10/30/25

The Spicy Romantasy Spectrum: Heat Levels and Heart

One of my favorite things about being a romantasy author is the freedom to write across different heat levels—and I mean really lean into that range.

My cozy paranormal books are fun, flirty, and perfect for readers who want witchcraft and banter without explicit scenes. They're quirky, character-driven, and lean into the paranormal hijinks: a witch who accidentally hexes her ex at a farmer's market, a ghost who's terrible at haunting but great at meddling, a familiar who has Opinions about everything. The romance is there—sweet, tension-filled, with plenty of longing glances and almost-kisses—but the bedroom door stays firmly closed. These stories are about falling in love in the middle of magical chaos, where the biggest problem might be a rogue spell or a nosy neighbor, not life-or-death stakes.

Then there's my spicy romantasy work, where the heat is as intense as the magic. These books don't hold back. The romance is explicit, unapologetic, and woven into the fabric of the story. They explore power dynamics, possessive fated mates, BDSM undertones, and the kind of raw, consuming connection that burns through pages. These are the stories where desire is a force as dangerous as any curse, where intimacy is both a weapon and a surrender. The stakes are higher, the worlds darker, and the characters don't just fall in love—they collide.

And I love writing both. I love that I can give readers options. Some days you want a warm hug of a book with a happily-ever-after that makes you smile. Other days you want something that sets your pulse racing and leaves you fanning yourself at 2 AM. Both are valid. Both are fun as hell to write.

But here's what matters to me at every heat level: character.

The steam should feel earned. The emotional connection should make the physical one matter. Whether I'm writing a cozy ghost romance or a dangerously spicy dragon bond, the relationship has to feel real—vulnerabilities and all. I'm not interested in sex scenes that exist just to check a box or because "it's chapter twelve and something needs to happen." I want the intimacy to reveal something about the characters. I want it to shift the dynamic, deepen the bond, or shatter a wall one of them has been hiding behind.

In my cozy books, that might mean a hand-hold that says everything, or a kiss that finally breaks the tension after chapters of pining. In my spicy books, it might mean a scene where control is surrendered, trust is tested, or two people connect in a way that terrifies them both.

The heat level changes. The core doesn't.

At the end of the day, I'm writing love stories. Some are soft and sweet. Some are filthy and feral. But all of them are about people finding each other in worlds that don't make it easy—and choosing each other anyway.