Even Villains Fall in Love
by Liana Brooks
A super villain at the top of his game must choose between the world he wants and the woman he loves. If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the super hero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith-father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha-bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions. Everything is perfect in the Smith household, until Tabitha announces her return to work as a super hero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but-genius that he is-Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab, Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him. But children and labs don't mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters' demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn't going to be enough-he's going to need both his evil alter-ego, and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.
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Liana Brooks--- Liana's Contact Information ---
Twitter: @LianaBrooks
FaceBook: Liana Brooks
Email: liana.brooks1@gmail.com
Website: http://www.lianabrooks.com
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Liana Brooks was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world.
In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.
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When I tell people I wrote a book about a super villain I get some very funny looks. After all, a villain is by definition The Bad Guy. You can't make a villain a hero, not unless he's Batman, and that's a whole other argument.
The thing is, good and evil aren't as black and white as people thing they are. Especially in fiction where the line between reality and unreality warps the definition of Good until it looks like a drawing by MC Escher. Still, I don't think of Doctor Charm as a hero. He's the protagonist of EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE, but he isn't a hero.
In my mind, a hero is a noble knight on his white stead charging off into battle to save the fair maiden and rid the land of the curse. Heroes are handsome, virtuous, praiseworthy, and often have the IQ of Pez. Readers often grow bored with the virtuous knights in shining armor. And, take my word for it, authors get bored writing them.
That's probably why I gravitated to the villains early on. Even in grade school I liked the rogues better: thieves, assassins, warlords… Once I weaned myself off of Tolkien and discovered the rogues I was hooked. There's something about a character who is inclined to do evil, but chooses to do good that appeals to me.
Maybe it's because they are the most human.
Real people aren't all good or all evil. Real people make mistakes, change their mind, and moments of perfection mixed with moments of base treachery. Real people have the best stories.
I know people will argue with me on this. I've been told that the best stories are about superheroes, or valiant military leaders, or wise rulers, or sometimes even clever criminals. People that say this are missing the point. What makes the story about a superhero so good isn't the label, it isn't the super powers, it's the fact that behind that label there is a real person with needs, goals, weaknesses, and fears.
Real people makes the best heroes, and the darkest villains.
That's why I wrote a book where a super villain is the hero. Not because I wanted to talk about how awesome it is to steal other people's money (always a temptation in this economy), but because Doctor Charm is more than a label. Stripped down to his core he's a decent guy, a loving husband, and a good dad. He puts in a hard days work on the wrong side of the line in the sand, but he's just as fallible as the rest of us.
At the end of the day, the difference between you and a hero is a rather flimsy label. A hero is someone who does the right thing when no one else will. You don't need superpowers, a special car, or a title to be hero. You just have to be you, doing the best you can, and writing a wonderful story all your own.
--- Relevant Links for EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE ---* EVFIL's Homepage * * FB Page for EVFIL * * Liana's GoodReads Author Bio* * GoodReads Page for EVFIL* --- Buy Pages ---- * Breathless Press* * Amazon* * All Romance e-Books* * Kobo * * Sony e-Reader * * Diesel* * Barnes and Noble*
1 comment:
Thanks for having me!
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