Do you remember the first paranormal romance novel you read? Not a novel with paranormal elements and some romance, but a true paranormal romance novel like those we know and love today?
Wikipeida‘s paranormal romance page lists Jayne Ann Krentz‘s Sweet Starfire as the first futuristic romance novel to be marketed by a mainstream romance publisher. The heroine in it, Cidra, has telepathic skills or should have. She is lacking the skills of her people and is on a mission to gain them for herself. To do so, she recruits hero Teague Severance, a “delivery man,” to take her to the “rough outback of the Stanza Nine system.”
I don’t specifically remember if I read Sweet Starfire, but I suspect I did. I certainly read a ton of other books by Krentz and by her pen name, Castle. I might have to try it again to see…
Keeper of the Heart by Johanna Lindsey
My favorite SciFi romance/early paranormal romance has to be Keeper of the Heart by Johanna Lindsey, and the other books in the Ly-san-ter series. It (and the other books in the series) is, in my opinion, the best example of an alpha male romance you will ever read. Also for the time, insanely sexy. It mashed up the best of what historical romance novels of the time had to offer (the heroes and setting) and put them in an exciting no-limits world. I still have my yellowed paperback.
Today, we probably wouldn’t classify Sweet Starfire or Keeper of the Heart as paranormals, but back in the 80’s futuristic romances were a new somewhat risky genre and definitely lead to the boom of paranormal stories that followed, including vampires and werewolves.
The next hot thing in the evolution to today’s paranormal romance was time travel. If you haven’t read it, you have to try a true classic in time travel romance, Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux. My friend, Eve Silver lists it as her first paranormal romance love and I have to agree with her. It’s one of my all time favorites too.
Author Lexi Post recommends another telepathy story as her favorite first in the to-become paranormal romance genre, Uncertain Magic by Laura Kinsale. It features a dark hero known as the “Devil Earl” and a mind-reading heiress, Roderica Delamore who has resigned herself to a life without romance. Unfortunately, for Roderica the “Devil Earl” eludes her magic, at least so far as reading his mind goes…
Embrace the Night by Amanda Ashley
And finally, a vampire… Michele Hauf, vampire lover extraordinaire, lists Amada Ashley‘s Embrace the Night as her first love. Embrace the Night came a good decade later from the other books I’ve listed here, but it is still a classic. “Cursed by the darkness, he searches through the ages for the redeeming light, the one who can save him.” You can’t get more classic for a vampire romance than that.
So what about you? What was your first paranormal romance love? And have you read any of the classics listed here?
If not, good news, they are all available as ebooks. Check them out!
Make sure to leave your personal loves in the comments! I’m going to pick one lucky commenter and gift her/him with a $10 gift card to Amazon. Contest ends February 28, 2017 at midnight.
The Vampire Who Stole Christmas
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Not sure if you class Wizard of Oz a supernatural
As she travels to a fantasy land may be
If not then Twilight
Antoinette Stockingberg’s Beyond Midnight. Inspired me to try my hand at writing my own.
Oh… I remember reading her!
A Season of Ponies by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (when in junior high), and Nora Roberts time travel duo ( Time Was and Times Change) for a 1990 read.
CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT by Mercedes Lackey – though technically you’d consider it Urban Fantasy. I think Lackey was ahead of her time with this series. Sad that the backlash caused her to stop writing this series.
I remember one of my younger brother’s friends gave me a bag of “horror” books. Lackey book was in there. I was in high school (I cannot remember if I was a junior or senior, that was back in ’93/’94)
The first paranormal romance book I read was Imzadi. It’s a Star Trek: The Next Generation backstory novel.
My first one that comes to my mind is Shannon Drake/Heather Graham’s Beneath A Blood Red Moon. I doubt that it’s the first paranormal that I read, but it’s the first one that I remember sticking with me.
I think the first was Keeper of the Heart–Johanna Lindsey. My memory stinks. 😆
It would be Mina Carter. Wow! Her books are amazing!! Thank you so much!!
Twilight was the first I tead.
my first one was dead girls are easy
Diane, Inzadi holds a special place in NY heart and on my bookshelf. We call each other Imzadi. Can you tell we are STNG fans?
Would 1984 count? Probably not.Anne Rice? If so, I’d say Intwerview with a Vampire. If not, then let’s say Bardic Voices by Mercedes Lackey
I came late to paranormal romances. I think Dearborn by Jenni Moen was the first one I read.
Johanna Lindsey and Jude Deveraux were the first two authors I remember reading that had time travel, ghosts, and romance. I don’t remember the titles but the stories have stayed with me for years. I’ve read other paranormal books because of them!
I love Lord of the Storm (The Coalition Rebellion Novels Book 1) by Justine Davis
I have read so many romances and other genres over the years I’m sure I had a favorite at the time but at the moment I can’t think of which would have been my favorite paranormal romance.
I can’t remember my first, but I am furiously adding to my wish list here. I have read Johanna Lindsey.
I love anne rice’s vampire novels
It amazes me that people can remember their first book in any genre. I read so much I can’t recall anything from decades ago. Crazily enough for someone like me who reads over 350 books a year, I haven’t read a single book mentioned in the post and I love PNR.
The Ilona Andrews series featuring Kate Daniels and Curran; Darynda Jones of course; Lilith SaintCrow; Rhiannon Frater; These are just faves, not my first. I simply can’t remember back that far!
I have no idea what my first paranormal romance love was. I’ve read so many. But some of my favourite paranormal authors are Maggie Shayne, Nora Roberts and Caryn Moya Block.
My first paranormal was one of Anne Rice’s novels featuring vampires.
The first one I can think of was Outlander
Nora Roberts and her Morrigan’s Cross trilogy <3
I hope you try some of them. I’d be curious to hear what you think afterwards. :)
about a decade ago, I read a vampire romance that was a bit of a romcom and loved it. don’t remember the title. Might still have it somewhere
Rejar by Dara Joy, found a beat up copy at a library, flipped a page and was hooked. I loved that story sooo much that I now own all her print books and have a steadily growing collection of all the greats ( in my opinion) in the genre.
That was a GREAT book. I had totally forgotten about it.
Anne Rice’s vampire series comes first to mind.
Mine would be JR Ward’s series.
Although I remember reading Taylor Caldwell’s The Romance of Atlantis – but that was more fantasy than paranormal.
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