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Friday, March 16, 2018

VILLAINS AND TREACHERY--BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!--by Cheryl Pierson #blogabookscene #prairierosepub

Oh, how I love a good villain! Whether I’m reading about one or watching him/her on film, or best of all—WRITING ONE!

What makes a good villain? Well, in my opinion, first and foremost he can’t be one-dimensional. I know in our “real world” there are those people that seem to be evil just for the sake of it and some of them probably are. But in our reading/writing, we want to know WHY. What made this person turn out like he did—a diabolical, cunning, demonic person that will stop at nothing to accomplish what he’s set out to do?

This leads to the question, is there anything at all that would stop him from carrying out his evil plans? Would a memory stop him, or trigger him? Would any one person be able to reason with him? Would a “new plan” divert him from carrying out the blueprint for disaster for the hero/heroine that he’s already come up with?
But there are other things that have to be reckoned with. Those things that might have happened to him in his past to create and mold him into the kind of person who would be so bold and determined to use anything—no matter how it hurts others—to his own advantage are important. But what are the factors that drive him presently? A circumstance of opportunity? A long-seated need for revenge and the path to that revenge being presented? Greed? Burning jealousy? Maybe even the death of a loved one that he may not have wanted to embarrass by his actions while they were still living—now that they’re gone, all bets are off!

THE DEVIL AND MISS JULIA JACKSON has the heroine caught between a distant relative who throws her and her niece out of their home and the job as nursemaid she takes in Indian Territory, working for a man who is, at first, cold and unresponsive. The villain in this story shifts between the man who threw Julia out of her home to someone else who means to destroy her employer.



I’ve had so many villains I’ve created in my writing that were motivated by different things. My first one, Andrew Fallon, appeared in FIRE EYES. He was just pure evil. He didn’t care about anything or anyone—even his family, as his brother found out when he came looking for him.





In TIME PLAINS DRIFTER, the villain is paranormal—a demon who can shape-shift. How in the world will the innocents he’s after survive? They have a reluctant angel or two on their side, but the demon is powerful. Can they overcome his strength?



In my first contemporary romantic suspense, SWEET DANGER, Tabor Hardin has his revenge handed to him on a silver platter, being in the right place at the right time to turn the tables on the undercover cop who put him in jail—before his escape. He’s a man with nothing to lose at this point, and Jesse Nightwalker, the cop, has a new life hovering on the horizon—if he can survive.



Greed comes in to play in BEYOND THE FIRE, when undercover DEA agent Jackson Taylor’s cover is blown and a drug lord comes after him, trying to use Jack’s undercover partner against him. But there is a secret that even Jack hasn’t known about his partner—and the woman he’s falling in love with. Is it enough to defeat the powerful drug cartel and keep Jackson, Kendi, and his partner safe?



Treachery comes in all forms and it’s most often quite a surprise. No matter how vigilant our heroes are, they come up against some very foreboding, sharp cunning from the villains—after all, they have to have a worthy opponent, right?


Speaking of worthy opponents, I’ll talk a little about my contemporary romantic suspense CAPTURE THE NIGHT—where the villain, Kieran McShane, runs his own rogue faction of the Irish Republican Army and plans to murder Great Britain’s Prime Minister while he’s on vacation in Dallas. Johnny Logan is an undercover Dallas cop, staying in the hotel as added protection for the prime minister; Alexa Bailey is treating herself to a one-year divorce anniversary vacation. When McShane takes over the entire hotel, it’s only a matter of time before he discovers them up on the roof in the maintenance housing—and collateral damage means nothing to him. With the hostages brought to the roof, McShane threatens to begin throwing them over one by one—unless his demands are met. Can Johnny and Alexa survive the whims of a madman, bent on political revenge?


One of my favorite recent stories is SABRINA, one of four novels that appears in the boxed set MAIL ORDER BRIDES FOR SALE: THE REMINGTON SISTERS. Four sisters are at the mercy of their stepfather who plans to sell them to the highest bidder now that their mother is dead. But these girls have other plans. Can they manage to get away? Will they be able to keep themselves safe from Josiah Bloodworth no matter how far away they go? This is a very fun set of four full length novels, each sister’s story penned by a different author. Livia Washburn Reasoner—Lizzy; Jacquie Rogers—Belle; Celia Yeary—Lola; and Cheryl Pierson—Sabrina.


Here's an excerpt of Sabrina facing down the villain, her stepfather, in the dressmaker's shop. Cam is listening to it all from the back, waiting for his chance to save her, his sister, and the proprietor of the shop. Here's what happens:

“So you see, dear Sabrina, you have no true choice about what you do—and neither do your sisters.” Bloodworth spread his hands as he spoke. “You will, indeed, come home to Pennsylvania from this godforsaken place and do exactly as you are told. You will marry a man—a proper gentleman—of my choosing.” He took a step closer to her.

