What's The Appeal?
The Wicked Witch of the West, the Evil Queen, and the Wicked
Stepmother... These characters are a few of fiction's scariest
villains and best-known witches. Anyone who has ever watched a
Disney movie, read a fairy tale, or visited a costume shop in
early October can attest that witches are
hags with bulbous warts on their noses.
This is the image that sprang to your mind, isn't it? Witches
darting in the air on their broomsticks, brewing dark magical
concoctions in their iron cauldrons?
In popular mythology, this stereotype abounds, but in
modern-day romances, we prefer to read stories based on beautiful
and caring witches,such as Glinda from "The Wizard of Oz," rather
than evil step-so-and-so's with ghastly tricks up their
sleeves.
The witches and warlocks that are so commonly featured in
romances today are many times sympathetic and misunderstood
characters who are more afraid and/or wary of their mystical
powers than their "ordinary" neighbors, best friends or
lovers.
In this light, the concept of a "reluctant" witch or warlock
is a brilliant concept and one that we mere mortals can
definitely relate to. Has there ever been a time when you've felt
"different," and not quite part of the crowd? It's a common
insecurity and as such has become great fodder for many authors'
own stories.
Like the wonderful Harry Potter, it's not atypical behavior
for a heroine or hero to be oblivious of their own supernatural
abilities. Many witches or warlocks will rationalize what they
cannot explain until a situation arises that defies any and all
explanation.
What's more fun than a character who embraces her powers for
self-serving reasons? Maybe it's to acquire a job, a man,
property, jewels... Maybe it's to forge a new identity. No
matter what the reason is, we know the spell isn't going to go
smoothly!
These scenarios make for misjudged characters and entertaining
plots. It adds conflict and strife to the story. It also allows
the author to include historical facts about witchcraft and its
influence on people.
Magic is an integral part of our stories and our past.
Witchcraft, although it has had a very dark place in our history,
is an idea we are all familiar with and intrigued by. It is a
concept wherein the reality and the supernatural meet. And as such, the possibilities are
endless....
Authors' Thoughts...
Jill Barnett
"Readers respond to the Witch/Warlock not merely for the
imaginative freedom of the magic, which has its own appeal, but
because witches and warlocks, brooms and magic wands open the
door for some truly funny scenes. And we should all thank Sidney
Sheldon and William Asher for their gift of the wonderful TV show
'Bewitched.'
"I recommend Teresa Medeiros' A BREATH OF MAGIC -- a must read
for [those] who like to laugh and long to ride a broom."
Tracy Fobes
"Witches and Warlock themes often challenge the traditional
order of male/female relationships. A woman is usually an
underdog, but a witch has magical qualities that put her on
equal, and often higher, footing than
her male counterpart, providing a subversive view of traditional
women's roles.<
"Also, stories with women that possess magical qualities evoke
the children in us, allowing us to believe in magic again."
Teresa Medeiros
"My love for this genre came from watching shows like
'Bewitched' and 'I Dream of Jeannie.' What little girl didn't
dream of blinking or twitching her nose and making magic? I think
the magic in these books is symbolic of the 'magic' that occurs
whenever a man and woman fall in love. It's both inexplicable and
irresistible.
"One of my all-time favorite 'witch/ warlock' books is
Bewitching by Jill Barnett."
WITCHES & WARLOCKS
The belief in witches and warlock is a long-standing one. They
play a major role in our history and our literature. The theory
that a person can affect the world around them with witchcraft is
very alluring, but it can also be threatening. Witches and
warlocks remind us there can be a darker side to fantasy. So the
biggest question is "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" I
think you will find romance witches and warlock to be very
good!
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