Wednesday Writer's Spotlight: Favorite Genre to Read

This week we wanted to see how varied the many tastes of our authors are.  Many of them write contemporary or paranormal romances but was this what they loved to read?  So we asked our Inspell authors about what was their Favorite Genre to read.  We also wanted to know why? Do real stories about characters like themselves fuel their passion or does romances with legendary creatures like Angels, Vampires and other paranormal elements thrill their souls! 

Cecilia Roberts:
My favourite genre: paranormal & urban fantasy  and contemporary romance. 

Contemporary romance: This is a genre I've been reading for the last twenty-something years. (I must have been about twelve when I read my first romance. I loved everything about it: the muscular guys on the covers (and there were handful of those),  the hero chasing the heroine, to accept him, love him, plus the heroines feistyness, and finally the happy ever after. 

Later on I discovered paranormal & urban fantasy. The reason I loved this was, the fact that an author can create such a believable world, with fantastic creatures in them, and still manage to make it so real. Absolutely amazing. And of course the romance in them. :)
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Mark Jay Harris:
I'd have to say Urban Fantasy. I like it because it is grounded in a location people can relate to. Because you feel comfortable in surrounding you recognize, when the fantasy element kicks in it is more jarring and consequently more exciting and fun to play with in a story.

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Deb Peterson:
While still in elementary school—fifth grade, I think—my Aunt Karen introduced me to Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Those two novels hooked me on the classics. I love reading them as much now, as I did back then and many times over the years, I have read and reread my favorites. I have even developed a taste for Shakespeare, with “A Midsummer Night’s dream, heading the top of that particular list.

Alongside the classics, I also have to include Historical Romances to my preferred genres. History is a passion of mine. Ancient, modern and everything in between, has always piqued my interest. Therefore, I just can’t resist a novel that allows me to exist in another time and place, even if just for a little while.

I think that might be why, in the novels I have written thus far, a hero from the past, meets a contemporary heroine...
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Stephanie Lawton:
I prefer Young Adult, though I'll admit, since I've begun hanging around with romance and erotic-romance authors, I've been reading quite a bit more of that. Both have their purposes and it's nice to switch back from forth from the "less-is-more" camp and the "kick-the-bedroom-door-wide-open" camp. :) 
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Aubrie Dionne:
My favorite genre to read is epic fantasy with a dash of romance. I love the different races: elves, dwarfs, rangers, etc and all the various foes: ogres, dragons, orcs, witches, fairies...the possibilities are endless. Quest novels are the best, because the characters go on a physical journey along with the emotional one. Magical items, such as amulets, invisibility capes (or rings!), or swords always add to the fun. I know I'm such a geek, but to be honest this will always be my favorite genre. 
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Kristy Centeno:
Although I enjoy a great contemporary story any day of the week, my favorite genre is definitely Paranormal Romance. Maybe it’s because you can drive the plot to unimaginable dimensions and not have to worry so much about whether or not you’re being accurate about facts and such. Writing Paranormal Romance allows for more freedom when it comes to developing a storyline and the mystery behind the supernatural is just too tempting for me to resist picking up a vampire, werewolf, ghost, mermaid, etc. book and not read it : )
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Kacey Vanderkarr:
My absolute favorite genre is Young Adult. Not only does YA encompass a wide variety of all my favorite genres, fantasy, sci-fi, and of course, romance, it also examines the most vulnerable time in a person's life. You can always expect YA to deliver a story of personal growth and exploration where the main characters discover things about themselves that oftentimes we, as adults, are still trying to figure out. After all, isn’t the real world just a glorified version of high school? Besides, as a Young Adult author, I justify my passion for YA books as “research.” 
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Now that you have heard from some of our Inkspell authors about their favorite genres... please share your favorites with us!