Monday, March 12, 2012

Bad Boys of Fiction and the Good Girls Who Love Them



It seems as though you can't turn on your computer without seeing an article about E.L. James' novel, 50 SHADES OF GREY. For those of you as in the dark as I was, GREY started as TWILIGHT fan fiction and was later released by a small British press. Last week it sold to a U.S. publisher for a seven figure advance. Full  disclosure - I haven't read the trilogy (updated on 4/17/12) I loved the books, but the reviews are mixed. Some say deplorable while others say page-turner, but one fact is indisputable: legions of women are fascinated by the story of billionaire bad boy Christian Grey.

Earlier today I saw a post on twitter where a reader confessed to loving Cole, the bad boy in the EVERNEATH (by Brodi Ashton) love triangle. (He carries a guitar with him, what's not to love?) After reading her confession I decided to launch a support group for the other fiction lovers (like me!) who suffer from the same affliction.

That being said, I hereby call to order the first online chapter meeting of Bad Boys of Fiction and the Good Girls Who Love Them.

"Hi, my name is Ann Marie and I have a weakness for Damon Salvatore from THE VAMPIRE DIARIES books (probably because he looks like Ian Somerhalder, see above) and Hamlet from FALLING FOR HAMLET (by Michelle Ray)."

Update 4/17/12: Christian Grey!!!! Hmm...maybe Ian as Christian Grey? Now there's an idea....

Who's your favorite Bad Boy?? Please share in a comment below.


70 comments:

  1. I'm fairly fond of Robert Downey Jr, but hands-down my favorite bad boy is Johnny Depp. He's all kinds of yum!
    ;)

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  2. I had to limit my choices to books (although I cheated with Mr. Somerhalder!) otherwise my list would have gone on and on and on....

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  3. Replies
    1. Of course the way things are going, we may have to classify Stefan as a "bad boy", too!

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  4. Great post!

    The Bad Boy is a complicated beast. There is a big difference between bad and mean. The 'good' bad boys worth swooning over are the mysterious ones. Why is he so bad? Or why does he appear to be bad?

    My literary choice in Ponyboy from the outsiders.

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  5. @ivydaffodil couldn't post a comment, but shared a great quote via twitter:

    "every girl wants a bad boy who is good just for her, and every boy wants a good girl who is bad just for him"

    She lives in Australia and loves her some Eric Northman & Damon Salvatore. Look her up!

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  6. How could I forget Eric Northman???? Ahhhh!

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    Replies
    1. Because the show disappears for like 8 months at a time!

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  7. I really, really, REALLY don't want to admit my bad boy crush is *cough*SeverusSnape*cough ;-)

    Had no idea Grey was Twilight fanfic. Thanks for the little tidbit!

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  8. Oh Ann Marie! I am loving that I inspired you to start this group...and a bit envious I didn't think of it!!! So....here are the bad boys that are oh so welcome to haunt my dreams!!!

    1.) Jace (Mortal Instruments)....the "oh so bad" good guy!
    2.) Cole (Everneath)...with his guitar and determination, I'd totally stand beside him in the Underworld!
    3.) Will (Infernal Devices...makes me swoon!!!
    4.)Warner (Shatter Me)...love a man in uniform!
    5.) Damon...I'm jumping on the bandwagon!

    I can't wait to discover the next bad boy!!

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    1. I'll have to check these out...and don't worry, I'm glad to share Ian, uh I mean Damon :)

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    2. i just wrote all those down so I can check them out! Except Jace, I read those & LOVED them as well. Damon/Ian melts me with just one look!

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  9. Dallas Winston from the Outsiders, even before Matt Dillon portrayed him in the movie but for sure after too!

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    1. I think you could pretty much include the entire cast of that book!

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  10. Oh, *blush* is it just me or does that guy look like a young Rob Lowe?! grr...

    I'm with andimjulie Eric Northman makes my toes curl. Bad to the bone. Heh.

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  11. I would have to say Will from the infernal devices. So freaken beautiful ha.

    Then there is Patch from the Hush hush series.

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  12. LOL - my husband - he was a bad boy in his fraternity (years ago). I base my guy characters on him! Otherwise I'd have to say Four from Divergent. He's not really bad, but he's tough. Sexy!

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  13. I agree with everyone on Damon Salvatore and Eric Northman . . . YUM!

    My current bad boy obsession is Reyes in Darynda Jones' Grave series. He really is mad, bad, and dangerous to know, but so amazingly irresistible. I swear, steam rises up off the pages every time the character appears in the book! And the chemistry between him and the heroine, Charley aka the Grim Reaper, is smokin'. I've even got my reading twin hooked on the Grave books because of Reyes and she doesn't even like paranormal!

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  14. Damon all the way.. I'm reading Fifty Shades right now. Yeah I'd say Christian without all his buggage..lol

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    1. I'm reading it, too....finally gave in to see what all the hype was about. Not sure what I think about it though. Christian is certainly hot, but my favorite parts are when she stands up to him. I swear if she signs that stupid contract I'm done.

