Sunday, December 28, 2008

Witch Hunts on the Internet by Yvonne Walus


Who causes friction is the story?
The villain in "Witch Hunts on the Internet" (Echelon Press, 2008) is a 40-year old man posing as a 16-year old in teenage chat rooms. He is chiefly after their photos (for his own nefarious purposes), but he wouldn't refuse a face-to-face meeting, either.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?
Generally, I find bad guys are a lot more fun (e.g., Sawyer in LOST), but the one in "Witch Hunts on the Internet" is bad through and through. He's an example of a villain you truly despise.


How do you use your bad guys?
Bad guys are like spices: too little makes a bland mix, too much is unpalatable. I try to aim for an interesting mix with enough conflict and pace... and, of course, a moral at the end of the story.


Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?
It's easier than writing good guys. Good guys are boring.
Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?
No matter whether your villain is a thief, a murderer or an abuser, the reason behind his personality makeup always fascinates me. What made him the way he is today? Why can't he change? Does he want to change? What are his secret dreams and hopes?

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?
I have a lot of sympathy for the Boss Out Of Hell in "Murder @ Work". It's honestly not his fault his temper is quicker than the speed of email transmission. And he is dead for most of the book, too!

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books?
Sawyer from LOST... ok, I'm repeating myself here, but I do find him hot. That whole bad-boy-makes-good aura makes my toes curl! Of course, it could simply be that he looks like Josh Holloway...

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Feel free to share.
Sometimes the good guy (or gal) have to do things they are not too proud of in order to stop the villain. That's certainly the case in "Witch Hunts on the Internet", where the protagonist has to ask herself the following poignant question: "How far are you willing to go and what rules are you willing to break in order to protect your child?"


Please provide your website link.
http://yewalus.kiwiwebhost.net.nz

What is the link to buy your book?

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Friction in the Green Stone of Healing Series

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 in the story?

There are multiple causes of friction in my epic fantasy, Green Stone of
Healing(R) series.

In the initial books, one source of discord between the heroine, Helen
Andros, and her newfound father is the distrust and hurt between the two.
They cannot tell each other that they love each other because both of them
have been so wounded by the seemingly inexplicable, secretive behavior of
Helen's mother.

A second source of conflict is various political factions vying for power in
the vacuum created by the monarch's incapacity. Helen's father is a leader
of one of these factions, and those who oppose him jump all over the
revelation that he has an illegitimate, half-breed daughter in the hope of
tearing him down.

Conflict that develops as the series progresses includes war between Azgard
and other nations, as well as civil war within Azgard between varying
political factions.

There is also a lot of personal conflict between wives and husbands, parents
and children, siblings and cousins, even lovers. Think of the characters as
members of one very large, extended dysfunctional family whose business
happens to be running the most powerful, wealthiest nation in their world.


Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I don't prefer either group. Each plays a role in the kind of genre fiction
I write.


How do you use your bad guys?

Without the villains, it's much tougher to perceive or appreciate the good.
I use the contrast in motives and actions to delineate the differences
between the characters' character, bad and good.

The bad guys/gals also make a storyline much more interesting. Multiple
villains throughout the series are convinced that they should rule the
island nation where the story is set, and some want to impose the law of
Azgard on the entire world. The villains are always plotting some way to
steal power/influence and/or money in my series. Never a dull moment.

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

It is not difficult at all to write about the bad guys/gals. Sometimes it
gets disgusting when they pull of their dastardly deeds or cause havoc and
pain in their attempts. But the bad guys and gals are an integral part of
the story and cannot be airbrushed out just because they are often
unpalatable.


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

As I have noted, villains provide character contrast and propel the plot
with their antics. They also provide what I'll call depth and texture for
lack of a better descriptor. A story without a villain-or at least without a
good guy/gal who makes mistakes-is monotone at best.


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

There are so many bad guys in just the first three books of my epic fantasy
series that I hardly know where to begin. But two of the slimy devils come
to mind right away. The first is the heroine's second cousin on her father's
side of the family. His name is Griffin Mordecai. He would be far more
effectively evil if he had the brain power to realize his intellectual
limitations. Translation: Griffin is dumb as a stump but he has friends in
high places
who keep promoting him way beyond his capacity. The second
villain is a member of the Brotherhood of Kronos named Lucan Silenas. The
extent of this priest's evil will not become known until much later in the
series. For now he seems to have the goods on every one of his fellow
priests and is plotting to do away with his boss so he can become Supreme
Lord of the Temple of Kronos. From there, his ambition will know no bounds
or scruple. He is totally amoral in his quest for ultimate power.


