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