Disturbances

I like to be disturbed--when it comes to fiction, that is. Romance novels with tortured heroes and horror movies that keep me on the edge of my seat are usually what I look for when I have free time.

Maybe horror and romance is an unlikely combination, but with all the paranormal and suspense romances out there, I’m not so sure. Many others seem to love the mix too. There’s something exciting about characters in danger and pairing off to fight for their lives.

In my new release this month, Rough Waters, Samantha is plucked from her safe, ordinary life and magically awakens on a private yacht owned by a handsome yet manipulative man. As much as she is wary of him on the spot, she instinctively trusts another man aboard--or at last she believes he’s a man. Both the sexy passenger and the ship owner are vampires, but they’re not the greatest danger on the yacht. She and the passenger, Geoffrey, are soon fighting for their lives aboard a ship damaged by a storm and haunted by sadistic killers.

In Rough Waters, I wanted to place the characters in a setting created by my own fears. First was the ship. While I love looking at the ocean from land, I am not one who enjoys being on the waves. Next was the idea of being relaxed and comfortable in my day-to-day routine, then finding myself somewhere completely strange without a familiar face in sight or any knowledge of how I got there. Then Samantha is trapped among killers with no way to escape short of jumping overboard. Finally what might be the worst dilemma in this story is faced by the hero, Geoffrey, when he is manipulated by someone he considers family.

Writing this story kept me a bit on edge, which is exactly what I wanted and what I hope others will feel when they read it.

How do you feel about blending horror and suspense with romance? Do you like the elements of danger? If you enjoy the mix, what are some of your favorite stories that blend the genres?


About Kate Hill

What do trips around the world, endless nights of breathtaking sex, and a muscular, 6-foot 3-inch, brown-haired, blue-eyed significant other have to do with Kate Hill? Absolutely nothing, but she can dream, can't she? In reality Kate is a single vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and researching vampires and Viking history. Visit Kate online at http://www.kate-hill.com. Read an excerpt from her novella, Inked: Rough Waters, at http://www.kate-hill.com/roughwaters.html.