Please welcome author Jennifer Lynne!!
Mythical Greek gods – are they paranormal or fantasy?
Guest post and giveaway by Jennifer Lynne
(contains Adult rated excerpt)
Hello and Happy New Year to all the Bitten by Paranormal Romance readers. Thank you for having me here today. I'm really excited to start 2012 with a new indie-release novella, and a sensual romance signed with Breathless Press (in edits as I write this post).
One of the interesting things about my December indie-release, Platinum Passion (Gods of Love #1) has been identifying where it sits on the virtual bookshelf in terms of genre.
Platinum Passion is a contemporary erotic romance novella containing magic and an ancient Greek god. So, is it a paranormal? Or a fantasy? Or even an urban fantasy?
Initially I was thinking fantasy, as there's not a hint of vampire, Were or even a ghost in Platinum Passion, but there is magic and a mythological being. But there is no alternate world-building in this story, nor elements of an alternate reality, which is what comes to my mind when I think fantasy romance. Nor is there an urban setting. The story takes place on a deserted beach in northern Australia.
So in the end, I chose paranormal. More accurately, a contemporary paranormal ménage erotic romance (a mouthful, I know!).
Essentially, I guess, a mythical Greek god could have his or her place in either genre, depending on how the story is developed and written. I read somewhere that many people classify paranormal as a sub-genre of fantasy, and if you take that view, I suppose this whole post is moot!
Giveaway
What do you believe is the difference between paranormal and fantasy? Is one a subset of the other? I would love to hear what Bitten readers have to say about this. So much so, that I'll be giving away a digital copy of Platinum Passion. Leave a comment on this post between now and 13th January 2012, and go in the draw to win.
Wherever it sits on the virtual shelf, I hope I can tempt you with a taste of this M/M/F novella that focuses on a long term relationship that has gone off track and needs a helping hand from Pothos, the ancient Greek god of sexual yearning.
Platinum Passion Excerpt (HOT, Adult rated):
Her hands gravitated back toward him, drawing him into her embrace, caressing the stricken look from his features. "Can you at least turn it off?" she asked. "So I know that what I'm feeling is genuine." He felt so hot and so hard against her body, in many ways just like Jake, and yet infinitely different.
"I cannot." His voice was strained. "I am what I am, Jeannie. I cannot change it. But I would not be here if you and Jake did not want this. Even if one of you wanted this and not the other, I would not be here. It has to be both of you, yearning for wholeness, for desire, which calls forth the power of Eros."
His fingertips were working their way down her spine as he spoke. She shivered beneath his touch. "I do want this," she said, rubbing her cheek against him, enjoying the unusual feel of a chest without any hair. Jake had a smattering of hair across his chest and while she loved the springy feel of it when she stroked her fingers down her husband's body, following that line to his groin, the smooth sensation of Pothos was new and exciting.
His organ pressed against her, and she imagined this enormous cock together with Jake's, her hands encircling them both as she bent down to run her tongue across their dual, straining, moisture-tipped heads.
Jake and Pothos.
Citrus and spice.
What a perfect, delicious blend.
"Maybe nice wasn't the best description for you," she admitted. Certainly not if he had a hand in the wicked images flitting through her mind.
His eyes shimmered in the moonlight as he met her gaze. Then a flash of white teeth as he grinned signaled his intention even before he bent to lift her into his arms. She squealed in mock horror as he began to wade out into the water.
"I take it back! You're better than nice! You're damn near perfect!"
"Damn near?" He lowered her until she could feel the ripple of gentle waves on her ass. The water was warm, not the harsh cold she was expecting. In fact, she realized, that felt...really good.
Better than good.
She stopped struggling, but her voice was breathless as she said, "If I admit you are absolutely and utterly perfect, will you lower me...just a touch?"
He pretended to consider. "Like this?"
His arms dipped and she was a few inches lower in the water now, the undulating wetness against her bare pussy like a gentle tongue lapping at her clit. Darting in and out and around every part of her sex in a persistent erotic tease like nothing she had ever experienced before. "Oh, yes," she gasped. "Just like that."
"Admit it, then."
"I do, I do," she moaned. "Perfect. Your butt...your body...your face...everything about you...turns me on so bad—oh!"
He'd dipped her again, a little deeper this time, yet his arms were not even straining at the effort of holding her weight. She could feel his phallus pressed against her hip, her body stroking up and down the length of him as he repeatedly raised and lowered her into the water.
He was doing that on purpose. And it felt so...damn...good.
One of her arms was around his neck and she clutched at dark strands of silken hair.
"Pothos," she gasped. "It's like you're...manipulating the waves...or something. It's...I—"
"The erotes command the power of Aphrodite," he said, dipping and lifting, over and over. "Our desire, like our mother before us, was born of the sea." The words made no sense to her, but the foaming crest of each small wave continued to caress her like a lover until she couldn't concentrate on anything but their touch. Now it felt like his fingers, now his tongue. The warm night air and the contrasting cool ripple of water.
Over and over.
Until she couldn't take any more.
"I can't hold on," she gasped. "I think I'm going to..." A wave once again whispered along her slit. "Oh God, Pothos, I'm going to come—"
"Yes!" His voice was fierce, triumphant, and at the sound she came apart in his arms, bucking and shrieking through her orgasm as he continued to hold her in the path of the gentle but insistent tide.
Then, as she finally quieted, he moved further out into the ocean and lowered her all the way until she was immersed up to her neck. He was still holding her clutched against him, but now she could feel a trembling in his arms. "That is only the first of many tonight," he said.
She reached up and touched his cheek in wonder. "What about you? I can feel your need, Pothos."
"My need is enormous," he admitted, and she chuckled.
