Writing the villain…

….was a tricky endeavour.

I won’t spoil anything but writing the villain in Pierced Peony gave me nightmares. Mostly because as always, I worried about making the villain a caricature. I prefer even the not so good characters to feel like real people.

For better or worse, I want my characters to feel like people you could meet in real life.

The scariest villains, in my opinion, are ones who seem like real people. Someone who could live next door to you—but hopefully doesn’t because, you know. My neighbour the murderer wouldn’t be the best surprise, would it?

I mean, in a book in might, not necessarily in my day to day life.

As with any good mystery, Motts’s journey to finding the villain in Pierced Peony isn’t straightforward. There were surprises for her (and for myself.) Overall though, I’m pleased with the result.