I’m not just a fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy when it comes to books, I also enjoy my TV in that flavor too! Television has offered some fine paranormal stories, and I’ve definitely watched my fair share, so I figured I’d share my five favorites.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
This will always be at the top of my list. I’m a huge fan of Whedon’s work, and I happened to get introduced to Firefly and Buffy around the same time. When I think about what I want from a paranormal romance show, this tends to be the paramount example. Give me snarky dialogue, unique monsters, big bads who actually pull some weight, and characters you fall in love with and I’m one happy girl.
Angel:
Out of the two, I think while I adored Angel, Buffy still tops the list for me. After all, that brand of sass isn’t as prevalent in Angel. The darker tone in this show leans more towards sarcasm, although like Buffy, the cast is one that will stick with you for a long time. Though they feature crossover characters, in tone they represent two very different sides of paranormal shows, Buffy being a more young adult feel while Angel maintained a bit more of a serious tone.
Vampire Diaries:
This was a show I never expected to like. I thought there’d be too much sappy melodrama and so for a long time I veered away from it. However, this happened to be just the sort of sassy I adore, and what I love with Vampire Diaries is that they’re not afraid to get messy. Characters die, alliances change, and relationships evolve, rather than stagnating on the same ones over and over. Each season manages to find some new danger that happens to broaden the scope of the world and remain ever entertaining.
Supernatural:
All I have to say is…Carry on My Wayward Son. There was a formula with Supernatural that was so different from everything else out there—a blend of horror, paranormal, drama, and classic rock, that just hit such a broad audience. I have to say too, the first season was so terrifying for me, which was one of the reasons I loved it so much. Even as the series continued, the creativity only expanded, and the episodes became more playful leading to some incredibly memorable moments.
Lost Girl:
This show stole me from the start. I love stories about fae (as evident through many of my books), and the fae puns in the title were hilarious. Bo and Kenzi are one of the best examples to date of a healthy kickass female friendship, and I think they really set the standard. Lost Girl is fresh, innovative, and carries all of the trademarks of what I enjoy in paranormal shows, so it goes down as one of my favorites.
All of these shows did a great job at cementing the elements I enjoy in a story about the supernatural, so when you sit down with a copy of my release, Hunting for Spring, I hope you find shades of those paranormal story essentials!
Hunting for Spring
Katherine McIntyre
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Loose Id
Date of Publication: 1/12/16
ISBN: 978-1-68252-060-4
ASIN:
Word Count: 63,000 words
Cover Artist: Veronica Tibbs
Book Description:
Hunters are a lonely breed, and Conor’s no exception, until the day he meets Brenna. Even though she slinks in unannounced and kills the wight he was hunting down, the girl’s a mystery and he can’t get that blinding smile or those gorgeous curves off his mind.
Since they’re both after the same caster who’s unleashing these monsters, he suggests teaming up, and despite her initial reluctance, the hungry way she scans him down promises something powerful.
However, her secrets have repercussions, and faster than Conor can lift his Glock, he’s drawn into the web of kidnappings and Unseelie mischief, all concealing the machinations of a darker foe—one that plans to bring Philly to ruin.
Available at Loose ID
Excerpt:
He took two
steps back, quite aware of the presence on the other side of the room. “You
know, stealing someone’s kill is bad form,” he complained, cutting through the
quiet tension.
“Looked to me
like you could use the help.” The female voice came from behind him.
Conor turned
around, his hand inching for his Glock.
She sat on the
countertop, one leg hanging over the edge. Long strands of dark, messy hair
hung past her face, brushing her cheeks as she lifted her chin. The woman had
the sort of striking features that made men gape, and Conor fell victim. Her
blue eyes intensified with a curious light as she scanned him, and in the
shadowy room, her pale skin took on a silver hue. Even though her dark eyebrows
knitted together, lending her features a sort of stark fierceness, her pursed
mauve lips softened her face.
The girl tugged
on the cord of her hoodie, and her eyes narrowed. “What’s a normal kid like you
doing hunting a beastie like that?” Her boots hit the ground with a thud, and
she brushed her knees off, making the buckles of her cargo pants jangle.
Conor arched his
brow, wiping his jacket sleeves on the wall in a sad attempt at getting rid of
the wight crud. “Sweetheart, whoever trained you in magic should’ve given you
the rundown on everyone you might encounter—including hunters.”
