Coping In These Unusual Times by Diane Burton

Is anyone as mixed up as I am about days of the week? Hubs put out the trash a day early, and I'm almost a day late on this post. (I did remember to post for Insecure Writers Support Group today.)

I pray everyone is staying safe. Being at home for a month is a challenge, as I'm sure you know, especially if you have children. Working at home is nothing new for a writer. We joke about coming out of our cave after a lengthy writing session. Now, to protect ourselves and others, we hunker down in our cave. Thank goodness for social media that helps us connect with others. 

Darn Facebook.

As you can tell, I'm conflicted about Facebook. It keeps us in touch with family and friends. We get memes that make us laugh and lighten the tension. Then someone passes along false info. I'm careful to make sure I only share from reputable sites. I take the saying "consider the source" very carefully.

But FaceBook, like most social media, is a time suck. I tell myself I'll only check my profile page for a few minutes. An hour later . . . Well, I have to respond, don't I? Even if only an emoji. Then, I get upset when people turn it into politics. Please, not now. When this pandemic is over and we're all healthy again, that's when we can say what should have been done. Hindsight is 20/20. Still, we'll need to decide how we should proceed as a nation when something like this happens again.

What can we do? My colleagues here on Paranormal Romantics have given you so many great ideas:  Abigail Owens suggested what to do while we self-quarantine, Nancy Gideon told us how she's dealing with the anxiety we're all feeling, L.A. Kelley shared links to scientific discovery, Megan Slayer gave us something new to read,  Lea Kirk helped us laugh, and Elizabeth Alsobrook showed us how to make face masks. 

I can't do better. I'm having a hard time sticking with my writing. My mind is all over the place. As I said in my Insecure Writer's post, I haven't felt like this since 9/11. It's a national tragedy. We're inundated all day with news shows whose experts tell us what's happening around the country and what we can do.

Anxiety ramps up with each announcement from the reporters, from the White House, from the experts. I try not to watch too many news programs. Call me an ostrich as I hide my head in the sand or binge-watch movies or TV shows to escape. 

My heart goes out to those who've lost loved ones, who fear that they or their family will contract COVID-19, who've lost their jobs and worry how they will pay their bills. Amid all this anxiety, I thank the superheroes: the doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, and first responders. Let's not forget the grocery and drug store workers, those who work in restaurants where you can pick up a meal, and the truckers who bring much needed supplies. You all are the heroes of this war.

Stay safe. Stay at home unless you have an essential job. Please follow the guidelines to keep yourself and others safe. Who would've thought that handwashing and social distancing could defeat the unseen enemy?


We're in this for a long time. But, we're in this together. We can win the war.

What’s a #Hero? by Diane Burton

With all the recent movies about super heroes, we have to wonder what makes them a hero. Superman, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Black Panther. Captain America. What qualities do they all possess? Leadership, courage, selflessness, bravery in the face of danger.

We call the characters in our novels heroes—non-gender heroes. My female characters have the same qualities as super heroes. In my newest release NUMBERS NEVER LIE, a romantic suspense, Maggie Sinclair needs to know if her brother Jack’s fatal car crash was an accident or something nefarious. She’s determined and plunges ahead even when confronted by danger.

Drew Campbell, Jack’s best friend, is a reluctant hero. Though he doesn’t believe the police are wrong, he’ll help Maggie, if only to keep her out of danger. Maggie’s the leader. She buries her grief to find out what really happened to Jack. But when the villains go after Maggie, Drew protects her.

In real life, most of us don’t have opportunities to be heroes, let alone super heroes. Yet, mothers and fathers are heroes everyday. They support their families—financially, emotionally, physically, educationally.

Think about it. By being there, parents give their children time, a commodity more valuable than money or things. Parents are leaders and show their children, by example, how to be leaders. We’re raising the future super heroes.

Maggie Sinclair teaches high school students. Frequently, she chastises parents who don’t give their children time. The reader sees this when she scolds Drew for not spending more time with his daughter. Since his wife died a year ago, he has to be both mother and father. Yet, what Maggie sees is him spending too much time at work, leaving his daughter in the care of their housekeeper or his parents.