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    2. haha! Yeah I love it when she stands up to him as well. Oh, and the emails. I was curious too, and at first wasn't aware it was a Twilight fanfic. I'm curious to hear what you think. I just finished the second book, and I think she gets better in that one.

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    3. You were right about the second book...much better! I think I'd ride in an elevator with Christian Grey any day!

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  15. Hi Ann Marie

    Hope you are doing great. Tagged you on the Lucky 7 meme on my blog. Have fun :)

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  16. Cool...will pop over to check it out! Thanks!

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  17. Adrian Ivashkov!!! from the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

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    1. Loved Vampire Academy too! But I have to say that Dimitri in Blood Promise takes the cake for this. I love Adrian in his bad boy ways too, but if I were Rose, I don't know if I would have ever tried to leave my little prision suite without him.

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  18. As upated above, I have now read the 50 Shades trilogy and must say Mr. Grey is my new favorite bad boy! Sorry, Ian, but that's just the way it goes sometimes :)

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    1. Hopefully, Ian and Mr. Grey will be one and the same omeday. No one can use those icy blue grey eyes like Ian Somerhalder to turn any female into a puddle on the floor - it's a proven fact!

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  19. Christian Grey is my new obsession!! I read a lot..everyday. And mostly in the erotica category. I really don't understand why all these reviewers say it's porn, because I have def read a lot more graphic. Ms. James gets the point across without really having to sell us on it. If you look past it all, it really comes down to it being a terrific love story between two people. It just happens that their HEA comes with a little spice!!

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  20. I have a weakness for Damon Salvatore too! And I am now running off to check out Christian Grey.
    Great post!

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  21. Mine are weird - Edward Rochester from Jane Eyre and Al Pacino in The Godfather. Strange, I know, but two bad boys who really do it for me. :)

    *don't know if I am supposed to mention it here, but this is my "posting on another blog" entry for the critique contest. :)

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    1. Thanks, Andrea, and not to worry about the contest...I am keeping a running tally next to by computer :) Thanks for the Twitter mention, too!

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  22. Ann Marie-
    Perhaps we could work out some sort of deal over Damon/Ian? Arm wrestling or wine slurping, perhaps...
    It's amazing how the fantasy of being the girl the bad boy goes good for travels across culture, time, and social class!

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    1. "every girl wants a bad boy who is good just for her, and every boy wants a good girl who is bad just for him"

      And I think we could work out an arrangement to share Damon/Ian :)

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  23. For a literary bad boy, it's Heathcliff. For movies, it's Sam Elliot who ages like a fine wine or Johnny Depp who remains eternally youthful.
    For a foreign bad boy, I have to choose Gael García Bernal. All are eye candy in my humble opinion.

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  24. I could not tell you how pleased I was when Ian Somerhalder was cast as Damon. :)

    Does the Man in Black count? I know he ends up being a good guy (spoiler) but for a while there, he is terribly devilish.

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  25. For me it's Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. There's something about a Billy Idol haircut and a black leather jacket.

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  26. Not having read 50 Shades of Grey, Twilight, Everneath, or the Vampire Diaries, (honest) I'd have to go with Johnny Depp as a Bad Boy - even had a lovely dream (PG rated) recently where I showed him some illegal fracking going on. Zaniness did not ensue.

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  27. Well, Heathcliff has to be on that list and Rhett Butler with his devilish charm. Although I don't particularly like Humbert Humbert in Lolita, I do find him very witty and droll. Believe it or not, I wrote my critical thesis (for my MFA) on how readers are seduced by evil characters, so this is a topic after my own heart.

    *cough* Is this where I mention the contest??

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  28. Hmm...I haven't read any of those books. And I'm not sure if he's considered a "Bad Boy" but he does get like, arrested for stealing and doing other dumb stuff, but his name is Jake from Chasing Redbird. Any boy from Sharon Creech, I have a soft spot for :)

    Otherwise, I really love Iago, from Othello. Why? Well, because mind-fucks (sorry, there's no other way to put it) everyone. It's amazing!

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  29. I'm still a goner for J.R. Ward's Vishous. Just can't help it, he gets me on every re-read. He takes dark to a whole new level, imo.

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  30. From books: Heathcliff, John Constantine, Morpheus, Lestat. I am sure there are LOADS more that I just can't think of right now, as I have always been a sucker for angst and a black coat.

    From pop culture: the current BBC Sherlock, Dr House, John Simm as The Master (Doctor Who), Sam from Trueblood (but not so much in the books), Indiana Jones, Han Solo, Mal Reynolds. Have I mentioned angst? Because yes, angst.

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  31. Ahhh those bad boys are always the most intriguing. I think ever girl has to fall in love with a bad boy before they find a good one (and let's face it, some of us never fall out of love with that heart breaking fool) I think my favorite bad boy of the moment has to be Kaleb from Myra McEntire's HOURGLASS. He's not really a bad boy per se, but he's tattooed, cocky, and he falls in love with his best friend's girl. And he's HOT. Can't WAIT to read the sequel, TIMEPIECE, which is told from his perspective. YUM.

