10/19/2012

Little White Lies and Dirty Rotten Villains...what fun!








A Scoundrel drives a hard bargain...

Spirited and determined to protect her young brother at any cost, Lisette Lavigne is desperate to flee New Orleans. There’s only one ship sailing to England, though, and the rakish Captain Daniel Hillary will only allow Lisette’s family aboard for a steep price…

But a lady always gets the upper hand...

Daniel prides himself on running a tight ship, and he knows a lady will be nothing but trouble on a long voyage. Yet he can’t help but break his own ironclad rules when Lisette persuades him that being gentlemanly just this once is his wisest course of action…




Samantha Grace made her debut earlier this year with Miss Hillary Schools a Scoundrel. Her newest regency romance, Miss Lavigne’s Little White Lie, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, and she did a happy dance in her kitchen. Samantha lives with her husband, their two tenacious kids, and an endless parade of characters that inhabit her imagination. You can connect with Samantha at: Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Lady Scribes | Website


How to Pick Your Dream Villain:


Who doesn’t enjoy a dirty, rotten villain? Whether his actions are chaotic and unpredictable or calculating and callous, there’s no question he’s a real bad boy at heart. But how do you know which villain is right for you? Well, worry no more. I’ve devised a simple quiz that will help you determine which memorable villain will make all your bad dreams come true.

How would you describe your dream villain?
a. Tall, dark and mysterious
b. Hot-tempered hottie
c. A foodie
d. A real clown

Your perfect bad boy’s idea of a romantic evening involves:
a. Stargazing and blowing up a planet or two
b. A night on the town. Just you, him, and his “little friend”
c. An impromptu flight to a tropical island for dinner
d. Staying home and doing each other’s make-up

Your villain wants some sexy time. How does he let you know?
a. He calls you unexpectedly and breathes heavily into the phone
b. He dons an extra shiny gold chain and low cut polyester shirt.
c. He compliments you with “You look scrumptious.”
d. He tells a ribald joke then laughs manically.

If you answered mostly…


A – Your perfect villain is Darth Vader. He tends to be a perfectionist, so beware. Disappoint him and you might find yourself in an invisible chokehold. Yet, despite his hard outer shell, he’s really a softie inside. May the force be with you.

B – You’ve chosen Scarface. This Latin lover can’t properly pronounce cockroach, but don’t let his comical accent and big brown eyes fool you. He’s trouble with a capital T.

C – Hannibal Lector has been known to play mind games on occasion. If you’ve chosen this bad boy, proceed with caution. His bite is much worse than his bark.

D – If you’ve been looking for a villain with an unusual sense of humor, The Joker is your man. His favorite things are bad jokes, cherry red lipstick, and rambling speeches. His obsession with taking over Gotham City may get tedious at times, but all good villains have their foibles. It could be worse.


One of the things that make Darth Vader, Scarface, Hannibal Lector, and The Joker so memorable is how over-the-top they are. They are eerie and frightening, but also a little laughable. I was thrilled to have a chance to create my own version of an over-the-top villain in MISS LAVIGNE’S LITTLE WHITE LIE. Louis Reynaud is Miss Lavigne’s betrothed, and he’s bad news. But aside from being rotten to the core, he has a few quirks that made him incredibly fun to write. One of those is his grandiosity and obsession with predatory animals. His grandfather was “something of a scholar” and studied animals, reptiles, and amphibians. When Louis was a boy, he poured over his grandfather’s logbooks, engrossed in his grandfather’s crude drawings and his own imagination.

Here is an example of how his obsession comes into play in the story:


Reynaud hovered in the darkened street, keeping watch on number 17 Curzon, as stealthily as the king of beasts hunting in the night. The almighty lion possessed brawn, agility, speed, and a nice head of hair. Reynaud swept a hand over his own slicked-back locks and smiled.
Very nice, indeed.
The lion’s prey stood little chance of survival once he set his sights on them. His domination was unavoidable.
The flickering lights from the upstairs windows extinguished. Tonight Lisette and Serafine burrowed under their covers, believing themselves to be safe. On the morrow, they would lose their protector. Captain Hillary hadn’t planned to take the women with him as Reynaud had feared when he’d learned the Cecily was preparing to set sail.
The ladies would be at the lion’s mercy.
A bolt of exhilaration flew through his limbs and left him trembling with agitated anticipation. Another known fact about the lion: he boasted superior sexual prowess, sometimes copulating as many as one hundred times in twenty-four hours. The dominant male got his fill of the females in his pride.
But first, he must seize his letters. After all, the threat of swinging from the gallows tended to interfere with one’s lustful urges.