What Maggie doesn’t realize is he’s wrapping up his cases so he can leave the law firm or start his own small office. Like many men, he keeps things too close to his vest. He doesn’t share his plans with his daughter until Maggie insists.

Heroes are selfless. They put the needs of others before their own. When Drew’s daughter asks him to chaperone her camping group on a weekend trip, he agrees even though he dislikes camping. The group of fourteen-year-olds know more about the outdoors than he does. He’s definitely a fish out of water. Yet, to please his child, he’ll put aside his own needs to support her. That’s a hero.

NUMBERS NEVER LIE

A Romantic Suspense

By Diane Burton

Release Date:  July 9, 2018

Length: approx. 80,000 words

Available at Amazon  http://a.co/gUmO9wZ

Free with Kindle Unlimited

Blurb:

 A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie.

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Upon returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother Jack’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack do that puts Maggie in danger?

Excerpt:

Maggie clapped her hands. “Girls, break time is over.”

The Drill Sergeant was back. Hup, two, three, four.

Groans from the girls met her announcement. Drew knew exactly how they felt.

His legs ached, a blister—no, make that two blisters—had already formed on both sides of his heels. Ellen had warned him not to wear brand-new hiking boots. But he always wore the appropriate footwear. He had golf shoes, tennis shoes, ski boots, and now hiking boots. A pair of bloody hiking boots.

Damn, he needed to take a leak. He never should have stopped at 7-11 for a Big Gulp of coffee no matter how much caffeine he required to start his engine this morning. Ellen warned him it wasn’t a good idea. He should have listened.

Jack would be laughing his head off if he knew Drew was actually hiking and camping. Both Jack and Maggie had inherited their parents’ enthusiasm for camping. Drew shuddered. Not him. After that disastrous Cub Scout campout, Drew vowed never again to venture into the wild.

Still, when Ellen begged him, he thought a little hike in the woods would be the perfect opportunity for some father-daughter bonding. This trip was not turning out the way he anticipated.

Ellen surrounded herself with her friends, staying as far away from Drew as possible. With the exception of their brief conversation a few minutes ago—and only after he’d pulled her aside to ask about the facilities—she barely talked to him. So much for father-daughter bonding. All he had to show for his efforts was a stitch in his side, a charley horse in his left leg, those bloody blisters, and chafing from his new jeans.

Despite all that, he doesn't quit. Is that a hero or what?

My Top 10 Heroes/Heroines!

As  writer, I think it's important to examine the characters who truly speak to us so that when we write, we can try to imbue our our heroes and heroines with some of those characteristics. When I first decided to write a post about my top 10 heroes/heroines, I thought, “Oh, this’ll be cake.” I write superpowers after all. So, cake, right? Nope. 

When I started making my list, I discovered that I could write it ten times over. I could do a separate one for superheroes, or literary heroes, or real life heroes, or movie heroes, or anti-heroes, and on and on. It really depends on what definition of hero/heroine you decide to use. I finally decided to make a hodgepodge list for my Top 10 that combined of all of those categories – although I mostly stuck to fictional characters.

So here they are, in no particular order. Enjoy!

Jean Grey/Phoenix (X-Men)

Reason: Best Superpower

Telepathic and telekinetic abilities are the top of my list for “if they’re passing around super powers, I want that.” I love all the manifestations Jean takes through herself and the various phoenixes she becomes. 

Batman (Dark Knight)

Reason: Best “Normal Human” Superhero

I like the idea of Batman in general. An “ordinary man,” rather than someone with superpowers, who defeats evil through smarts, hard work, and some really cool gadgets. I like that he has issues and a dark side and a back story. My favorite portrayal is Christian Bale in the Dark Knight movies. Buff, smart, self-sacrificing, obsessed, dark. Oh! And did I mention hot? Yumm.

I will say, I'm tempted to change this to Daredevil ever since the Netflix/Charlie Cox take on the character came out. Similar reasons I love him!

Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones)

Reason: Best Character Growth

I LOVE a strong female character. Daenerys is one of my favorites. I love that she starts out timid and unsure and grows into a powerful, confident, amazing woman. I love that she still makes mistakes and sometimes causes her own heartbreak as she goes along. I love that she has dragons (let’s face it, dragons are awesome). And Emilia Clarke does an incredible job in the role in the HBO series.

