M.L. Guida
writes paranormal historical romance. Learn more about her and her books
at
I’d like to thank Killer
Crafts and Crafty Killers for having me today. Crafty killers are
definitely fun characters to write about. The best killers are those that
have valid reasons for committing their disastrous deeds. For instance,
Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs, had a reason to kill Dr.
Frederick Chilton, because of how he treated him in the asylum. He was an interesting
character because he helped Clarice Starling find Buffalo Bill. His crafty
escape put everyone on edge.
In my book, A
Pirate’s Curse, my villains love to torture the hero and heroine. Jacques
D’Aubigne, Quinton Palmer and Zuto all have evil plans for them. In their
minds, their
motivations justify why
they torture. It’s not just to torture. They all have goals that appear to be
reasonable, not that Hannah and Kane would agree.
In this scene, Jacques has
Hannah where he wants her.
He half
smirked. “I doubt it. I don’t give up what’s mine without a fight.” He narrowed
his eyes. “You’re not fooling me, Hannah. You want me to release you so you can
return to O’Brien. I assure you, I’ll never do that. You’re mine. You’ll
soon learn at the Sorcière de Mer what happens when you
betray me.”
“Yes, you
will.” She aimed the dagger at him. “Release me.”
He pressed
the sword deeper into her throat, pressing her head back. “Drop it.”
Hannah gripped
the dagger tight. The sword dug into her neck and pricked her, wetness trickled
down her skin. She swallowed, the dagger slowly slipped out of her fingers,
clattering onto the floor.
Jacques
nodded his head. “Now don’t move.”
Hannah
obeyed. Trapped. Again.
She glanced
out the window and sagged down against the back seat.
Jacques
never lowered his sword. The blasting cannons and the people’s screams
grew fainter as the carriage rode away. She kept hoping to see Kane
ride up on the dapple-gray horse again, pistol drawn, aiming it at
Jacques’ smirking face, but he never came. She was on her own.
When the
carriage came to stop, Jacques lowered the sword.
Hannah
jumped out of the carriage and dashed down the road. The thunder of horse hooves
followed close behind. A hand yanked her arm, pulling her off her feet and
across the horse’s back. Pain burst through her gut from landing upon the
animal’s withers. She struggled to get free.
Rough hands
hauled her down. She turned to see Dubois sitting on a large black
stallion. Jacques spun her around and scowled. “Dubois,” Jacques said.
“Take her below. We need to be prepared for an attack and I can’t worry
about her running off.”
Dubois
slid off the horse and dragged her into the house. She slapped his hand, but he
held her tight.
And when she slipped on the hardwood floor, Dubois tossed her over his
shoulder, knocking the breath out of her and slapped her behind. She winced.
“So, you
like to play rough, chere? The master likes to play rough, too.
After he gets through with you, you’ll be as docile as a lamb.”
She
shuddered at his menacing laugh. He lugged her down a flight of stairs. Torches
lit their way, revealing cracked stone walls stained with black splotches.
Coldness gripped her. She choked on the stench of decay and rot.
Dubois
carried her into a torch-lit room. Whips, iron cudgels and clubs hung on the
wall. Two gruesome torture racks filled the middle of the room. Dark stains
covered the dusty stone floor beneath each device. But what caught her
attention was the large wooden breaking wheel covered with metal
spikes.
Jacques’s little play room
is terrifying and like Clarice Starling, Hannah must use her resources to
escape.
A Pirate’s Curse is
the first book in the series, Legends of the Soaring Phoenix. The sequel, A
Pirate’s Revenge, will be released in February 2014.
A Pirate’s
Curse
Like a dark
angel, Captain Kane O'Brien rescues Hannah Knight and her father from drowning
after vampire pirates murder their crew and sink their ship. Struggling to
control and hide her telekinetic powers, Hannah discovers the honorable and
bold captain possesses his own secrets.
Every full
moon, Kane turns into a vampire. Finding out Hannah not to be the cabin boy she
resembles, but a beautiful, luscious woman, tempts all his appetites. Desperate
to be free of his curse, Kane considers handing Hannah over to a demon. But
after Hannah uses her power to save his ship from his immortal enemy, Kane can
no longer deny his attraction and vows to protect Hannah with his life.
To find true
love, they must combine their powers to defeat evil vampires, thwart Hannah's
misogynist fiancé and escape a crafty demon.
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8 comments:
Loved the excerpt. The best villains are the ones who meet with an end fitting their despicableness (we can make up words, can't we?)
Never underestimate the power of a villain to make a great story.
Wow! That's one nasty villain! Best of luck with your release!
The most interesting villains are unpredictable. Think of the Boston Marathon bombers who killed and injured so many but spared their cab driver because they thought he wasn't "an American." A villain who seems charming sometimes is scarier, because his victims let their guard down. And when he makes exceptions for some people, it gives some insight into his twisted logic.
Thanks everyone. I love to write about evil villains. The darker the better. Jacques was fun to write about and I wanted him to be motivated about why he did what he did. There's a reason why he wants Hannah, not just because she's beautiful. \
Sounds like a great story. I'm adding this to my TBR list.
You've got several genres all rolled into one, and I am so fascinated by it all that I'm going to get this book and read it! Wishing you lots of success with sales!
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