Revisiting Old Haunts

When I was younger, maybe high school, I discovered detective novels. Not modern ones. The old-school, hardboiled detective thrillers like Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and Agatha Christie -- crime fiction fraught with drama. I was immediately addicted.

My book heroes moved from the curious teens of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew storylines to the grizzled detectives, the private eyes with snappy wit, the keenly observant yet horribly vain inspectors. My love for a good chase led me deeper down the suspense rabbit hole to Gothic mysteries where I discovered the deliciously brooding Victoria Holt and Du Maurier.

My husband and I recently started on another reading aloud kick. We previously went through a few of Connelly's books. But this time I was in the mood for something nostalgic. Something that elicited the forlorn notes of a lone jazz trumpet or visions of hot steam rising off a dark street. So, we're reading The Maltese Falcon. My husband has never read it or seen the movie and I'm excited to see how he reacts to the twists and turns.

As a suspense writer myself, I love to see genuine surprise or worry at a turn of events in any story, not just my own books. We're having a blast!  I wonder what other books are worth another read through...and another. What are your favorites that you return to again and again?

Or better yet, what books do everyone love that you just couldn't get into? I'd love to know.

The Secrets Beneath the Streets

Photo by Yohei Shimomae on Unsplash

As an author, research is the icing on the book-writing cake for me. On top of feeding my thirst for newer and newer hobbies, it helps me to feel like I am writing in the most authentic way possible. For instance, I took gun and skip trace lessons to write my private investigator heroine in Purple Knot. I learned shorthand and found the courage to woman-up and eat alligator for my journalist character in the southern suspense, Bayou Blue. Its one of the best parts of writing because it forces you to stretch into the story. To learn something you might never have wanted or needed to study. That's why I love it.

This is even more true when it comes to the setting and location of my books. To better understand the local lore for Gothic mystery, Secrets at Crescent Point, I took underground walking tours of Seattle's "haunted" spots, learned about the mystifying lights seen off the shore of Orca's island, and of course, visited the famous Pike Place Market. Those fish mongers throwing massive fish over your head is a must see!

So when I began my current WIP, a Sci-Fi thriller set in near future Silicon Valley, I was super excited to use every part of my beloved state. From the aromatic and bustling China Town to the gleaming bastions of high tech innovation in southern San Francisco Bay, Veridian truly revels in the sights and sounds of California.

Photo by Randy Jacob on Unsplash

Something that truly piqued my interest were the stories and images by urban explorers of the abandoned tunnels and ghost stations that spiderweb undetected throughout the area. 

Apparently, there is a vast unknown commotion just beneath our feet. Closely guarded are the entrances and location to keep them from being sealed off by the cities, these places are fascinating to me. And in fact, are featured prominently in my upcoming novel. My heroine, Elara Savoya, tracks stolen tech wherever it goes no matter what. It takes her to some dangerous and breathtaking places.

If you are ever in California, I encourage you to slip in some exploration between Disneyland and the beach. All along the state but particularly from San Francisco to LA there are places to see that will definitely make an impression.

For instance, Los Angeles has underground sublevels that drill down as much as three stories beneath the street and once housed creepy veteran's hospital overflow rooms, dank storage space, and even fallout shelters. Needless to say, I was hooked on the legends and ghost stories surrounding these abandoned places, especially after seeing some of the elaborate décor of some of the abandoned stations. I wondered who would choose to live there as I've heard some do. I wonder why and what they were like.

What about where you live? Are there any places off the beaten track that just spark your imagination? I'd love to hear about them.

A Collection of Kisses + a Giveaway!

Today we have a treat for Valentines! Author Robin Bayne is here celebrating the release of her novel, Hearts on the Harbor.

One lucky commenter will win a free ebook copy of the entire Cooking Up Kisses collection! Just answer the question in the Rafflecopter link below...Thank you, Robin!

Here is a short exerpt:

Chapter One

“Don’t look now, Car, but your ex is here.”

