Sunday, July 29, 2007

The Villian from XIII by Keith Gaston


Who causes friction is the story?

Jason Peters

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I don’t have a preference both make great villains.

How do you use your bad guys?

Jason is tormented and going through a transformation. He promised to give up something very important to him and it is changing him physically and spiritually to hold on to it.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?

The bad guys are the best part of a thriller. I would find it difficult not to write a good bad guy.
Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?
A villain drives the story forward and gives the hero his or her motivation to go on despite the odds they must face.

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?

This one is tough to answer, I have about three villains I could place here but I will stick with the one who’s the most evil of all.

Beelzebub (Beelzy) Abaddon from XIII. I like him because of his quirkiness; he walks around in his office in his bare feet, smoke Cuban cigars, always finds a way to manipulate people in his soft spoken way and oh yes, he’s the devil.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books?

Professor Moriaty from Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes series. I’m also partial to the Master, from Doctor Who.

Meet the Villian from Tempted by Rita Thedford


We want to hear about the bad guys, bad gals and villains in your book. Even if you don't have a murderer, thief or other "bad guy" there should be some negative force.

Who causes friction is the story?

Despite the sparks that fly between my hero and heroine, it is a strong cast of several villains who provide negative impact in Tempted, my regency set historical romance. Both protagonists have vile enemies who unite in a single effort to bring ruin to the two lovers, Elizabeth and Christian. Edward Huntley, Lord Stanhope, is the man who murdered his wife, Elizabeth’s sister. Christian has an enemy in the form of his cousin, Park Mansfield, who will inherit a vast title should Christian fail to marry by midnight of his 35th birthday. Park teams up with Beatrice Fitzgerald, who hates Christian because she sees him as a threat to her son. She also would like to “hook up” with Park after he inherits a fortune. Greedy wench!

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

Personally, I prefer “bad gals” because they are so unexpected. Women are seen throughout history as lovers, nurturers, and caregivers so it is vastly unexpected and surprising to read about these wicked women. They are villains who constantly stun the reader with their reliance on cunning and manipulation as opposed to physical strength. This makes them unforgettable.


How do you use your bad guys?

In Tempted, my “bad guys” continually throw up barriers between my hero and heroine. Edward Huntley, is pro-active in his plot for revenge as he sends out henchmen to kill Elizabeth but he’s a pitiful guy. He never succeeds and he’s stupid. On the other hand, Park is very smart and cunning. He hides behind the façade of being slightly stupid. He’s also outrageously handsome. His lover, and the queen witch of this piece, is Beatrice. She is cunning, calculating, and utterly horrific as she weaves intricate plots and plans to destroy the lovers. Both Park and Beatrice are three dimensional characters. Mid way through Tempted, however, the villains manage to bring the lovers together despite every attempt at the opposite.


Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?

No. I loooove crafting bad guys…the smarter, more cunning, the better. As someone who tends to bottle up anger, for me, it is a great (and safe) release (grinning). Once I begin to vent through my villain, everything is just organic.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?

For a writer, especially one who is a NICE person, it’s very challenging. Crafting a terrifically wicked “bad guy” just makes the story much more interesting. Besides, sometimes it’s FUN to be BAD.

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?


I have to say that Beatrice Fitzgerald from Tempted is the worst of the lot and she was deliciously wicked. Bea was beautiful, cunning, and murderous.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books?

Oh, that’s easy. Nurse Ratchett from Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is my all time favorite “bad guy” or should I say, “bad girl”. Thank you for telling us about your bad guys. We love to meet the "evil ones".


Tempted- a sizzling romance set in regency England

available now at http://www.wingsepress.com/ Golden Wings Award Winner

Paperback ISBN 978-1-59705-911-0
e-book ISBA 978-1-59705-098-9

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Elena Dorothy Bowman Talks About Bad Guys

Who causes friction in the story?

One of the main characters in my novel, Time-Rift is a High Priestess. Since she was promised to the High Priest at birth, she means to have him. However, when an earthquake causes Trisha to enter their world beneath the Pacific Ocean, it is to the delight of the High Priest who finally feels there is hope for him, and to the dismay of the High Priestess who is determined to destroy her competition.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

They both have their place in a story to not only add friction and conflict but to make the story more interesting. I can't really say I prefer one over the other, but will admit any bad characters may cause the reader to really push the the good guy to win out./How do you use your bad guys.

In my books, the function of the bad guys is to make it more difficult for the hero and heroine to survive the obstacles they place in the way of the good guys and the point is to get the reader to cheer for the good and to the total destruction of the bad.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?

Sometimes I surprise myself when I get started on a bad character. It is fascinating how the character just seems to write its own story and sooner or later its own epitaph. I was surprised how the High Priestess in Time Rift just seemed take over and write her own part of the story. I just felt as if I was a bystander doing her bidding.

Who is your favorite bad guy in your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?

Actually there are two. One, the caretaker Henderson, in the Sarah's Landing's Series. He appears in the first two books, Contact and The Telepaths of Theon. And of course, there is Myaculi, the High Priestess in Time-Rift.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy- that's not in your books?

I would have to say at this point in time it is Mrs. Stevens in Nikki Leigh's book, Stormy View. The nicest thing I can say about her is that she is a first class witch...you could, if you've a mind, chance the first letter from a 'w' to a 'b'. ;)

Thank you for telling us about your bad guys. We love to meet the "evil ones".

Elena Dorothy Bowman
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenabowman-scifimysteryromanceauthor.blogspot.com/
e-mail: elenadb@comcast.net

PS - I have to say that I'm very pleased to hear my Mrs. Stevens made such an impression. She is wicked and will do ANYTHING to get what she wants. She is the villian in Stormy View, but I pulled that book from the publisher and it will be re-released later this year and the title will be Stormy Shores. I look forward to sharing Mrs. Stevens with more readers in the future. If you think your mother in law is bad - wait until you meet Kennalyn's mother in law :) (Nikki Leigh)

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

HOW TO SUBMIT

We want to hear about the bad guys, bad gals and villains in your book. Even if you don't have a murderer, thief or other "bad guy" there should be some negative force.

Who causes friction is the story?

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

How do you use your bad guys?

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books?

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Please provide your website link.

What is the link to buy your book?

Thank you for telling us about your bad guys. We love to meet the "evil ones".

Feel free to email your answers to nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and I'll add your information. They will be posted, but not all at once. That will give everyone an opportunity to get plenty of exposure.

Nikki Leigh
http://www.nikkileigh.com/