The Bad Good Guy

Author Sophia Garrett, one of my wonderful critique partners, started to blog recently. Tuesday, she wrote a blog and posed the question,

“What do you all think of people who push the line of... redemption... having a romance written in a darker fashion?”

Well, I just loved this question, ‘cause it made me think. And here was my response to her, pretty much verbatim as I said it.

“I think a hero or heroine in a book CAN stay somewhat unrepentant from their bad ways at the end. Anne Stuart is one of my favorite authors and her heroes tend to be assassins and mercenaries. Just read her ice series:

1. Black Ice
2. Cold as Ice
3. Ice Blue
4. Fire and Ice
5. Ice Storm

Her stories are very dark and there's this sense that even after the two mains get together and start their happily ever after, they're still going to be shrouded in the darker side of life. That's actually what I love so much about her books, her ability to be that sinister and still make me cheer for her characters.

I think that's why I liked the movie The Crow too. Coming back from the dead to kill a bunch of people isn't such a happy-sweet plot, but his reasons for his actions--he did it because of a great love, for his soul mate--it's just so... thought-provoking and intriguing and heart-rendering. It stays with you longer after you experience the story exactly for that reason.

I also love Katherine Sutcliffe for her dark writing, both her historical and contemporary stuff. And then there's Meagan McKinney's more contemporary work. They have some very conflicted heroes and heroines, which makes me like them more. Neither of them have published anything for a few years, but if you get your hands on one of their books, read them and see for yourself that dark writing I'm talking about... it's addictive.”

There are so many other “Good Guys” out there that have a bad angle to them, I can’t even begin to start naming names. You can even find them on television shows. In That 70’s Show, for example, my favorite character is Hyde because he’s just so naughty and I don’t really want him to change. In fact, that’s what I like about him.

Now… a curious Linda wants to know, who are a few of your favorite bad “Good Guys”?