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You are here: Home / Guest Author / Guest Author Karina Halle

Guest Author Karina Halle

October 14, 2013 by Mandi 18 Comments

Blog Tour graphic

Tori and I love, love, love The Sins & Needles series by Karina Halle. We have reviewed Sins & Needles and Shooting Scars and now we are about to start the final book in the trilogy, Bold Tricks. We have such a love/hate relationship with the villain-ish and complex and frustrating character of Javier Bernal, we asked Karina if she would write about him.

 

The Redemption of Javier Bernal

When I first planned out the entire Artists Trilogy (before I even wrote Sins & Needles – I plot way ahead of time), I had no idea that Javier was going to invoke the reactions he has in people. No idea. I never intended him to be a second chance romance angle. I never thought people would latch onto him the way they have. Frankly, I wrote On Every Street to show people how he damaged her, how he was no good for her, and why her being duped by him in Shooting Scars would come so easy. I expected people to be even more against him but instead people loved his cheating ass. They hung onto those tiny threads of humanity that came through in the story.

But you know, I get it. I do. Every woman wants to change that “bad boy”. I know I was like that in high school. I dated a total cheating asshole thinking he’d change for me. Boy, I was wrong. And I clung onto that because it was my first love. Well, first love don’t meant sh*t, to be honest. But that doesn’t stop us from believing we are “special” enough to change someone.

Because Javier isn’t pure evil, because he does have good qualities that could be exploited, people root for him. They think that Ellie can change him into something “good”, that he can stop being the villain, and therefore they think they can change him too, because as we read, are we not the main character? But this isn’t Javier’s story. It’s not about his redemption.

And frankly, I think that’s a great thing. Javier is the villain through and through and that’s why I love him. He doesn’t even need redemption, in my opinion. He can just go on being his psychopathic badass self, no apologies needed. He owns the fact that he’s ruthless and heartless and will do anything and everything to get to the top. It makes him fascinating. I love writing him and I love him as the villain, as this very complex individual, just as Darth Vader or Hannibal Lector are. I don’t want them romanticized or redeemed ever.

Javier Bernal – at this point in his life – doesn’t need love. He doesn’t need redemption. He just needs acceptance in that he is one bad mother*cker. And that’s why we love him anyway.

Thanks Karina. We do love him  *wink*

Karina Halle’s Website l Goodreads

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Comments

  1. Sherry2227 says

    October 14, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    I absolutely love this series! I can’t wait to read Bold Tricks!

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  2. Nicole A says

    October 14, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    I’m so hooked on these books! I love how bad ass all the characters are.

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  3. Silke says

    October 14, 2013 at 2:21 pm

    ..will be the next book on my TBR-Pile.

    Greetings, Silke

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  4. Ellie @ Ellie Reads Fiction says

    October 14, 2013 at 3:18 pm

    I really love the characters, and I am team Camden all the way!

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  5. bn100 says

    October 14, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    Don’t know; haven’t read it yet

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  6. Maureen says

    October 14, 2013 at 4:18 pm

    I haven’t read this series but it looks fascinating.

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  7. Bethany says

    October 14, 2013 at 5:28 pm

    I love everything about this trilogy especially Camden McQueen.

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  8. Mollie W says

    October 14, 2013 at 6:21 pm

    I love the characters. Karina Halle makes the depth of the characters more than just black and white.
    I can’t wait where she takes all of the characters in Bold Tricks!!

    Team Cam!!!

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  9. Jana Leah says

    October 14, 2013 at 6:37 pm

    The characters!

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  10. hinh anh dep says

    October 14, 2013 at 10:59 pm

    I’ll right away grab your rss feed as I can not find your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly allow me understand so that I may just subscribe. Thanks.

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  11. Paula says

    October 15, 2013 at 2:21 am

    Looking forward to reading this series!

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  12. Liz S says

    October 15, 2013 at 9:23 am

    The characters are great! Thanks for the contest.

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  13. Heather P says

    October 15, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    I love this series – my absolute favorite!!! I love the characters the best and I hope to see Camden and Ellie get their HEA. Fingers crossed!!!!

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  14. kp says

    October 15, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    This series is on my wish list! Can’t wait to read these books!

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  15. Chelsea B. says

    October 15, 2013 at 8:28 pm

    I haven’t started this series but man am I excited to!

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  16. Chris Bails says

    October 17, 2013 at 2:29 pm

    This is a new series and author for me. I have had this on my reading radar, but have not had the chance to check it out yet.

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  17. CECILY says

    October 19, 2013 at 12:47 am

    If you live in a coastal community of a region known for catastrophic seismic activity and tsunamisif you feel the earth move you get to high ground you dont wait for an official to tell you what to do.

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