Dating For Demons
When I wrote my first full-length story, my heroine was such a wimp. Totally helpless and unable to make a decision unless guided by the male of the moment. UGH!!
Thankfully, that story was never published. It’s the one that is languishing in a dusty box in the back of the garage. One day I might take it out and re-use the story idea, which I still love even today. But I’d make darn certain that my heroine had a spine and had learned to stand up for herself. I guess I was channeling myself when I fashioned my heroine and yes, Iwas a bit of a wimp way back when. Since then, I’ve learned to stand on my own two feet and make my own decisions and my heroines reflect that.
Of course, it helped that number one daughter was a fine model for a kickass heroine. That kid can fight her own battles and has the sassiest mouth I’ve ever heard. That mouth sure caused a few problems when I was dragging her though the teenage years, but now that’s she’s grown up and has her own family, I really appreciate her witty comments and plain speaking. We are the best of friends and spend as much time together as we can. She keeps me on the straight and narrow when I have a weak moment and kicks my butt when I need it. She critiques all my stories and will soon tell me if my heroine is descending into the “too stupid to live” realm.
So I do a lot of thinking about my kickass heroine before I even start writing a story. I want to know what makes them so strong. I want to know what type of man would push their buttons, make them want to weep for satisfaction or scream out in mind-numbing climax. But what about the other side of the coin? How about the hero? Do I want a wimp? Not likely! That would bore me brainless. He has to be someone who is a match for my kickass female, someone who completes her, rather than take her over.
When I started writing Dating for Demons, I knew immediately who my heroine was. Araminta Tempest — Mina to her friends — is one tough lady…on the outside anyway. She’s strong, determined, intelligent and ready to give any man a run for his money. She’s fully capable of dealing with whatever life hands out and she does not need a man in her life. Or does she?
And that’s where my bad boy came into the picture. Jedd Madison. Arrogant, cocky, sexy as hell, and the man Mina has lusted after since she was seventeen. Oh yeah, baby, the sparks are about to fly.
So what is it about bad boys that attracts us and makes us love them? How many times have you watched a movie and seen the heroine leave the “good guy” and go off with the “bad boy?” Or read a romance with the same scenario? What is it about the bad boy that turns us on?
What makes him a bad boy? For me it’s an attitude, rather than what he’s into. The term “bad boys” seems to refer to men who treat women badly. He’s arrogant. He’s opinionated. He’s the guy who rings you at 8.30pm for a date that very night and expects you to be waiting for his phone call. He doesn’t consider your feelings, forgets birthdays and anniversaries. It’s all about him. He’s strong, aggressive, passionate and charming. He flirts, makes you feel like you’re the most important thing in his life, and then he leaves you emotionally bankrupt.
Jedd Madison, the hero from Dating for Demons, is not quite that bad, thank God. Yes, he certainly possesses the arrogance and he’s been know as a bit of a womanizer, but he also has a secret that makes him redeemable. He’s the perfect foil for Mina and, oh yeah, did I happen to mention he’s sexy as hell? He’s the bad boy we’d all like to keep. In fact, he can park his shoes under my bed any time he likes.
Whatever your definition of a bad boy, there’s something about him that gets us in. Is it because he knows just which button to push? Is it the sense of danger? Adventure? Unpredictability?
I’m sure a lot of us have a bad boy somewhere in our background. Mine roared into my life on the back of a Harley Davidson motorbike when I was eighteen. He made me feel alive, desirable, and I knew he was everything my parents would NOT have wanted for me. Okay, it didn’t last, but even now, all these years later, I still remember him and the excitement of the moment.
So what’s your bad boy moment? Mina and Jedd from Dating for Demons would like to see if it matches theirs.