Cara Peyton stiffened in her seat. Jackson? Here? Why?  A shiver ran through her as she willed her head not to swivel. Around her the clink of silverware and diners chatting faded into the background.

“He’s really hot,” Jill observed, leaning forward over her iced tea. “Hotter, really. He looks more like a man now than a teenager. How long has it been?”

Cara didn’t need to think. “Seven and half years. Seven and three quarters, actually.”

“Wow.” Jill turned her chair slightly. “Doesn’t look like he’s with anyone. Female, that is. Doesn’t he have a brother?”

“Yes, a younger one. Why?”

“The guy with him looks like him. You know, I should go over and—"

 “Please don’t make a scene.” Cara gripped her water glass, the beads of water pooling on it cooled her palms. It had taken years to get over Jack, if she ever really had. She couldn’t get emotional now. She gazed out the wall length windows onto the cobblestone street. A white van marked “Charm City Cabinetry” partially blocked her view of the harbor. A little Christian fish magnet, slightly crooked, was stuck to its side door. She sighed.

“Don’t freak out, I won’t do anything.” Jill picked up her tuna sandwich. “So how late do you need me to stick around tonight? I have a date.”

“Oh you do? Who with?” Cara took a bite of her Caesar salad and half listened to her partner’s description of some guy she’d just met.

The other half of her attention was focused on not looking at the table behind them, not listening for any whisper of the voice she remembered. What would Jackson be like now? Would he be married? She knew he’d be childless, either way. Didn’t want kids. Did he regret, or even remember, leaving her like that? It has all been about his music.  Did he remember the last time they’d been together? Did he—

“Hey!” Jill waved her hand in front of Cara’s face. “Have you heard anything I’ve said?”

Cara blinked. “Um, no, sorry.”

“That’s okay,” Jill said, staring at her friend. “I know where you were.”

Her face warming, Cara wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. “I’m back.”

“Uh-huh, sure.  So who am I seeing tonight?”

Could she come up with some name from her subconscious? She snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know, Greg from that accounting firm we interviewed.” That was it. Cara smiled, proud of herself.

“Um, no. Wanna try again?”

“Not really.” Cara smoothed the napkin with her hand. “I’m sorry, it’s just that—"

“Just that your mind is full of Jackson Bridger right now. I get it.” Jill sighed and brushed the crumbs from her sandwich onto the floor, regarding Cara with the smug smile of a friend who knew too much.

“Can I get you ladies anything else?” Tom their waiter flashed a smile and presented a coffee carafe.

“Just the check,” Cara said. “Thanks. We have to get back to work.”

“Nice working right next door, huh?” Tom grinned before bowing his head to total the check.

Cara stood, prepared to head for the ladies room so she could finally see if it really was Jack.

“Don’t move,” Jill hissed. “He’s coming over.”

“No.” Cara’s pulse raced and her hand shook as she grabbed her purse.

“Oh, yes.”

Silence followed for several long seconds, three, four. . .

“Hey, Jill. Cara.” Jackson’s deep voice held confidence and a bit of amusement.

She finally let herself turn to find her former boyfriend towering over her. His wavy brown hair was cut short now, his face as lean but a bit more weathered than she remembered. Reminding herself to breath, she forced a smile. “Jack, hey, you’re looking good.” She sent up mental thanks that her voice didn’t quiver. “You too, Luke,” she said to the other man who joined them.

“Hi Cara.” Luke glanced at his brother, probably wondering why Jack just stood there staring. Luke leaned forward and gave her a loose hug.

“How are you, Luke? What are you up to these days? It’s been a couple years since we e-mailed.” Cara turned to face Luke, but still felt Jackson’s gaze on her.

“Great, thanks. Got a job with an insurance company, have a girlfriend. We go to the same church. Getting ready for the holidays. Life is good. What are you doing? You look fantastic, by the way.” With that he elbow-jabbed his brother in the gut.

