Forgive that giddy moment. Now on to my post . . .
Good versus Evil. A plot device from the beginning of time – literally. This week I’m continuing to explore the villainous aspects of my latest release with this scene between our shapeshifter hero, Max Savoie and Carmen Blutafino, the criminal cornerstone in New Orleans now that Max’s mentor is no more. Manny Blu owns The Sweat Shop, a French Quarter strip club where high stakes gambling and dark deeds are done in the rooms upstairs. Above pudgy manicured hands and corpulence stuffed into a gaudy suit are a shark’s hard stare and a survivalist’s quick mind as Max grills him about his knowledge of an attack upon his mate, Detective Charlotte Caissie.
“I’m supposed to just give you that information out of the goodness of my heart?”
“If you want it to keep beating.”
“Don’t insult me, Savoie. I’m not afraid of you.”
Max bared his teeth, earning Manny’s rapid blink as if doubting the reality of those sharp points. “Yes, you are, because you’re not a fool, and you don’t want an until-the-end-of-timeshare out in the swamps with (your rival) Petitjohn’s bits and pieces.”
“That was you.”
The booming laugh relaxed Max’s threatening pose. “Not me, personally, no,” he drawled, “but with you, it’d be personal.”(and the rest of the scene)
Ergonomic leather groaned as Manny leaned back to contemplate his next words the way he would a poker hand. Music pounded up from the matinee show in the ensuing silence until finally he offered, “Were I a betting man, I’d put my money on Brady. He has an old friend in town he’s rather desperate to impress, and from what I gather, she’s no friend of yours.”
Genevieve.
“A shame one can’t depend upon one’s friends . . . or family,” Max drawled, “but then you’d know that, wouldn’t you?”
The cool jab at the mobster’s wife’s desertion earned a twitch of pressed lips. “No, you can’t,” Carmen gritted out, “but you can shut ′em up.”
To me, a great villain is one who doesn’t quite look the threatening part . . . until he has a gun at your head . . . as one of our other nefarious characters will discover. From Hans Gruber and Hannibal Lecter to The Usual Suspects and Fight Club, misdirection enhances the danger once the truth is revealed. And I love a good surprise. RISE BY MOONLIGHT is filled with unexpected moments and reveals which is why I had so much fun writing it, and hope you’ll have just as much reading it! Who are the fictional villains who took YOU by surprise?
I had all sorts of fun during my RISE BY MOONLIGHT blog tour. A BIG thank you to those who hosted, visited, and shared. The winner of my $20 Amazon gift card is . . . Rachel G!
This summer has disappeared into a haze of isolation and anxiety. Thanks for helping me stay sane(ish), fellow Warriors! I, for one, am glad to get August behind us and to hopefully move on to more positive things!
Happy Writing!!
Weekend Writing Warriors is a weekly hop for everyone who loves to write! Share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet of your writing on Sunday. Visit other participants on the list and read, critique, and comment on their 8sunday posts.
Spread the word, share the love, warriors - Hashtag #8sunday.
Love your villain, Nancy! He is exactly that--someone who looks mild-mannered until suddenly he's not. I think my fave all-time surprise villain is Shakespeare's Iago. The audience sees him coming, but man, Othello sure doesn't. It was great hosting you!
ReplyDeleteI was trying to think of a good example and YES, he's it!
DeleteQuite a noirish scene, very well done (of course because your writing is so smooth!). I like what is being said as well as left unsaid...great snippet. I can hear the music thumping in the background all right...
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean! What's left unsaid is always the most powerful.
DeleteThis guy seems like someone who'd be easy to underestimate, but Max is too smart for that...I hope.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah. They understand each other very well.
DeleteOh, there is so much tension there, but Max definitely knows how to get what he wants. Great snippet!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jessica! He learned from the best manipulators.
DeleteEven your bad guys' names add to the feel of the story. Amazingly visual writing. :-)
ReplyDeleteFYI, I put that line back in my blurb. My husband agreed. He couldn't define it in literary terms, but he basically told me that that line is very much my voice, and without it, it sounded sort of generic. :-)
Thanks, Teresa! Yeah on returning the line. It rocked!
DeleteThat last paragraph really cemented him as a world-class villain!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah! Thanks, Ed!
DeleteI love their banter!
ReplyDeleteIt's my favorite thing to write!
DeleteThat last line is great. This guy really is a great villain.
ReplyDeleteHe's been fun to have around.
DeleteGreat tension. Great banter.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen!!
DeleteI like the snarky attitude in the "with you it would be personal" line.
ReplyDeleteThey have . . . history!
Delete