She faced him unflinchingly, her head held high. “I will no more return to Philadelphia with you than fly to the moon. You would do well to carry your pompous, maggot-ridden self away from here and get as far east as you can go posthaste—before my husband returns for us—and sends you straight to hell.” She spoke as regally as a queen to the lowliest dregs of society, without a trace of fear.

A thin smile touched Bloodworth’s lips, but the calm iciness in his pale eyes was what put Cam on alert. This man was determined, and he believed no one could stop him.

His muscle-bound cohort stood near the door, keeping watch so that Bloodworth didn’t need to worry about any distractions—from the two other women, or from any of the townspeople.

“My dear Sabrina, you are most definitely going to do exactly as I tell you. Or else.”

“Else what? You’ll drag me back by my hair like the brute that you truly are?”

Bloodworth chuckled. “Well, well. Our little Sabrina has come into her own, hasn’t she?” He stroked his chin. “Actually, I don’t believe I shall have to drag you back. I think you most likely will do anything I say once I lay my hands on that half-breed husband of yours…even if I tell you to climb up on this counter and spread your legs like the whore you are…just like your mother was—”

The slap Sabrina gave Bloodworth echoed through the room, and brought a spot of blood to the corner of his mouth. Unruffled, he took out his handkerchief and dabbed at it.

“I’m going to kill your husband, Sabrina Rose. It will be a long…slow…and very, very painful death. And you will have only yourself to blame."


So many wonderful reasons for becoming a villain! The motivations are just endless, aren’t they? It’s a fine line to walk, making them evil, yet sympathetic in some instances, and letting our readers see a glimpse of their humanity—if they have any left.

Do you have a favorite villain you’ve written or read? What about your favorite film villain?

PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS WEBSITE: https://www.prairierosepublications.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.pierson.92

CHERYL'S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:https://www.amazon.com/Cheryl-Pierson/e/B002JV8GUE/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1520475061&sr=8-2-ent

19 comments:

  1. Oh, I do love a good villian. To me, the villain who believes he is right in his goals make some of the best ones. They simply see themselves as doing the right thing, no matter what.

    I confess, the way the movie version on Loki has been written is brilliant. You never know what he's up to, yet you cheer for him anyway. For myself, I think my favorite villain is my first one in "Home for His Heart". I've enjoyed others, but he has a place in my heart and mind, probably because he was the first. *Smile*.

    Do love me some good villains and thank you for bringing them to light, for I've always loved your 'bad guys'. Doris

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    1. Oh, yes, Doris--Your villain in Home for His Heart" was a great villain. Sooo evil! LOL I think one of my faves was my first one, too...though I have to confess he was not really my "first" one as I had a whole other ms. I wrote before Fire Eyes that has never seen the light of day, and boy, that villain is EVIL. I'm hoping to revamp that story and get it out there at some point, but it is going to take a LOT of work!

      I love some good villains, too, and heroes who are strong enough to fight them and beat them. YAY!

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  2. Cheryl, I always enjoy any good villian who, as I watch the movie or continue reading, has me sitting on the edge of my seat because of the suspense and/or anxiety in not knowing what he'll actually do, and/or if he'll actually get away with it. I so enjoyed this blog and as you know I loved all your bad guys and villians in your above books and I especially adored The Remington Sisters. Thanks for this blog as I'm right in the middle of my WIP and am trying to make my villian meaner than I first portrayed him to add more intrigue and anxiety to the scene, so this was good food for thought.

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    1. I feel the same way, Bev. I really have to be held captive--REALLY--by the struggle between the villain and the hero. And though we know the hero SHOULD win the struggle, there has to be something that happens that makes us wonder if it's going to work out for the hero this time or not. So glad you enjoy my villains...my sister told me once she could not read one of my books because she couldn't believe I came up with such an evil character. LOL That was kind of scary!

      Glad you stopped by! You'll get that villain right, I'm sure!

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  3. Cheryl, you're going to topple my tbr pile, you know! I agree, a great villain is the only worthy foil for a great hero--and heroine.

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    1. Well, Tracy you just made my entire week! LOL So many great stories out there and so little time! I really love writing my villain, but boy, there are times when I just think to myself, "OH NO! How can I put my hero/heroine through what this guy is dishing out?" Still...I do it. LOL I've never written an evil female villain...sometimes they can be more vengeful than males.

