Writing Demons in Fantasy: Sarah Gilman Guest Blog
by Sarah Gilman
Demons in fantasy stories make, in my opinion, endlessly interesting protagonists and antagonists. Being inherently evil—or inherently any one thing of limited scope—isn’t natural for a sentient creature. Personalities will always provide variation and growth. That makes the demon a perfect story character to examine—so much potential conflict. What will happen when they grow beyond the tiny little box of “pure evil?” How will they turn out when they sidestep expectations?
I admit I spent far too much time debating how to present the demon race in my Return to Sanctuary series. Of course I didn’t want little red guys with horns, but neither did I want men and women who didn’t resemble demons at all.
I wanted to use demons in the first place because I’ve always loved the idea of taking the “monsters” of other stories and making them the heroes and heroines. Vampires in modern paranormal romance are excellent examples. I’ve always been a fan of more traditional vampire stories, but I also love reading them as heroes. Just like with demons and other monsters, it’s hard for me to believe any creature would be one-dimensional. Give me a character that breaks the proverbial mold, and I’m hooked.
From there, I felt that it made sense to have demons and fallen angels on the same side, given their common enemy: human poachers. Giving them a sexy human appearance was crucial for a romance story, and I added the ability to create fire, one of my favorite paranormal abilities. I gave them fangs, not in a nod to vampires, but to give them a fierce visible trait that spoke to their “animalistic” image. Their final primary trait, which I won’t reveal as doing so could spoil part of Deep in Crimson, completes the picture by making them much more than mere “monsters.”
Of all the monsters-turned-romance-heroes or heroines, which do you find the most fascinating?
Deep in Crimson
Return to Sanctuary
Book Two
Sarah Gilman
Genre: Adult paranormal romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: September 24, 2013
ISBN: 978-1622668960
ASIN: B00BMKFR0A
Word Count: 64,000
Cover Artist: Libby Murphy
Book Description:
Kidnapped by humans and raised in a research facility, Jett was taught to believe his own race of demons insidious and violent. But a friendship with the archangel Raphael shatters Jett’s reality. Caught between two worlds, his first months of freedom find him lingering on the fringes of his home colony, Sanctuary.
When the human who stole Jett captures another demon youth from Sanctuary, Jett learns of the real plan—to steal Raphael’s archangel grandchildren. Jett wants to bring his captor to justice, but he must overcome the lies from his past and join forces with the demon Guardians, and the demon child’s older sister, Lexine.
Irresistible attraction grows between Jett and Lexine, but Lexine’s prophetic dreams of being mated to a poacher make her wary. And if Jett goes through the all-consuming process of becoming a Guardian, he may forfeit any chance they have of being together.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
About the Author:
Sarah Gilman writes wicked paranormal romance and fantasy in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where she was born and raised.
Website: http://sarahgilmanauthor.wix.com/sarahgilmanauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Gilman-Author/161335997299439
Twitter: @Gilman_Sarah
The post Writing Demons in Fantasy: Sarah Gilman Guest Blog appeared first on A.C. James - Erotic Paranormal Romance Author. Spanks for reading!
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER :)