Cara felt her face warming. “Thank you. And I’m happy you’re doing well.” She turned back to Jackson, who glared at his brother now. “And how about you? It’s been a long time.”

“Seven years, nine months,” he said without hesitation.

Cara’s jaw dropped, and she forced her mouth closed. She had been unsure if he’d even acknowledge her. A twinge of anger ran through her. Why was she feeling this way, like a schoolgirl getting a glimpse of a forbidden love? He’d been the one who left. To get famous.

“Why don’t you guys join us for a minute? I could order us coffee.” Jill spoke up in a chipper voice, obviously enjoying the awkward show. Before Cara knew what was happening, the men had slid into chairs across from them.

Tom told them to take their time, no one was waiting for the table, and he’d bring four coffees.

“We only have a few minutes,” Cara told him. “I have to be back at work for an appointment at one-thirty.” Tom nodded and headed for another table.

“So,” Jack began, his voice a caress. “Cara. How have you been?”

Cara’s tongue felt swollen, and suddenly, she had no idea how she was.

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With Every Beat

You are supposed to start your story when everything goes awry. Writers call it media res and it means that you begin a narrative "in the middle of things" rather than at the beginning of the event. 

You dump the reader right into the juicy bits of the events...right when things are taking a turn. Preferably for the worse.

The main character in my current project, The Dreadful Dark, lives each moment as if things are going to go awry in a bad way. That is because she can literally drop dead at any moment.  She has a heart condition, something called Long QT Syndrome that sends her heart racing with chaotic beats...and it does it randomly.

When she is sent to the desert to recuperate after an operation, strange happenings and the dangerous secrets of a mysterious family known as The Dreadful Darlings, draw her into a world of longing and fear and suspense.

Where a typical person might fear for their life, cringe at the sight of death, run from the unexplained...well, Venus is not typical.

"When death is your constant companion, it is familiar, and nothing is frightening about the familiar."  ~Venus Bell

So my story begins...not at the hospital or as she makes her way to her eccentric uncles Earthship home in the barren landscape...

No, our story begins in the chill of the desert at night. Underneath a riot of stars against the velvet black sky. In the shadows of an abandoned sanitarium nearly reclaimed by the sand, she meets a boy both dark and strange. 

Is he all that his name implies? Or is there something about Rowan Darling worth saving?

In the midst of malevolent forces gathering against them, Venus finds that her heart is far stronger than she had ever imagined.

+Raquel Byrnes

Book of Ivy Blog Tour!

The Book of Ivy (The Book of Ivy #1)

by Amy Engel 

Release Date: 11/04/14

Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.

This year, it is my turn.

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power.

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

Add to Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books│iTunes│Google Books

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About the Author
Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas; California; Missouri; Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two kids.  Before devoting herself full-time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV.  When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping. The Book of Ivy is her debut YA novel. Find her online at http://amyengel.net/ or @aengelwrites.


Author Links: Website│Goodreads│Twitter

Blog Tour Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

Noble Island Mysteries Video

So excited to reveal the new video that just dropped for my Gothic Mystery series! With the second book, Secrets at Crescent Point, set to release in May, I am thrilled to be able to share it with you all.

Hope you enjoy the spooky fun and have a wonderful weekend!

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Cut and Then Cut Deeper

I am 45,000 words into my WIP and usually halfway through I check a list I have of story elements. Things like theme, character arc, scope of the plot, etc.  Things that every novel needs to tell a gripping story.

This is also the time that I tend to do major surgery on my chapters. I recently chopped out four, put them back in, sliced other ones out...and then rewrote them.

All this because at the mid-way mark I am familiar with the intricacies of my plot and internal workings of the characters.  This knowledge aids me in really looking at what I have so far.

Do I have character revealing scenes? How about ones that display their weaknesses or their unique

10 Blade!

strengths?  Do I have a moment that shows their true motivations?