Wolverine (X-Men)

Reason: Best Physical Weapon (Indestructible, Retractable Claws)

Just gotta love a gruff, grumpy guy with metal claws and a heart of gold. He was one of my favorites before the movies ever came out. And then Hugh Jackman went and made him even more awesome in a more likable way… and even managed to do that without the yellow spandex outfit.

Doc Holiday (Tombstone)

Reason: Best Loyal Friend

Val Kilmer’s portrayal in the movie Tombstone put this character in my top 10. Doc is a bit of an anti-hero – drunken gambler that he is. But he is also loyal to a fault, battling grave illness to fight for his friend. I would definitely want a friend like that. And he’s dang funny in a sarcastic way that I really enjoy. He can be my huckleberry any day.

Selene (Underworld)

Reason: Best Kickass Female Fighter

Another awesome strong female. She’s not the most powerful vampire in the coven (although she gets more powerful as the series goes on), and she has been misled and trusted the wrong people. But she fights for real, personal reasons – not just because she’s a vampire. And she allows her views to change as truth is revealed. She’s also a kickass fighter.

Louis Zamparini (Unbroken)

Reason: Best Real Life Example of Survival

If you haven’t read Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, I highly recommend it (not the movie so much, but definitely the book). It is an account of the incredible life of Louis Zamparini primarily focused on his experience during WWII of surviving first a plane crash into the ocean and drifting for ages, but then a POW camp in Japan. An amazing, amazing real-life story.

Riddick (TheChronicles of Riddick)

Reason: Best Protector with a Dark Side

I guess I love the anti-hero types who have a really dark side. And Riddick definitely fits. He’s smart, a kick-ass fighter with no fear, and is incredibly loyal to the few people he cares about. And anyone who can defeat some holy half-dead guy definitely has to rate top 10 in my opinion.

Jane Eyre

Reason: Best Classic Literature Female

Individual, intelligent, forgiving, independent – and all despite the era in which the book is set and was written. Jane Eyre was one of my favorite characters in high school when I first read the book and remains so to this day. She follows her heart, but remains loyal. She relies on herself to solve her own issues. She’s not afraid to stand up to Mr. Rochester and consequently wins his love.

Leia/Luke/Han (Star Wars)

Reason: Best Ensemble

I absolutely had to include the trio from Star Wars in here because it’s my favorite movie of all time. The combo of these three is one of the biggest reasons. We have Leia who is a strong, independent, feisty woman who can hold her own with Darth Vader. We have Luke who is an up and coming Jedi – and Jedi are wicked awesome. And we have Han who is sarcastic, loyal, and a good fighter. Love, love, love, my Star Wars heroes and heroine.

Who Else?

Like I said, I had a seriously hard time limiting myself to just 10. I had a TON of others like…  

Aragorn from LOTR, Katniss from Hunger Games, Audie Murphy (WWII hero and actor), Black Widow from the Avengers, Mulan, The Incredibles, James Bond, Ben Hur, Perseus, Marmie March from Little Women, Rogue and Gambit and Cyclops from X-Men, Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, Wonder Woman, Beowulf, Blade, Lara Croft, Daredevil… 

I could go on and on and on. I even had Julia Sugarbaker from Designing Women on my longer list, cause man can she ever deliver a verbal set-down.

In the end though, the ones I selected for my Top 10 aren’t necessarily the most saintly or deserving, but are the ones I personally connect with most for various reasons. In fact, after writing this, it struck me that I must have a thing for heroes/heroines who are loyal, skilled fighters, and have a dark side.

I had a lot of fun thinking through this list. I’d LOVE to hear about your own list of heroes/heroines. Who do you connect with?

Guest Tessa McFionn Needs a Hero

I NEED A HERO!

Whether it’s a tatted up biker, a devilish shifter, or a demanding billionaire, readers love bad boys. But why? Is it that maternal instinct that drives women to chase after the dangerous ones?

