Bad Boy or Boy Scout?

by Vivi Dumas

Bad boy or boy scout? This is the question that taunts me when I write my heroes. Sometimes the line is so thin I forget which they are supposed to be. I love a dark edge to my leading men. I think many of us dream of hopping on the back of the bike wrapping our arms around a true bad boy. Remember Stephanie from Grease 2 and how she needed her ‘Cool Rider’?

When you read, which do you prefer? Are you looking for Prince Charming to ride in and save the day? Do you want the leather clad hottie to lure you out of your window for a late night who knows what? I think most of us want some combination of the two. Why? Because Prince Charming will eventually becoming too boring with all his perfection. We all know the bad boy will eventually break our heart. (psst…that’s why he’s a bad boy)

Now, when you have a biker boy willing to come to the rescue, nothing could be hotter. How many of us fell head over heal for Danny once he came around in Grease? When Michael learned to ride that friggin bike and jumped the cannon, he couldn’t have been more attractive. We want excitement and security.

This is what I think my heroes bring, a perfect mixture of excitement and security. Jacque from SoulCatcher is a prime example. Who wouldn’t melt for a demon who delivers his heart to the one person he never imagined he could love, as if love was even possible in his world. I hope you fall for Jacque as I have.

Tell me about your bad boy/boy scout crush for your chance to win a copy of Soul Catcher.

Soul Catcher Excerpt:

Hidden behind a tree, Jacque watched, impressed and amazed. Angel had more power than he imagined. It was clear why she was so important to Lucifer. There were very few people with the power to control the elements. She needed to learn to control her powers better.

The sound of a branch breaking caused Jacque to focus back on Angel. The limb she sat on snapped in two and she plummeted to the ground, trying desperately to grab hold of anything to break her fall. The high pitch of Angel’s screams ripped at Jacque’s reason. Her body bounced off the tree trunk and crashed through the dark branches. Again, he raced to her rescue. Before Jacque could reach the tree, Angel’s fragile body hit the ground.

 He kneeled beside her and brushed the hair out her face.

“Hey. You took quite a spill,” Jacque murmured.

Angel stared up at him and smiled. “Yeah. I showed those hellhounds who’s boss.” She chuckled, grimacing as she held her ribs.

“Yep. You showed them. Doubt they’ll mess with you again.” He examined Angel, wondering if he should move her.

“Did I pass the test?” A tear rolled out of her eye when she tried to sit up.

He held her hand. “Look. I’m gonna to pick you up, and it’s gonna hurt. I’m sorry. I gotta get you back to camp and get you fixed up.”

She bit down into her lip, waiting for his next move. “Okay.”

“You let me know if anything hurts too bad.” He slid his arms under her back and legs, lifting her gently.

 She was light as a cloud in his arms, her head rested against his shoulder. As he made his way through the forest, she moaned whenever he shifted her in his arms. Jacque cringed, knowing he caused her pain.

“Sorry,” he whispered in her hair.

Her hand caressed his neck. “I’m fine.”

The warmth of her touch made the hairs on Jacque’s neck stand.

The campsite lay ahead. Jacque hurried through the brush. The other cadets waited, turning their attention on him and Angel as he entered the open area. He laid Angel on the back of the wagon with the equipment.

“Bring me some Vamp Juice,” he barked.

Everyone scattered, gathering items. The tall dark-hair cadet brought the Vamp Juice and Noel handed Jacque the medical bag. Jacque sat on the back of the wagon and propped Angel’s head in his lap.

Cracking open the bottle, he held it to her mouth. “You got to drink. Hey, let me see those big brown eyes.”

She groaned and her eyes fluttered opened.

“Hi there.” He smiled down at her. “Drink.”

10Q TUESDAY WITH Vivi Dumas!

 

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

I think one of my favorite characters from my books is Isabella from Soul Catcher. Bell seems like a strong, aggressive female that everyone wish they could just slap, but underneath she has a softer side. She wants to be loved, but stays true to her demon self and toys with the one man/demon she thinks will be around forever. When Jacque falls for another woman, a human woman at that, it devastates her. Nothing is worse than the fury of a woman scorned. I have a soft spot for her. Unfortunately, I know so much more about Bell than my readers right now. Hopefully, they’ll get to know her better in the future.

Do you believe in ghosts?

I’m from Louisiana. Of course I believe in ghosts. I tend to only write about the supernatural. I stay away from it in real life. I don’t like to go on ghost tours or to haunted houses. Strange things both living and dead seem to be attracted to me. I stay away from psychics. Not that I think these things are bad, but I’m not willing to play with the undead or unknown and risk tilting the balance of nature.

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Time… Finding time to writing is the hardest part of writing my books right now. My day job is demanding. I work anywhere from 10 – 12 hours a day. The job takes a lot out of me mentally. Therefore, when I get home I’m exhausted and writing may go to the back burning. On top of the job, I’m building a house, preparing to move, taking care of my family, and all the other things that come on a day-to-day basis.

What do you think makes a good story?

