Taige Crenshaw -…increasing the sizzle factor

Someone asked me the other day about my notebooks and what role they play in my writing process.

I do much of my writing in a notebook. Many times staring at a screen doesn’t get my thoughts flowing but when I take my notebook in my hands I get inspired. When I have a particularly difficult scene to write, it works better when I work out in the notebook.

Notebooks are an essential writing tool in my process.

Another feature that I post on my blog.

Writerly

These are posts or articles I’ve written about writing. They can range from craft, my thoughts and many other things that I feel about writing.

I have no set time I post something under the feature – Writerly. They are at random time and usually on a Wednesday.

Read all Writerly here

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

Demons used to be considered the villain to be beaten but now they are the hero or heroine. They can range dark, scary and frightening to fun loving and sweet. No matter which it is always entertaining to see what twists and turns will come about.

I’ve read so many books on demons and enjoy the world that is built to sustain what they are and stand for. For example the world that Jackie Kessler created in her Hell on Earth series. I enjoyed learning the intricacies is of the society there as well as laughing at the antics of the beings in Hell. Larissa Ione’s The Demonica Series world is captivating and keeps you enthralled. There are so many various demons out there and universe they inhabit. It is interesting how each author makes their own spin on things.

Demons are no longer that frightening being that has to be destroyed. They are the ones we root for to get the girl or guy. Or the one we want to win that battle. The lines are blurred. No longer are they considered evil but somewhere in between or even good. Heck they even live next door and are even soccer moms. LOL.

No matter what type of demon you like to read the one thing I can say in my opinion. They will entertain, thrill and even in some case scare you in the best possible ways.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

I’m revisiting ghosts today. Since my last post I have thought about it quite a bit. Even reread some books with ghosts.

Imagine being in love but not being able to touch the person you love. Not because they don’t know you care or anything like that. It is literally because they have no corporeal form for you to touch or feel. This is taking obstacles to love to a whole new level.

Ghosts are usually thought of to spook you but now they have evolved to entice, titillate and make fantasies about. A ghost as the main character in a story looking to save the world, find love and all that while just being ethereal is a lot. But it is done with such aplomb that it makes your heart race and you cheer hoping for that one touch. That one moment when it becomes all worth it.

One example of a ghostly liaison is in Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Sin of the Night the hero Alexion is sexy and mysterious and a sort of a ghost who is in a temporary corporal form. The heroine Danger doesn’t know what he is which isn’t the only obstacle they face. They face everything and get that happily ever after.

There are many other authors who are exploring this sort of a spin on the obstacles you face when finding love. A ghostly character in love with someone who they cannot touch at least not in a real sense. How do you build a relationship or a lasting love from that?

This is where using your imagination and taking the story to the next level comes in. In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave the reader breathless and rooting for the end that is satisfying and leaves you breathless.

A ghost is just another form of being with all the angst, love and stuff we all have. A ghostly liaison is not only possible but makes you think and bring down the barriers of your imagination.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

From the time I saw my first werewolf movie I wanted to be swept away with a sexy werewolf. LOL.

In paranormal romance werewolves have all the wonderful qualities. Sexy intriguing, tortured and oh so dangerous. Growl. There is just something about a hero or heroine if you will who howls at a moon and mates for life. It brings out the primitive part of your psyche. Imagine finding that one who is only for you and being with them forever. Of course the time to convince that other person of your being for each other is what makes the story.

From that first meeting, all the in between to that final I love you is what brings it all together. Werewolves brings a lot to the in between. They are deadly when protecting those they love. Relentless in going after what they want. A werewolf in search of making the one for them theirs is unpredictable and intriguing.

There are many explorations of the werewolf. In variety of books written about them they are portrayed to be either born, under a curse or bitten by a werewolf then turned. No matter which type of werewolf they bring a reaction. A reaction of wanting to get into their minds.
There is a hierarchy with wolves in a pack. Many authors have explored the Alpha wolf, the one who is the strongest and leader or higher ranking in pack. The Beta wolf is often described as being second in the chain of command. The Omega wolf is one or more wolves, male or female, that occupy the lowest position in the pack hierarchy. There is so much about werewolves to explore. So many great books on various werewolves.

In writing no matter what genre you hear the terms Alpha or Beta thrown around when describing the hero of a book. Of course there tends to be more Alpha’s. Those strong take charge men. I remember a while back readers were also talking about wanting to read more Beta’s. Not as take charge as the Alpha but they have there own ways. LOL. It all goes back to going after what you want.

So share with me some werewolf books you have read.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

I remember when I first fell in love with Mermaids. It was a picture that I saw one day shopping with my mom. It was so beautiful and mythical. Depicting a fantastical creature. After that I was enchanted (grin).

I saw as much movies I could on the subject. From Splash to the Little Mermaid I devoured anything on mermaids. Of course being an avid reader I found books on it too. Although at the time when I was much younger and hadn’t discovered there were mermaids in romance books also. Once I did boy was I in book reader heaven.

Mermaids are such a mysterious being. Underwater and some able to walk on land. They are seen as sexy, enchantress and alluring. They have been depicted as Sirens who led men to their doom or salvation. And usually in romance books you find they are female. Being that I like to turn things around I wrote two books so far about both sirens and mermaids and made them male. I plan on exploring more about both sirens and mermaids male as well as female.

Whichever type of mermaid you read they are interesting. The worlds they inhabit and what they do. For instance The Last Mermaid by Shana Abé which has what I like to call the power of 3 – three different books, set in the span of three different time periods, and with three different couples. These books have great myth and magic.

Another great mermaid series is Daughters of Arianne Series by Joey W. Hill. From the time I read A Mermaid’s Kiss the 1st book is the series I was captured and have waited for each to release. Each has gotten better.