He caught the
recognition flashing in her eyes, as well as the careful way she stalked around
him like a panther surveying an encroaching predator. “Well, feel free to piss
off, then.” Her words were curt but not shocking. Hunters and casters shared a
history of bad blood due to the chaos so many irresponsible witches caused.
However, one bit of curiosity lingered within him—why had she been tracking the
wight? Unless she’d created this monster.
His anger flared
at the memory of the wounded dog. At the remains of what used to be a human
male lying on the floor, all wreckage from some stupid caster playing around
with powers he or she shouldn’t have been.
“Maybe my work’s
not done yet.” He leaned against the wall and tugged his hunting knife from his
boot. Her entire body tensed in a slight, almost imperceptible way, but the
inquisitive look never left her eyes. Without further ado, he began picking
under his fingernails with the tip of the knife. “Care to share why you were
tracking that wight?”
“Hoping it would
lead me to its master.” She shrugged. “You wouldn’t happen to be trailing him
too?”
“If finding the
source will stop these attacks, I’m joining you.” Conor didn’t leave any room
for disagreement in his voice. Casters in a spat could get ugly, and he didn’t
want to clean up more of these messes.
“Excuse me?” She
placed her hands on her hips, those blue eyes of hers flashing. “From where I
stand, you’re not much help.”
Conor tapped the
side of his nose. “Unless you happen to have an item of his. You’ll never find
a better tracker than a hunter, even with magic.”
A huff slipped
from her lips, followed by a frown. “Fine, but the second you try to slip a
knife in my back, I’ll torch you faster than those wight remains.”
Conor snorted.
“I’m humbled to inspire such faith.” He ran his fingers through his hair and
grimaced at the dirt he’d raked through. A rustle came from the door.
She snapped to
attention as fast as his hand tightened around the hilt of his knife.
A whine followed
by a snuffling sound came from the entryway. Conor squinted as the outside
light cast the visitor in shadow.
He relaxed his
grip and slid the knife back into his boot.
The small beagle
from earlier made its way toward him, limping as it favored its side. Relief flooded
through him to see the little guy survived. Even though his father had trained
him to shut out emotions since they blinded fast and efficient decision-making,
he couldn’t help the occasional indulgence. After all, he didn’t envy his
father’s lonely existence. Crouching, he scooped the beagle into his arms,
careful not to brush the wounded stump.
“I’m Conor
Malone, by the by. If you want my help, we’re going to take a quick side
excursion, because this guy needs medical attention and I need to clean up.”
The dog whined again when he clutched the shuddering body closer.
She arched an
eyebrow. Based on the curl of her lip, she must be more in his father’s camp of
anti-emotion. Not like he gave a damn while a dog trembled in his arms. After a
minute of stale tension that weighed heavily in the carnage-filled room, she
spoke up.
“Fine. We can
save your puppy, but if I catch you singing to the woodland critters, I’m out.”
At that, she cracked a grin. Not one of those casual tossed-aside ones but a
smile that lit her eyes with mischief and illuminated her whole face.
Conor made his
way to the door, pausing before he stepped out onto the street. “You never told
me your name.”
“And you never
asked.” She outpaced him, hopping down the first couple of steps. “You can call
me Brenna.”
About the Author:
A modern day Renaissance-woman, Katherine McIntyre has learned soapmaking, beer brewing, tea blending, and most recently roasting coffee. Most of which make sure she’s hydrated and bathed while she spends the rest of her time writing. With a desire to travel and more imagination than she knows what to do with, all the stories jumping around in her head led to the logical route of jotting them down on paper. Not only can her poetry and prose be found in different magazines, but she’s had an array of novels and novellas published through Decadent Publishing, Boroughs Publishing, Hazardous Press, and Jupiter Gardens Press. For more casual content, she’s a regular contributor on CaffeineCrew.com, a geek news website.
Website: http://www.katherine-mcintyre.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/pixierants
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kmcintyreauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kmcintyremt
Posts
2 comments:
Love your stories, Kat! My favorite was NBC's Dracula.
I so miss Alexander and his London crew.
I want to check out Dracula!! It looked awesome :D
Post a Comment