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

Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in the Dune franchise. He's over the top as a bad
guy
and wonderfully fun to read about. I'm not quite sure whether Frank
Herbert
took him seriously or meant him as satire (maybe a bit of both), but
the baron is a most engaging villain who is unabashedly pleased with his
evil ways and means. It's always good to enjoy one's avocation, however
nasty it might be.


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

One of my bad guys is truly a vile piece of work. He becomes the
first-generation heroine's father-in-law and proves to be her worst enemy.
He almost destroys her soul. Others are the way they are due to their own
emotional and spiritual wounds and limitations. I try to set their villainy
in context and provide some explanations, even if it takes a few books to do
so.


Please provide your website link.

http://www.greenstoneofhealing.com

What are the links to buy your books?

eBooks: http://www.healingstonebooks.com

Paperbacks:

The Scorpions Strike-Green Stone of Healing(R) Series, Book Three

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053753

Fallout-Green Stone of Healing(R) Series, Book Two

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053746

The Vision-Green Stone of Healing(R) Series, Book One

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780980053739

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Forever Tonight by Tarra Newlands


Who causes friction is the story?

Theodore who is a bad ass alien with attitude.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I like write bad guys and girls at times. I think its a release for the shadow self we all sometimes have.

How do you use your bad guys?

In my books, I use bad guys different ways. In my first book the Dream King, Jonathan whose the bad guy is also a man flawed and looking for redemption. In Forever Tonight, I painted Theodore as a soul less creature who would kill you as soon look at you.

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

I find it hard at times, but then my shadow self pitches in. Its the old saying 'meet a jerk get to work'.

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

I think writing bad guys is a release from acceptable behaviour.

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

I like Jonathan in The Dream King. He's bad, but with a reason and searching for a way to redeem himself.

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

Bad guys can be sexy, but dangerous. Look, but don't touch. LOL

Please provide your website link.


What is the link to buy your book?

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

The Villain from Hunting the Egret


Who causes friction in the story? Without wanting to give away too much of the plot, there’s a very sadistic and controlling former lover on the loose.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals? I’ve said in previous contributions to this blog that gender matters less to me than convincing motivation. I try to give my villains a bit of depth, but this one is, admittedly, just a bit of a psycho.

How do you use your bad guys? In this tale, one of the characters has a history of being abused, and of willingly submitting to it. It’s by confronting the violent former lover that they are able to move away from that very damaging past.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult? I enjoy it – if I didn’t enjoy it I wouldn’t be doing it. The trouble is, I’m far too good at it. The villain in ‘Hunting the egret’ is a truly horrible piece of work.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way? Probably says far too much about me – but I figure it’s better to write it than do it. I’m probably safer to be around for getting to turn my demons into stories. I have a very dark imagination, I’m capable of a lot of rage and righteous indignation, and worse. This way I get to vent it all and no one gets hurt.

Who is your favourite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in? Gardar in ‘On Borrowed Wings’ remains my favourite. He’s a singularly selfish and egotistical person, capable of making people fall in love with him even while he’s doing dreadful things to them. That said – this new villain has a certain something – the amorality, and again the selfishness and the unshakeable self confidence. One of the features of my bad guys is that they do tend to think they’re wonderful people and they don’t doubt themselves.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books? I remain very fond of Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books (although his status as a bad guy is complicated.) ‘Rebecca’ from Du Maurier’s book is an awesome villainess.

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

When I was working on ‘Hunting the Egret’ I consulted with BDSM author JJ Giles as to what kinds of things would be considered unacceptable behaviour by people in that community. She told me. What I’ve written in this book is very much not what most Doms would consider doing. This villain is a sadist and an abuser and not a representation of BDSM lifestyle.

Please provide your website link. http://www.brynneth.org.uk

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=28&products_id=337&zenid=e8fb5f33a911b999e381b72512589bd7

Monday, June 23, 2008

Meet Duke Ernesto of Savona -- Bloodstone Castle by Mirella Patzer

Who causes friction is the story?

I have two antagonists in my novel, Bloodstone Castle. The main villain is Duke Ernesto of Savona. He is a gambler who has lost his family’s wealth and becomes desperate to replenish his diminished coffers. He sets his hopes on the Contessa Morena of Portovenere to get his hands on the ancient buried treasure beneath her castle.

Laria Malacresta is also an antagonist. She is in love with Duke Amoro of Genoa, but the Duke is bound by an oath to marry Contessa Morena.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I have no real preference regarding the sex of the antagonist. I just want them to be three dimensional and to shock me somehow.

How do you use your bad guys?

I use my antagonists to add tension to the plot and to really make the black moment as dark and hopeless as it can be.

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

I find writing the bad guys rather easy because I can really push things to the limit. For some reason, I fell less restricted – I can make them really hateful because readers want them to be bad. Whereas writing the hero or heroine, you have to tread carefully to ensure they remain likeable or they don’t offend in any way.