I’ve read everything MaryJanice Davidson published. When I heard she was publishing a mermaid series I was jumping with joy. One of my fav author and mermaids- one of my fav paranormal creatures. I was so there. When Fred the Mermaid series hit the shelves I got the book and every one since. I even went to a workshop where MaryJanice Davidson talked about how she came up with Fred. MaryJanice mentioned she wanted to create an anti-Ariel. No fluffy happy to be a mermaid for Fred. She is cranky, pissed and snarky. I love it and still do.

These are only a few of the mermaid books out there. So many different ways to explore the mermaid culture. I look forward to reading as well as creating more in the mermaid lore. I’m always on searching for more mermaid books so come and share some of your fav’s.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

There are so many fascinating things in the paranormal writing world. I enjoy exploring these being in my writing. In my writings about Gods and Goddesses. I’ve had to do lots of research. The mythology of Gods and Goddesses is fascinating.This is more of an overview of the variety of gods and goddesses. At later dates I will explore each type of god and goddesses more in depth.

There are so many varieties of God and Goddesses. The most common known are the Greek. Zeus, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares Artemis, Athena and Hades to name a few have been portrayed in various stories. Their power, weakness and loves have been seen and explored.

Another type are the Roman’s. Bacchus, Ceres, Cupid, and Hercules are just a few.

Norse have so many fascinating beings. Odin, Thor, Loki, and Freya to name a few.

Celtic’s have Abhean, Brigid, Camulus, and Danu.

The Native American’s have Pana, Glispa, and Chiowotamahke are just a few of the beings in the mythology.

Egyptian’s have Ra, Sakhmet, Osiris and Amun.

There are so many types of gods and goddesses in each culture I can go on and on. In most cultures the powers they are know for correlate with those of gods or goddesses in other cultures. Lots of the powers these beings wield are based in magic and nature.

I have read so many wonderful books based on gods and goddesses. They have ranged from funny, sweet, dark, sexy and mysterious. They all captured the essence of gods and goddesses. The power of them and all their foibles. I could give you a long list of books depicting various gods and goddesses but since I am always on the look out for some great books, instead you come and shares books you have read. Include from which culture the god and goddesses are from.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

It was a dark, rainy night when I saw something come towards me. In shock I stumbled back and fell. The apparition floated closer to me and reached out to me. An electric current flowed through me. I arched as it watched me out of clam eyes. In an instant it was gone. Breathing hard I blinked shaken by my visit from beyond.

Lately I’ve noticed an increase in books about that old spooky favorite ghosts. They aren’t you typical ghosts either. No they aren’t the shapeless blobs with indistinguishable features. These ghosts are full formed and can communicate. Some are even the hero or heroine. Imagine them being an active part of the story. Not used as the scare factor but the one you cheer for and connect with. So fully formed that you sometimes forget that it is an apparition.

There is so much you can do when you write paranormals. Even bring being from the great beyond. And not only that make them fierce and real. Well as real as a ghost can be. Ghostly beings have been explored in many books on various occasions. They have come far and there is still so much more for them to go. The intriguing, fierceness and sometimes-sexy ghosts make a great character to a story. It adds something fresh and different.

What ghost story have you read lately?

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.
Powerful, deadly and oh so sexy. Dragons have it all. They are majestic, mythical and make you go hmmm. Dragons hero and heroine are a complex and interesting story to write and read. In my opinion there is fierceness yet vulnerability about them. Weather they are out to save the world while looking for their mate, just trying to find where they belong or any numerous scenarios it makes you think. They can be real dragons that shifts to an alternate human form or human that can be dragons.

I’ve read so many forms of dragon stories and often come away with a smile and a sense of satisfaction. When a story is done well it draws you into this mythical race of being. Large, deadly, and powerful are only a few of the words that describe them. There is so much you can explore and create about them.

All those stories I had read made me want to write my own story of dragons. I remember when I wrote my own story of dragons. I was flooded with so many ideas of what I could do. The history, myths and worlds I could build. It was so much fodder for many books I plan to write.

The sleek grace, awesome power and mythology of dragons in a story brings so much more than a story of a shifter. It brings life, fire and magic all wrapped up in flight. Flight to the stars and beyond.
I’m always on searching for more dragon books so come and share some of your fav’s.

“In paranormals you can work an insurmountable obstacle into a fantastic story. A story that will leave you not only rooting for the end that is satisfying but leaves you breathless and brings down the barriers of your mind letting your imagination take flight.” – Taige Crenshaw

Above is what I’ve said many times before and will always believe. Now lets explore another wondrous paranormal being.

The oh so mysterious vampire is one of the most eclectic beings. From that dark brooding sexy Dracula who set the stage for all future vampires. Dracula is so mysterious and has been retold so many different ways. As I think of it I am amazed how vamps have evolved. We now have so many types of vamps to choose from.

No longer are vamps only dark. You now have those that are funny and oh so human. They love, feel and try to belong. We have a shoe loving vamp who became an accidental queen. Betsy from Mary Janice Davidson’s series. There are the families of vamps who have various quirks. The Argeneau’s by Lynsay Sands. The vamps who are hunted by a hunters of light. L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress Series. An executioner who ends up with a vamp. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. And let us not forget the teen age vamps. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series.

There is so many types of vamps to choose from. They have evolved into the boy next door or girl who loves shoes. It is amazing that they are embraced not just in books bout there are TV shows, movies and so on them.

Although vamps have evolved the one thing that stays the same is there is a history. Each type of vamp builds a history for their world. One that pulls you in and makes you part of what they are. A world that has various rules and so on that they follow.

Whether you like you vamps dark and brooding or fun loving and quirky. They are all sexy and unique in their own way.

So come on and share who are some of your favorite vamps. Give the title of the book or series and the reason you love them.