Cynthia Eden Talks Favorite Villains

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden joins us today and chats about our (hers and mine) favorite types of characters… the villains! Seriously, I think villains get a bad wrap. Without them we’d have nothing to move our story forward, piss readers off or give them reason to root for their hero. Heck, villains actually help our heroes, they push them to the limit, break them, and torment them making them stronger in the end. So let’s tip our hats to our villains.

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I have a confession to make. I enjoy writing about killers. I think I enjoy writing about them a little too much. Whenever I start writing a new romantic suspense novel, the first character that I start to
craft—it’s my killer. My villain. The bad guy works his way under my skin long before I start to understand the motivations of my hero and heroine.

What is it about the bad guys? Why do they interest us so much? Is it because they are so dangerous? So deadly? And we just want to understand what makes them tick?

When I write from a villain’s POV, my perspective tends to be skewed—just as I imagine his (or hers) would be. The world isn’t seen in shades of black or white. There is no good, no evil. My villain simply does what feels right to him. Sociopath, psychopath—yes, I’ve written villains with various mental health issues. But I’ve also written villains who are perfectly sane—and I think the people who kill coldly, with clear-cut intent can be the most frightening.

I often wonder…what is it that drives a person to commit crimes? How does one decide to cross that thin line between right and wrong? With my villains, the motivation to cross that line is at the core of their characters. Because once you know why…everything else falls into place.

Some of my all-time favorite villains include…

Hannibal (He was ever so creepy, yet charming).

Catherine Tramell (Come on, who remembers Basic Instinct? Catherine was smart and sexy and she always got what she wanted—so what if others were hurt along the way?)

Jack Torrance (Ah, Jack from the Shining—his descent into madness was truly a thing to behold.)

The Joker (Yep, the Joker—is he mad or is that just what he wants the world to think?)

What about you? Do you have a favorite villain that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear about him or her!

About Cynthia

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance
category).

Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies include hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Connect with Cynthia: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Title: Twisted (Lost # 2) by Cynthia Eden

Release date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Avon

Synopsis

In the second seductive Lost novel from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, an obsessed Last Option Search Team agent goes looking for trouble—and finds her in the Big Easy.

Dean Bannon comes to New Orleans for one reason only: to track down a missing sixteen-year-old girl. That’s before he meets the drop-dead gorgeous con artist who makes him want to lose his legendary control.

With her past, Emma Castille doesn’t claim to be psychic. She just notices things other people don’t. Like the fear in a runaway’s eyes-or the pain in an ex-FBI agent’s heart.

Her chemistry with Dean is blistering, but Emma follows her passion . . . not someone else’s orders.

Then a madman breaks into Emma’s home and leaves a twisted message: “You’re next.” Now Dean refuses to let her out of his sight until he pries every last secret from her full, sexy lips. And suddenly Emma’s aching to give him everything he wants.

Add Twisted to your Goodreads shelf.

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Click here to read an excerpt of Twisted.