Romantic Horror.

[ZannaPerry]

Is there already a genre like this?

I ask this because I've been emailing one of my favorite authors who writes romantic suspense novels, and I told her that one of these days I would also like to horror novels since my current WIPs are all romantic suspense. She said that maybe I could invent a new genre called "Romantic Horror." That sounded all right to me, but is there one out there like that already or would it generally be placed under Romantic Suspense?

Thanks! :hooray:

[veinglory]

I think it depends. I can think of one book that was romantic horror if you are a little twisted, the H and h ended up melded together as part of an amobic alien lifeform--it was actually quite sweet :)

I guess if the villian is a person it can be suspense or thriller, if it is a giant worm or demon perhaps it is horror....?

I would think that combining the two is tricky as horror repells and romance attracts?

[ZannaPerry]

I've always read books that were romantic suspenses where the villain was a religious freak obsessed with cults and burning witches, and in the middle of it all was a love story. Not with the villain, but you know what I mean?

I sort of have a story cooking that's not a part of my three currents, but it has to do with murder (which could be horror) and a serial killer. But I've also read about those in romantic suspense. The killer would torture his victims, and then ultimately kill them by attaching a knife to his manhood and rape them. Wouldn't that be classified as horror?

[JulesJones]

There are some romantic horror books out there. L M Prieto has written a couple -- you could email her and ask whether it's a recognised genre yet:

http://www.luisaprieto.com/

[Marlys]

How is it different from paranormal romance? Heavier on the scare factor? Otherwise, there's a ton of it out there: vampires, werewolves, witches, etc. Above all of them, vampire fiction tends to combine horror and romance--vampires have almost always been portrayed as seductive and often fixated on a love object.

[JanDarby]

FWIW, Ruthie's Club's most popular issue is the Halloween one (available on-line now). The stories are a mix of romantic and non-romantic erotica, and, obviously, this issue has a certain amount of ghosts and demons and the like. These are short stories, rather than novels, but it suggests a definite market for the combination of erotic and scary.

JD, whose story this week is more of a romantic comedy -- a woman seeks out and falls in love with a particularly powerful, but not scary, demon -- than horror.

[ZannaPerry]

So really......there are books that can be under the romantic horror catagory but really there isn't a genre titled that, right?

[veinglory]

Paranormal these days doesn't tend to have anything actually hide-under-the-sofa scary or repulsive in it these days, as far as I see.

[ZannaPerry]

...or maybe people won't buy romance novels if it's also horror.

[kristin724]

Depending on what venue I'm promoting at, sometimes I strech The Vampire Family as paranormal romance, even though I think it lacks on the romance. STrangely enough, readers totally dig the vampire romances in it and my new publisher is billing it as vampire, horror, and romance. Go fig.

[The_Grand_Duchess]

I'm not sure if there's a genre currently that fits that but I find the idea very intriguing. There's a whole horrible subtext to love that isn't often covered.

[ZannaPerry]

I just think Romantic Horror sounds like an intriguing genre to pursue. Maybe it can be one of its own someday. :)

[chroniclemaster1]

I think the market is definitely out there. As a couple people pointed out, one of the great things about vampires is that they've been portrayed as passionate and bloody lovers since Stoker wrote Dracula.

You could make an argument that Anne Rice's series on the Mayfair Witches falls under a Romantic Horror genre. I haven't read the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton, but what I've heard makes me think it's probably something close. But I'd agree that it's probably not a name you can drop without having to explain what you're talking about. Just my 2cents.

And I don't know if this is the only group that would be included, but I'd say any book where the heroine and the villian are an erotic couple would be good candidate.

[qweenie]

Above all of them, vampire fiction tends to combine horror and romance--vampires have almost always been portrayed as seductive and often fixated on a love object.

*raises hand guiltily*

That's what I'm working on right now - I just love writing seductive vampires. Something about sex and death - it's an irresistable combination :D