Tell us about your most recent book.
Temporary Superheroine is a superhero adventure with more than a dash of romance. Chloe Cole is a struggling young webcomics artist who has recurring dreams about being a superheroine and fighting a supervillain. She soon discovers that she’s right in the middle of a major struggle between two universes, and she’s the only person who has the power to vanquish the supervillain. As the story progresses, she meets the father she never knew, travels to a strange mirror universe, and discovers she has superpowers. She gets involved with a colorful cast of characters as she attempts to save the day, especially Eric Wood, the magnetic boss of Fantastic Comics.
Who is the villain or antagonist in your story and what is he/she like?
The outright villain of Temporary Superheroine is the appropriately named Purple Menace. This is a bad guy who wants to rule the universe and bend everyone to his will. He’s an angry person with lots of superpowers and evil scientific inventions, and he’s totally classic as a comic book villain. He says he’s really a good guy, but Chloe shouldn’t believe him for an instant. When she lets down her guard, the Purple Menace is quick to attack.
Eric Wood is the enigmatic antihero of Temporary Superheroine. He has many qualities that are associated with villains. He pushes to get information from Chloe but doesn’t confide in her despite their increasingly intimate relationship. More than once, he does something that confounds Chloe and makes her wonder if he has betrayed her and really is the supervillain she’s seeking. Eric appears to be out for himself at all times, and he’s untrustworthy. Or is he?
What do you think are the heroic qualities he possesses?
Eric is a strong-willed man who is not afraid to risk himself to do what he thinks is necessary. He’s decisive, and he’s bold. He prefers to act instead of wait and see what others might do. He’s not above using other people—or using sex with Chloe—to achieve his ends. Eric holds his emotions close. These are qualities of a natural leader, of the man who sees opportunity and makes the most of it. But they also are the qualities of a villain.
Eric tries to get a handle on Chloe while Chloe tries the same with Eric. Is he using her? Is she using him? He senses she has information he needs, so he attempts to charm her into trusting him. She works a similar angle. He doesn’t open himself much to her but then he never does with anyone. She gets mad at herself for sometimes confiding in him, but she has a goal to accomplish and Eric is key to finding the answers she needs. Maybe.
What kind of antagonist is your favorite?
I like to read about and create impressive men, men who don’t explain themselves to people and who exude confidence and are leader types. They should have a code of honor, although it can be different from what other characters believe is correct. I also like to write about tall, big men, men who are visually heroic. Why are these men antagonists? Because they want what they want, and they are determined to get it. Often, like Eric, they are ruthless in gaining whatever advantage over an opponent is necessary to win. These antiheroes treat everyone as someone to be conquered or molded into their tools. The viscerally exciting element is how the heroine will interact with such brazen alpha masculinity, given that I always write strong heroines who won’t let themselves be used and tossed aside.
To you, how important is a good antagonist?
Without some character who wants to cause trouble, there isn’t a story. Although I may set a story in motion via a comic book style villain such as Temporary Superheroine’s Purple Menace, I like to also imbue characters who are close to the heroine with contradictory and antagonistic impulses. Eric is trouble with a capital T. Diabolical Dave isn’t only an eccentric comic book artist, he’s also got negative personal qualities that cause pain for Chloe. Bodacious Barb has a talent for tangling Chloe’s emotions. As for Roland, the ex-boyfriend who never went away, he gives Chloe some difficult moments even though they’re supposedly just friends now. I enjoy making even secondary characters complicated.
Blurb:
Chloe Cole, struggling webcomics artist, is tormented by crazy dreams, mysterious e-mails, and ominous sightings of a supervillain on the loose. In her dreams, she’s a superheroine. Could those dreams have been responsible for unleashing ultimate chaos? Driven to undertake a desperate quest, Chloe must unravel the mystery of her parentage while navigating a bizarre mirror universe. Can she and her ragtag team—her comics fanboy ex-boyfriend, an enigmatic and powerful comic book company executive, an elderly comics icon, and an eccentric artist with a grudge against society—possibly be enough to vanquish a fearsome foe?
Excerpt:
Somehow, sanity returned to me for a second. I had to stop my own headlong rush, not just his. I pulled away. It felt like cutting off a limb.
“No. Eric, we can’t.”
After a long silent moment, he sighed and stopped caressing me. He still was holding me in his arms. His cheek was resting on my forehead. I felt the completely deceptive sense of peace and rightness I’d experienced in his arms before
I shouldn’t let my hormones lead me around like an idiot. Eric was not to be trusted.
“I didn’t come here for this,” I said on a sigh of regret. I straightened my disarrayed clothes.
He shook himself out of my arms, and stood up, but he didn’t walk away. He glanced down at me appraisingly as he rebuttoned the dress shirt I had ripped out of his waistband. He unbuckled his belt unselfconsciously to tuck in his shirt. At the flash of his hard belly with its soft arrow of hair, I had to fight from grabbing him again. I wanted badly to touch.
Eric had come out of the sensual haze more completely, and cut right to the chase. “What happened to you in the other dimension?”
“What did Jerry tell you?” I parried. Despite my nearly overwhelming physical reaction to Eric, I wasn’t ready to confide extensively in him. He was still too high on the suspect list.
“Nothing much. He said you’d explain everything when you got here.”
“Fine for Jerry to say,” I grumbled. “He doesn’t even believe what happened.”
“It’s pretty obvious you’re in the middle of something very unusual,” Eric prodded.
“Yeah. You already know, Eric. Last night, when I left, you were dreaming,” I said. Eric’s face suddenly took on a closed expression. “You said some odd words.”
“Yes? What were they?” he asked. His tense stance betrayed his interest.
“Portal. Flying. Amulet,” I replied, giving each word weight. Each highly suspicious word.
Eric’s expression was contemplative, giving away none of his thoughts. Did he remember the dream or saying those words?
“Do you often dream about flying and amulets and portals?” I pressed. If Eric wanted my trust, he’d better deliver some of his own.
Finally, he seemed to make up his mind. But the words left his mouth reluctantly. “I might as well tell you,” he said slowly.
“Guess so,” I drawled.
Bio:
Award-winning author Irene Vartanoff started reading romances and comic books at the same time, as a teenager. Superman comics led to Lois Lane comics—and romance comics. Writing comic books and working on staff at Marvel Comics and DC Comics absorbed her early career years. Editing for major publishers of romance Harlequin, Bantam, and Berkley inspired her next career shift to writing novels across a broad range of women’s stories, including superhero adventure, sweet romance, women’s fiction, not-so-cozy mystery, and paranormal.
Temporary Superheroine is available at Amazon as an ebook, in Kindle Unlimited, and as a paperback. The print edition is also available at Barnes & Noble and other retailers.
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