Melinda Gordon. The Ghost Whisperer puts herself in danger to save earthbound spirits. This show just makes my Friday nights (which is sad, really, but there you go).

8. Ned, the Pie Maker. Pushing Daisies is one of the coolest paranormal tales on television. The guy can only touch the dead once and only for a minute—or someone else dies in the person’s place. He raised his true love from the dead and can never touch her again. Aw!

9. Constantine. I loved this movie, mostly because Keanu Reeves was in it, but there was all that cool supernatural stuff in it like dragonfire guns, bugged-out demons, and trips to Hell.

10. Broken Heart, Oklahoma. I could hardly complete a list for paranormal lurve without including my own novels. In my series, vampire parents must deal with their new undead lifestyles and the fact that their little town has been taken over by paranormal creatures. The fourth book in the series, Wait Till Your Vampire Gets Home, comes out on November 4, 2008. Find out more at http://www.BrokenHeartOK.com

What do you love about the paranormal? Leave a comment and win an autographed copy of Because Your Vampire Said So and an autographed copy of Dakota Cassidy’s Accidentally Dead.




Michele's winner will be selected Tuesday night and posted here.


50 Comments:

Blogger windycindy said...

I like the wit and whimsey of the current paranormal books! There can be strong female characters or the alpha males. The various powers of the characters are also very interesting. I have always had an interest in the unexplained and what goes bump in the night! Thanks very much.....Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

11:20 PM  
Blogger Margay Leah Justice said...

I love the fact that paranormal books take the fantastic and make it believable, that they explore things that defy explanation, and that they always seem to have a super hot hero. ;)

3:26 AM  
Blogger Ellory said...

What I enjoy with light paranormal is the blend of humor and paranormal.

4:39 AM  
Blogger Katie said...

I have to say that I love Supernatural. The show just has such wit. Every episode makes me laugh at least once.

I also love Rachel Caine's books. Both the Morganville Vampires and the Weather Wardens just rock my world!

Thanks!
Katie

7:07 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I have just recently started reading paranormal books, I am a big weinie when it comes to scary stuff so I always thought that I wouldnt enjoy them. Boy was I wrong, I love them. Super strong heroes or heroines and most of the story lines are very addictive. Romance always seems to be hotter in the paranormal too.

7:26 AM  
Blogger Pamk said...

That paranormal cover many different types of stories with many scenerios. It just seems that anything goes and can lol. Love that in most paranormals the heroines are strong.

7:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love reading paranormal simply for the fact that it's not my life. There's too much realism in the world and escaping into a world where vampires are hot and dangerous, shapeshifters are cuddly and aggravating, and magic is a part of everyday life....there are times I wished I lived in a world like that. Magic would definitely make my life easier.

7:52 AM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

Hey everyone, thanks for dropping by! I love to read and watch paranormal as much as I love to write it. I wished we lived in a world of magic, too. That's one of the reasons I wrote about vampire parents. When you tell your kid "Go clean your room," he'd actually do it. LOL!

8:00 AM  
Blogger Daelith said...

I've always been fascinated with paranormal stories. Vampires especially. No matter what poplar genre I might get caught up in reading, I always come back to my paranormal books. I love the escape from reality they give me.

8:12 AM  
Blogger Daelith said...

Oh I forgot to add...since I just recently won a book here, don't worry about adding me to the drawing. As much as I would love to win more books, it's only fair to give others a chance.

8:13 AM  
Blogger Lynda Hilburn said...

Welcome to Paranormality, Michele! Thanks so much for guest blogging.

Hugs, Lynda

9:02 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like that the genre is constantly changing- we still have the lore but even that is being rewritten. The best books are the ones where the author creates a whole new world and writes deep characters. I need to feel involved. My favs are J.R. Ward, Jacqueline Frank, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Chelsea Quinn Yarbo and Shayla Black- just to list a few. I started reading paranormals when I was about 12 and I still love them!

9:44 AM  
Blogger tetewa said...

My favorite genre to read is Paranormal. A friend of mine got me into The Dark-Hunter series a few years ago and I've read them all. My favorite day of the week is Thursday as that is when the new episodes of Supernatural air. Every week me and a group of friends gather at my house for the latest episode. (Love the Winchester boys)! I've also been watching the True Blood series and I'm enjoying this one also. Nice to see you here today I'm always looking for new authors to read!

10:23 AM  
Blogger Crystal-Rain Love said...

LOL! Dean Einchester's my #1 too!!! Seriously, could a man have been created any more perfectly?

I love paranormal because it's an escape. The majority of what I write is paranormal. The whole atmosphere of it is totally appealing and there's just something about strong, powerful, immortal heros... (they don't have anything on my Dean Winchester, though (-: )

10:27 AM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

Thanks for inviting me, Lynda. Glad to be here. I'm all in for Supernatural because hot monster-hunting guys? What's not to love?

I love the paranormal genre. Love to read it and write it and watch it and ... well, you get the drift. LOL.

