Hey, remember the TV show, Batman, starring Adam West? I know, it’s a really old show, but I’m
sure it’s on some cable network somewhere—they all are. Anyway, in the TV
series, Cat Woman was always trying to take Batman down. She was evil. She was
beautiful—in a scary kind of way. But c’mon, admit it, didn’t you always
secretly want Batman and Cat Woman to hook-up?
No matter how we deny it, everyone (especially women) loves
to hate a good female antagonist. They are so good at…antagonizing! As authors
we love to write about our antagonists, male or female. In my first book Deadly.Com, George Smuts was my
antagonist. He was creepy; he was mentally deranged. He made my reader’s skin
crawl—they told me so via emails, reviews on amazon, and blog sites. I loved
George and I loved the freaked-out reaction that he extracted from people. That
said, my Unbridled series has a full-time antagonist within its pages who seems
to really rile women. Her name is Ava West. She is a gorgeous, green eyed,
redheaded, manipulative witch. She is Mike’s ex, but she still clutches a
corner of his soul. When she’s not tormenting her ex, she’s got Lugowski wrapped
tautly around her manicured pinky, except unbeknownst to Ava, she’d better keep
him in closer check.
Oh yes, I’ve had women state that they would like to see Ava
die…slowly. What? Are you kidding me? Ava is terrific! She is causing my
readers to fidget in their seats while they read. In Deadly.Com she did things that made women’s eyes
narrow and their brows pinch together. Well, wait to you see what she has in
store for you in HOT COCO. I love all of my Unbridled characters,
although Ava holds a special place in my heart, or is that my modem? Truth be
told, I’m most relieved that she lives inside my computer and I don’t have to
deal with her in reality. Or do I? Surely there must be someone that I know who
is very much like Ava West. Hmmm…I’ll have to think on that.
Now here’s the tough question about the hate that we feel
for female antagonists: is it really hate that we are experiencing or is it…envy? Ouch! Ava is able to manipulate
even the most alpha males in my stories. She has the power to make them see
things her way, or else—or else…what? You
know what—they’re not going to get to see her naked. Female antagonists are
usually beautiful, as is Ava, and they make me wish that I had the manipulative
might that they possess…or not.
Sorry readers, Ava West is going to be around to poke at you
patience for quite some time—you loathed her in Deadly.Com,
and I’m most certain she’s not going to win any popularity contests in HOT
COCO.
However, at some point in my Unbridled Series you may find yourself rooting for her. Hey, it
could happen!
Who is your favorite female antagonist? The one that really
irritates you—is she from a movie, book, or TV series? Okay now, be honest—do
you really hate her, or do you secretly envy
her? ;}
Book reviewers: If you would like to read and review DEADLY.COM
or
HOT COCO, please feel
free to contact me at: cindys.mcdonald@gmail.com.
HOT: Coco Beardmore
NOT: Coco's calamities
HOT: Mike West's fantasies
NOT: Mike's reality
That's right, Coco Beardmore is sizzling hot and she's landed in Mike West's lap. The problem is Coco's middle name is chaos! Her driving skills are a real bang--into Mike's horse trailer, and her sultry seduction will set the room on fire--the kitchen that is.
What's worse are her Thoroughbreds ability to mimic their owner's habit of screwing things up. It's enough to drive a normally calm and collected Mike West to the very edge.
But Mike's not the only one having problems with women. His father Eric has taken on more than he can chew, and he's about to get spit out by two women: one that he's in love with and one that thinks he's in love with her.
Oh yeah, things are hot around Westwood Thoroughbred Farm... and someone's about to get burned!
My Review:
I haven't read the first book in the series. I've requested it on NetGalley, but I haven't read it. But I got into this book with minimal confusion, there were references to it, but yeah, all in all, this book stood well on it's own.
So I would feel sorry that Mike has Coco, and everything that comes along with her, but basically, it's what he gets for imagining how things could be. Because basically, if you imagine something pretty perfect, what you're going to get is going to be pretty much the complete opposite!
The conflict really was delicious to read! It was basically eye-candy (not they eye-candy of models and such, but that it's a book, and the only sense you use when reading is your sight) so yeah, that was really great and entertaining!
I really enjoyed the ending, it was really sweet and good, and since there's more likely than not going to be a 3rd and maybe more books, yeah, it was just really good in terms of that, and yeah, that was just a really good ending!
I enjoyed this book, it was nice and fun to read! And pretty hilarious, too!
Author: Cindy McDonald
Series: Unbridled #2
Read: July 22nd, 2012
Source: Virtual Book Tour Cafe Review copy
Reason Why: Sounded like a great book!
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Published: June 1st 2012
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 3/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
For the past twenty years Cindy has helped her husband, raise, train, and race thoroughbreds at their forty-five acre farm known as Fly-By-Night Stables.
During those years Cindy has paid close attention to the characters that hang-out at the back-side of the track. She found the situations and life style intriguing. In 2005 she sat down at her computer and began a journey into writing about this life that few understand.
Cindy has recently retired from making her living as a professional choreographer and owned and operated a dance school since 1985. She studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and with the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy at Carnegie Mellon University to name a few. She has choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards.
Cindy’s Unbridled telescripts has received recommends from three film industry readers and has been a semi-finalist in the Scriptapalooza Contest, and finalist in the Extreme Screenwriting Contest, and now will become a book series. The first telescript to become a book is Deadly.Com which is available NOW on Amazon.com and Kindle as well!
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
Stops on the Tour:
June 11 - Introduction at VBT Cafe' Blog
June 13 - Interviewed & Review at Kimberly Lewis Novels
June 15 - Guest Blogging at AZ Publishing Services
June 19 - Guest Blogging at Book Reader Addicts
June 21 - Guest Blogging & Reviewed at The Writing World
June 25 - Interviewed & Review at A Book Lover's Library
June 27 - Guest Blogging at Wise Words
June 29 - Interviewed at Unnecessary Musings
July 3 - Guest Blogging & Review at Waiting on Sunday to Drown
July 5 - Reviewed at Ereading on the Cheap
July 9 - Guest Blogging with Cindy Vine
July 11 - Interviewed at Reviews & Interviews
July 13 - Guest Blogging at The Book Hoard
July 17 - Interviewed at Books Are Magic
July 19 - Character Interview & Review at Books, Books, and More Books
July 23 - Guest Blogging at Writing Innovations E-zine
July 25 - Reviewed & Guest Blogging at Words I Write Crazy
July 27 - Interviewed at Mass Musings
July 31 - Book Featured at The Lucky Ladybug
August 2 - Interviewed by Louise James
Excellent post Cindy. I DO remember Adam West! How sad is that??
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting Cindy today :)
Hi, Cindy,
ReplyDeleteWonderful post. Catwoman gave me the creeps, too. But she was my favorite female antagonist. I also loved Sabrina in Bewitch, though that was another genre.
Best,
Lauren
Batman and Catwoman were always my favs, ladies! I'd like to thank Louisa for hosting me at her site today--it was lovely! Enjoy the rest of summer--it is so very short lived!
ReplyDelete