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Paranormal Romance

Understanding Urban Fantasy Fiction & the Importance of Diversity

December 8, 2022 By Tina Glasneck

What if magic existed, as well as the supernatural and paranormal, only hidden?

Welcome to Urban Fantasy, a genre that has it all.

When I say Urban Fantasy, you might think of The Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill or the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. It’s where the supernatural is real, in the shadows, and fantasy collides with a contemporary setting.

Urban Fantasy, though, also offers so much more.

What is Urban Fantasy?

But first, what is Urban Fantasy?

Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is set in a contemporary, urban setting. This type of fiction often features supernatural elements, such as vampires, werewolves, and other creatures hidden among the human population. The stories often revolve around the conflict between these supernatural beings and humans and may explore themes of good vs. evil, the supernatural in everyday life, and the power of belief.

Diversity in Urban Fantasy

I like to think of it as we find the magic into “the every day,” along with the problems of what it might mean if that secret is revealed to the mass population. Although Urban Fantasy is similar to paranormal romance, paranormal romance focuses on the romance of the couple, while Urban Fantasy spotlights more of the mystery, suspense, and horror elements of the genre.

Representation Matters

Representation in fiction is important, as we all wish to see ourselves in the worlds we read about.

I choose to write diverse characters, as the characters that come forth often appear as a part of my life. It is me, seeing myself as a black woman in an urban setting with magic being real and everything possible. Sure, in fiction, this evil can be metaphorical, but writing urban fantasy also gives me the power to come up with applicable solutions to defeat a big bad in a book that might not be as conquered in my reality.

I write a world in which I am a part, one that is filled with diverse and interesting characters.

Diversity is not a monolith

No culture or people group is a monolith. I write from my experiences, my joy, and my happiness. You might even say, it’s my divine magical spark. Life peppers my fiction (but fiction the stories remain).

There is another reason that diversity is so important. It allows readers an opportunity to see also themselves, their worldviews, and their experiences reflected in the stories they read. Even more, we can learn about others by reading stories outside our everyday purview. Therefore, such reading can also help to broaden readers’ understanding of the world and promote empathy and understanding. When diverse characters are included in urban fantasy stories, it can add depth and richness to the narrative and make the story more relatable and engaging for a wider range of readers.

Urban Fantasy casts spells on us daily. Through those tales, we find magic, conjure up a bit of magic, and come to terms with ways to defeat the threat of evil. We can take strength. We hold onto the beauty of these tales, the passions they stir, and the calls to an adventure we hear. Through the lessons, we learn to live authentically, never cowering to the threat of evil in this reality, even if we can’t all be drafted into a werewolf v. vampire war.

Filed Under: writing Tagged With: conflict with humans, contemporary city, contemporary fantasy, creatures, good v evil, magic, Paranormal Romance, supernatural elements, supernatural fantasy, themes of belief and power, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves, witches

MAKE ME HOWL on Kickstarter

June 6, 2022 By Tina Glasneck

Make Me Howl Special Hardback Edition

Why this Kickstarter project? Why now?
 
In 2021, we found ourselves in the midst of a pandemic, and like many, I sought to create.
 
But my health had other ideas.
 
Instead of thriving, my body was barely surviving, and in April 2021, I grew quite ill. 
 
I tried at-home remedies, not understanding what was happening - hoping that I just needed to kick my feet up and rest. 
 
Maybe I was overworking myself, I thought. 
 
But when things didn’t improve, I finally went to the doctor. This resulted in a slew of medication and a treatment plan.  
 
Yet, instead of improving things worsened.
 
My lovely ochre skin took on a grayish hue, my eyes dimmed, and I grew so weak that I could barely walk up the stairs in my house, let alone try to leave it.
I was a prisoner in my body, trapped, as a tsunami of darkness threatened to pull me under.
 
I didn't know what to do...where to go, and in finding no answers, I knew I needed to advocate for myself, too.
 
One day, while feeling overwhelmingly weak, I had a talk with myself, and I promised that once I got better, I’d never allow myself merely to survive. 
 
Instead, I would kick down doors, blaze paths, and discover new ways to thrive.
I'd shake off all doubts and become the Tina of my dreams. 
 
Finally, with my iron levels so low, emergency surgery was the answer.
 
During my months of recovery, that is when Sunflower and Killian truly showed up. But for Sunflower, she wished to communicate only through heart-wrenching poetry. She took me along this journey of healing, loss, unrequited love, and self-discovery.
 
I truly believe that it is the words of story that saved me, giving me hope, to choose the life of my dreams over the fear that sought to pull me into an eternal slumber, and this I do not write lightly… 
 
For in the power of story I found strength. As Kate Bush so eloquently sings, “Running up that hill" I then chose hope over fear, love over loss, to thrive instead of merely surviving….
 
The power of this story and these characters continue to push me on.  
 
Now, it’s your chance to join this amazing journey, too, as we climb to new heights together. 
 
KICKSTARTER LINK

Week 1 Perks:
 Witch's Rose by Joanna Mazurkiewicz, Ella & the Alien Prince by Margo Bond Collins, and Heart's Mission by Meredith Hart

Filed Under: Blog, Kickstarter, werewolf/wolf shifter Tagged With: Kickstarter, Paranormal Romance, Second Chance Romance, Wolf Shifter

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