Do I have conflict enough to avoid a sagging middle? How about tension and opposing sides that each have a valid point?

So I get out my figurative scalpel and start to debride my words from my ideas. What do I have underneath that needs to be revealed and how can I do it more clearly, more succinctly, and with more emotional impact?

I pull out my 9 Plot Steps worksheet that I've had since high school and make sure I have all of them either on the page or outlined to be written...

1. Triggering Event
2. Characterization
3. First Major Turning Point
4. Exposition
5. Calm Before the Storm
6. Negative Turning Point
7. Apparent Win for Villain
8. Revelation or Turning of the Tide
9. Victory for Hero/Heroine

After all my poking and prodding, I think I am ready to go back and layer some things in my first chapters. Thanks to my illustrious critique partner, Erin at Spock Writes Romance, I've talked through some ideas and have a definite direction.

So I'm off to the operating room to do some serious cutting. Until next time...Go Write!

COTT's Clash of April Releases!

Beach trips, mountain jaunts and lazy days in the swing on the front porch. Tis the season to enjoy a great read outdoors. Clash of the Titles’s got five brand new April releases to recommend. It’ll be difficult to choose from these three romances, a mystery with suspense, and women’s fiction. The stories tell of a woman who falls in love with an Army veteran with PTSD; a kidnapped doctor accused of murder; a woman yearning for a family; a lady with a heart attack and spiritually broken heart; and three unwed mothers from three different eras. All will tug at your heart. But please select the one you most want to get lost in. Then vote for it below.

Cindy Waymire, a college senior in search for a topic for an upcoming sociology paper, finds more than a topic when she meets Army veteran and college freshman Danny Flynn outside the student union. An undeniable attraction to this troubled veteran leads her on a difficult and winding path that brings her to a crossroads—get into a relationship with a man who has serious mental health problems or turn her back on one of the best men she’s ever met.






Dr. Matt Newman escapes from kidnappers only to land in the ICU then awaken to find the police are convinced he’s a killer, and he’s still a target. Can attorney Sandra Murray and he find the truth before it’s too late?

Terri Hayes owns a thriving Day Care but hungers for a child of her own  while  writer Steve Evans has all the family he needs. Will harsh words and sneaky plans drive them further apart, or does God have another plan?








What would you do if the one man who can help is the one man you can’t trust? A heart attack has stopped workaholic Mara Keegan in her tracks, but Mara’s heart needs to be healed in more ways than one—will Joel Ryan help her or take all she has left?

Three women from three different eras face the aftermath of unwed pregnancies, desperate for hope. Can it be found in the memoirs of Anna, who ran a home for unwed Moms in the 1890’s, or is there no link to their cries for help and their source of hope?

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"The Q Manifesto" --A Christian Thriller You Don't Want to Miss!

Clash of the Titles presents...

 The Q Manifesto by Alan Schleimer.

A new Dead Sea Scroll stuns the world. Is it a forgery or the end of Christianity?

Not long ago, experts announced that an ancient papyrus referred to Jesus Christ as having a wife. It caused quite a stir before being quickly discredited. But what if an even more explosive papyrus was found that showed the gospels were faked and that document passed every modern test for legitimacy? That is the premise for The Q Manifesto. 

The story centers on Jay Hunt, who quit a lucrative Wall Street career to become a backcountry tour guide. Soon after, an ancient manuscript is uncovered that reveals the Gospels were an orchestrated fiction. Though its revelation stuns the world, Jay ignores it until his father, a retired Dead Sea Scrolls expert, gets in over his head investigating the scroll. Chased by assassins, Jay soon learns that the world’s only chance to survive Armageddon depends on him deciphering a cryptic trail of clues in his quest for the truth.

