Looking at Andrew’s books, I can immediately see one major difference between us as authors. While Andrew mostly writes contemporary stories, I lean a lot more toward paranormal. I know I’ve mused on the topic before, but it got me to wondering again about why it is I love the paranormal genre.
One of the biggest draws for me is the sheer scope of the genre. You can go from a chilling ghost story, such as Stephen King’s The Shining, to the dark and sensual world of Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake novels. Or if you’re looking for something sweeter, there are plenty of offerings in the M/M world. Historical, urban fantasy, romance, futuristic… paranormal has something for whatever mood I’m in.
Another big thing for me is the escape from reality. When I sit down to read or write I want to go some place exciting and completely removed from my own reality. Books with magic and monsters let me get away from the real world by introducing elements that don’t exist in this world. And it adds a new sense of danger of suspense to the story because anything could happen next—the laws of our reality no longer restrain the plot.
But as different as the paranormal creatures are, I think they still represent something that most of us can relate to. Vampires represent our struggle with our humanity and mortality. A lot of people are afraid of growing. Heck, I know I am. I mean, I’m probably going to get all wrinkly and have to wear an adult diaper. Ugh! But what if I could become a vampire?
Then there’s the werewolves and other shifters. To me, they represent our inner conflict of head and heart. The animal part of us is our heart, driven by emotion and need, whereas the human is the more logical of the two.
A part of me has always wanted to believe in the prospect of the paranormal being real. I’m pretty sure vampires and shape-shifters aren’t, but I’m still holding out on ghosts as a possibility. When I daydream I often imagine having superpowers and being able to defeat evil, or use my powers to bring about a utopian society by destroying the corrupt and hateful. Maybe that’s a reflection of how powerless we can feel at times. If only we had the power to bring about change.
I pretty much grew up on paranormal TV shows, such as Charmed, Buffy, and Supernatural. So it’s really no surprise to me that I have three books I’m currently writing about witches, vampires and shape-shifters. I absolutely can’t get enough of them.
Charmed was one of my bigger inspirations for my latest book, Familiar Feeling. But rather than have the stories be about their fight against evil, I wanted to focus more on the characters’ relationships with their familiars. I wanted it to be more about their internal struggles to move on from their pasts, with magic being a catalyst to helping them realise their love. And to mix things up a little, I decided to forgo the usual suspects when picking their familiars, and included a bit of Chinese mythology. That flexibility is something else I enjoy about the genre—I can make my own rules.
With that, I’m going to wrap things up and say thanks for having me. Don’t stop believing in magic. Even if it is just the magic of everyday life.
About Daniel:
Daniel was born and raised in the Land of Rain, aka England, where he now lives with his four lovable furballs; Mik, Ash, Spidey and Flash. Originally trained as a Biology teacher, Daniel was unsure what to do with his life until he came across fanfiction for his favourite anime and decided to have a go at writing his own. To this day, he still cringes at the memory of the cheesy terminology he used.
When not writing, Daniel enjoys a variety of activities, including running, going to the gym, bondage, watching anime, and the mass-slaying of virtual monsters in the hopes of receiving epic loot. One day, he hopes to become a werepanther and invent chocolate that can be eaten all day without making you fat.
About Familiar Feeling:
Drew never believed in magic. Then three years after his wife’s unexplained death he unearths a book of spells in his attic. Reading the first ‘stupid poem’ seems harmless, until he acquires his very own familiar, Felix.
Drew and Felix soon realise an attraction that goes beyond their magical bond. However, there’s a coven of demon-worshipping witches out to steal Drew’s newfound power. If they want to survive long enough to see where their mutual desires take them, Felix must teach Drew the art of witchcraft. But will he be ready in time?
Buy now from Wilde City Press.