Paranormal Bad Boys...

Do you love them? Hate them? Or have a love/hate relationship for them? I'm not talking about the "good" bad boys that are the heroes in romance books or movies. I'm talking about the real bad boys of those books or movies. I'm referring to the antagonist that brings the hero and heroine so much angst. The ones you love to hate, but are so sensual, sexy and irresistible, you find yourself cheering for them when you know they're evil! Some memorable evil bad boys for me are:

David in The Lost Boys, who was played by Keifer Sutherland, was a particularly bad boy vampire. I loved him! I wasn't into the "bad boy" hero, Michael, because he was really a "good boy" wanting to be a "bad boy". He lacked conviction and any heartfelt desire to want to be a bad boy. And he was only rebelling because he was upset his mother had relocated them from their friends. I've loved Keifer Sutherland ever since this part. David was sexy, evil, manipulative and, but oh, so easy on the eyes. And I was heartbroken when he was killed…*whimpers* Further complicating my devastation was that his death was unnecessary because he wasn't the master vampire!

Other "bad boys" I loved are Gary Oldman as Count Dracula in the 1992 version of Dracula. Step aside Jonathan Harker and hello, Dracula! Yum! I wanted Count Dracula to win in this movie too!

Another that must receive a mention is Lestat in Queen of the Damned. I read Anne Rice's vampire series and fell in love with Lestat. Lestat was moody, angsty, misunderstood, selfish and immature and I loved all of these flaws. Stuart Townsend did an admirable job—in my opinion anyway—of the character Anne Rice painted on the page.

I can't forget Damon from The Vampire Diaries either. I wouldn't even be watching that show without Damon. He's fun and quirky, brings a level of spice and entertainment to the show. He likes being a vampire and isn't angsty and whining about being one. Seriously, why do the chicks adore a whiny vampire? Who would want to listen to that for an eternity? Ugh! I love a vampire that embraces his/her inner darkness and enjoys being what they've become. So, quit whining already!!!!!!

My final love would be Nikolas, my heroine's ex-husband in Pandora's Box. Pandora's Box is the first book in my The Road to Hell Series that was just contracted with Decadent Publishing. Nikolas is a really evil bad boy and he makes no apologies for his demonic character. In fact, he has reasons for his attitude and he feels they're valid reasons. Nikolas makes demons look like puppy dog kisses and long walks on the beach. And I am so in love with him I don't want to get rid of him. Any girl would be crazy to love Nikolas once he shows his true colors, but he could charm the pants off anyone when he's not showing his inner demon.

So, that leaves me wondering why do I love Nikolas so much and why do I love bad boys in general? Is it because they bring an element of fun to the book or big screen? They keep things spicy? Maybe I love the bad boys because they make our heroes and heroines show their own "inner demon" in order to overcome whatever the bad boy is throwing at them. With Nikolas I can let boundaries drop when I'm writing and he can do anything and get away with it because he's the bad boy. That doesn't mean he gets the girl in the end…or maybe he will. That book is yet to be written…

So, who are some of the "bad boys" you loved, or loved to hate?

~ special thanks to Rie McGaha for giving me the idea for this blog today!~

In Memory of Bela Lugosi! Carpe Nocturne!

That is one hot alpha vamp!





I'm getting really excited about what I call "my season". When the leaves begin to fall and the nights turn colder, I get an itch to cook a giant pot of chili...do I sound like a witch or what? I watch old scary movies, build a fire, decorate my house with jack o'lanterns and fake spider webs. My kids love it! Besides, Halloween is the busiest time for a paranormal author. I'm kind of in hibernation all year and all of the sudden, I have book signings at local book stores, coffee shops, wine shops. I participate in the annual Buns and Roses Tea every October. We raise money for literacy and have tea with the coolest readers!

Last night I kicked off the start of "my season" by watching the one and only Bela Lugosi in Dracula. What a fantastic actor! Today I'm dedicating my blog to the memory of this fascinating artist.

I did a bit of research on Bela. He was born in 1882 in Lugos, Hungary, not far from Transylvania. How perfect! His name came from this town. Bela was a master actor, perfecting the role of Dracula on the stage as a theatre actor before he was cast in the role of Dracula because Lon Chaney died, Universal's first choice for the role. Because Bela did such an amazing job playing the part of Dracula, he was type cast and unable to obtain any starring roles unless they were for horror films.




Most difficult for me to believe is that Bela was not paid very well for his roles. He even declared bankruptcy and lost his Hollywood home, but look at how much he has given us all. An unforgettable image of Dracula. Before the 1931 film, Dracula, most people had not read the book and did not know vampires turned to bats. Did you know that Bela also turned into a wolf in the film? People had no idea that a crucifix repels a vampire. Bela showed us that vamps have no reflection in a mirror and only walk at night. All of these characteristics were brought to light with such grace and power. No wonder Dracula is still the scariest, most revered monster of all. Bela IS Dracula.

Watching old classics is a great exercise for writers. We can go back to the beginning and watch the old fables unfold, remember things we have forgotten about the legends. There are a few I saw that I won't share here. You'll have to go watch it yourself. The audience never saw Bela bite a neck. There was no blood and gore, yet when he bends over one of his victims and the screen fades away, I'm more scared than ever.

Go check out Bela's official website. His family has created it and it's worth a look see. Read the bio written by Bela Lugosi, Jr. and you'll probably cry right along with me when you read that he buried his dad in one of his Dracula capes.





Here's some memorable lines from the movie.

"I am DRAH-COOL-LAH.I bid you welcome."

"Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make."

"I never drink...wine."

Bela's Website

Rest in peace, Bela!

~Enjoy the start of the Halloween season! ~ Blessings, Alisha