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

An Unlikely Prospect as an Author

Alan Schleimer wasn’t always a writer. In fact, he says that he was the least likely candidate to become a published author. About ten years ago, he was enjoying a career in the corporate world. The former energy trader and business development professional with a finance MBA claims he struggled writing a two-paragraph business letter. “I kept getting these cool ideas for a book. I thought some day, if I ever retired, I would write it. Well, I noticed that these ideas came more frequently while I was spending my quiet time meditating. Eventually, I became convinced it was a calling from God, and I began writing full-time. The story that started it all was a Christian fiction fantasy. It was a great learning process filled with numerous rookie mistakes. I took writing classes and attended writing conferences until deciding to write the kind of fiction I liked to read—mystery/suspense/thrillers.”

Police Academy

Besides studying writing, Alan is a graduate of Sugar Land’s Citizen Police Academy. He describes it as “A great program for anyone, but it was an ideal introduction for me to police procedures. You can read about police work, but the Academy brings to life the daily risks and snap judgments police officers must make to keep us safe.” Besides his Academy participation, he has studied martial arts, finance, and what he calls the divine source of all truth—the Bible.

Evidence that the Police Academy and other studies have enriched Alan’s writing is reflected in one reader’s review, which praised it as a “magnificent debut whose stunning depths, pivotal settings and tangible descriptions manifested themselves in imagery akin to an HDTV movie.” His storyline was cited as a “masterfully crafted, full-immersion thriller written with intelligence, heart and virtue, brilliantly plotted, and played out at machine gun pace.”  Pleased that his book is categorized as Christian fiction, Alan prefers to think of it as a family-friendly wild ride with a message of hope and a challenge to anyone’s faith.

Awards

The Q Manifesto was named the top inspirational/religious novel of 2012 by the national website Daily Cheap Reads. Previously the story garnered the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis award in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. Schleimer’s debut novel is a suspense thriller and has been compared favorably to Dan Brown’s "Da Vinci Code" for its masterfully-executed twists and turns. 

Connect with Alan

The Q Manifesto is available as an eBook at Amazon and by month’s end at most online booksellers in a print edition. You can connect with Alan through his website www.alanschleimer.com and “Like” him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AlanSchleimer.Author.

Dark vs Time

Columbia Tower, Seattle

I finished the second book to my Gothic romance series, went through edits, and submitted it to the agent/publishers. Now I find myself in that writing limbo where I have no active projects...and therefore, no direction.

It is one of the most free and fearful times of the year for me. I love the 'anything is possible' sort of opportunity to explore ideas for books. I also hate not having my writing routine. I feel untethered to the the day-to-day.

As many of you know from previous posts, I often work on two books at the same time. My main work which has a deadline, is usually part of a series, and very structured...and my thinking book. The one that I turn to when I have writer's block or I'm stuck in my main book.

Calico Ghost Town

Usually, well, inevitably, those secondary books turn into main books at some point. I seem to rotate them out as I go.

Currently, I have two such 'back burner books' that are circling the drain of my unconscious. Not quite going away, yet not really coming together.

Book one is a contemporary romantic suspense. A serial killer chase with lots of action and dark, dark scenes. It was something to chew on while I got into the Gothic atmosphere of the Noble Island books I was writing.

I like this book. We'll call it DARK. Its very meaty and the main character is so flawed...so broken, that you wonder how she'll survive her own demons, let alone catch the one she's chasing.

The second back burner book is a historical romance. We'll call it RECKLESS HOPE. It is so completely different in tone and pacing from anything that I've ever written, I was surprised it even came from me. Yes, I write romance...but historical? Old west? Outlaws and damsels?

Idyllwild

Hmm... Just different enough to entice me after I just spent so long in the depths of a mysterious island, grappling with Romany curses and lost loves.

I think the enormous amount of research involved in the historical is what's actually keeping me from writing it. I'm about 30K deep into both books, but DARK would just flow whereas RECKLESS HOPE would definitely take a lot of work outside of my writing zen.

So now, as I sit and avoid writing by blogging and tweeting and yes...even 'liking' on Tumblr...I still have not decided.

