Hi, my pretties. I've got a treat for you! My good friend from across the pond, Carole Gill, author of House on Blackstone Moor has agreed to stop in and do a guest post for us.
After the post we will get to know Carole, and hear about her novels and short works as well, because I plan on having her back soon!
So, take it away, Carole!
Romance & Horror: The Ultimate Conflicts!
Do they go together? Didn't you almost die when Dracula told Mina (film version) "I would cross oceans of time for you"?
I did!
From the first moment he saw her he thought of Elizabetha. After she knows the terrible truth, she hates him for killing Lucy, but well--! The girl can't help it!
Is Dracula horror? No, you don't have to answer that.
The talented and marvelous lorelei Bell asked me to guest post on her blog and I'm delighted to do it!
This post reflects one of my own:
Can Real Horror Have Romance In it?
Sure! What are greater conflicts than danger and desire?
Paraphrasing from my favorite play
Streetcar Named Desire, horror is riding on the ultimate streetcar. Sometimes it's too dangerous to get off! We can see the danger. We can feel the threat down to her fingertips. But we get off, usually before the end of the line too.
We have to! Something calls to us, something we are unable to ignore!
Desire!
So we leave the safety of our streetcar and find ourselves exposed, looking for that which called to us.
Desire!
But there could be danger?
Danger AND desire, what better mix for horror?!
Someone happened to say real horror could not have romance in it.
I didn't agree.
I did post and I inclcuded this quote from a horror fan, Rick Youmans:
"It is one of the two motivational forces behind the horror genre. Either the return of unrequited love (the other being vengeance for a wrong). Any construct of horror that denies this has no understanding of its real power in the present sense. The abstract nature of vengeance, against society et al, is the predominate foci depicted in the visual mediums, while the search for love in a cruel world is the foci of the written medium... for the most part..."
Thank you Rick!
I mentioned Dracula (Bram Stoker's film version earlier). Now, I'd like to say this: although the novel,
Dracula, and the films differ on this issue, I still feel there is an undercurrent of sexuality in the novel. I think Bram Stoker is clearly writing about female sexuality in the character of Lucy and Mina.
I also feel that Dracula's action with regard to over powering Mina (novel) and forcing her to feed on him is sexual. It is sexual abuse, really, when he restrains her.
Naturally, he's not her knight in shining armor and she's not wanting to have his babies exactly. But it is sexual, albeit darkly so. Can't this be twisted 'love'?
Is sick love some sort of pathological 'love'?Yes?
Well, if that is so then it's sick love or
dark romance: sick or not.
With regard to the film (my favorite by Coppola) I think it is quite clear that there is quite a bit of sexual longing and tension present. Mina and the Count want to go steady and right away! That's pretty obvious. It also makes for some great scenes!
We watch it and are fascinated but do we ever doubt for one second that we are watching a HORROR film? NO!
With regard to horror fiction in general, there is what I term 'dude horror' which is often horror written mainly by men for men. The women depicted in this sort of fiction tend to be victims. There is, in my opinion, little or no 'romance'. There may be sex but candlelight dinners and violins, no.
I wonder, though, if sexual longing and desire along with genuine love cannot be present in dark horror.
I wirte Gothic romance, but my fiction is very different from what is commonly termed Gothic romance. This is not paranormal romance. It is darkest horror with some romance in it (sometimes).
The question is can dark Gothic romantic horror be considered horror?
Life has horror in it. And supernatural horror with the worst evil imaginable might have a thread of longing that is a kind of love.
Why can't the worst demonic being have loved once, whether briefly or for a micro second?
Why narrow the field?
Why define horror with restrictions?
If paranormal romance isn't horror, can darkest Gothic romance be considered to be horror?
Many writers writing today think it can. What do you think?
About Carole
This has been an interesting journey for me. I went back to writing about ten years ago. Life had gotten in the way and I finally had the opportunity to write once again.
I joined a local workshop. Somehow I found myself selected by North West Playwrights of England for further development! It was an invaluable experience but I preferred writing fiction.
Currently, I am published in a number of horror and sci-fi anthologies. I also have many short story collections up on
Amazon.
I hope you check them out, some are pretty dark.
I enjoy writing dark horror however my greatest love of all, genre-wise, is writing dark Gothic romantic fiction.
My novel,
The House on Blackstone Moor is being re-released shortly. Please stay tuned for updates!
The novel is quite dark:as a matter of fact it is darkest gothic horro and romance combined. The themes are vampirism, madness, obession and devil worship. It is recommended for readers over 18.
The sequel, which is turning out even darker, is entitled
Unholy Testament and will follow.
After that I will be releasing a very special novel, I have already begun to work on. If you like vampires and darkest romance, you will be delighted. And if you ador Dracula, well--!
Meanwhile, you can find me at:
website:
http://carolegillofficialauthor.blogspot.com/
facebook author page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carole-Gill-Author/120405794703293?ref=ts
I also have a Dracula fan page. I mean doesn't the old man deserve it?"
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dracula/228746553886476
And Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/carolelynngill
Alright! Thank you Carole for stopping by. I do hope that everyone enjoied this as much as I did. And goes to check her links out. I've just stopped by her Dracula fan page, and found that a fun spot to root around in. I will have Carole back on a regular bases and when she's ready to release her book, we'll have a little book launch for her!