Despite his tendency toward the ridiculous, he is a real threat to the hero and heroine, and he adds excitement to the story. Today one Get Lost in a Story reader will have a chance to win a print copy of MISS LAVIGNE’S LITTLE WHITE LIE and see how villainous Reynaud can be. (US and Canada only) Just answer this question: What memorable villain sticks out in your mind, and what makes him so dastardly? Remember to include your email address along with your comment.


***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America  addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

28 comments:

  1. I like Darth like everyone else. :) But I blame that on my husband. He's a big Star Wars fan and make me watch all the episodes!

    I like my heroines a little dastardly too. :) They are more fun when they are a little wicked!

    maybe31 at yahoo.com

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    1. May,
      Darth Vader is the best! He was pretty scary the first time he appeared on the big screen. That breathing is just creepy!!!

      At the moment, one of my favorite female villains is "The Evil Queen" on Once Upon a Time.

      Delete
  2. I have enjoyed all the villains in the survey, though I'd have to say I enjoyed Heath Ledger's version of the Joker the best. The villains that really stick with me are more sympathetic characters, like Roy the dying replicant in Blade Runner.

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    1. Heath Ledger's Joker was phenomenal. I love Jack Nicholson, but Heath knocked it out of the park. Jack Nicholson in The Shining was a fantastic villain, though.

      Delete
  3. Sam, your quiz needs to be a tad bit longer. I was all over the place. That doesn't help when trying to pick my villain. Sam you write great villains.

    countessofmar(at) yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Melody. :)

      I'll have to see if I can come up with more questions and post it to FB. It would be a tragedy if you ended up with the wrong villain. LOL

      Delete
  4. Lisette's traits appeal to me as a character. I think her determination and spirit will help through almost anything, even taking on a villain :) I like understand a villain. Even if I don't get them or agree with their actions I want to know where they are coming from.

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thank you, Na.

      Sometimes I like understanding a villain, such as the bad guy in the last Star Trek movie. I totally got the reason he was angry and set on vengeance. I could have easily had sympathy for him too except he was so relentlessly driven to destroy anyone and everyone who got in his way.

      Other times I think it's scarier when there seems to be no rhyme or reason behind what the villain does. Maybe it has something to do with the unknown and feeling like I have no control.

      Maybe it just depends on my mood. :)

      Delete
  5. Love the quiz but was unable to pick a villain because all of my answers were different letters. I love a great villain. My favorite from your list is the Joker.

    iqb99@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Danielle. The Joker has that freaky clown thing going on too. That's hard to beat!

      I think Melody is right. I should have come up with more questions. :)

      Delete
  6. The over the top villain I like best is Cruella de Vil. Totally selfish and superficial, she gets what she wants, legally or no (only Pongo's puppies were stolen, the rest of the puppies were bought). However menacing, she doesn't have the whole evil vibe that Maleficent has though.

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    Replies
    1. infinitieh,

      Anyone who would make a coat out of puppies if pure evil!!! LOL. Yeah, Cruelle is definitely at the top of the list.

      Delete
  7. The Joker because he looked like a clown and was cruel.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. I HATE clowns!!! Besides not being funny, they are totally creepy.

      Delete
  8. Man....I have to say Hannibel Lecter. He was just so insanely creepy. You could just see him eating that body part with some wine.Yuck!!!

    sheryll1974@netscape.net

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  9. I'd have to go with the Joker as played by Heath Ledger.

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  10. What a great post, and all the villains listed are definitely great. I think Darth Vader is a fantastic villain - he's so over the top and dark.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Black Jack Randall from OUTLANDER comes first to mind. He was absolutely ruthless.

    INTERNATIONAL.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    Replies
    1. Mary,
      I just finished reading Outlander this week. Black Jack Randall is horrible! He definitely deserves a spot on the most ruthless villain list.

      Delete
  12. I'm going with Hannibal Lector. I can just imagine Clarice's thrill of fear during that phone conversation after his escape.

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi, Karen!
      Hannibal Lector gives me chills. The scariest thing about him is how proper and cultured he seems, but inside he's an animal.

      Delete
  13. Since I am a Star Wars fan I have to go with Darth Vader aka Anikin Skywalker. There was a bit of humanity in him no matter what everyone thought. A more subtle villain on completely different side of the spectrum was Wickham from Pride and Prejudice, he seemed like such a nice gentleman. Didn't turn out so well.

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  14. Oops email address annwitch707@aol.com

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  15. Congrats Sheryl! (sheryll1974@netscape.net)
    You have won a print copy of MISS LAVIGNE’S LITTLE WHITE LIE

    You will be contacted shortly!

    ReplyDelete