How do you deal with finishing a book and the loss of direction that comes after? I'd love to know.

Hideous Light of the Day Star...

Day Star in my back yard

So I've just finished off a string of writing sessions that would make World of Warcraft gamers think I was way too intense. I feel like one of those skinny people that run on purpose for like...hours. What do you call that kind of insanity? Marathons? Yeah, like that.

Well I call it drive. More specifically, a deadline. But now as I climb out of the cave of despair and caffeine, I see that it was all worth it.

Writer on coffee high.

Starting with NaNo...which I totally flaked out on in like, four minutes and ending with a dedicated march toward completed pages by 12/31/2012...or the Mayan Armageddon, whichever came first.  I did finish ahead of schedule so, Yay!

That decision was of course, entirely selfish on my part, because with Christmas coming and all the fun parties and family stuff coming up...well, I didn't want to have to work. 

This is the first draft and I will go over it again a few times for revisions before I submit, but I am done. The story is out of my head and I can breath a sigh of relief for the two minutes I allow myself before I start worrying about changes.

So here's to Siyah and Raven, my two great muses during these past months!  Je suis fini!  Hallelujah!

I'm going out for a frothy coffee and some chocolate!

Tuesday's Child

Guilty of love in the first degree, a deaf witness who 'sees' the murders and a cop torn between doing his duty and going out in faith.

I am so excited for the release of Tuesday's Child today! This book has such a great twist to it and I love the characters. Flawed and struggling, they really seem to resonate...

Deaf from the age of five, Adeline Munroe operates a hospital for injured dolls, but lately her quiet life is disturbed by violent, haunting visions. Perhaps it's just her unspoken fear--a serial killer has struck in Headley Cross. But Adeline soon realizes she's seeing each murder just before they happen and reluctantly contacts the police. 

Detective Sergeant Nate Holmes has enough to deal with between caring for his orphaned niece and his current assignment--the Herbalist killings, so when a woman comes forward who claims to be "seeing" the crimes in dreams, he isn't hopeful she'll be of any help. But he knows her from church, and she inexplicably describes how each crime is committed. Is God answering his prayers through Adeline?

Adeline assists the police, yet more women die and she becomes the prime target of the killer. Will Nate crack the case before the Herbalist can complete his agenda--or will the next murder Adeline foresees be her own?

Excerpt:
All of Nate’s senses kicked into action, his copper’s antennae twitching.
She knew something, or at least thought she did.
“What is it?”
Adeline sucked her lower lip into her mouth, worrying it with her teeth. “This is going to sound stupid, but…” She took a deep breath. “I saw them. All of them. They all had their hair tied back or up.” She picked up the top clipping. “She was playing on a swing and wearing a red jacket. This one was walking the dog and wearing blue.”
Nate jolted as if he’d been struck by lightning. Those details hadn’t been released. Was he wrong about her? Was she somehow involved with the murders? “Wait  a minute. How did you know any of this?”
Adeline carried on speaking as she shifted through the papers. “She was on her way to dance class in pink. This one was jogging in a gray toweling track suit and the first one…”
Nate put a hand on her arm, cutting her off.
She jerked her head upwards in surprise.
He held her gaze. “How do you know all this?”
“I told you, I saw them.”

I know, right?  This book is a sure bet for the To Be Read pile on your nightstand. Suspense, love, faith...all the elements of a great read.

You can find Tuesday's Child anywhere books are sold including Amazon and Pelican Book Group's site.

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About the Author: Clare lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from a early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children's stories. When she's not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she's working part time in the breakfast club at one of the local schools.

Anti-Heroes 101: Bad Boy Gone Good...For Now

Almost a year to the date I did series entitled Anti-Heroes 101 where I touched on The Mysterious Bad Boy, The Bad Boy with Potential, and The Elusive Bad Boy.  I had a lot of fun and got some great comments and advice from all of you.