"I know that," she said drily. "But—"
"Shh." He placed a brief kiss on her lips. "My needs will be sated this night. Do not worry, little one."
He put her down and she stumbled in the waves before strong arms pulled her close and held her. She rested her cheek against him, enjoying the vibration of his strong heartbeat. They stood like that a moment longer before he took her hand and led her back to the water's edge. The sand was so fine it felt like silt beneath her feet. They stood in the balmy air, moisture dripping off their bodies, listening to the relentless slap of the sea as it met the shore. The folds of flesh along her slit, caressed only minutes earlier by that same tide, were still so heavy it almost felt like her womb was about to fall out. His unsated cock jutted out in front of him, a stark reminder that there was more to come in this encounter. Again she was assailed by the scent of musky passion.
The scent of Pothos.
She wished even harder that her husband was here to enjoy this moment with them, and as if he sensed her thoughts, Pothos smiled.
"Now we are ready for Jake," he said, and pointed back up the beach.
Platinum Passion summary:
Three people. One erotic fantasy. And a twentieth wedding anniversary like no other.
Jeannie yearns for the return of passion in her marriage. Jake wants new excitement in the form of another man, in a way that won't upset the balance of his relationship with his wife. Pothos is one of the erotes and an aspect of Eros, the Olympian god of desire. This couple's distinctive yearning has called to him, and by the power of the erotes he intends to rekindle the flame of Jeannie and Jake's passion in a night of desire that could be the ultimate platinum anniversary gift.
And when the gods of love decide your marriage needs a boost, they never do it by halves.
Platinum Passion (Gods of Love #1: Pothos) is available at:
About the author
Jen is a multi-published author who writes sensual and erotic romance from her home in Melbourne, Australia. She lives in hope that readers will continue to enjoy her novella-length tales of love and lust!
Find Jennifer on the web at:
Paranormal and Fantasy can be two different things. Paranormal is usually dealing with ghosts, monsters, vampires, shifters, werewolves...things that most people don't believe really exist.
ReplyDeleteFantasy stories, books or movies are usually just like reality but with magic or weird happenings going on. They are usually true to life but set in other realities or dimensions and with some magic or mythological creatures in the story.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
i think paranormal is more like regular people with supernatural powers while fantasy is really those creatures that don't exist (or so we believe). Paranormal is like vampires who have human forms but have supernatural abilities. fantasy is like fairies. they don't really exist, right?
ReplyDeleteemail: cruz042 at cougars.csusm.edu
Hi Mary and Arianne, Thanks for your comments. The definitions do seem to vary from person to person, don't they?
ReplyDeleteI thought I knew what it meant until I read the other comments. I think fantasy is strictly magic based worlds and wielders, while paranormal are creatures that have supernatural human abilities.
ReplyDeleteTo me fantasy is based on reality or real history but with an alternate reality or other-worldliness.
ReplyDeleteI think paranormal is based in the real world with beings that are not real but we imagine (or wish) they could be.
It's kind of hard to separate the two. Either way I'll read them!
suz2@cox.net
For me, paranormal is more routed in the real world with the addition of a paranormal character (i.e. vampires, werewolves, witches, demons, ghosts). Its a world I live in and can relate to.
ReplyDeleteFantasy has a bit of the unreal in in for me - mystical worlds, other dimensions or planets, futuristic storylines, more alternate world building. It is definitely a blurred line between the various genres and very hard to identify sometimes between them. For example, I recentely finished Kevin Hearne's Hammered and that would by UF for me even though it is set in today's world.
Hmm, I guess I always equate the paranormal with a romance story in it. AARRHH! The confusion. :-) Great topic though.
Sherri - urbangirlreader(at)gmail(dot)com
I really think it is a fine line between paranormal and fantasy. Even worse, I think that a book can contain some of each. However, I think of fantasy as any book that takes the reader out of the real world and into the fantasy. Think Jacqueline Carey. There are certainly paranormal elements but at it's core it is something fantastic and different. With paranormal, it's our world with the "other" stuff dropped in. A good example is Lydia Dare's werewolf series. Sure, there are some fantastic components but at it's core it's human history. Honestly, many books these days really walk a little on both sides of the line. I think it is exciting!
ReplyDeletejepebATverizonDOTnet
I love paranormal and Fantasy I have been reading just a year and half I really don't know what all the different things are in both!
ReplyDeleteParanormal is alot of vampires and werewolves which are my favorite to read! If it sounds like a good book I will try it! Thank you very much for the great giveaway!
Latisha D
tishajean@ charter.net
The two genres are so closely related and similar, that I think that everyone would have their own opinions about what descibes the paranormal and fantasy genres.
ReplyDeleteI tend to think of fantasy being anything other than our own world, other realms and different realities. I belive the paranormal genre to be somehow related to our world, with a 'supernatural' person or theme and romance.
I've come home from my day job to see all these interesting comments. Thanks everyone! Linda, I thought I knew, as well, until I had to classify the book and doubts crept in. Susan, I do think it's hard to separate the two sometimes. Sherri, I always think of fantasy as having alternate world-building, but then again...confusing!! Jen B, I like your description of paranormal being our world with "other" stuff dropped in. Latisha, I love vampire and werewolf stories, too. I'm reading Carrie Vaughn and Jeanienne Frost right now. Nae, I think they are closely related and it can be hard to define them for that reason. Cheers everyone! Interesting discussion.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's now the 14th over here in Australia, so it's time to pick a winner using random.org. And the winner is... Sherri. Congratulations! I will be in contact via email, Sherri.
ReplyDeleteThank you to everyone who contributed to this interesting discussion.
Paranormal usually deals with, well, the paranormal -- vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc.
ReplyDeleteFantasy can be about anything, but the focus is on world-building.
elizabeth @ bookattict . com