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  4. Oh, that excerpt gave me chills! You have quite a range of villains there, including a shape-shifter. Andrew Fallon was a pure villain--a psychopath, and sadly such villains do exist. That's an interesting comment you made about walking the line between evil and sympathetic. I'm reading a book now with a sociopath as the main character. With each chapter we learn more about what happened to him as a child to make him that way and at the same time we learn more despicable things he did. The way it's laid out is making me think about that balancing act in portraying villains. I'm feeling LESS sympathetic as I get deeper into the book despite some heart-wrenching scenes from his past. But, I guess I am supposed to dislike him, because he's a villain! You also see how he affects the people in his life, which tips him into the evil category. Keep writing those villains!

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    1. Patti, that is interesting. You know I have real trouble sometimes in real life when lawyers try to use the defense of having a terrible childhood, etc. Because there are other people who also have a terrible childhood, etc. that DON'T do the horrific things that these criminals are accused of. No matter what, the villain, or criminal, has done a despicable thing that affects others in a terrible way. For me, sometimes it's hard to create any sympathetic feelings for the villain, even if he did have a rough childhood, etc. But I always think it's interesting to see what made them the way they are! In Bloodworth's case, we don't know what he went through in his early years. We only know what he's done to Sabrina's family and now intends to do to her and her husband. SHIVER. He is truly horrid. LOL

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  5. Cheryl, I love your examples and you do write awesome villains! For me, a book is defined by the villain because he/she/it is what propels the hero's character arc. Of the villains I've written, Hannibal Hank Turrell is my favorite. He's obviously mentally ill, but in his own mind, his perverted actions are perfectly justified. It's also a case where, as you pointed out, one person will grow under adverse conditions, but another will descend to the dark side.

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    1. Jacquie, I think that kind of villain that thinks there is a perfectly good reason for what he is doing is really the scariest. There's no reasoning with someone who already thinks they're right about it...especially when they're crazy! LOL You do write a good villain! Thanks for your kind words on my villains...I think...LOLLOL! Glad you stopped by, my friend!

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  6. Villains!!! Hahahaha. I like them all. The mysterious kind, the creepy kind, and the kind where you had no idea who the villain was until the end kind. But the villain you almost feel sorry for because you understand what took him or her over the edge-- that villain is my favorite and makes for a good emotional ending. You have an awesome collection of stories and villains here. Congratulations!!

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    1. Cindy, I agree. There are so many different kinds of villains and reasons for their actions, even down to just being plain ol' MEAN. I'm not a plotter, so these villains tell me what they're going to do and why they've turned out like they did. Thanks so much for stopping by today, Cindy!

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  7. Cheryl,
    A worthy villain makes for great conflict in a story. You've certainly written some primo baddies. I have two favorite villains: Inspector Javert from 'Les Misérables' and Hannibal Lecter. I will concede that Javert is not necessarily the villain, but he is certainly Jean Valjean's worthy adversary and vice-versa. Hannibal Lecter is, well, Hannibal Lecter. In both instances, when I discovered their respective histories, they became sympathetic characters for me despite their nastiness. There is a saying that goes something like this: "Every villain is the hero of his own story." (or hers)

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    1. Kaye, I have another friend who really thinks Hannibal Lecter is the perfect villain ever. He is very good! So many great villains in the world. One of my faves is Liberty Valance--he's so awful but a lot of it is because he's able to put such fear in his henchmen that they will do anything to please him. I love that saying, BTW!

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  8. Cheryl,
    Such a great collection of books you have!! And a great reminder about creating and motivating a villainous character. Always a challenge!!

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    1. Thanks, Kristy! Villains are so much fun to create! I'm working on one right now...still haven't figured out exactly what does motivate him. Maybe a big surprise of some kind...but what? LOL Thanks for stopping by and thanks for sharing on FB.

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  9. I especially like villains are as smart as the hero and a heck of a lot more conniving. A super good villain makes for an extra super hero--just the way I like them.
    Sweet Danger had a truly badass villain with a touch of crazy and that made me love that story.
    Sometime I'd like to write a villain that becomes the hero. It's a tough order, but that's what makes it interesting.
    Enjoyed your post, Cheryl, as always. Sorry I got here a little late.

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    1. Sarah, that's the great thing about the internet--you can never be late! LOL I've thought of writing a villain that could be redeemed...I don't know why, but I think of Rhett Butler when I think of that. He wasn't really a villain, but more of a "rogue"--and boy when he redeemed himself he did it in a big ol' way! LOL But alas, I think my villains are usually too evil to be redeemed...:(((

      So glad you stopped by! I enjoyed my villain, Tabor Hardin, in Sweet Danger. He was really complex and he almost got Lindy to believe he was human...almost...

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  10. So many actors say it's more fun to play a villian--or a bitch than to play a nice guy--and so much fun to create. We get to play outside of our normal sandbox. I'm going to include a link to this blog in the notes for a workshop I'm giving at the Women Writing the West Conference in October.

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