Bad Boys with Gina L. Maxwell

Give me bad boys or give me death! Okay, maybe bad boys aren’t quite as necessary that I’d take death as an alternative, but I definitely prefer a bad boy over any other kind of hero. And now I’ll tell you the because-why.

The great thing about bad boys is that you can have different kinds. It’s like that part in Monsters, Inc. where Sully asks the Abominable Snowman if there are any kids in the local village. “Oh, sure. Tough kids, sissy kids, kids who climb on rocks…” (And now you know what one of my favorite Pixar movies is.) It’s the same with bad boys. You can have rock star bad boys, military bad boys, bad boys who like to cook… The possibilities are virtually endless.

But no matter what the bad boy’s background, profession, or hobby, they all have to have certain characteristics that get them the qualifier of “bad” in front of their “boy.” This is where I morph into The Most Interesting Man in the World… (and hope I don’t get sued)

I don’t always write about bad boys, but when I do, I make sure they:

1. Never Smile Big. At least not in the beginning. A bad boy has a lot of emotional intimacy issues, which generally means he doesn’t want the world to know how he’s really feeling. That means, even if the heroine says something funny or does something that amuses him to no end, he won’t give in to the temptation to smile from ear to ear. He’ll hide it behind a smirk. Again, there are several kinds he can choose from: cocky smirks, smug smirks, wicked smirks, smirks that condescend… You get the picture. The big smiles come later when he’s helpless to fight his reactions to the heroine. Once he gives her that unguarded, brilliant display of pearly whites, we know he’s a total goner.
2. Have Specific Body Language. Bad boys do a lot of things like crossing their arms over their chests, leaning a shoulder against the doorway with ankles crossed, running a hand over the scruff on their jaw. They move in ways that show they are a) tense/on edge/on guard, b) relaxed/don’t have a care in the world (even though they do), or c) intimidating/forces to be reckoned with. And it works best when you use extremes. For instance, I would never have my bad boy just sit on a couch. He’s either going to be leaning forward with his forearms braced on his knees (on edge/intimidating), or leaning against the cushions with knees spread and his arms resting along the back (no f*cks to give).
3. Act Protective and Possessive. These guys are the ultimate cavemen. Even if it takes them damn near the entire book to admit just how truly sunk they are for their woman, their instincts will shout Mine! from the very beginning. And God help anyone who messes with her. She might not need to be saved, but that doesn’t mean he still won’t try.
4. Deny, Deny, Deny…Then Fall Fast and Hard. The best part about a bad boy who thinks he’s untouchable when it comes to love is yanking that rug out from under him. There are two ways you can do it: hit him over the head with it right in the beginning and then let him spend most of his time avoiding all thoughts of the “L” word, or allow him to stay in denial as he keeps insisting that the relationship is nothing more than physical until about 2/3rds of the way through the book when he gets hit with the “Holy shit, I’m in love” moment like the Acme anvil falling on Wile E. Coyote. Either way, it’s fun for the whole family. And by family, I mean you.

So there you have it! Gina’s sure-fire recipe on how to make a bad boy. Drool responsibly, my friends. ;)

~ G

People say I’m shameless. They’re right.

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Meredith Johnson

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