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

It’s a Dog’s Life

By Kathleen Rice Adams

I’ll let you in on a little secret: Few authors are in control of their own lives. Many of us have families who make unreasonable demands for things like an occasional meal and clean clothes. We also have editors and publishers (even if we’re self-published) who are unhealthily devoted to deadlines. Some of us have friends who enjoy spending time with us every once in a while…just not too often. After all, nobody wants to be seen with the clearly certifiable. That’s how rumors get started.

None of those individuals are The Bosses, though. For a good many authors, that role rests firmly in the paws of four-legged fiends…I mean friends…who evidently believe we are in desperate need of supervision.

Today we thought we’d introduce you to a few of the overlords at Prairie Rose Publications—just so you know we don’t act like loons of our own volition. We’re under orders.

Co-owner Livia Washburn Reasoner is kept in line by a menagerie.

Nicki (left) and Nora are Chihuahua Min Pins. They may be small, but they rule the Reasoner household with iron paws. Nicki is wearing a floatie in order to keep her from chewing on stitches after recent surgery. She is not at all happy about the fashion statement.

Ranger (left) is a Doberman mix and looks after Dash, a mystery puppy (possibly Great Dane and Mastiff) who most likely will be the size of a Yeti by the time he’s grown. Sammy is a Great Pyrenees-Shepherd mix, adorably furry, and long-suffering. Ranger and Sammy were rescued from an animal shelter that kills pets not adopted within a very brief time, and Dash was thrown out like trash to fend for himself in cold, rainy weather.

Snake Eyes, a leopard gecko, has a habit of disrobing in public, so it’s probably best not to encourage the behavior by giving him a lot of attention.





Co-owner Cheryl Pierson has only one master to whom she must bow, but Embry is so big that more than one would be overkill.

Embry is a Great Pyrenees. Here he is with Cheryl’s daughter, Jessica. Even as a full-grown woman, she’d barely make a snack for Embry, who also was rescued from a kill shelter when he was a puppy. His mother was an “owner surrender” and pregnant at the time her owners gave her up. Embry had eight siblings, all named for characters from the Twilight books, which were popular at the time. He has learned to tell time over the past couple of years: He usually expects brunch at 10:30 a.m. and supper at 6:30 p.m., and he tracks down Cheryl or her husband within ten minutes of his expected meal time.

Me? I’m in constant danger of lynching at the paws of tiny-but-enthusiastic outlaws known as the Hole in the Web Gang.

Dog and Underdog (top row, from left) came to live with me because they’re not “show quality.” Ed (bottom row, left) was abandoned in a cardboard box, and Li’l Ol’ Biddy was dropped off at a shelter because she’s old. Yes, I do tie a rock around Ed’s neck when the wind blows.

What about y’all? Are you owned by furry, feathered, finned, or scaly family? Tell us about them in the comments! If you’ve got a picture, send it to kathleen@prairierosepublications.net, and I’ll add it to this post. Let’s show the world what unconditional love looks like, shall we?

Reader Pet Gallery

Gabriel (left) and Gabriella own Prairie Rose Doris McCraw.

Roxie is Angela Crider's spotted tabby baby. She loves playing fetch with her Chewbacca mouse.

Cindy Jones's kids. The two on the top row appear to be criminals.

Prairie Rose Kaye Spencer's critters. Let's hope she hasn't infected them with her warped sense of humor.

Both of Prairie Rose Sarah McNeal's furry children—Lily the Golden Retriever and Liberty the cat—are rescues. (She says they rescued her.)

Mason-Dixon (left) and Daisy Duke are the Welsh Corgis who own Prairie Rose Shayna Matthews and her family. They protect the back yard from squirrels and buzzards when they're not chasing their ball.

Somewhere under the pile of fur is Prairie Rose Angel Drew, whose cats evidently believe she bears watching. She does get a mite rowdy from time to time. A third cat is skulking around out of the frame to Angel's left.








Labrador Retrievers Lily (top) and Ranger have things firmly under control at the home of Prairie Rose Kristy McCaffrey.

Rest in peace, Bob (left). Cathie Dunn and her family were honored to share your life. Toby (top) and Tiger, don't worry about that dog-adoption threat. We're sure they'll get your permission first.

Christmas in July at Prairie Rose Publications!

Yee-haw! It’s finally here: Prairie Rose Publications’ second-annual Christmas in July. All of the Roses have been a mite excited for weeks now. The event stirred up the corral something fierce, not least because twenty of us wrote the short stories, novellas, and novels that are part of the event. We were sworn to secrecy until yesterday, when the corral gate opened and the herd spilled out a-whoopin’ and a-hollerin’.

Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret like that? PRP founders Cheryl Pierson and Livia Washburn Reasoner had their hands full muzzling the herd.

The first Christmas in July around these parts contained only six Christmas short stories written by the six original Prairie Roses. This year’s special sale contains a total of twenty-five heart-warming volumes overflowing with tales about love all year round, plus two additional collections of traditional westerns. Most are priced at 99 cents; five of the ebooks are $1.99 because they contain two stories each.

Is that a deal, or what?

Here’s a quick look at the twenty-one ebooks that released today. Aren’t the covers fantastic? After creating every single one of them all by her lonesome, Livia deserves a break, don’t you think?




Many of this year’s Christmas in July short stories were published last year in one of PRP’s popular anthologies. If you’ve been waiting to try a story by a writer whose work you haven’t read, now is a great time to curl up with a heart-melting tale that will sweep you away to the Wild West. At 99 cents, how can you go wrong? And who knows? You may discover a new favorite author.

Six of the novels on sale for 99 cents have been available for a few months and are some of PRP’s most popular offerings.

More than a few of the Christmas in July stories were written by award-winning and best-selling authors, including James Reasoner and Livia Washburn Reasoner, two of the western genre’s enduring favorites. Some of the ebooks made Amazon’s Top 100 lists during the pre-sale period. (Thank you, early birds!)

You can find more information about all of these extra-special releases on a special page at the PRP website. Take a look. We bet you’ll find something you like.

Because we’re always looking for an excuse to kick up our heels with readers and friends, the Prairie Rose family will host one of our infamous Facebook Fandangos on July 27 and 28. Twenty-one authors will be there to stir things up. RSVP by clicking on the image.

Come join the festivities! The Roses will be giving away lots and lots of prizes, including ebooks and autographed print books, jewelry, Amazon gift cards, cowboy gift bags, and other western gear anyone would love to win.

As a heartfelt thank you for joining us in this celebration of PRP authors and their work, we’ll gift an ebook to several of today’s blog visitors. Simply comment below to be entered in the drawing. Winners will be picked at random and will get to choose their prize from the list of today’s twenty-one new releases.

Thanks for stopping by, and merry Christmas in July!