Sherrilyn Kenyon writes a killer series, definitely. I also love Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. Hot, hot, hot!

10:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pushing Daisies? Heard of it but generally avoid the TV as it is Spongebob Squarepants all day all night at my house--that is...until there was true blood. Now there's 167 hours of Spongebob and 1 hour of True Blood to make one week at my house. Maybe I'll have to steal another hour or so away from the large yellow rectangle. Why? Because Michele said so.

10:39 AM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

I love Jensen Ross Ackles, too, especially as Dean Winchester. Drool.

Andi, you crack me up! Yes, go see Pushing Daisies. Catch up on Season 1 and TIVO Season 2. It'll be worth fighting over an extra. But you know, I totally love Spongebob, too. Though not as much as Ned, the Pie Maker. LOL!

11:12 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I love paranormals because anything can work in the story line and it transports me out of the ordinary everyday to a place that can give me hope because anything can happen.

11:37 AM  
Blogger Brandy said...

I love the paranormal genre because there are so many possibilities to explore. The world of supernatural and magical beings with all sorts of powers is fascinating and there are no hard and fast rules as to all the types of beings and powers there are. I've always been drawn toward things mystical and magical, and this genre combines my love of romance with my love of magick. And as an Oklahoma girl, the fact that this series is set in a rural Oklahoma town where a bunch of everyday Mom's get turned into vampires is something I absolutely LOVE! Thanks for creating such a great series! I'm looking forward to reading all of them and I am eagerly anticipating next month's release!
~Brandy

11:40 AM  
Blogger Mippy C. said...

I love paranormal because there are no constraints. Anything can - and usually does - happen. In "regular" fiction, if there is a probem, there are only so many realistic ways to fix it. Not so in the paranormal. The only constraints are the author's world buiding and imagination :)

11:55 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Michele!

I have loved paranormal books since I was a kid. I think I have always loved them because it takes me into a fantasy world where anything and everything can happen...and many times does!

Hugs,

Maithe

12:11 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have to agree with those that said in paranormals, anything and everything can happen. I love to "escape" with a good vamp. story. ;o)

12:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love that paranormal books turn something that used to be frightening and horrific and turn it into something fun and sexy albeit with enough danger to provide an adrenaline rush.

12:42 PM  
Blogger Tamara B. said...

Hi Michelle you are the best! I love paranormal books because of the unknown will always be sexy, hot and entertaining. Love your books!

12:52 PM  
Blogger Redheaded Mama said...

I have to say that I don't have a particular reason for loving paranormal... I just do, lol.
I read to escape, to stop thinking about the problems in real life long enough to figure out how to get past them...
Alana

1:15 PM  
Blogger Ruth Schaller said...

I have always loved anything and everything paranormal!! My father got me into it. He had all of these books about ghosts and witches and stuff. I just twisted it around and started loving the romantic paranormals and then of course, true horror!!

I'm up for just about anything do with the paranormal, tv show wise and books!

1:25 PM  
Blogger DawnsReadingNook said...

I am enjoy a good paranormal where the herione can save the day, every now and again. I am really enjoying the stories where the author really gets into the characters and the reader finds them appealing with all their flaws.

Raine Delight

1:28 PM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

A big thank-you to everyone who's dropping by to say hello and talk about paranormal fiction.

I read horror novels when I was younger, but as I got older, I stopped reading them. Writing paranormal romance gives me the opportunity to blend in some of those scary elements ... with a happy ending.

1:32 PM  
Blogger Qwill said...

I love the endless possibilites of the paranormal. When dealing with vamps, succubi, weres, etc. everything's on the table. And I really enjoy novels that take the old and familiar in the paranormal genre and add a new twist.

1:35 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love paranormal because there is so much room for new surprises and twists with things like vampires. Everytime you think you have seen it all, someone comes up with something new you would never have thought of. Same for werewolves, ghosts, succubus and zombies. I love how you can combine the paranormal with something like computers and make it something interesting (see the Ravirn series by Kelley McCullough for that example) or show family relationships in extreme situations and how it can make them stronger (Supernatural, Rob Thurman's Cal Leandros series which reminds me of Supernatural). I like seeing authors take your typical folklore and urban legend and giving it a contemporary twist. And what is there not to like to show even those with powers have love problems too?

And how can anyone not like Dean (and his car)? He has great taste in music, cars and usually loves his job (when not angsting over some areas like his family). And he makes fighting evil look cool. That makes him worthy!

2:31 PM  
Blogger Night critter said...

Mainly because anything is possible and I think it is great how authors have their own interpretations of the paranormal. I also like that there are dark paranormals and light, humorous paranormal books to choose from.

3:07 PM  
Blogger Lori said...

I gotta say that my fascination with the paranormal started when I found out one of my ancestors was hung in Salem, MA for witchcraft. She is even a character in "The Crucible". Pretty cool huh?

3:13 PM  
Blogger Cheryl McInnis said...