I need a story where the hero and heroine compliments one another. I want them to have an identity outside of the relationship. I also want a secondary plot that draws me into the lives of the other characters in the book.

Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

Yes. Vivi Dumas is a pen name. I came up with it because Vivi is close to my true name and I love The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. Plus it had a French flavor, which suit my stories which usually take place in New Orleans.

How do you develop your plots and your characters? Do you use any set formula?

My characters and plots usually unfold as I write. The characters are very vivid in my mind. I know their stories and who they are. I’ve learned this method of writing is a lot of work when you go back to edit. I’ve decided I need to really understand the goals, motivation, and conflict of the characters before I start writing.

On my current WIP, I took the time to really think about the world building beforehand. I believe I’ll come to a balance of some planning in the forefront and then letting the character guide me through the basic structure to reveal their true stories.

What book are you reading now?

Right now, I’m reading Wicked Lovely a YA and just finished JR Ward’s Lover Unleashed.

What songs are most played on your mp3 player?

Anything Usher, Lady Antebellum, and Eminem. But that will change next weekJ It all depends on the mood.

Morning Person? Or Night Person? How do you know?

Definitely a night person. Although I’m awake at 6:00 AM most mornings, I don’t want to deal with people until around 9 or 10 AM. I usually stay up until 1 or 2 AM. I’m at my most creative at night. Been this way all my life.

What is the next big thing?

I’m working on two projects right now. I’m rewriting my first novel, which is a Urban Fantasy YA. I’m also working on the 2^nd book in the DWD series. This is going to be Isabella’s book. I’m loving it. It’s a bit darker than Soul Catcher because the hero and heroine are much darker and forced together by the Devil himself. But most of the wonderful characters from the first book will be making an appearance in this one.

Soul Catcher Blurb

Top supermodel, Angel Dias, lives the life of the rich and fabulous, until a heinous car accident mars her face. After thirteen surgeries and losing everything she deemed important, she seeks out the dark forces to salvage her life and decides to conjure the Devil for help, making a deal to recover her beauty. In exchange for his help, Lucifer forces her to hunt supernatural renegades, which have eluded the pits of Hell. In her quest to find beauty and get out of her contract with Lucifer, Angel stumbles upon love in the arms of a demon.
Commander of the Legions and an Underworld Demon, Jacque Toussant, takes a field commission to escape the madness of a failed relationship and prove himself worthy of his demon heritage. Jacque is content with his existence as a field soldier until Lucifer gives him a special assignment to oversee a new trainee, a supermodel nonetheless. Humans hold low appeal for Jacque, especially the females. That is until he meets Angel. Jacque risks everything, including his life, to find a way to break Angel’s deal with Lucifer.

Soul Catcher Excerpt
The growls and snarls inched closer. Angel’s feet pounded the dirt, kicking up red dust all around her. The barren trees provided little sanctuary. Her heart and mind raced as she tried to think of her next move. The skies darkened above and thunder rumbled through the thick air. The air smelled of dampness.
How long had she been running? It seemed hours. Other than Noel, the other cadets were long gone ahead of her. Being human sucked when it came to supernatural warfare, but she refused to give up. Every day the class waited, watched, wondering when she was going to quit. Two of the others had already dropped out, and they were demons.
Noel passed Angel on the left, ducking through the low branches of the charred trees, cackling as he passed. Angel picked up her speed, her calves cramping and an ache developing in her side. She wanted to stop. Stopping meant quitting. Quitting was not an option. The hellish howls closed in on her.
Angel glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of one of the ugly beasts. It’s long, rounded snout protruded from an enlarged head. Red eyes peered through the charred trees, scanning the landscape. A ridge of ivory spikes ran down the monster’s back extending from each vertebra. The dog-like fiend pounded through the forest on powerful, muscular legs, which carried its compact body. Out running them wasn’t going to work. She had to come up with another plan. Scanning the terrain in front of her, the only place to go was up. The trees disappeared into the grey clouds. If she could climb high enough, maybe she could wait them out. Or maybe they would go find another victim.
She lunged for the closest branch, leveraged her foot on the tree trunk, and boosted herself off the ground. It took all her strength to hoist her weight into the tree. As she reached for the second branch, three hounds pounced on the trunk, clawing at her dangling foot. The dark-haired one’s razor sharp teeth nipped Angel’s ankle. Stretching for the next limb, she stared down just in time to see the dagger like claws of the reddish colored beast rip into her calf.
Scurrying up the tree, she climbed higher until she was out of reach of the animals. Angel perched on one of the higher limbs, praying it could hold her weight. She clung to the trunk and observed the creatures clawing the burnt bark off the tree. Slowly, deliberately, a hound dug its sharp claws into the tree, using them like spikes, and began to maneuver its way to her.
Tremors quivered through Angel’s body, almost causing her to lose her grip and fall. Thunder clapped and lightning flashed. Ominous clouds gathered overhead, growing darker as the hound drew nearer. The animal swiped at Angel’s bleeding leg, barely missing as she jerked it onto the branch she sat on. Electricity hummed in the air. Angel felt the energy gathering about her, a strange, eerie sensation floating on top of her skin.
The hound’s red eyes glowed as it stretched towards Angel, drooling from its mouth and snarling. Angel stood on the limb, grabbing for the one above her. As she pulled on the branch, it snapped in her hand. She wrapped her arms around the trunk to keep from falling. The beast snagged her ankle, jerking its head, trying to yank her from her perch. Lightning flashed through the sky, hitting its target—Angel.
Angel closed her eyes as the bolt of electricity hit. The pain she expected never came. Her body absorbed the energy and channeled it to the beast attached to her ankle. The smell of burning fur wafted to Angel’s nostrils. The hound fell to the ground with a thud. The two other monsters sniffed its cohort and growled up at her. Angel redirected the remaining energy to the creatures below with deadly accuracy.