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  32. Oh, man, that picture is INCREDIBLE! Damon Salvatore- what is NOT to love. He is the absolute perfect male. {sigh}

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  33. Started with Heathcliffe at an early age. Still find most goodie goodies hard to stomach except one character in my own work. Not a fan of the current vampire cult but that may be my age - did used to think Christopher Lee was rather attractive in a repulsive way but that was the "schtick" with vampires from the start - the whole blood-sucking act was a metaphor for sex, which, of course, nice Victorian ladies didn't do.

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  34. If your blog has been like mine... since I posted the review of "Fifty Shades of Grey" my blog traffic has been nuts. :) I didn't particularly love the book, haven't read 2 or 3 yet... but must confess, if the movie stars Ian Smolderhotter -- I'll stand in line to see that!

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  35. I get it about the good guys being boring. But Atticus Finch? Who doesn't love the guy?

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  36. Hi. I'm Stephanie and my bad boy weaknesses are Damon Salvatore from Vampire Diaries and Christian Grey from the 50 Shades Trilogy, just like you! {laughs nervously} My bad boy weakness is so bad that my RL boyfriend is somewhat of a bad boy - albeit he's only like 25% bad. I'm so glad to have found people who share these interests and I hope to hear from some of you soon. :D

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  37. Hope I don't freak anyone out by admitting that R the zombie in Warm Bodies (Isaac Marion) is kinda sexy. In a blood splattered, brain eating, adorable sort of way. Seriously. If you haven't read it yet, put it on your To Read Shelf.

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  38. I loved Niall from the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, because sometimes the wicked ones are the most complex!

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  39. Favourite bad boy of fiction would have to be: Eric Northman from Sookie Stackhouse Novels. Very excited for book #12.

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  40. Frank Mackey and Rob Ryan from Tana French's amazing Dublin Murder series -- I've definitely thought about which male actors would play them if they were to make a movie!

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  41. Haha love this! I don't know why I've always been into the good boys though! Four from Divergent is a kind of mix, he's pretty hot ;)

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  42. I once had an inappropriate dream about Severus Snape. He was trying to make me drink veritaserum (truth potion - sorry I can't spell). I sat on his knee and attempted to be seductive so I wouldn't have to drink it. I dreamed this after watching Twilight New Moon and gushing over Jacob with a friend. Her husband kept doing an impression of Snape from the other room in order to annoy us.

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  43. Hmm, considering I JUST finished reading Perfect Chemistry, it has to be Alex Fuentes, a true bad boy gang banger until he falls for the "perfect" girl. It's so real and raw that it reminds me of my own experiences. Seeing I'm a bad girl though... I go for guys that are good... lol. My hubby is a good guy... I do the spicing. lol.

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  44. I used to have such a thing for bad boys and reading all about them takes me back to my youth! If they had a guitar and were a moody musician then all the better for it!
    I love a bad boy author myself and the absolute best ones for me would be Irvine Welsh (him of Trainspotting fame) and James Frey, who could write to me all day long!
    Give them a go if you haven't already, James Frey in particular has a great style.
    @JaneWriting1

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  45. A favorite? I don't know if I could name a favorite. I love them all. Oh! Wait! I do have a favorite, Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. And he's pretty vile. I think we love fictional bad boys because they carry that soft, vulnerable, nougatty center we all adore and we get to see it in fiction, where as in real life, if it's there at all, it rarely rears its pretty head. In real life, bad boys aren't often worth the risk, but in fiction, they always are.

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  46. I'm jumping on some of these bandwagons and admitting that bad boys are definitely more appealing than the "good guys" and there are some who make bad look so very good *blushes*

    Jace (immortal instruments) & Warner (shatter me) are definite contenders for the top bad boy place

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  47. Julia Franco LlanosMay 1, 2012 at 6:25 PM

    Ok, probably everyone is picking up some characters from literature, and all that stuff... so I'll pick some from comics-and-stuff

    My fav bad boys are Wolverine (X-Men), Cancer Deathmask and Capricorn Shura (Knights of the Zodiac/Saint Seiya), Hattori and Kyo - although Kyo's not that bad boy - (Fruits Basket), Zero (Vampire Knight)... hmm, let me see... I guess it's all... at least, that I can remember by now...

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  48. Ooooh, bad boys. I do heart them so. Though I married a straight laced pharmacist. I guess that's why I love them - that hint of danger to the girl who has always, always, always played it safe in her life. But not in my writing and not in the books that I read! Damon from Vampire Diaries, Jace from Mortal Instruments and my most recently read book Under the Never Sky - Perry!

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  49. Hmm, I wonder if my Twilight fanfiction will sell for that much...

    Damon is hot. I'll take him.

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  50. Ahem, make a bit of room for a guy here! Some of us are in love with the bad boys, too! I've always been drawn to the bad boys. Johnny Depp is without a doubt my perennial favorite, but a very, very close runner-up is Timothy Olyphant. I'd do things with him that would frighten the horses!

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  51. Damon/Ian for sure. Eric Northman, yes please! Adrian Ivashkov.. yep. Triple swoon with a side of swoon.

    PS- Ian was on Ryan Secrest the other day and said he'd be into playing Christian Grey. I think the world would probably explode at that point. I haven't read the books (I'm like the ONLY one it seems) but hear all about them from my critique group.

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