My first introduction into the paranormal world was Anne Rice’s classic, An Interview With A Vampire. From then on, I was hooked. I devoured every romantic vampire out there, then moved into the shifters. Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Jeannine Frost. You name it; it’s on my shelf. But when I sat down to pen my first novel, I was shocked to find myself writing heroes. Still in the paranormal world to be sure, but good guys.

My heart was drawn toward the notion of a strong man fighting on the side of the right. People doing the right thing for the right reason, and helping others to find their path to peace and happiness. And of course, having them as drop dead gorgeous specimens of pure alpha male power didn’t hurt.

To create my first Guardian Warriors, Malakai, I stood on a very high bridge in my home town of San Diego and looked over the edge. Things had not been going too good and I was wondering what was on the other side of this life. I glanced over for only a second when he appeared in my head, along with the rest of his world. Needless to say, I spent the next two years discovering this strong and chivalrous man who truly did save my life. Since then, I am eternally grateful for the heroes that continue to speak to me in both whispers and screams.

 Malakai hit the shelves in Spirit Fall in 2014, followed by Galen in Spirit Bound in 2015. In 2016, my most recent Guardian joined the ranks. Personally, Bastian was such a joy to write. He is my grumpy protector. I wondered what would happen if what society deemed as a “bad guy” was forced to fight for the side of right. Would he rebel? Would he do his duty? What would any of us do?

As a taste of my latest book, Spirit Song, here is a blurb plus a short excerpt.

Danger has always swirled around reluctant Guardian Warrior Sebastian Lambert. Trained as an assassin and recruited out of desperation, he now battles the evils of power hungry Rogue Warriors in Chicago. When his friend and fellow Guardian Viktor Arnhart drags him into Franchiolli’s, he would have never imagined to find an angel at the mic.

Miranda Devalande had long since given up on her dreams of a happy life. Forced to sing at notorious mob boss Slick Sal’s seedy southside lounge to cover her brother’s rising gambling debts, she survives from day to day as a caged bird. Things shake up when she is caught by an intoxicating pair of whiskey eyes.

As dark forces threaten to destroy them, can they trust and take a chance on forever?

“Boss says he wants to see you now.”

Miranda’s heart began to pound as she frantically searched for a way out. “I’ve had a long night. I’m tired and I want to go home.”

Salvation came in the form of a deep and growling voice that flowed over her shoulders and a forceful physical presence at her back. “I believe you have your answer, signore...I think it would be best if you got back into your car and told your boss that you were unable to catch her before she went home for the night.”

She fully expected a brawl to break out around her. However, what she did see was a thousand times more frightening. Sal’s lackey let go of her arm and turned away, heading toward the black Mercedes on the curb. Her jaw hung agape as the man simply drove away. Just like that.

This time, curiosity outweighed her sense of self-preservation. She had to see what kind of man could order around the meatheads that served as muscle for Francciolli. She spun around, eager to get a better look at her timely shadow.

The fierce scowl aimed at the receding lights softened as he shifted his whiskey eyes to meet hers. His face was cut straight from some ancient battlefield. A strong, square jaw dusted with the day’s stubble supported defined cheekbones chiseled out of the most intriguing shade of sun-kissed marble. A faded scar ringing his throat peeked from under the collar of his expensive-looking black sweater, further cementing her opinion of his true nature. Another jagged pale line trailed from the center of his left eyebrow to terminate somewhere in the thick hair.

“Are you all right?” His voice rumbled low, gravelly and intoxicating.

His amber eyes remained passively attentive as her gaze roamed across his face. Her head bobbed slowly as his words wove their way into her ears between the rapid beats of her heart. He was alpha male all the way, a predator who had seen the deadlier side of life and come out on the winning side. She wondered how many bodies he had crawled over to stand so casually before her on this cold night, one hand tucked into the front pocket of his black slacks.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized she didn’t care.

  Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LA6P458

Tessa McFionn is a very native Californian and has called Southern California home for most of her life, growing up in San Diego and attending college in Northern California and Orange County, only to return to San Diego to work as a teacher. Insatiably curious and imaginative, she loves to learn and discover, making her wicked knowledge of trivial facts an unwelcomed guest at many Trivial Pursuit boards. She also feeds her artistic soul through her passions for theatre, dance and music, as well as the regular trip to The Happiest Place on Earth with friends and family. She is currently the treasurer of the San Diego chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Website: http://www.tessamcfionn.com

Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/tessa.mcfionn

Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/859407434188672/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TessaMcFionn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessam2112

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/tessamcfionn

Remembering Heroes . . .

by Nancy Gideon

My first ever hero was my dad. I thought of him as John Wayne, the strong, silent type who was always at kind of a loss with three daughters. Together, we watched Audie Murphy movies and laughed over Looney Tunes, fished for bluegills, listened to the Detroit Tiger games on the radio, and suffered from whiplash when he tried to teach my oldest sister how to drive a stick shift. He taught me to ride dirt bikes on the trails by our cabin up north and how to check the oil on my first car. But he was more than that I discovered going through a box of old black and white photos and yellowed news clippings. He’d served in the Army medical corps in WWII carrying morphine during the fighting in the Philippines. The only stories he ever told us were funny ones about riding giant tortoises and digging latrines. How I wish he’d shared more.

We write about heroes in our books. They’re larger than life, often tortured by deeds of the past. They always look great without a shirt, are noble (or not so noble until tamed by the woman of their dreams), don’t break wind at the table or leave toothpaste in the sink. We would run off with them in a heartbeat . . . at least for 300+ pages . . . and we wish for more. These are our fantasy heroes built off real human prototypes who are rugged rescuers, defenders of faith and family, risking everything for little or no reward. Who let old photos and discolored clippings tell the tales of their bravery.

Here’s to those who fight for us, those who protect us, those who’ve given all for us. Those who keep our streets safe, put out our fires, plow our snow, pick up our trash, cure our diseases, and heal our bodies, our hearts and our souls. And, oh yeah, our heroes aren’t just men. They’re the ladies rolling bandages (like my mom!), flying helicopters, working 12 hours shifts, teaching our next generation, sitting up all night with a sick child. Doing the jobs we don’t have time to do or the talent to do so our lives can be that much better and brighter.

Here’s to our heroes on this Memorial Day! May we raise them, may we love and support them. May we never run out of them.

Who were your heroes growing up?

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Superheroes and Super Heroes

Something like 30 superhero movies are in the pipeline to be released over the next 5 years. Some people are worried that the film studios are “overdoing it” but over here in Anah&DianneLand, we’re just thrilled.

More superheroes means more super heroes.

No, we’re not being facetious…at least not much. Superhero comics and films are, in general, home to heroes on a grand scale—men and women with larger-than-life personalities, larger-than-life problems, and who find ways to overcome those problems with a larger-than-life obligation to do the right thing. We both love heroes who have an ingrained sense of right and wrong, who are driven to make life better not just for themselves but for those around them, and superheroes almost always fit the bill—even if they’re not always nice while they’re doing it.

And don’t think we’re only talking about male heroes. No way! Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel are high on our lists of favorites, and they’re getting their own movies in the next few years. Black Widow, though she doesn’t have a solo film slated yet, is a huge favorite too. We love her complicated past, and her strong personality…even if we are a little disappointed that the movies haven’t been able to show us her history with Wolverine yet.

We love that shows like Constantine are also being made. Constantine is a classic paranormal comics character from Marvel—though we so wish they’d make a Blade show (or at least another movie). If you’re not familiar with the original John Constantine, you might want to check him out because he’s been toned down for television. 

Original flavor Constantine is an evil-slaughtering, chain-smoking bisexual ne’er-do-well with… not a heart of gold. Gold doesn’t tarnish and Constantine is held together with tarnish and regret. A heart of silver, though, that’s closer to the truth. He may not be a superhero (he’s a super jerk sometimes) but he is a super (anti)hero and we love him for it.

Is the paranormal a place for superheroes? Or super heroes? We like to think so. Werewolves born in back alleys and succubi lurking in penthouses may have a little higher to climb than your average ready-made caped crusader but that just makes it all the more impressive when they reach the heights of heroism. We’re glad to see heroics back in style. 

Until next time,

—Anah & Dianne

Freeing The Muse

By Maureen L. Bonatch

~Happy Independence Day!~

Writers are often asked the question, “Where do you get your ideas from?”

