I just got the oddest question, but maybe, given the current state of paranormal romance, it’s not so odd. After all, most paranormal romance books are about vampires and werewolves in love, or demons and selkies and angels and fey and ringwraiths and who knows what all else in love with people or part people or varieties of humanoid-like entities which may or may not be mortal…
Which is not to say that I don’t love me some of that. I adore C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul series, which is about an immortal fey warrior king who can shift into the form of a flying, fire breathing cat. If you’d like to talk to Wilson about her incredible, New York Times bestselling series, check out the Romantic Times Forum this week.
But that’s not the kind of book I’ve written.
Just so we’re all perfectly clear: no unicorn plays the part of romantic interest in RAMPANT, my killer unicorn book. They are not unicorn-people. They are not unicorn-shifters. They are not were-unicorns. They are unicorns. Beasts, as they call them in the Land of Narnia. When they procreate, they do so with other unicorns. People are food. Not food that they meet in bio class and decide to marry and turn into a unicorn 2000 pages, a cliff-diving incident, and a trip to Italy later. Food.
The book centers around a human (not a part human or a were-human or an undead human or a human who is in any way, shape, or form, part unicorn), Astrid Llewelyn, who is by birthright a unicorn hunter. She doesn’t like unicorns *that way.* In fact, she’s not a fan of unicorns at all. Nor does she meet a unicorn with a soul and have a desperate doomed star-crossed love affair with him. (Though I’m sure a unicorn would, if given the chance, eat all her friends most gleefully. So that’s a little like Angel, I guess.)
So, just wanted to make that clear, for anyone who wondered why that nice Diana girl was going from writing about snarky Ivy Leaguers to cryptozoological bestiality — I’m not. I love the unicorns, I just don’t *love* the unicorns. Capice?
Glad I was able to clear that up.
P.S. There is plenty of human/human romance in Rampant. What can I say? I’m conventional like that.
P.P.S. If you want a great story where the unicorn does turn into a person and is part of a romance, check out Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn (pictured above). It’s a classic.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:21 am
I love the unicorns, I just don’t *love* the unicorns.
Oh my, thank you. I’m laughing so hard right now, and that’s exactly what I needed on a dreary day. Thanks! HA!
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:04 am
So, uhhh, the horn isn’t symbolic of, uhh.. uh..
Nevermind…
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September 9th, 2008 at 9:10 am
Crap, I just lost that bet! I wagered it would take until noon for Patrick’s dirty comment. Clearly, Pat, I underestimated you.
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:38 am
ROFLMAO!!!
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September 9th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Did you think I would sleep later or something?
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September 9th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I’m deeply grossed out that anyone would ask that question. Ewwww. A thousand times EWWWWW!!!!
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September 9th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I’m not clear on WHY someone thought there would be unicorn romancing, Rampant isn’t paranormal romance is it. I thought it was YA urban fantasy or something. Is it because Urban Fantasy is synonymous with paranormal romance in many minds?
Incidentally, I think it would be awesome if one of the blurbs says “No one sleeps with a unicorn. Ewwwww. A thousand times EWWWWWWW!!!!!”
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September 9th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I think there’s a blurry line. I also think many of the big YA fantasy books like Twilight and Wicked Lovely and Tithe and Valiant and etc. etc. feature human girls in love with magical creatures — fey, vampires, werewolves, you name it.
And the fact that Astrid is a unicorn hunter doesn’t seem to overwrite that in some people’s minds, because Buffy was a vampire slayer and still had a thing for vamps.
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September 9th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Buffy is responsible for much wrong in the world.
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September 9th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
By the way, that *is* Justine’s blurb on my book. It’s going right over my author photo.
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September 9th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Maybe someone thought that since vampires are becoming seriously overdone in the fantasy genre, that the next logical step were unicorns. That being said, I loved the Twilight reference in there.
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Eeek! You snuck in a Twilight spoiler.
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September 9th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
I don’t think it’s a spoiler. If you don’t know the story, you have no idea I’m talking about it. I actually haven’t read them.
Let’s talk about the Buffy spoiler, which is much more egregious! Also, the fact that Amalthea is a unicorn. Um, spoiler!
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September 10th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Ok, I’ll forget the spoiler that isn’t a spoiler. I mean, the big question is, does he or doesn’t he? I’m just starting the 3rd book now.
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October 27th, 2008 at 8:25 am
[...] it. Not unlike that whole confusion about whether or not the unicorn played the love interest thing a while back. Which, still no. And [...]