Gìveaway & guest post: Demon Crossings author Eleri Stone on genre blending
Please help me welcome Demon Crossings author Eleri Stone to GT today!
See our review for Demon Crossings here.
| Thank you Grave Tells for having me here today! I’m really excited to talk about the release of my new paranormal romance, Demon Crossings. Demon Crossings is near and dear to my heart because it’s set in Iowa which is where I live. It’s also based on Norse mythology for which I’ve always had a fascination. And it’s a paranormal romance that’s very strongly influenced by the fantasy genre which was my first love as a reader.
In fact, back when I was getting this story ready to submit to my editor, I had a hard time figuring out how to genre label it. Without the romance (which is central to the story), I would have called it contemporary fantasy but it’s not really what people think of when they hear “fantasy romance”. Sure, we’re talking portals to alternate dimensions and lost worlds, sword wielding heroes and demonic armies out for blood. But the majority of the story takes place in a small farming community in the Midwest and for all of their special abilities the people of Ragnarok are also very, often heartbreakingly human. |
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| I think the problem is that the Fantasy genre is huge with lots of different subgenres – epic, urban, high fantasy, low fantasy, contemporary fantasy, dark fantasy, light. The Romance genre as a whole is huge too but when you mash the two together, the subgenre distinctions don’t necessarily sync up.
The basic premise in Demon Crossings is that Ragnarok (the apocalypse) has already happened to Asgard (the home of the Æsir, including the gods Odin and Thor). Refugees managed to escape through portals into our world where they did their best to blend in with the human population. They aren’t as powerful here but they still retain certain gifts, legacies from Odin, that enable them to not only survive on earth but also to fight the fire demons that occasionally break through into our world. |
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More about Demon Crossings… |
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| Private investigator Grace tracks a kidnapped child to middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Encountering a strange creature she knows can’t be a local animal, she doesn’t need her psychic abilities to figure out the sleepy town is not what it seems. When she meets the intriguing Aiden, she’s plunged into a world of Norse gods and fire demons where the Wild Hunt still rides the night.
Aiden needs Grace’s help to cross the portal between worlds and rescue his daughter. Grace is unlike any woman he’s ever met. He’s drawn to her courage, distressed by her vulnerability and doubtful of her motives. But he knows that her visions are the key to defeating the enemy and bringing everyone home alive. Grace wants a future with Aiden, even if it means she’ll never have a normal life. When a test run to the portal takes a terrifying turn, they must learn to finally trust each other or Aiden’s daughter, and their chance at love, will be lost forever… |
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| In the end, I submitted Demon Crossings as a paranormal romance because I think that gives it the best shot at getting to the right audience and as an author, I want to get my books into the hands of people who are looking for a story just like the one I’m writing. But I’m curious to know what you think. Do you pay attention to the Urban Fantasy versus Paranormal Romance versus Fantasy Romance distinctions or do you just go by the blurb?
I’m running a series of posts on my blog about the world of Demon Crossings. If you’re interested, you can find the links here.
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About the author |
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Although I’ll read just about anything, my favorite genres are fantasy and paranormal romance and that’s what I tend to write.
I like the mystery of the hidden, the forgotten and the unknown, quietly strong heroines and honorable men, real conflict and people who are smart, strong and brave enough to meet it head on. I believe in love. The kind of love that binds people together and has the power to redeem. I love stories that remind you that even in the boring and stressful times you never really know what might happen next. You can find Eleri online here…
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| Want to read more from Eleri? Check out GT’s review of Redemption, book two in her Lost City Shifters series! | |
Win a copy of Demon Crossings!
Ready to read it? You can win a copy on GT by commenting below and letting Eleri know whether or not genre makes a difference or if you choose your reads solely based on their blurbs. Don’t forget to fill out the Rafflecopter!
This giveaway closes at midnight on Saturday, January 7th, so you only have two days to enter!
I have to say a blurb or recommendation will get me for a book. Thank you for the great interview. Marie Lisk melisk1966@yahoo.com
I don’t care much about genre. I like to read all types of books. If a book is well written, then I love it. When I choose a book, I look at the cover, the blurb, and read some reviews to get a general idea about the book. I don’t let a review be the deciding factor for me, I just try to get a few perspectives then decide on my own. If authors I really like recommend books, I usually will give those a try. Well, those are my thoughts. Have a great day!
To be honest, i really don’t really care about genre – I like them all, if it is written by a good author;)
So don’t try to specialize, if it is paranormal, urban, romance, etc, just enjoy the books they catched your attention.
I cruise genre aisles in bookstores, but it’s ultimately the blurb/excerpt which sells me on a book.
Many books of the books I read are a mix of genres.
i don’t really care about the genre too, especially if it’s from a new author that i never read before. if the blurbs are interesting, i usually pick it up and try it.
Hi DVK! Thanks again for having me. I love reading these answers. I started to wonder if this was something that authors over-obsess about. (Or maybe just I do?) I mean, if there’s no romance in your romance or no mystery in your mystery, then I’d call foul but some of the sub-genres get blurry!
I sometimes pay attention to the genre so that I know a little of what I’m getting myself into when I start to read a story, but otherwise it’s about the blurb. If it attracts me then the genre doesn’t matter.
I have to say I am really digging the cover on Demon’s Crossing! It would make a great poster:) I’m definitely adding this one to my wishlist!
yadkny@hotmail.com
Thanks, Yadira. I think the artist did a great job on the cover too 🙂 I love how vivid the colors are especially.
