The Most Difficult Character I’ve Written

I think one of my most favorite characters to write is also one of the more difficult ones—
Elighan Dragen. Just his name makes me blush and smile like a fool. Pathetic Stacey…your own fictional, bad-boy character who makes you react like a school girl. *shakes head*

Eli is one of my favorite characters because that boy has so many layers. He’s like a walking contradiction. And I barely scratch the surface of him in Book One. By the final book, Blood Beyond Darkness, we get to understand him better, but Beast In The Darkness (A Elighan Dragen Novelette) is the best way to crawl inside Eli’s mind. Even with that he is still a mystery.

In Darkness of Light, we discover who and what he is. Bring this makes him sarcastic, blunt, harsh, and sometimes cruel. He is upfront and honest about the fact that he is not a nice guy. But do we girls ever real listen? We always want to believe there is more underneath. What causes someone to be that way? Believing not his words but a look he gives us instead. Sometimes that is the case and sometimes it is not. Eli will never be the “nice” guy. That is not who he is, nor will it ever be. That is what makes him difficult to write at times. There is a fine line between keeping him true to his personality and how he would respond to fans thinking he is too much of an asshole. But, one thing Eli is not is one dimensional. Most of his harsh words and reaction stem from deep fear. He does not handle emotion well and his way of dealing with it is to push people away or hurt someone so they will leave first. Not that he is always aware of this. He is good at cutting off his feelings. There are things in his past, a lot of skeletons hanging in his closet, so to speak. His reactions and treatment of Ember are more than what you think. But having that come across can be tricky. Some might find him too much and think Ember deserves better. Maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. Though don’t for one minute pity Ember. She isn’t the typical ingénue. Ember could all too easily steamroll over a “nice” guy’s ass! She needs someone who challenges her every step of the way.

Writing “bad” or “evil” people are fun, but I never like writing them simply evil. I always feel someone has a reason for what or why they do things. Even if their thoughts are skewed or warped, you can still see their side. Aneira was another character which people were going to hate, but I wanted to show you why she was so nasty. I was probably the only one, but I felt bad for her. Her past made her the person she turned into.

Evil is so much better when you can almost understand why they are doing it. Life is lived in grey. You never know what you are capable of until you are put into a situation. Good and Bad are not always straight forward. That is where my characters live, because it is real. I never really liked characters that got too righteous or on their high horse about something. People don’t usually work like that if they find their friends or family being threatened. In these cases most anyone can be capable of murder or doing something bad. That is what makes things interesting. Personally, I find those kinds of characters much more interesting to read than perfect ones. No one is perfect so why do we expect the characters in the stories to be? They are not always going to do or say the right thing. But isn’t that what makes them relatable and fun?

Title: Blood Beyond Darkness
Author: Stacey Marie Brown
Series: Darkness #4
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publication: August 28th, 2014

After months of searching, Ember and her friends have finally located the Sword of Light, the only weapon capable of destroying Queen Aneira and ending her rule. This is Ember’s destiny. Or so she thought. Now a pact to save the man she loves changes everything.

In this final installment in the Darkness Series, when the truth comes to light, Ember will learn some things are better left in the dark as her world is ripped even further apart. It is no longer a rabbit hole, but a never-ending black void full of endless lies, betrayals, and secrets.

The fight for Earth has begun, and Ember will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to save millions of innocent lives and those she loves.

But this price may be too high—even for her.

 

Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.

She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is Eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.