The Joy of Bestowing Paranormal Gifts
I started as a straight historical romance author, but soon became intrigued by the blending of genres in Jennifer Ashley’s Nvengaria series. Her fantasy kingdom existing alongside historical England was a delightful ride for my imagination. And I loved Elizabeth Boyle’s Marlowe series where a magical ring grants wishes in most unexpected ways. So I decided to experiment with adding a dash of the supernatural to my stories.
The result was the Touch of Seduction series. In three tales, I follow the adventures of a member of the Preston family who each have the “gift of touch.” In Touch of a Thief, Viola hears the voices of gemstones and receives visions when they touch her bare skin. (This is a bit of an occupational hazard since she’s a jewel thief!) My hero in Touch of a Rogue (March 2012) has a similar sensitivity except his receptive material is anything metal (which makes dinner parties a special kind of hell—silverware is always so chatty!) For the final installment in the series, my hero in Touch of a Scoundrel (July 2012) doesn’t know what will trigger his visions. It might be a wooden desk, a piece of paper or even a scrap of lace over a luscious bosom. Unlike his cousins in the previous books, his gift doesn’t allow him to look into the past of the item. He’s burdened with its owner’s future. The idea of balanced scales appeals to me, so my characters aren’t allowed to use their paranormal gift without a corresponding payment.
In the Touch series, my characters know they can’t exercise their abilities without suffering debilitating headaches afterward. 
In A Knack for Trouble, my novella in the anthology Improper Gentlemen, my hero has a different sort of psychic gift. Aidan Danaher has “the Knack.” It’s the Celtic gift of being able to project a thought into another’s mind. It’s a little like Jedi Mind Tricks, but delivered with buckets of Irish charm. The catch is Aidan can only use it on a person once a day, so he has to be careful to tap his gift when it’s most needed. My stories are still mostly historical romance, but adding the sparkle of paranormal has given me great flexibility and new ways to deepen my characters. They’re still concerned about life and love and all the things we mundanes worry about. They simply have both more resources to use when dealing with them. And corresponding troubles the rest of us can’t imagine!
I’d love to give away a signed copy of Distracting the Duchess, one of my award-winning backlist titles, to a random commenter. Here’s a question to kick off our discussion today: If you could choose a paranormal gift for yourself, what would it be and why?
Oh! And before I forget, let me invite you to pop over to my website to sign up for my newsletter. In a few weeks, my enovella A DUKE FOR ALL SEASONS is going to be offered FREE for a limited time. If you receive my newsletter, you won’t be bombarded with junk. You’ll just be notified of important news, like when you can download your Duke!
Thanks so much for having me here, Smexybooks!
Thanks Mia! To enter to win Distracting the Duchess, answer Mia’s question above. Open to everyone through August 25th.
Books sound great and I can’t wait to read them. I love historical/ paranormal romances it’s the best of both worlds. If I could have any paranormal gift I would love to be able to heal people or animals with a touch. Thanks for the giveaway!!!
Ooo! Excellent gift, Ellie. I might have to use that sometime in a story if it’s ok with you.
Touch of Seduction series sounds very interesting, I’ll give it a try :)
Telepathy would be my choice; it would be cool to exchange thoughts and ideas without bothering with a speech
As long as I could put up a mental wall when I wanted some interior privacy, telepathy would be great!
I have been wanting to get into some historical paranormal novels recently and the series sounds really nice,
If I could have any paranormal power I would like to Multiplying power I don’t even know if that’s a thing so I can finish my work and have time to enjoy a nice relaxing bath. ;)
I understand what you mean. It would be the psychic equivalent of a lever–increasing the power of your actions exponentially without additional work on your part.
When it comes for historical romance, I always picky. But add it with paranormal aspect , and I wil devour it ASAP ;)
I would love to have power to clone my self, so I can read many books I want at the same time, and do the chores at the same time too. Another power that I want is time travel, I want to back to the past to correct some of my failure and make it better
Don’t know if I’d like having a clone. One of me is enough. Special even. Having doubles might dilute that.
However, I’d be all over timetravel!
I think I’d want telepathy if I could have one paranormal power. I am constantly wondering what those around me are thinking.
~Kayla
kcrochet002@gmail.com
I think I’d almost enjoy knowing how people are feeling more than what they’re thinking. I always wanted to be Deanna Troy in the old Star Trek episodes. Being an empath would be cool.
I think I’d like to control peoples nasty thoughts. Only correct those that are mean and evil otherwise let people be. But then again who am I to judge so I guess I’d just control all thoughts :).
Viki, I think that would be a good gift to give a villain. He might mean incredibly well, even at the beginning, but the ultimate result of trying to control others would mean he’d need to be opposed.
I think I’d like the ability to be invisible at will. Just think of how much fun you could get into!!
Reflections on Reading Romance
Clandestine locker room visits?