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Balancing Games with Vivi Dumas!

Life as a writer is full of balancing games. First, I must balance writing with my day job, the tasks of being a wife and mother. Sometimes we’re able to keep the balls all in the air and some days they come crashing to the ground with a loud thud. I tend to zone into my own world and forget what’s going on around me and must force myself to look up and take a breath.

I also must balance my fictional life as Vivi Dumas and my real life. I admit Vivi is a little freer and loose around the edges than the real me. I tend to trend on the conservative side at times. So, it’s fun to have another persona to unleash and be a little different. But how much do we let our fictional writing lives invade our reality. I’ve learned being two people is a lot of work.

Now, I’m learning to add a new task to my balancing act. Marketing. Between guest blogging, interviewing, sending out review copies, writing has fell short. All these things can become a bit overwhelming for a newbie like me. So, I’m figuring out how to make it all work.

Things that help when the sun and moon aligns:

· A “To Do” list

· * Scheduling time for specific tasks, such as time for writing and time for family. If it’s not in my BlackBerry it doesn’t exist.

· * Take some time for myself. Just a small spot in the day just to take a breather or shut my mind down.

Things that I’ve learned along the way:

· * I am actually just one person. Sometimes the fictional life and real life collides. It might not be pretty when it happens.

· * Less is more at times.

· * Never say anything that you might want to take back later.

· * Stay true to yourself no matter what.

I would love to hear how all of you stay balanced and sane in this crazy world we’ve created in our imaginations and seeped into our realities.

N

Soul Catcher interview with Vivi Dumas

First I would like to thank Decadent Publishing for allowing us to visit the Daily Dose of Decadence. Today, I’m hanging out with a couple of my favorite divas from Soul Catcher. Thanks for dropping by ladies!

Vivi: How excited are y’all to have your story being released tomorrow?

Angel: It’s very exciting! I can’t wait for everyone to read about Jacque and me. Is there like a release day party or something?

Isabella: Good God! What’s up with you and the parties? Just wanting to find a reason to go shopping?

Angel: Whatever, Bell. You’re just jealous that I took your man.

Isabella: You’re just borrowing him, honey.

Vivi: Now ladies… Let’s play nice. This question is for Angel. Did you know right from the beginning that you loved Jacque?

Angel: I think I had to figure out how to love myself before I could love someone else. Jacque and I had some miscommunications and a few bumps in the beginning. And our friend over here *gives Bell the stank eye* was the bulk of our problems.

Bell: I have no idea what you mean. You can’t just let go of a fifty-year relationship over night. And I still think Jacque might come back to me. We had something special. I can’t help men find me irresistible. *flips hair and bats lashes*

Vivi: Wow! Isabella or can I call you Bell?

Isabella: Bell is fine.

Vivi: Bell… So you think you still have a chance with Jacque? Why would you want him if he’s dating someone else?

Bell: Oh. Jacque and I go back and forth all the time. I’ve had my share of indiscretions too. When you’ve been together as long as we have, then you have to add a little spice into the relationship and take some breaks away from each other. We go through this every decade or so, but he always come back.

Angel: We’ll see about that… *Rolls eyes*

Vivi: I doubt we’ll settle this argument today. Jacque must be one hell of a guy to have two beautiful women like you two fighting over him.

Bell: Who’s fighting?

Vivi: So, you’re telling me that huge fight the two of you had after Angel slept with Jacque wasn’t about him?

Bell: I don’t fight over men.

Angel: Neither do I. *folds arms across chest*

Vivi: *Looks from Angel to Bell* Ooookay then. Ladies it’s been interesting chatting with you today. If we want to know more about your story and learn what makes Jacque so yummy, where can we find you?

Angel: Well… Our story, Soul Catcher, will be out tomorrow from Decadent Publishing. Please pick it up. There’s so much more to Jacque and my relationship. It’s hard falling in love and maintaining a relationship, but being in one with a Demon with a crazy ex-girlfriend is insane.

Bell: Who you calling crazy? *reaches out and grabs Angel by the hair*

Angel: *punches Bell in the mouth*

Vivi: Oh no! Things have gotten out of hand. Thank you to everyone for stopping by…. *Duck out the way of flying stiletto* Please make sure you check out Soul Catcher to find out what happens to these ladies. *Pushes her way in between clawing females* BREAK IT UP LADIES!

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