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Nancy Gideon: Do Bad Girls Get a Bum Rap?
December 17, 2012
A good man drowning in bad deeds . . . A bad girl denying a good heart . . . I love stories about complex characters with dark pasts searching for the means
to personal redemption, so that's what I write. When choosing secondary
characters to step into the roles of hero and heroine in BETRAYED BY SHADOWS,
the 7th book in my dark paranormal shape shifter "By Moonlight"
series, readers were surprised by my choice of Giles St. Clair, the steadfast
rock of advice for Max Savoie who goes from thuggish knee breaker to pseudo-CEO
in Max's ‘absence.' They never considered him hero material and, until the
later books, I probably would have agreed. But there were things about Giles I
really liked. His loyalty. His wry sense of humor. His practicality. And I
got to thinking, what's this guy's story? You won't believe what I found in his
past!! Talk about getting pulled off the right path . . . So I've got Giles, hero in the making, with his soft protective spot for
Charlotte Caissie and Tina Babineau – females who will never belong to him.
What kind of woman should I throw in his path? Someone flashy to catch his
eye. Someone smart and sassy to challenge his wit. Someone with secrets to
coax his protective instincts. Someone out of reach. When Brigit MacCreedy appeared at her brother Silas's doorstep in HUNTER OF
SHADOWS, she spelled trouble with a capital B. Brash, gorgeous, seemingly
selfish and manipulative, used to bending men around her finger, I'll admit, she
wasn't someone I wanted to bond with. Until she reluctantly revealed her fierce
devotion to her brother and their cousin. The three of them had endured terrible
events and had been looking for the means to right their lives ever since. As a
female in an Alpha driven society, Brigit lacked the resources Silas had, so she
made do with what she did have – her looks, her smarts, her courage. Okay, so she isn't a warm cuddly, LIKABLE heroine in the first few chapters of
BETRAYED BY SHADOWS. I don't want her to be. She's lived on the edge of danger,
surviving by her wits, keeping her fragile cousin safe, and her dangerous
secrets hidden. Trust comes hard. Love even harder. But when she starts letting
down her guard with Giles – a HUMAN, no less – an entirely different woman
begins to emerge. Why am I making excuses for Brigit when she can obviously fight her own battles?
Because of the hero/heroine double standard that sometimes rears its head. Why
is it okay for the hero to be harsh, brutal, cold and manipulative in those
early chapters and we make allowances for him, but the heroine . . . not so
much. We tend to be far more critical of her behavior - even though we
recognize she has good reason for it. Cut a sister some slack! Some of my favorite heroines didn't start out heroic. Scarlet O'Hara. Eve
Dallas. Ellen Ripley. Strong women fighting by their own rules for their own
place in a harsh world. I like that about a heroine. How about you? Do you find it more difficult to relate to a heroine who is more prickly pear
than rose petals, even if her actions are justified by circumstance, or do you
cheer for her during her struggles to redeem herself? I'll be giving away a Kindle copy of BETRAYED BY SHADOWS to a
commenter chosen at random!
Today is RELEASE DAY . . . BETRAYED BY SHADOWS "By Moonlight" Book 7 By Nancy Gideon Pocket Star * 12-17-12 Balancing a criminal empire and a preternatural clan war, reluctant front man
Giles St. Clair doesn't need a problem like Brigit MacCreedy . . . How much
trouble can the head-strong and manipulative Shifter beauty get into in two
weeks? Plenty when her schemes range from kidnapping to fleeing the retribution
of her dead lover's clan. With her family's lives on the line, Brigit is willing to do whatever it takes
to save them. The only thing standing in her way is an immovable stone wall of a
man she can't bully or beguile . . . a human, no less, who has promised to
protect her from the secrets and dangers she conceals. Risking her own safety gets complicated when an honorable and annoyingly
desirable man puts himself between her and her powerful enemies in a battle he
can't win in this Taming of the Shrew meets Shifter Goodfellas on the Bayou tale
of consequences, redemption and finding love in all the wrong places. NOW AVAILABLE! Pocket Star is offering BETRAYED BY SHADOWS at a fabulous
introductory price of $1.99 for the next four weeks for Kindle (Amazon) and Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/betrayed-by-shadows-nancy-gideon/1110377156?ean=9781451689471)
Start reading . . . Now! Nancy Gideon is the
author of over 54 novels ranging from historical and contemporary suspense to
paranormal, with horror screenplays thrown into the mix. Working 9-to-5 as a
legal assistant, she's a self-confessed Netflix addict and sucker for all things
fur, feather and fin. Find out more about her, her books and the "By Moonlight"
series at http://nancygideon.com.
Comments
31 comments posted.
Re: Nancy Gideon: Do Bad Girls Get a Bum Rap?
For me there is a limit to the prickly-ness. I don't want her
to be easily manipulated or lead around, but I also don't like
it when she's intractable. That goes for men, as well. I
think there is a time when the stubbornness must give way to
something.
(Karin Anderson 8:51am December 17, 2012)
It depends on the type of "bad girl" they are. If they are just a very independent tough stand up for herself type then yes they do get a bad rap at times.