Inspiration is different for every writer and sometimes that inspiration runs dry, or hits a wall and the muse becomes silent. Some call it writer’s block, others might say it’s a mental block, but most would agree in calling it frustrating when the faucet runs dry and the words that had flowed so freely have now sputtered to a stop.

Just as each writer has different methods of writing their story, most have their own method of getting their muse freed to keep the stories flowing.

One of my best ways to free my muse is right in line with the Bad Boys of Summer theme…

You know the ones…loud, leather-wearing, tattooed, sexy, confident…

Bikers.

Of course I must point out that this is the Stereotypical (though hot) image of a biker as many biking groups are well known for their fundraising rides, support of military, retirees or for a social group.

Recently, I attended Thunder in the Valley, which is known to attract over 200,000 bikers and is one of the largest Pennsylvania biker rallies.

With bikes, bands, a parade, food stands and more...it attracts both bikers and those of the four-wheeled variety as well.

Lucky for me I have my own Bad Boy Biker. It used to be that I was a tad jealous of his love for her (which you can read about on my blog...here) but then decided…If I can’t beat her, might as well join them. It’s been one of the best ways for me to awaken my muse as I cling to my hero’s back and watch the world rush by. 

So for me requesting a ride on the back of his big, sexy beast of a motorcycle helps clear away the cobwebs of my story for it to flow freely through my mind. Thus why I have tiny tablets stashed everywhere to jot down ideas.  

So it came as no surprise to me to find that in my upcoming release, DESTINY CALLING, my Bad Boy happens to be a biker who despite/because of his bad boy persona, my heroine has a hard time resisting.

 Here are other strategies a few of my fellow Paranormal Romantics offered to help defeat Writer’s Block and Free the Muse:

Sometimes I take a step back; stop writing and watch TV or read a book and then hit the writing the next day. Normally stress is what's blocking me so have to take the pressure off of myself and approach things with a clear head. ~ Selena Illyria 

I listen to music, all kinds, which usually sets my creativity loose again! ~Veronica Scott  

When my Muse takes a hike, I watch movies—esp. a science fiction thriller. If it has a romance, all the better.~ Diane Burton 

I let things rest and percolate in the background while I concentrate on other things, such as figuring out how I was going to market  my upcoming novel. Promoting other authors. Writing short pieces for blogs. Reading books for fun!

I am a creature of habit, so I absolutely don’t like change and it appears change upsets the flow of my writing. So after the great hard drive crash of 2014, my muse hit the highway, and did not return until I had my laptop fixed, was sitting in my office cross-legged on the daybed at 3:30 in the morning with a cup of coffee beside me.~ Sophia Kimble

If I'm writing on the computer I will switch to writing long hand. Sometimes I can squeeze out several more pages just doing that. 
 ~Beth Matthews

Thank you for stopping by! 

Villains

What is it about a villain that so intrigues us? We want to understand what makes them tick, why they do what they do. Sometimes in real life we’ll never know. In our books, we’d better. Villains have to be as clearly defined as the hero/heroine. I remember a quote from a movie or TV show: One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. It's all perspective.

Villains have their own goal, motivation, and conflict. Otherwise the villain is a caricature, a cardboard cutout. This happened to me in my current work-in-progress. I knew a character was the bad guy. Because I didn’t delve deeply into his motivation, he came across as flat. Thank goodness for my critique partner who pulls no punches.

Although it’s been said over and over again, a strong hero needs a strong villain. Someone to challenge the hero. What kind of hero would triumph over a wimp? So we, as writers, have to make that villain so strong that in the dark moment, the reader really fears the hero won’t succeed.

I always enjoy listening to actors speak about why they chose to act the villain in a movie and how they prepared for the role. They will come up with a complete backstory explaining why the character is so bad. Just as we make up backstory for our heroes, we have to know our villain’s backstory. Like our hero’s backstory, we don’t share everything. It’s sufficient that we know.

Diane Burton’s heroes and villains chase each other across galaxies or across the country. In her science fiction romance or romantic suspense books, you’ll find kick-butt heroines, heroes strong enough to fight beside them against the bad guys. For more about her books, see her website:  www.dianeburton.com