The Last Witch By: Debbie Dee *Guest Post & Giveaway*

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Hey everyone! I'm so glad to have Author Debbie Dee here for The Last Witch Blog Tour, presented by Sage's Blog Tours! Today, she has shared a really cool Guest Post that is perfect to get you in the mood for Halloween, so enjoy!

*Also...You Have The Chance To Win 1 Free E-Book Copy of The Last Witch, so check it out below!** :)

Debbie Dee's Guest Post

Many thanks to Marissa for inviting me on her blog today! With Halloween lurking around the corner I can’t help but notice all the villainous costumes in stores. With the exception of a ten year old boy who wants to be Darth Maul because his lightsaber is “way cooler” than Han Solo’s, why are villain costumes so fun? What is it about the “bad guys” that make them so memorable?

My favorite stories have villains who aren’t purely evil, but who believe their actions are justified for one reason or another. Perhaps they rob a bank to pay a parent’s debt, or hold a government office hostage to clear their name. However erroneous their motivations, if the author can evoke some level of empathy from the reader, the villains not only become more interesting, they become terrifying. 

The Phantom from Phantom of the Opera is a creepy, stalker who wrecks havoc on an opera house for no apparent reason other than because he can. It is easy to hate him. That is, until we learn that as a child he was mocked for his disfigured appearance and thrown into a freak show. Suddenly, we understand the reason behind his insanity and our emotional heartstrings are tugged just enough to make us wonder what we would do in his situation.

 

Two Face from Batman Returns is another example of a disfiguration sending someone to dark extremes. He is a stand-up guy, leader in the community, fighter for good…until his face is blown half-off. You can’t help but feel bad for the guy, and because you know exactly how far this man has fallen, and how much he has lost, he becomes a more interesting villain.

What about the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz? Did she have a good enough to reason to fly off the handle? Her sister was not only killed by a farm girl, but a bunch of little people coined a catchy tune about it. All she wanted was revenge for her sister’s murder and to get her shoes back. Revenge is a powerful motivation for villains – Iago from Othello, Chillingsworth from The Scarlet Letter, and even Captain Hook from Peter Pan. 

My favorite villains are those motivated by love. I’ll admit, Brendan Frasier was not the one I rooted for in The Mummy. No, I drooled rooted for Imhotep, the wayward priest whose sole motivation was to be reunited with his love, Anck Su Namun. How romantic is that!?

Healthcliff from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is another villain who goes to the extreme for love, but in his case, he torments the family of the object of his affection. He is cruel and nasty, and yet we sympathize with him because we too have felt the pains of unrequited love. Although guys, take note, the best way to a woman’s heart is not by forcing her daughter to marry your son. It didn’t work for Heathcliff, and it probably won’t work for you. 

In The Last Witch, I tried to create villains who would not only anger my readers, but would give them something with which they could identify. Jealousy, patriotism, love, loyalty, fear - all those wonderful emotions that have the potential to push us over the edge. We can only hope that they don’t!

Of course, there are always those villains who have absolutely no motivation and “just want to watch the world burn.” – Joker from Dark Knight

Happy Halloween!

About The Last Witch

- Title: The Last Watch 

- Author: Debbie Dee

- Genre: YA Fantasy

- Paperback: 246 pages

- Published: September 12th 2012 by Dolce Books

For generations the Incenaga Witches have been forced to use their power to fulfill the wishes of others until they are drained of their magic and left to die. Desperate to protect his infant daughter - the last surviving witch - Emmeline’s father escapes with her to the forests where he vows to keep her hidden from the world and from the truth.

Sixteen years later, Emmeline is discovered and finds herself in the grip of a traitor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means abusing her power until she dies. As she fights to regain her freedom she is faced with a choice between a prince who offers a lifetime of security and a common gamekeeper who has no idea of her power, but offers his heart.

But who can she trust when her power can be used against her?

About The Author

Debbie Dee recently moved to southern Idaho with her husband and three children where she is learning how to be a country girl in her favorite pair of blue heels. She adores fairy tales and happy endings, but secretly crushes on the bad guy now and then. As a dedicated musician who practices way too much, she never expected writing would sweep her off her feet until she jotted down a scene from a daydream, which turned into two scenes, which turned into a messy house and her first novel. Since then she hasn’t been able to let a day go by without writing. 

Links

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