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Witches can fall in love.

So can werewolves, vampires, genies, demons, wood nymphs and demigods. Heck, even the daughter of Death deserves a love life, right?

Let's not forget those who are psychically gifted. If they can hear someone's thoughts or commune with ghosts, they're not immune to love's call either.

Welcome to modern romance.

In book circles, there's some argument about how exactly to classify them. Many get lumped into the category "paranormal romance." Some fall under the label "urban fantasy," although debate can become heated as to whether urban fantasy follows the typical "happily ever after" mind-set at the core of romance.

Some argue urban fantasy might have romantic elements mixed in, but at its heart, focuses on strong heroines and their worlds -- not the romance between the hero and heroine.

Yet there's no denying that there's love of the otherworldly kind in the air. Just check The New York Times best-seller list. Earlier this month, paranormal romances took the No. 2, 4 and 5 spots for mass market paperbacks.

Whatever you want to call them, bookstore shelves seem to overflow with books about romance plus something "other."

"Romance, traditionally, is still the story of people finding each other and falling in love," said Allison Kelley, executive director of the Texas-based Romance Writers of America.

The group defines "paranormal romance" as a story in which "the future, a fantasy world, or paranormal happenings are an integral part of the plot."

Three years ago, that subgenre made up about 9 percent of new romance releases, according to the group's annual report. Last year, it made up closer to 13 percent.

Overall, the number of new romance books published each year has more than tripled since 2000, according to statistics compiled annually by Romance Writers of America. In that same time, paranormal romance has increased thirteenfold, from 71 new books to more than 900 released last year.

Clearly, tales featuring otherworldly alpha males aren't going away.

Why the passionate embrace of a genre that one popular romance author says nearly killed her career 15 years ago?

"Reality is becoming a pretty bleak place for a lot of people," says Margo Lipschultz, a veteran editor who has been with Harlequin for four years.

She works with such authors as Gena Showalter, whose popular "Lords of the Underworld" series features men who have to live with their demons -- literally. Each immortal warrior is possessed by a demon and only true love can help him tame it.

"Talk about the ultimate escapism in fantasy," Kelley said. "Something that has otherworldly elements, I think it's the fantasy that captures people's imagination."

Best-selling author Jayne Ann Krentz dabbled in paranormal romance before "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" made supernatural love so, like, chic. Krentz doesn't write about vampires, werewolves, etc. but peoples her worlds -- both past and present -- with humans who have psychic abilities.

"I do think the supernatural does allow us to ratchet up the fear factor," she said. "When the world gets as scary as it is now, fiction has to go up a level to match it. It has to go beyond that. The supernatural world allows us to take the scary notch a little higher."

Twenty years ago, it was serial killers, she said.

Now, it's paranormal romance, which is "a lot of fun to write," Krentz said. "You can make your own rules."

Krentz writes most of her futuristic stories under the name Jayne Castle and writes historical romances -- lately with a psychic plot -- as Amanda Quick.

"I think that, 15 years ago, readers just didn't enjoy that particular fantasy," she said.

My, how reading habits have changed.

"People just have this appetite for it," Lipschultz said. No pun intended.

"People keep waiting for vampires to go away," she said. "And I don't think they're going anywhere."

Kelley's first experience with paranormal romance came with 1991's "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon. The story follows World War II British nurse Claire Randall, who accidentally steps through a portal in time into 18th century Scotland. Her love story with Highlander Jamie Fraser spans time and space -- and to date, seven books.

"It's great to go and be in that time but know that you're going to come back to your own life," Kelley said.

The Romance Writers of America added "paranormal" romance to its awards list in 1992 for books published the year before. That year, readers voted Gabaldon's "Outlander" as the best romance novel -- period. Not paranormal. Not historical. Just a good love story.

That intermingling of genres with romance likely will continue.

Lipschultz predicts the next big theme will be fallen angels. She's seeing more and more manuscripts with those characters.

J.R. Ward's "Covet," which follows a fallen angel charged with saving seven souls, and their love lives, recently debuted at No. 2 on The New York Times best-seller list.

And "steampunk," which has a cult following, seems to be going more mainstream, she said. (Steampunk is fantasy set in an era powered by steam machines.) Lipschultz feels it will have the same crossover appeal into romance that urban fantasy has had.

"Everything new comes out of romance," Krentz said. "Trust me."

Contact Jennifer Fernandez at 373-7064 or jennifer.fernandez@news-record.com