Give me invisibility! I am not good around crowds and prefer to dissapear in them. Not to mention I could simply go off on my own and read and no one could bother me. It might get lonely…nah it is never lonely when you have a great book!
Ah! And Miss Maybelle Street wondered why she was considered such a wallflower. She didn’t reallize she really was fading into the fine flocked wallpaper at the homes of the cream of the ton….
That has possibilities…;-)
That’s a great idea Mia. Sort of like the best laid plans of mice and men ;).
The best villains have a kernel of goodness in them. You always get the feeling that but for a few wrong choices, they might have been the hero. Conversely, I like my heroes to have a bit of badness too!
Thanks for the post I enjoyed reading it. And I for sure will read this series, as I love a dash of paranormal with my historical romances! I would like to be able to teleport, no more car drives, bustours, just think of a place and be there. (Save of course, not on top of someone else).
Thanks, Aurian. Teleporting would be great! Especially since most of my family lives in the midwest. It would be lovely to say… pop in for coffee with my folks after breakfast and be able to whisk back to my writing chair in New England by 9 AM
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I’ve always thought that healing power would be the one I’d want to have, especially if I could heal myself. Just think how nice it would be to never get a cold or suffer from a headache.
Headache… yeah you got me with that one. I seem to have a barometer in my head that doesn’t like rolling thunderstorms or bright high pressure days. Healing power would be great.
I’d love to be able to shift into animals! Think of all the trouble I could get out of (or into). :D
Almost every culture in the world has myths about people (or gods) taking the shape of animals. It’s an enduring idea because I think we’d all like the harness the strengths of other beings for a time.
If I could choose a paranormal gift, I would choose… the ability to read someone’s mind. But not in a way that I can hear everyone’s thoughts. I want the ability to be “on demand” only. Something that I can use only if I want to because I want it to be a real gift, not a curse.
Ah, but we authors have to give to our characters with one hand while we take with the other. When I give a gift, I have to make my characters pay for it. What a miserable god I would make….
I would choose to be a telepath. I would love to be able to hear what others think. I think it would be a great tool to help others. would love to win this book. thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
I’d probably enjoy it till I “overheard” someone thinking unkind thoughts. Some things we’re better off not knowing.
I’d love to be able to heal folks. Thanks for visiting today and hosting the giveaway.
I really appreciate that the motive for your gift is “others-centric.” :-)
Yes, it worked fine now, thanks :)
Teleportation– I don’t drive so, you know, that would pretty much rock :-)
Guess teleportation would end the whole dependence on foreign oil debate too! A good deal all around.
Interesting post! Thanks for the chance to win Distracting the Duchess.
I like the idea of telepathy. I like the idea of being able to communicate without speaking. I can think of a few times when that could be quite interesting!
I would love to have true empathy. The power to truly help people. Thanks for the giveaway.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
I would love to be able to alter emotions!!
I think I’d like to teleport. I don’t mind the intentional drive, but if I could avoid the commute to work…
Jen
admin.bookblog AT gmail.com
I would love to be able to know the winning lotto numbers just 1 time (just enough to be able to retire to a tropical island and live comfortably for the rest of my life with plenty of books). I am sure that would be something everyone would love to do though.
Yuor books sound great. I love books with paranormal aspects so I am def interested in this one. And I love historicals to so all of yours sound good to me. Thanks for the post and the giveaway.
I’d like teleportation as a paranormal power. I am my mother’s daughter and being such I’m usually late everywhere. And I wouldn’t have to pay ar insurance and could buy more books!
Thank you for the giveaway!
telekinesis, because I’m super lazy and I could make things come to me!
I think I would like the gift of telepathy and sight. I would like to use these talents to foil the baddies and save the day. Thank you for the fun sharing. I love a good historical now and again and the mixing of the paranormal gifts makes you series sound all the more inviting.
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
I’d love the ability to teleport to places. I love travel and feel like this would let me experience more of the world. If I could have someone “tag along” with me on my teleport, that would be even more awesome! :)
I would want the gift to heal people. I hate seeing people suffer. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read your books. Tore923@aol.com
Please enter me in the contest. Thank you. :)
I would want telepathy.
I would want the paranormal gift to detect lies. This should come in very handy when it comes to falling in love. I want to make sure I have the right man and for my friends and family as well.
It would be the gift to go inside my favourite books and movies!
Thanks for the giveaway!
The gift of touching someone and knowing if they were telling the truth would be my choice. i could use this gift to assist the police when looking for missing children.
I love historical fiction, toss in the paranormal and romance and it is a sure hit for me.
I would like to be able to know what words to say to make people feel better, give hope. It would be such a powerful and helpful gift!
Wonderful novel, I’m intrigued! :-D
Thank you for the chance!
stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks to everyone for leaving a comment. My DH has drawn the lucky winner out of his hat and today it’s LOLARIFIC!
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i think can see a vision or read mind is a perfect gift :-)