Because paranormal writing is so free, it’s easy to throw-in a new supernatural ability at the end of the book to help the character out of a sticky situation that previously had never been revealed. How convenient and what a cop-out! Be a better writer. Establish supernatural powers in the beginning of the novel.
Experience is always the best teacher. If, for example, there is a tarot card reader in the story, by all means go and have a reading. Pay attention to the little details: does the reader let you handle the cards? Does the reading take place in a shop or in a home? Know the difference between the Major and Minor Arcana. Are there crystals on the table? Are there candles burning? If so, what color? Colors represent certain things: green is for health and abundance, white represents purity and protection, red is for passion, pink is for love. Sprinkle these little tidbits throughout your story for flavor and a hint of realism.
Paranormal writing has great lingo: Draw Down the Moon, Casting the Circle, Call the Four Corners, Books of Shadows, and one of my favorites, Boomerang Karma all are terms that add zip and spice to your story. There are many books available on Wicca with glossaries that contain wonderful expressions, such as Laurie Cabot’s POWER OF THE WITCH..
If you treat your fantasy worlds with the same care and attention as your real world, you are sure to have an engaging story that will leave readers howling for more.
Alone on a wagon train and threatened by the man who murdered her mother, Dixie Dandelion steals a horse belonging to an undercover Pinkerton agent and escapes to the town of Six Shooter Siding. Hired at first to cook in a railroad camp, she begins to make friends, even the town’s soiled doves assist her when she buys the abandoned ranch. Determined never to depend on others, especially men, Dixie is torn between trusting Pinkerton Jackson McCullough and standing on her own. But will this new independence be enough to save Dixie when the past catches up with her?