Halloween every day?

In the past, Halloween has always been a time for horror tales. Witches, ghosts, werewolves and vampires have been the creatures used to frighten children and adults alike. Halloween has always been a time where a good scare is what it's all about, a time for “tricks” or “treats”, or any combination of the two.

This “scary” holiday has undergone a radical shift over the past few years with the rising popularity of the paranormal romance genre. Halloween has become a time for deliciously naughty tales involving heroes and heroines who are witches, vampires, shifters, ghosts, or any number of otherworldly creatures.

Luckily for fans, Halloween isn't the only time we get to indulge our love of the paranormal. New books are released each week featuring hot heroes who happen to be totally dependent upon the blood of others, or sexy heroines who can shift into a beautiful wolf or sleek cat. The combinations for pairings are as endless as the imaginations of the writers.

For instance, Selena Illyria has an amazing series of books about a family of vampires. One of the brothers is paired with a normal human; another with a dragon shifter. Her terrific Tartan werewolf books have taken her sexy, furry men to the Highlands of Scotland, where they meet their feisty, strong-willed heroines. The sparks fly and the sex scenes are scorching, yet underneath it all are stories about two people finding one another and falling in love. No matter whether one or both of the partners is not human, the love story is what it all boils down to.

There are even paranormal romances where one of the main characters is a ghost. It would appear on the surface that a romance with a ghost would be impossible, yet there are wonderful stories where the author has created a reasonable, in the world of paranormal entities, resolution and even a happily ever after. I never would have thought this possible if I hadn't read some of these for myself. Lacey Savage has an excellent Halloween romance where the hero is a ghost, Ghostly Awakening from Ellora's Cave. Selena has a great one coming soon with a ghost as her hero as well. Both of these books have happy endings, even with a main character who is a ghost.

Another prime example of how the creatures of Halloween have entered our everyday reading lives are the books of such authors as Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Nina Bangs, Dakota Cassidy, Lynn Viehl, MaryJanice Davidson, and Michelle Bardsley, just to name a few. Whether the stories are scary or sexy or a little bit of both, Halloween has made its presence known 365 days a year.

Personally, I'm happy with this turn of events as I am a huge paranormal romance fan. I grew up reading horror stories but found as I got older I wanted more than just a good scare. I wanted more depth to the characters, relationships, and a romance with a happily ever after ending. Authors today are giving me that in spades and I couldn't be happier.

As an aspiring author, I find myself drawn to writing paranormals since that is my favorite reading material. I have written books with witches, shifters, and sorcerers just to name a few. Each of these types of characters can be found in scary Halloween tales passed down through the ages. The great thing about the stories today is the addition of romance to spice things up and keep it all fresh.

I'm happy to see that Halloween isn't just an October holiday anymore and that we can enjoy a little bit of it any time we want to in the pages of great books. To all the authors out there who delve into the paranormal genre, keep up the great work!