Monster Meet-Cute: Q&A with Author Karlee Berrios
On Vampires, Villains, and Writing Monster Romances
The following profile was made possible in partnership with Monsterotica Book Con.
You can meet authors such as Karlee Berrios at this year’s Monsterotica Book Con, which will take place on May 8-10, 2025 in Baltimore, MD.
Quick Monster Bites
Meet the Author: Karlee Berrios
The mastermind behind: The Birds of Prey Universe
First monster crush: Rudolph from The Littlest Vampire, 2000. I was seven years old. Truly, I never stood a chance. I’ve been a monster girly from the very beginning.
Describe your books in three emojis: 😈🍆🍾
Team claws, team horns, or team tentacles?: Horns. (Antlers, too😮💨)
Your ideal writing soundtrack: Sleep Token & Bad Omens are always a must. Lately I’ve also been listening to Dark Divine.
Favorite writing fuel: Coffee! I’m an iced coffee slut.
The Monster-Maker’s Secrets
How did you fall in love with the monster romance genre?: I’ve been a monster girl since the very beginning. I was big into Twilight as a teen. Vampires have always been my favorite monsters, and then it just kind of blossomed from there. Demons then became my next big thing because of my history with deconstructing extreme religion.
Do you prefer writing scary, swoony, or sassy monsters?: Definitely all three. Monsters should be a little scary, it adds to the fun!
What’s the weirdest or most surprising monster you’ve written about?: Well Caspian is a flesh eating demon, so dabbling in vore and having him actually eat part of Bel was… something. It’s done off-page but I still had to imagine how it happened to allude to it on page!
Monster romances often challenge romance norms—what’s one trope you love to reinvent?: The damsel in distress trope! I did a play on this in Birds of Prey, making my FMC’s the heroes and let them be as vicious and violent as their little hearts desired.
Who would play one of your favorite monster MCs in a movie adaptation?: Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Fritz. When I wrote BOP, I didn’t have anyone in mind for him because there weren’t any celebs I knew of that looked how I imagined Fritz. Then I watched Grotesquerie and had an “oh, shit, that’s him” moment.
If Your Life Were a Monster Romance…
Your monster alter ego would be
Probably something to do with water. I love swamp like monsters, but maybe Siren-esque because feminine rage fuels many of my stories. A spooky, beautiful swamp monster that lures in poachers and slices them apart, using them to feed the creatures that live in the lagoon.
Who’s your ride-or-die fictional monster BFF?
Nadja from WWDITS. I just love her & feel like she’d be down for anything. Hiding a body? Done. Impromptu orgy? Say less. And she’d say funny stuff all along the way.
The craziest date you’d go on with your favorite monster
Primal Play with Caspian in the Catacombs under Paris (listen… you asked for crazy), followed by crepes & coffee at a cafe.
What advice would your favorite book character give about surviving love (monster or human)?
It’s okay to be scared, to fear the vulnerability of falling for someone(s), but don’t let that fear keep you from living life to the fullest and finding love. Love is always worth fighting for, even if the person you’re fighting is the cruel voice inside your head.
Behind the Pen
What brought you to Monster Romance?
I’ve had a crush on every vampire I’ve ever seen in a movie or book. It was the natural progression. 🤣 reading adult Monster romance actually started with Alien romance, and I feel like it opened my eyes to a whole new world, showing me that other people are also just as marvelously depraved as me!
What’s the biggest challenge of writing monster romance?
I think trying to find the balance between having characters that are not human but have some humanity is a delicate tightrope to walk. They’re violent monsters that do terrible things, yes, but there needs to be something that contrasts that and makes them lovable despite their bloody tendencies. A flesh eating demon might also be a vegetarian chef because he doesn’t like to eat animal meat. It’s a humorous balance, but it makes them more interesting and well-rounded.
What do you hope readers take away from your stories?
I hope they find characters that they relate to. That they find peace in knowing they’re not alone in their feelings. All of my monster romances dabble in themes of religious trauma, sexual trauma and regaining autonomy afterwards, purity culture, indoctrination, etc. I hope my readers feel seen and heard and loved.
What’s next for you in the world of monster romance?
I have a vampire MMC/ serial killer FMC short story coming out in a charity anthology, that I’m then going to give the characters a full length novel in the near future. 😈
Monster Speed Round
Favorite monster from pop culture: Vampires
Go-to comfort read: Red Queen Series (I love a complex villain)
Book trope you’ll never get tired of: Enemies to lovers!
Dream book con destination: Anywhere in the PNW. Gotta have that hoa hoa hoa weather.
What’s next?
What do you want to plug for your fans and wannabe readers right now?
Harpy! It’s the spin-off of The Birds of Prey Duology! It features two characters from BOP, and the MMC, Eamon, is loosely based on demon Dean from Supernatural! It’s darker than BOP, and he’s even dirtier than Cas & Fritz. It has stalking, captive/captor, dubcon, enemies to lovers, all the good stuff.
Where do you want readers to find you?
I have a website: authorkarleeberrios.com where I have signed copies and merch. But all of my books are also on KU!
Housekeeping
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