The Dark Quality:

Flash forward a year to this past summer where I’ve embarked on book two of my mystery series and I’ve discovered a fourth anti-hero…Bad Boy Gone Good.  This dark hero is usually someone the heroine knows from years ago or hears stories about from other characters.

He has a dark past and now is determined to right his wrongs no matter the cost. Even if it is his own happiness or worse, his life.

The Appeal:

So, of all the anti-heroes, this guy is in fact a bona fide bad boy. Which can be very magnetic. There is no veneer of danger, no pristine leather jackets, no empty threats.  He did hurt people in his past either unintentionally or on purpose and for some reason has changed course.  

Taming the beast. Being the balm to his tortured soul is a draw and an addicting one at that. There is also the fact that he is a true alpha-male.  Add to that the idea of being the reason for bringing out the nobility in such a strong character is a great pull.

He is dangerous because this anti-hero actually did do harm and has the potential to do it again. One choice during one fleeting moment is all it takes. And the risk of that can be quite fun to flirt with in the safety of a good book.

The Set Up:

To keep the heroin safe, he must revert to what he was. Only what he was will cause him to lose the heroine.  A dilemma, right? 

This is where you pile on the conflict. Often the rising danger would be better faced by the “old” ways and that creates tension.

This is a great choice for historical romance and westerns. Pirates make wonderful Bad Boys Gone Good. Also all types of contemporary dramas from cops to spies to reformed white collar criminals. 

You take the hero and show all the good he does, how he is just a slightly tarnished white knight, and how he truly hates or regrets what he was.

Then you throw in either a situation from his past or actual returning characters from those dark days that mess things up for our hero.  A great way to add even more conflict is to have your hero hiding his dastardly deeds with a false name or even a faked death.  Another source of agitation is the struggle to keep others from revealing what he did.

Bring in danger so severe that there seems to be no choice but to reach down into the dark and fight fire with fire.

Make him value the sincerity and goodness of the heroine and the life she represents. Make him dare to hope and then yank it away…for a time.

The Reward:

With every bad boy story line, you need to have that moment of redemption. That scene where all the things he's done or said finally make sense. Usually ten chapters in or so, the time you need to supply the first major disaster.

He is not the guy he once was. He is wiser, stronger, and has the trust of people he loves. He won’t want to lose that.  The heroine will find out his past, she must in order to truly know him, but she won't leave him. She knows who he is now and that is all that matters to her.  This will seal his heart to hers forever.

He will need to make a devastating choice. His life for another. His future for hers. Whatever it is, make it costly and agonizing for him. And then make him do the right thing.

The Heart’s Hope:

The reason the heroine hangs in there and believes, despite all evidence to the contrary, that her hero has changed is because it is her heart’s hope that his love for her is stronger than the darkness inside him. That he will fight for them and for her.

Often she chooses to trust him against all reason and the advice of others and is validated when he proves to be the man she always knew he was deep down.

The heroines of these stories are often ingénues or idealists. They are the good guys through-and-through. They are by-the-book, trust in the good, belief in happily-ever-after type of gals. This hope and purity of heart is what so captures these bad boys and makes them want to be what she sees in him.

These women believe in white hats and real heroes and true love and The Bad Boy Gone Good will do anything to prove her right.

***Crossover Potential***

The Bad Boy Gone Good...temporarily is often mashed up with TheMysterious Bad Boy or the Bad Boy with Potential because they all have a sordid past to overcome. 

Examples of this type of anti-hero are…Damon Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries. He has definite darkness in his past and yet is trying his mightiest to not be what he believes himself to be...for Elena.

Also Angel from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series....noticing a pattern?  Yes, this hero is popular in stories where there are paranormal elements because it ups the potential for power to tempt. Also historical romance where a rogue makes his fortune and returns to win the woman he's secretly loved.

Or even in movies, Thor as he goes from the cause of a war to sacrificing his life for humans.  

Can you think of any Bad Boys Gone Good  that just captured your heart? Movies count!

