Guest Post with Tina Moss: Para Beyond the Normal

Halloween always makes me reach for a spooky book, and one supplier of my habit, author Tina Moss, has joined Operation Awesome for a guest post on writing paranormal fiction. Take it away, Tina!

Para Beyond the Normal
By: Tina Moss

Writing paranormal fiction is akin to the delicate and intimate art of...cave-diving. I’ve never actually been cave-diving, mind you, but whenever I sit down at the keyboard to work on a paranormal manuscript, I inevitably picture a cave. Not your “nice” cave either complete with roaring fire, no bugs, comfy sleeping bag, and an unending supply of s’mores. No, not that type. I imagine a big, gaping black hole that I’m about to jump into with--or some days without--safety gear attached.

So, why would any sane rational person decide to write a genre that essentially equates to jumping into a bottomless pit? Well, putting aside the fact that I sometimes question my sanity, and almost never feel rational when it comes to writing, paranormal does something that no other genre can do. It allows you to dive headfirst into a world where anything, absolutely anything, can and often does happen. The only limits are the depths of the author’s imagination. Now, to be fair, fantasy and sci-fi may be able to take the reader on a similar experience, but I consider both in the realm of the paranormal. Whenever we suspend our beliefs of what constitutes as “normal” than we’ve landed in the beyond normal, namely the paranormal.

As we approach Halloween, arguably the Superbowl of the Paranormal, and reflect upon this genre, I’d encourage you to pick up an author you’ve never read before. Nowadays the most challenging aspect of being a paranormal author is encouraging readers to gamble with their hard earned money on a shiny new story...from a name they’ve never heard. We’ve had amazing heavy hitters around for years, names like Jeaniene Frost and Jim Butcher, Kresley Cole and Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh and J. R. Ward, and scores of amazingly talented paranormal and urban fantasy authors. As a small fish in a big pond, it can be hard to break into this incredibly talented market. So, blogs like Operation Awesome, and readers like you, can really make the difference in finding new stars in this field.

Finally, for the newbie paranormal readers out there, don’t be afraid to suspend your belief and take that dive into one of the odd “caves” known as paranormal stories. Whether ghosts or ghouls, vampires or werewolves, witches or psychics, and the scores of mythical and mystical creatures waiting to delight and terrify you, remember all personify our basic human fears and delights. From the immortality of the vampire to the strength of the werewolf to the ghostly desire to see our loved ones again, paranormal may be beyond the normal, but it touches us on a primal level. An author may take you on the wildest abstract ride while still pulling at your heart strings or raising the hairs on your neck, and that’s why paranormal is worth the jump...even without the safety gear.

Thanks, Tina! And if you're dying for a good Halloween read, Tina and co-author Yelena Casale have a new book coming out!

 
Cassie’s working for a tightwad boss at a pretentious NYC diner, dealing with paralyzing pain that doctors can’t diagnose, and trying to hide her hands that glow purple whenever she ...well, whenever.

So, when a mysterious stranger walks out of her dreams and into her life to spout some nonsense about her being a mythical creature, she chalks it up to one more crazy thing to add to her it’s-a-crappy-life list. Yet, when the stranger’s predictions start to come true, she discovers a world that could shake up her humdrum existence.

The book releases on Halloween, October 31st. Add it on Goodreads here! And here's some info on Tina and Yelena:

Tina Moss (on the right in photo) is an author of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, and New Adult novels. She lives in NYC with a supportive husband and alpha corgi, though both males hog the bed and refuse to share the covers. When not writing, she enjoys reading, watching cheesy horror flicks, traveling, and karate. As a 5'1" Shotokan black belt, she firmly believes that fierce things come in small packages.

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Twitter: @Tina_Moss

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Yelena Casale is an Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance author. When she is not writing, she loves to read, watch TV with her husband (and without), take long walks and cuddle with her cat Bones. She is a second degree black belt/Shotokan karate instructor, and archaeology, history & art enthusiast. 

Website

Twitter: @Yelena_Casale

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