Guest Blog/Giveaway with Kathy Kulig

It's a pleasure to welcome author Kathy Kulig to the blog. Her latest title is out now and called Dragon Witch.

The Irresistible Paranormal Hero

Why are paranormal/fantasy romances so popular right now. Fantasy is escapism but so is any fictional story but a fantasy world takes us farther away from our troubled everyday world. When the media bombards us with the grim reality of life, fiction provides a safe journey by following strong characters as they overcome impossible obstacles and win over the bad guys. These stories give us hope that happy endings are truly possible.

The heroes and heroines in these stories are larger than life and are so unlike the average, everyday men and women in a reader’s life, yet many of us relate to them, even imagine ourselves in their shoes, because there is some flaw or down-to-earth quality that gets us rooting for them. The disasters and troubles these heroes must face are on a world scale. What a relief to see someone else has bigger problem than us.

In paranormal stories the heroes are mostly alpha, and may include a few fangs, claws, fur or some other supernatural aspect—a new twist to the image of our “dream guy”. These are tortured heroes. Who can resist a hunky tortured hero with a heroic cause or “issues” that only the right woman can understand?

The appeal of writing in a fantasy/paranormal genre is that an author can explore the human condition without the constrictions of the real world. The elements of the fantastical add to the conflicts between characters which allows for some interesting dynamics, something that usually can’t occur in a contemporary, real-world story.

Besides books, themed stories in paranormal, fantasy and Sci-Fi are popular now in movies and TV shows too. Creator of Battlestar Galactica and Caprica is making a Sci-Fi pilot described as an “Adult Harry Potter set in a world ruled not by science but by magic.”

Neil Gaiman’s comic book series “The Sandman” is close to being adapted for a TV show. It’s about Morpheus, the Lord of the Dreaming, a deity who personifies dreams. “Three Inches” is a pilot about a former government agent who takes on a team of “super” heroes—people with unusual powers—in order to fight evil.

L5 is a hard Sci-Fi miniseries—a futuristic earth, somewhat dystopian-like. The Event and Fringe are going on now and very popular. These are just a few, but if you watch them check out the characters. I think you’ll see especially strong female characters and alpha male characters in many of them.

In romance books, we’re seeing a number of subgenres in the paranormal realm: urban fantasy, dark fantasy, dystopian fantasy, futuristic, Sci-Fi romance, Steampunk, Cyberpunk, etc. Many of these subgenres have really been around for a while but were grouped either under Sci-Fi or fantasy. Couldn’t Ray Bradbury’s book Fahrenheit 451 be called dystopian fiction? And some of Dean Koontz suspense novels could be called dark fantasy. Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a mystery series first published in 1887 has the flavor of Steampunk.

It’s usually up to the publisher what sub-genre a novel will be labeled. As a long time fan of speculative fiction and romance, I’m thrilled to see such a variety available to read, and I’m having a blast coming up with story ideas to write and the irresistible characters to play the parts.

To learn more about author Kathy Kulig and her books visit: http://www.kathykulig.com or her blog: http://www.kathykulig.blogspot.com
Please follow her on Twitter and Facebook too.
http://www.twitter.com/kathykulig
http://www.facebook.com/kathykulig 

DRAGON WITCH

By: Kathy Kulig

Out Now!

Biologist and witch, Jaida Chel combines nature magick with herbal science to protect Kai, the last shapeshifting dragon on her world of Somerled. But when Captain Brayden Stokes reenters her life, not only is Kai’s life at stake, but so is Jaida’s secured position in the colony. Brayden and Jaida can’t resist the sexual heat between them, even though she knows a relationship would be doomed. Fleet pilots don’t stay planetside for long.

Jaida is torn between Brayden and her dragon and companion, Kai. When Kai morphs into a human twice a year, his sex drive is ravenous. He must mate for twenty-four hours or die. Unrestrained passion between Kai and Jaida temps Brayden into a forbidden encounter. With Jaida’s sassy, wicked ways, the three cross boundaries, exploring eroticism beyond their imagination. When secrets and betrayals are revealed, Brayden must risk everything for one last chance at love.

All Romance Ebooks | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Ellora's Cave

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GIVEAWAY:

Thanks to Kathy I have a digital copy of Dragon Witch for one lucky winner. To enter leave a comment along with your email address. Open to everyone. (International readers too).  The winner will be announced on December 22nd.  Good Luck!