Guest post: Writing the Villains by Rae Rivers

Today I’m very excited to be celebrating publication day for one of my favourite paranormal romance authors! Rae Rivers was one of the first authors I read when HarperImpulse launched and I love her Keepers series which just gets better and better.

Rae’s an avid reader and writer with a passion for writing spicy romance novels. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her gorgeous children and husband and a zoo of house pets. Besides writing, she loves family time, the outdoors, travelling, watching TV series, reading and chocolate. The Keepers: Ethan is out today and to celebrate Rae has joined me to talk villains! Happy publication day and welcome, Rae!

Writing the Villains

When I first created Sienna, I knew she was a powerful, modern day, good witch coming to terms with the full throttle of powers she’d inherited from her grandmother.  But I also figured that a woman of her status and magical abilities would meet great adversaries and would need some serious back up.   And so the concept of the Keepers was born – three warrior brothers duty-bound to protect her with their lives.  Together, they protect the balance of nature and the innocent people of the world.  And yes, they’ve faced many villains throughout the series.

Who are the villains?

I played on the concept of good vs. evil and developed a story about an ongoing feud between three families:  The Bennett brothers (The Keepers) and the Beckham witches (Sienna) vs. the Brogan family (the villains).  

The Brogans are a group of evil magical witches and warlocks who love to flaunt their magic in a world where it’s forbidden (their magic is a secret).  Their aim is to expose themselves and others like them, to cause havoc with the balance of nature and to control the innocent humans by using fear, violence and magic.  

But Sienna and her Keepers are determined to stop them and maintain the balance – hence a lot of conflict between the two families throughout all four books.

So what makes a good villain?

There’s a variety of traits that make up a good villain so my list can be added to but here’s a basic idea:

• He (or she) has an opposite goal to the hero and heroine – this makes for great conflict!
• He has to be convincing and realistic – create a villain that a reader will loathe or fear if faced in real life.
• He should be smart and vindictive.
• He should try and outsmart the hero and heroine at every turn – and frequently succeed.  (Again, more conflict!)
• Not a necessity but it helps to have a few beefy sidekicks at his side – and offers more opportunity for even more conflict.
• He should come across as interesting and compelling.
• He has a background that backs up his villainess.
• He has a real or valid goal – and we don’t have to like it.
• Everyone has a weakness so it’s important that villains do too.  And it’s up to the author as to how – and if – this weakness will be used against him.  (Always a fun opportunity to create some havoc between the hero, heroine and villain.)

There are many more traits to consider so feel free to add them in the comments section.  I’d love to hear what you think makes a good antagonist in a story!

Thanks for reading,

Rae Rivers

For more information about Rae and her books, please visit:  www.raerivers.com

Rae loves to hear from her readers and can also be found at: Wattpad, , Goodreads, , , 

The Keepers: Ethan is released today by HarperImpulse in ebook format.

“Going to Ameera to find Hazel.  Stealing the spell … You think you can pull it off?” he asked.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

Just as she thought he’d kiss her, he reached for her jacket and said, “Then let’s go.”

A portal to another world has opened, unleashing dangerous creatures on earth.  A dark witch is out for revenge.  The stakes are high, a war inevitable. 

One person can stop the madness.  Jenna.  She’s a Keeper to a powerful hybrid witch but she harbours a secret and if Jenna steps through the portal – seduced by the whispers of her hidden past – she may never return.

Fortunately, she has company … infamous Bennett brother and fiercely protective Keeper, Ethan. Their whip-cracking banter makes them perfect sparring partners in training, but how will they manage when their lives and everything they were born to defend are on the line?

When the battle lines are drawn, will Jenna and Ethan stand side by side – as friends, protectors, lovers … or as traitors?