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

I love writing bad guys. I hate to admit it, but sometimes in our lives, we’ve all met someone who has wronged us or someone we love. Often, my villains end up looking exactly like them or taking on their characteristics. It seems to take away some of my frustration.

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

I love Duke Ernesto of Savona in Bloodstone Castle because he is so very evil that he was pure fun to write about.

But the most interesting villain I am writing about is a real historical figure in my new novel A Crimson Mantle and in its sequel Lance of Destiny. His name is Thankmar and he is very three dimensional – part victim of circumstance, part thwarted son, part evil schemer. My critiquers sympathize with his plight and have grown very fond of him. My concern is that they seem to like him more than my hero, so I have more work ahead of me to rectify this.

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

My favourite bad guy is Vito Corleone in the Godfather series. One just loves to hate him – when he is good he is very good but when he is bad, well he is pure hatefulness.

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

Laria Malacresta also in Bloodstone Castle is a favourite villainess of mine. She pulls some really despicable stunts, but readers can also sympathize with her because she is a victim of her circumstances.

Visit http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com for a complete photo gallery and description of the characters in the novel.

Please provide your website link.

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.mirellapatzer.com

http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com

http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com

http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com

Or on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Bloodstone-Castle-Mirella-Patzer/dp/0978486528/

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


We encourage you to post a comment on each tour stop for Mirella's tour. At the end of the tour, she will be giving away an autographed copy to one person who posts a comment during the tour. Will you be the one who wins?

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Jim Musgrave Talks About His Bad Guys

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?
I prefer bad guys, as through research I've discovered there are simply more of them, especially the more heinous types--my favorite variety of bad guy!

How do you use your bad guys?
In my novel, Russian Wolves, the worst guy is named and patterned after real-life serial killer, Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo, the Rostov Slayer. However, the fictional detective who hunts him also gets drawn over to the "dark side," which makes this novel a totally "bad guy work," giving it an especially creepy quality.
In my horror novel, Lucifer's Wedding, I chose the perpetual bad guy, and in my political thriller, Sins of Darkness, I chose a collection of bad guys who make up a brainwashing group that programs Sirhan Bishara Sirhan to kill Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult?
Because I "cut my reading teeth" on authors such as Thomas Harris (Silence of the Lambs), I learned that writing about bad guys was a talent unto itself. When one reader I did not know said that my Chikatilo was the "most depraved and horrible character she had ever read about," I knew I was on the right track.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way?
I enjoy writing about them because I am very Freudian, and I believe we have a secret "death wish." Bad guys just fascinate our inner cravings.

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in?
Andrei Chikatilo is my favorite because I like to think I gave him "redeeming qualities" that he lacked in his real life's history. Isn't this what made Dr. Hannibal Lecter so appealing?

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

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Feel free to share.
My bad guys have a dark sense of humor (what else?).

Please provide your website link.
http://www.contempinstruct.com/books/books.htm

What is the link to buy your book?
http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Wolves-James-Ray-Musgrave/dp/0977650316/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209569459&sr=8-1

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Western Romance by Paty Jager

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? The friction in my story is several factors. One is a father who left behind an adoring daughter who grew up believing no matter how much you love someone they leave. So she plans to keep never give her heart again. This is the friction between the hero who has set his heart on this woman and the woman fighting her attraction to him. There are also a band of outlaws. Some just followers and others deranged.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals? I prefer any element that can make the reader wonder how will these people ever get together with all that is happening.

How do you use your bad guys? I use my bad guys to help the lead roles discover who they really are. And it adds action to the books not mention a little bit of humor now and then when you add bumbling bad guys.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult? The bad guys are actually fun to write. I always give one of them a trait that is a little endearing, yet make one be so loathsome or disgusting the reader can't help but boo or curl their lip when the character comes on the scene.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way? The world is full of bad people or bad things that happen to people. You can't write a book without adding that bit of the real world into the equation. If you don't have bad people or an unsettling event in a book it is too Pollyanna and the reader isn't going to believe the other characters of the story you are telling.

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in? I'd have to say my favorite bad buy is Ezra Cutter in "Outlaw in Petticoats". He is slick and tries to be charismatic while holding the heroine hostage.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books? That's a tough one. I don't think I've read a book where the bad guy was so memorable that I could name him or the book. But then I tend to read contemporary single title and historical westerns. I rarely read a suspense. I get scared too easily! LOL

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Feel free to share. As in the real world most bad guys aren't too smart. And since I've so far not got into the head to a really deranged bad guy, I've made them all just a little bit bumbling, letting the reader know they will be caught because they aren't quite smart enough to get away with everything they plot.

Please provide your website link. http://www.patyjager.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.thewildrosepress.com

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

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Sinbad's Last Voyage

Tell us about the villains in your book.

