Usually, the main character or characters have to break these rules to succeed in love. Often, this involves some looks of great longing from the other end of the ballroom or some late-night meetups. When you grab a historical romance novel, you’re transported back in time to witness some intense love scenes.

Generally, readers are reminded of the Regency romances of Jane Austen with the mention of historical romance. Here are some of the authors of the genre that you must know:

1. Jackie Ivie

A native of the state of Utah, United States, Jackie Ivie is famous for her debut novel. Titled Lady Of The Knight, the historical romance novel came out in 2004. It narrates the tale of Morganna KilCreggar. When the rival Scottish clan called ‘Fitzhugh’ destroys her family, Morganna sets out to slay the young Zander Fitzhugh. Later, the reader comes to know that the enemy and her heart have other plans.

Jackie Ivie attended the University of Utah and relocated to Wyoming. She stayed there for many years before moving to Anchorage in Alaska, where she now lives. Ivie usually spends most of her time in front of her computer, absorbed in another century. This is how she utilizes her spare time between being a businesswoman, a wife, and a mother.

2. Laura Kinsale

She holds a Master of Science in Geology, which she attained from the University of Texas, Austin. Before becoming a published author, she was working in the petroleum industry. She made her debut with the historical romance novel, Uncertain Magic. It’s a novel set in the Regency era and is about Roddy Delamore. This character has the ability to read minds, which makes it difficult for her to find a husband.

Uncertain Magic came out in the year 1987. Kinsale is the winner of two RITA awards. In 1991, she won the award for the Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. It was for her book, The Prince of Midnight. In 2005, she won the Long Historical Romance award for her book, Shadowheart.

3. Sara Orwig

Ever since her first novel came out in 1978, Sara Orwig has written more than a hundred books. Although she has an impressive list of contemporary romance novels to her name, she also possesses a considerable stack of historical romances. Orwig is a charter inductee into the prestigious Oklahoma Professional Writer’s Hall of Fame.

She has also won the Oklahoma Novel of the Year Award twice. It was presented to her by the Oklahoma Writers Federation. In addition to this, her books have been on the list of best-sellers for B. Dalton, USA Today, and Waldenbooks. She has received eight awards from Romantic Times.

They include the Best Western Historical Romance Writer award. Her three-part Civil War Saga narrates the tales of passion amid the intense military conflict. This military struggle is between the South and North America.

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Many of the readers would be able to identify a book’s genre just by seeing the cover or the blurb. However, the fact remains that it’s not always easy to label every book according to its genre. Still, you’ll find most of the books labeled according to their genre. Among them is paranormal romance.

This genre has a wider scope and includes many different sub-genres. Many individuals like to read paranormal romance owing to all those mysteries associated with it. Of course, there are some intriguing elements or characters that are quite common in paranormal romances. We’ve listed some of them here:

1. The protagonist

This character can either be a male or a female. Generally, the paranormal romance novels have this character in the form of a woman. She is a normal girl who is transported into a paranormal world from her routine life. In this world that she’s transported to, nothing seems familiar.

The reasons for her being transported into such a world can vary. It could be due to one of her past ancestors who wants something from her. One of the other reasons might be her destiny that would lead to her true love. Most of the times she meets a hero who acts as her guide and becomes her lover.

2. The protector

Mostly, this character is a male, but it can also be a female. The character usually wields a sword or a gun, which he or she could most probably need. This character often wins the heart of the reader with some rough talks and a fierce and protective nature. Beneath the battle-scarred body lies an unexpected tenderness. It has been a general observation that this mythical warrior almost never uses the sword or gun.

3. The leader

You might wonder that this character fits into the role of a hero perfectly. When it comes to paranormal romances, he’s the man who is in charge of other males. In other words, he is a leader of a group of men who grabs your attention. He could also be a leader of a group of warriors or the head of a clan of vampires.

This character may also be a link between this world and a realm of demons. The heroine of the novel is more likely to fall for him. He has all the characteristics that would instantly impress the females.

4. The villain

He is the one who always does bad things to good people. This character is mostly the villain of the story who knows that he’s doing all the wrong things. The problem with him is that he still continues to do so and even likes it. He is the ultimate villain and the one who needs to be stopped.

At times, he is a demon or a former overlord. He’s the kind of man that mothers usually warn their children about. Sometimes, such characters have a hint of goodness in some of the paranormal romances. This small element of goodness becomes a reason for his redemption from an evil past.

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The major characteristics are romantic relationships between humans and ghosts, vampires, shapeshifters, or similar otherworldly beings. Although the major focus is on romantic love, you’ll also encounter elements with no scientific explanation. You might also see a blend of themes from fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres of speculative fiction.

Some paranormal romances might also include time travel or characters with certain psychic abilities. Some of these abilities are telepathy and telekinesis. This sub-genre of romantic fiction has its roots in gothic fiction.

Revival

Paranormal romance has gone through a revival phase recently owing to the technological advancements of the 21st century. The internet and electronic publishing process have given a boost to paranormal romances. As a result, it has become a trending sub-genre of romantic fiction today. Some of the examples of authors who specialize in this genre include Jessica Bird, Nalini Singh, and Jackie Ivie.

Tor Books, the fantasy publisher, revealed the statistics in 2013. According to the data, 57% of the writers of paranormal romance or urban fantasy were women. The genre that has men outnumbering women by almost two to one is historical, epic, or high fantasy.

Sub-genres

The elements of fantasy in paranormal romances may be woven into a different version of our own world. For example, an urban fantasy may involve demons, vampires, or werewolves. You might also find more normal forms of the paranormal, such as humans with supernatural abilities. Ghosts or witches may also be involved. You can also place time travel, extraterrestrial, and futuristic romances under this genre.

So, paranormal romances can be described as a blend of the real with fantasy or science fiction. They might also blend elements of certain other sub-genres. Fantasy themes may include mystery and suspense. You’ll also find some paranormal romances with their setting entirely in the past. They’re structured more like historical romance novels.

Many others have their setting in the future and sometimes in different worlds. Some might have a time-travel element. Either the hero or the heroine would travel into the future or the past. The number of paranormal romances published in the United States per year had doubled between 2002 and 2004. In this genre, a popular title carries the potential to sell more than 500,000 copies.

Urban fantasy

In the urban fantasy sub-genre, many of the paranormal romances blend the supernatural with contemporary life. The authors do this by creating certain characters with magical powers. At times, the larger culture has the awareness of the presence of these magical beings amid people. Some stories don’t delve too much into the specifics of their alternative worlds.

Thus, the attention is more on the underlying romance in these novels. In some paranormal romances, the development of the alternate worlds happen rather meticulously. They combine contemporary reality with non-human cultures and well-planned magical systems.

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