(Julie Parrish 9:45am December 17, 2012)
I wold say that it depends on the situation...and the common sense of the
heroine. Prickliness.,,no! Hate it...a strong woman shouldn't be prickly.
More calm and deadly:)
(Nicole Nobles 10:19am December 17, 2012)
Complex characters are more fun than transparent, easily led ones. Male or female. That doesn't mean that to be interesting a character has to have accidentally killed their parents or something; but bad girl can take a lot of different meanings. A bad girl who is a serial kiler probably deserves any bad press she gets. One who's just determined to get things done her way may be excused for cuting a few corners, if it's in a good cause.
(Clare O'Beara 10:54am December 17, 2012)
I guess it depends on what type of bad girl they are and the situation at that time
(Lisa Bishop 11:29am December 17, 2012)
Not intractable and definitely NOT a serial killer. Just someone forced to make the best of what she has in order to survive . . . until she finds someone she can really trust.
(Nancy Gideon 11:57am December 17, 2012)
Bad girls can be strong in character and able to take care of themselves. They are not necessarily evil.
(Irene Menge 12:00pm December 17, 2012)
YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU DO sort of thing , happy holidays and thanks for this
chance
(Debbi Shaw 12:03pm December 17, 2012)
I don't care if she's "prickly", but I don't like reading about people who aren't "nice" (and I don't consider them to necessarily be the same thing).
(Kathleen Conner 1:02pm December 17, 2012)
My favorite characters have attitude to spare. They are the
ones that speak their mind, use sarcasm & put up with no
shit off anyone. I want a female character who will stand
up to anyone, and most especially her man. Nothing turns me
off a book faster than those simpering females who stand
around (or faint) and wait for a man to take care of them.
Bring on the woman who carves her own path and goes out and
does the saving.
(Judith Cauthan 1:22pm December 17, 2012)
A woman (or man) who has strong character, can be funny and yet still be tough in overcoming adversities is definitely to be cheered.
(Beth Charette 2:45pm December 17, 2012)
Sometimes they do, othertimes, they deserve what they get.
(Nancy Luebke 3:23pm December 17, 2012)
It all depends on how she's handled. I enjoy a change of pace like a "prickly"
heroine. While we're at it, can I say something about rakes in Regencies? So
often they show no real sign of being such. I'd like to see a real rake used
(and reformed, of course). I'm reading an sf novel in which the heroine's sister
is the secondary heroine. She's prickly but has a great sense of humor—and
she's found herself a prickly, humorous man. It works!
(Carol Strickland 3:52pm December 17, 2012)
I love a heroine who has some "prickle" to her. I relate more to someone who has some spine than to someone who is sugar-sweet.
(Robin McKay 4:20pm December 17, 2012)
Yes- bad girls get a bad rap... but it's always worth it!!!
(Constance Zimmer 4:29pm December 17, 2012)
I love strong women characters who are complex, independent, and capable of handling adversity.
(Bonnie H 4:34pm December 17, 2012)
FANTASTIC CONTEST LOVE TO WIN!!!!!!!!!
(Shelly Caggiano 4:54pm December 17, 2012)
I can relate as long as she's not so busy trying to prove herself she endangers herself and others.
(Cheryl McEwen 5:14pm December 17, 2012)
I like sassy
would LOVE to Win & read! PICK ME!
(Pamela Faye Howell 5:38pm December 17, 2012)
So love to win love finding you Authors to read !
(Angelina Howell 7:14pm December 17, 2012)
aaaaa great contest.
(Kent Cook 7:52pm December 17, 2012)
It all depends on the situation and I would love to read this book
(Bonnie Capuano 8:03pm December 17, 2012)
I like your description of the book! I want my hero and heroine to grow as characters, regardless of how they start out. Sometimes one or the other just has a lot more growing to do!
(Janie McGaugh 9:24pm December 17, 2012)
a great book to win..thanks merry xmas
(Kimberly Hoefs 11:28pm December 17, 2012)
Actually I think if they are over the top nice girls, the story can be boring.
Unless of course it's the proverbial bad boy. But I think as a woman, I
want strong female characters. We have come too far to go back and
have to read of boring female characters!
(Vicki Hancock 2:43am December 18, 2012)
I want to like the character, so she can't be too hard or
'prickly'.
(Mary Preston 5:18am December 18, 2012)
Sometimes we need to have the hero/heroine pull back, and the wait is exciting, waiting for the pull and then boom, he/she starts to fall even fighting it and then the feeling of trust comes back..
(Rosemary Foley 6:39am December 18, 2012)
You listed some great examples of heroines that aren't all sunshine and
roses. I like watching them grow and find themselves, but they don't
change too drastically.
(Ann Sheiring 9:01am December 18, 2012)
I don't find the nice girls very interesting--I prefer those with some bad girl in them.
(Sue Farrell 11:13am December 18, 2012)
There's "bad girl" and then there's dishonest criminal... I can deal with bad girl, but it has to be one with good character. :)
(Donna Holmberg 10:34pm December 18, 2012)
A Bad Girl always get the bum rap. It doesn't matter if she turns a new leaf or happened to be very successful. For all those who grew up with her, she will always have that reputation of the Bad Girl.
(Kai Wong 10:57pm December 18, 2012)
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