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?

There are three negative forces in the book: The first are the Albegensians who attack a deep-space freighter and destroy it, starting a war with Terra, thus setting the backdrop for the story. The second is the Federation itself, which has a habit of incarcerating anyone with an opinion contrary to theirs. The third is Andrea's husband Tran, the reason she meets Sinbad. Tran is an Albegensi and has been arrested simply because he's a member of the planet which attacked the Terran vessel, arbitrarily accused of being a spy.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals?

I've written about both and I've made them as mean and evil as I can! It's fun to have someone who can say and do the things one might have always wanted to but society says one can't because of retribution.

How do you use your bad guys?

In this case, Tran doesn't appear to be a "bad guy" at first. He's simply an innocent victim who was from the wrong place at the wrong time. It's only when he escapes from Detention and leaves the planet and ignores Sinbad's messages to wait so he can bring Andi to him that things become suspicious. The fact that he's heading toward a planet known to be a hereditary enemy of his own people is strange, also. He brings about Andi's meeting with the man who'll change her life forever, as well as Sin's meeting with the woman who'll make him see that all Terrans aren't to be hated.

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

It was fun!

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

My villains can say and do what they want, to whoever they want, whenever they want. I'd never do anything like that, but it's fun to pretend for a little while that I'm someone who can. Of course, they always get their "come-uppance" in the end, but it's a great ride while it lasts!

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

I guess I'd have to say Mircea Ravagui in my unpublished novel Shadow Lord. Not only does Mircea get away with murdering Marek Strigoi's father, stepmother, little brother and sister, but he manages to get the hero sent to Hell for a hundred and twenty-five years!

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

I'd have to say Blackie Duquesne from the Skylark of Space by "Doc" Smith.

Please provide your website link.

Www.tonivsweeney.com

What is the link to buy your book?

www.lulu.com; www.doubledradonbooks.com

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

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Under Lock and Key by Rebecca Benston


Who causes friction in the story? In my Rona Shively Stories mystery series, my main character, Rona Shively causes a lot of her own friction. She just gets into things that spell trouble. Generally, though, I try to make the villain someone the reader would never suspect. As in the first book, many people were surprised to find that the bad guy was...well...I can't really say. That kind of gives it away for those who haven't read it. In Under Lock and Key, I pulled a major switch with one of the main characters as well.

Do you prefer bad guys or bad gals? I don't know why, but my villains tend to run in pairs. Usually, a man and a woman are the perpetrators of evil.

How do you use your bad guys? My bad guys are usually causing trouble for some poor, unsuspecting soul. Rona Shively is that equalizing force brought in to help the underdog out of some terrible circumstance.

Do you enjoy writing the bad guys or do you find it difficult? I like writing them, but I really like writing their demise. It makes me happy to see the bad guy get punched in the nose or something equally painful.

Whether you enjoy writing them or hate writing them, we'd like to know why you feel that way? I don't know, maybe it's because my bad guys tend to have some of the qualities that really cause me stress. Some are a composite of the people in my life who have caused me a significant level of grief. So, I guess it's my way of inflicting a harmless dose of revenge.

Who is your favorite bad guy in any of your books? Which bad guy and which book are they in? I enjoy my first villain the most because he was such a jerk. You really never saw it coming because you already hate him when you figure it out. He starts out as a creep, almost becomes likable and then you realize that your first instinct was the one you should have trusted.

Who is your favorite fictional bad guy -- that's not in your books? One of my favorites has been Kyle Craig in the James Patterson's Cross series. He just doesn't care who he kills. He's so sinister.

Is there anything else about your bad guys that we need to know? Sometimes, people are just bad. It's not likely that any of my bad guys are just having a bad day, they're usually significantly flawed and will deserve whatever Rona might do to them to bring them down. I hope you enjoy watching things unfold.

Please provide your website link. http://www.theronashivelystories.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.theronashivelystories.com

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Cover of the Year - Asking for Your Vote

I just scanned the covers for Cover of the Year on Erin Aislinn's website and saw a lot of familiar covers - many were on my Judge A Book By its Cover blog last year :)

I invite you to visit http://www.erinaislinn.com/BookCoveroftheYear2007.htm and I hope that you will vote for Lady Lightkeeper which is one of my covers and it is listed as the winning cover for September.

If you prefer the easier route - feel free to email webmail@erinaislinn .com and put "VOTE for Lady Lightkeeper" in the subject line. I appreciate every vote :)

Nikki


Book Promo 101 - NOW AVAILABLE
www.nikkileigh. com/book_ promo_101. htm
"Coastal Suspense with a Touch of Romance"
Would you like information about the newest
blog tour option? Ask me for details and visit
www.inspiredauthor.com/promotion