I also love paranormals because every author seems to put their own stamp on their story, whether they are writing about vamps, werewolves, demons or greek gods~ what evah...also paranormals tend to be *cough* steamier and a little kinkier than the mainstream romances, which is always fun!

3:26 PM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

Lori ... wow, cool. Well, not so much for you ancestor, but still, that's hella history.

One of the best parts of writing paranormal romance is the hot heroes ... you can take any horrific horror element (vampires, demons, werewolves), and make it sexy.

3:26 PM  
Blogger Terri said...

Supernatural rocks my world! But hand's off of Dean. He's my second husband. ;)Ned the Pie Maker is great too, but not as hot as Dean.

I've loved paranormal fiction since I discovered Anita Blake. I've since grown away from that particular series, but my love of action, strong characters, male and female, thrills and chills had only become more intense! I love suspense, drama, and a little romance. Paranormal fiction has all of that and more.

4:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I am a chronic Paranormal romance reader, I new most of your reasons, but, here are some more:
1) the DARK series By Christine Feehan - gotta love those Carpathians- a new twist on Vampires!
2) Can anyone say ANITA BLAKE - Laurell K. Hamilton's twisted world of things that go bump in the night and the slayer of the bumps!
3) Lynsay Sands comedic ARGENEAU Family. Gotta love an author that can make you laugh! Ahhemm!! Ms. Bardsley!
4) of course there are more, Maggie Shayne, Alexis Morgan, Stephenie Meyer, Keri Arthur, Kathy Love, Lynn Kurland, Diana Gabaldon, Kerrelyn Sparks, and a blast from the past Sabine Kells! The list goes on - (on top of all of your great reasons) We are so not lacking for great paranormal reads anymore. I use to scrounge but now I have stuff waiting for me to read. How exciting is that?!

Keep up the great work I love your sassy women and their hunky men, mixed with the best of the paranormal worlds!

5:22 PM  
Blogger Dina said...

I love paranormals, like others have said, they're funny, suspensful, interesting and keep me wanting more.

5:44 PM  
Blogger macbeaner said...

If it weren't for the paranormal, I wouldn't have met some great people like Richelle Mead, Mark Henry, Dakota Cassidy, kat Richardson, etc etc :)

6:04 PM  
Blogger Christina said...

Hey Michele!!! Don't enter me since I already have these books but I wanted to stop by to rave about the paranormal. I have always been into magic and fantasy and loved it when there was a romance in the book too. Now with paranormal romance the way it is I get all my favorite elements blended together without any limits. Gotta love that!

6:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What do I love about the paranormal... what is there not to love? The escape is so far fetched yet at the same time, many stories interwine reality, where it can be envisioned in our daily lives. There are numerous times I'm waiting to find a Dark Hunter in the grocery store. :-) With Ned, "Pushing Daisies", I feel love for him, humour, yet a part of me is saddened he can never touch his true love. It's just a beautiful mix. The paranormal of today mix so closely with reality, one can't help but wonder...what if. :-) Bren ~ Who will never give up on finding her Dark Hunter waiting for her.

7:44 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I love EVERYTHING about the paranormal! But especially the sexy vampires!

8:18 PM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

I just wanted to thank everyone for dropping by and posting. I really appreciate all the lurve. Lynda, thank you so much for the opportunity!

9:00 PM  
Blogger Brandy said...

Don't enter me, but I just wanted to say that I enjoy reading paranormal because of the ability to lose myself in a book while reality goes on around me. And Michele? Your BrokenHeart books were among the first I started reading. Thank you.

9:11 PM  
Blogger darbyscloset said...

The paranormal...they take the "unrealistic" and make it realistic or believable!
Darby
darbyscloset (at) Yahoo (dot) com

9:11 PM  
Blogger Michele Writes said...

Aw, Brandy! Thanks!

And Darby, I'm with you. Take Supernatural ... weird stuff happens all the time and I'm like, oh yeah, you could totally open a portal to hell. LOL!

9:27 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I love all things paranormal. I love reading vamps, weres, ghosts, psychics, and witches. I like the worlds that authors can create in paranomrals.

9:35 PM  
Blogger Raonaid Luckwell said...

What I like much about paranormal... I'm liking the creative twist authors are taking with old legends, tweaking here and making things more interesting.

The heroines tend to be tough (yet not so tough where they need to go solo) and scarastic. I'm loving overly sarcastic heroines.

Raonaid (at) gmail.com

The humor

And the ecaspe of the mundane, everyday issues we face now a days

12:03 AM  
Blogger Meljprincess said...

I love the paranormal because of all my friends. Werewolves, vampires, witches, etc. They're a great bunch to hang out with. The zombies aren't fun though. They're always falling asleep!

Meljprincess AT aol DOT com

11:49 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks I sent an email to Lynda via her website contact I hope that is what I was supposed to do

12:35 PM  
Blogger Lynda Hilburn said...

BethRe: Please send again, I never got it. Use this email address:
LyndaHilburn @ aol.com (remove the spaces)

Lynda

12:45 PM  

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