It’s great to have you Eleri! Thanks for offering the giveaway!
Personally, genre does make a difference to me. I’m particular about what I read (and watch). My “recreation” time, meaning non-work, is reserved only for things that help me escape. Generally for me that means: romance, paranormal/fantasy, comedy. If I see a genre, I look at that first. If it looks like anything that could possibly happen in real life, modern day, or something that will scare me (I spook easily), I skip it without reading the blurb. Looks like I’m in the minority on this one! 😉
I read more paranormal/urban fantasy these days, so the genre is what I check first when looking for a new story to read. Then I peek at the blurb and the excerpt to make sure that the storytelling works for me. Your’s dows, Eleri, and I can’t wait to start this series.
caity_mack at yahoo dot com
Thanks, Caity! I hope you enjoy it.
I’m not particular about genre labels because I have discovered that others are not sure how to label their books either. And more importantly, I am a very eclectic reader who can read pretty much any number of the Dewey Decimal System.
Thanks for the discussion though about the book and why you went with the genre you did. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
I was unable to leave my email address for being an email subscriber on Rafflecopter so here it is: sophiarose1816@gmail.com
Thanks Sophia!
I do pay attention to genre to some degree. I like certain types better than others and sometimes it just depends on what kind of mood I’m in whether I want a mystery, fantasy etc. so it’s my starting point. However it’s usually the cover or specific author that makes me pick up a book and the blurb or first few lines that sells me.
I’m totally a sucker for a good cover. So bad, right! 😉 I’ve learned my lesson lately though, with two stellar books that blew me away and had crappy covers. If I hadn’t been reviewing them for The Forbidden Bookshelf, I’d never even have considered them. I’m so glad I didn’t stop at the visual!!
It’s hard sometimes NOT to judge a book by its cover, isn’t it? OK, so what I hear is genre is a consideration but it’s not the only one…blurb, cover, excerpts are all important too.
I somewhat pay attention to genre, but a blurb really goes a long way in helping me decide whether or not I want to read a book. I pretty much read any and all genres but a blurb, recommendation or excerpt help me choose.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
I absolutely pay attention to genre. I want to at least have an idea of what to expect. The blurb is extremely important as well though.
marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I have my favourite genres so i usually read the blurbs from those genre books before i read them on other books 🙂
However i’m always open to other genres so if a good one is recommended to me, then i read the blurbs & if they take my fancy i read them – if i enjoy them, then i tend to read more books from that author & also books/authors they recommend!
Thanks for the fantastic giveaway!
Kel xx
lillie.rose.owen.jesse@gmail.com
I can’t say that I focus on the genre. I tend to certain ones but if a blurb sounds interesting enough I’ll give a book a try. I’ve always been one to try new or new-to-me authors, you just never know what gems you might find! The only books I don’t care for are biographies, autobiographies or westerns (with the exception of romantic westerns or steampunk westerns).
Fantasy westerns? I’m actually almost done writing one of those LOL. Not steampunk but it is a romance!
I guess I pay attention to gerne more often than not. But it really depends on if the blurb grabs my attention. I love Norse Mythology. So this book is right up my alley. Thanks for the chance to win. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by to enter : )
The blurb tells me if I will be interested in the book or not. I check the genre next. I don’t like Historical romance and most of the steampunk. I can read almost anything else. My favorite is Paranormal romance! I’d love to read Demon Crossings.
Thank you so much for having me here today, Grave Tells!! I loved hearing everyone’s opinion on genre labels. Next time I won’t obsess quite so much over subgenre especially since it seems to be only the starting place in deciding whether a book is a good fit. Good luck on the contest!
It was great to have you, Eleri! Thanks for being so responsive with all the comments. I loved the discussion too. It’s a pretty interesting topic and not something we really think much about!
We’ll announce the winner tomorrow evening or Sunday morning, so best of luck to everyone who entered! Don’t forget to read or review of Demon Crossings, linked below. Kenra loved it and gave it a 4.5/5! Congrats to Eleri on the Silver Heart award!
I read several genres, and while I tend to stay in paranormal the most, I choose my books on the blurb. A great cover to grab my attention always helps too!
I do have two favorite genres that I read however if i am reading a review or excerpt on a site and get intruiged I will switch it up .
flanagan@mebtel.net
I start with genre then go to the blurb. I start with romance then go from there.
I tend to go with the blurb & an eye-catching cover.
The distinction between UF & PNR is getting less distinct all the time (but I’m not even gonna get started on that rant!), so I depend on the blurb to make sure it’s something in the genre that I’m in the mood to read…
I choose my books based on genre (or subgenre as applicable) but find the numerous subgenres for romance books most confusing. It seems to be there’s not much distinction between some of them, & PNR & fantasy romance for eg. crossover. I’d say I look at the genre 1st then read the blurb and reviews. Excerpts help lots
I go with the blurb. I have never been able to differentiate between the two genres. I guess I’m rather clueless. Thank you so much.
I start with the genre then read the blurb/excerpt to ensure it’s what I’m looking for…captures my interest…makes me want to continue reading.
I find books by both searching in genres and blurbs. I hear about books through twitter and facebook but also by searching genres on amazon.
For me its the blurb that decides if I want to read it. As long as its in the Romance or YA section I am open to any sub genre that comes with it!
samanthadacier @ gmail.com