Until next time…Go Write!

How Thor Helped My Writing

SWOON!

I am a geek girl, through and through. I loved comics, computers, and chess as a high schooler...the three C's of social oblivion.

As a writer though, I KNOW that loving the epic struggles and sacrifices of my comic book *cough* graphic novel, heroes has served me well as an author.

Think of your favorite super hero and break down why you love them. Be it movie or magazine, the elements will inevitably be the same. And you can apply those points to your writing to construct riveting heroes your readers with love.

• There are always TWO types of struggle going on.  The external, public stakes type of struggle. Be it aliens or mad men, there is something on the outside of the hero causing conflict.  But there is always...ALWAYS, some sort of inner struggle that pulls the audience in. Betrayal by a brother, loss of family, the ache for vengeance, a secret shame...something makes the hero the way he or she is.

• There is a clear path for them. We know that the hero must defeat the villain. We know that all cannot be lost. We just don't quite know how he will get there, just that he HAS to for the good guys to win. Clear change. Definite Goal.

• It is their soul not their strength that inspires us. We may not have special powers or super speed, but we can have an unbreakable spirit and that is what a great hero makes us aspire to. Someone that never gives up, does the honorable thing despite the cost, and lives for something real and noble.

• Tension and conflict are integral to the story. They fight with people that love them, they are betrayed, they suffer crushing blows to their confidence and still keep going. Comics provide a great blue print for compelling stories. Good books are more than action scenes and bullet caliber descriptions. They are gripping because of the personal stakes.

• The struggle resonates. Great stories of adventure and thrills all have a human core that readers can identify with. Sure we may not all have billions of dollars and cool gadgets, but we've lost people we love and felt helpless. Not all of us have magic hardware, but we've all felt the pain of failing expectations and hurt from loved ones. Human emotions are the core of any good story.

Take a moment to think about your main character. Be it hero or heroine. Do you like them or are they falling a little flat? They may be missing an element that makes them human....even if they come to reader by way of Mars. 

Until next time...Go Write!

And the Villain Is...

Obvious Villain

In keeping with the fun I had writing my post on action cliches, Brakes Only Fail On Hills, I decided to share my list of things that try to keep in mind when writing my own villains...

• Don't give him a deformity, scar, or creepy behavior.

How do we know that Dr. Evil is evil before he even speaks? He is bald, has a scar, does that weird pinkie thing, and dresses like a futuristic mortician. 

Misdirection by appearance and behavior is a great device when writing suspense, but make sure it is actually pointing to someone who is NOT the villain.

• Minions are a dead giveaway.

Whether its a creepy friend that does their bidding or a doormat for an assistant, keep the talk of diabolical plans while excitedly rubbing  their hands together to a minimum. 

Particular to suspense...you can't unveil or hint too heavily at the villain or it will spoil the surprise and lose the reader.

• They are caught in a blatant lie.

Photo by Tiago Fernandes.

The heroine sees the villain arguing with a man and later when the man is revealed to be a bad guy, the villain denies it.

This is a great way to add conflict between the OTHER main characters. Misunderstanding clouds the issue and often throws suspicion where it can do some good to further the story.

• Make him gain advantage too soon in the story.

We've all seen Rocky, right? He gets beat down at first, but then a sudden burst of energy/inspiration/verbal backside kicking by his bestie sends him back to win the day.

The problem with letting your villain gain the advantage too quickly is that its the equivalent of putting a blinking red arrow over his head. Keep the story off balance and the reader wondering.

• Your hero is too important to lose.

Really just wanted a reason to post a pic of Jake.

This, I think, is one of the quickest ways to ruin the story. If one of your characters is a wayward prince, the President, the only survivor of his species....the odds are whoever is picking on him is gonna lose and is therefore...the villain.

What are some instances in a mystery, be it book or movie that have given away the villain too soon? How might we as writers keep the reader guessing?

Until next time...Go Write?