Borders can be pretty dangerous places. People slip over them in the dead of
night, bringing desperate travelers, contraband goods and stolen identities. I
knew I was inviting in all kinds of delicious plot complications when I set my
novel, The Better to Hold
You, on an invisible boundary line between realities.
I tried not to think about the complications I was inviting by setting my
sequel, Moonburn, on
the borderline between paranormal romance and urban fantasy. At first, when I
thought about writing a sequel, I thought I would concentrate on another
couple, and leave my main characters to get on with the business of living
happily ever after.
But the truth is, I've always had a bit of a problem believing
that couples will transition straight from a passionately conflicted courtship
to a stress-free marriage. In my novels, I've always ended things
optimistically, but assumed that there was another book, never to be written,
about what happened next.
And all of a sudden, I wanted to write the forbidden book.
In The Better to Hold
You, my heroine, Abra, becomes infected with the lycanthropy virus and
discovers how to listen to her instincts. But what if her condition continues
to change, and her instincts, and her impulses, become harder to control?
In The Better to Hold
You, lycanthropy was like an STD. In Moonburn, it's a bit more
like Tourettes...if Tourettes made you irresistibly attractive. What if you
couldn't suppress your reaction to every shmendrick who pisses you off at
work...or your response to every passing flicker of attraction? That's what
Abra's dealing with in Moonburn.
As for Red -- well, I've always known that he is concealing a very complicated
past. He's a shapeshifter, not a werewolf...and in this novel, we find out just
what that means.
Add to the mix the complications of an ex-husband and his girlfriend living way
too close for comfort, and I knew I had all the makings for an emotional and
supernatural showdown.
And yet I know that I'm probably crossing a line. In urban fantasy,
relationships do progress past the stage of first courtship. But urban fantasy
is often more about the world and the mystery than about one central
relationship.
Which side does Moonburn fall on, PR or UF? I say squarely on the border between,
but I look forward to hearing what you think.
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I'm not much of a PR or UF reader (other than Julie Kenner's soccer mom books). I just have a hard time thinking of have intimate relations with something from the canine species, or bats. Old dogs can't be taught new tricks or reading habits. So guess I can't answer the "question of the day"...
However, I do enjoy good writing no matter the genre, and if push came to shove, I would read PR's and UF's. Your comments on plots, etc. indicate you must be a very good storyteller.
(Betty Cox 12:39pm May 19)
okay, I'm out of it today. Just figured out what PR versus UF means. Acronyms, love em or hate em. Gotta be careful because not everyone uses them the same way.
For me, paranormalromance is PNR -- been a follower for too many years to count and PR is public relations. UF is some kind of ultraviolet ray gun. LOL, yup, more coffee definitely needed today!
(Sara Reyes 1:07pm May 19)
I'm still new to both genres and so have yet to fully understand the difference between the two. I've done a little research on the topic and it seems PR usually focus on the relationship and UF is usually about a struggle.
I also have to admit that I'm not familiar with this series, but after reading the description of Moonburn I'd have to say that it looks as if it falls in a hazy grey area. Either way I think it sounds like it's a good one. I'm adding the series to my TBR pile!
(Jennifer DeFoy 1:16pm May 19)
The border sounds like fun. I agree that many times I want a sequel just to see how they survived.
(Karin Tillotson 2:37pm May 19)
Sounds like an interesting read no matter which category it falls under! And I don't think there's anything wrong with falling in more than one category!!
(Kelli Jo Calvert 3:24pm May 19)
This really sounds like a great read. I'm going to have to add both to my list.
(Jo Jansing 2:13pm May 20)
