Once upon a time, heroes were brave and true. They always did the right thing. They protected the weak. They never had any doubt about the difference between right and wrong. In fact, they always, always did the right thing. They were modern knights in shining armor.

In other words, they were boring.

Then, as if rising from the ashes, a new hero emerged. He wasn’t perfect. He wasn’t always good (heck, sometimes, he’d been downright evil in his past). There was something dark about this guy. Something dangerous.

This man, this guy who doesn’t always do the right thing, he’s the Anti-Hero. The villain turned hero. He doesn’t want to save the day. He just wants to be left alone to do whatever it is that he does. But somehow, someway, he’s pushed into the limelight and becomes more than just a knight (because there are tons of those guys). He becomes a man you can care about–a man who lures you into his world, and doesn’t let go.

Spike’s an Anti-Hero. He spent decades killing and terrorizing the countryside. Then he met good old Buffy, and, because of her, Spike changed. The killer became a protector, and he became a whole hell of a lot more interesting (in my humble little opinion) than his nemesis Angel.

Another good Anti-Hero is Riddick from Pitch Black. (Wow–Vin Diesel did an excellent job playing this guy.) Riddick is a murderer who becomes the unlikely savior of a ragtag band of survivors on a planet that’s been thrown into darkness. The cool thing about Riddick is that you never really know if he’s on your side…he leaves you guessing, he leaves you on edge.

Definitely not boring. So, give me more Anti-Heroes. They make life interesting. And keep the good guys at home.

What about those of you out there in cyberland? Do you have a favorite Anti-Hero?

Have you ever seen a ghost? Can you give lessons on dream interpretation? Or have you ever gazed up into the night sky and seen a UFO? Well, if so, then Fate Magazine wants to hear from you.

Fate Magazine is a non-fiction (absolutely no fiction stories allowed!–per their website) magazine that anaylzes the supernatural. And they’re looking for writers. So, if you’ve got some experiences you want to share, check them out. Their features run between 1,500 and 3,000 words, and Fate pays 10 cents per word. For more info, check out their writing guidelines.

Now, I’ve never personally had a brush with the other side (despite the many times I played with a Ouija board as a kid), so I always like to hear other people’s stories. Anyone want to share? Hmmm???

Valentine’s Day is on Tuesday, and I know the perfect gift for well…myself. I want the Blood of the Vine. What might that be? Well, let me tell you. It’s Vampire Wine.

I discovered Vampire Wine about two years ago–a local gourmet shop put it out right around Halloween. Normally, I’m not much of a wine drinker, but I am vampire obsessed, so I had to buy the bottle. I was surprised by the drink’s light, crisp taste. Finally, finally I’d found a wine that I could drink! One that didn’t make me want to gag while I wore a polite smile and mumbled how great I thought the putrid liquid tasted.

Vampire…you are my savior.

The wine comes from Transylvania (how cool is that?), and the company actually sells a ton of other vampire-oriented drinks…like Vampire Vodka and the upcoming Dracola (for the kiddies).

So, I’m going to tell my hubby to get me the Blood of the Vine (specifically, the nice Vampire Merlot), but I have a feeling I’m just going to wind up with another box of Whitman’s chocolates. Sigh.

According to the March issue of the Romantic Times, Harlequin will be starting a new paranormal line. Leslie Wainger is looking for “75,000-word dark, contemporary, paranormal romances.” There’s no word yet on when these books will be hitting the shelves, and I can’t find any additional information on eharlequin.

This won’t be the first time that Harlequin has launched a paranormal line. A few years ago, they had the Silhouette Shadows books. I LOVED Silhouette Shadows. I actually still have pretty much all of the Shadows books in my book closet. Yeah, I have a book closet. So what?

Silhouette Shadows books covered everything from vampires to zombies to psychics. Maggie Shayne is the biggest name that I remember from Shadows. She launched to stardom with her vampire books (Twilight Phantasies, Twilight Memories, and Twilight Illusions). And just so you know, Twilight Memories was definitely my fav.

I was completely depressed when the line folded. I can only hope that this new line will live up to my expectations.

So, if you’ve got a good manuscript, send it to Leslie! Right away!

So I saw Underworld: Evolution…twice. And I have to say, I loved the movie. (Umm…yeah, that would be where the whole seeing it twice part came in!)

I liked the first Underworld movie. Liked, not loved. My problem with that flick was Michael’s character. He was just too…weak for me. I know, I know..He was a human who became a werewolf/vampire super beast. He didn’t know what was happening or how to deal with things. Yeah, I get that. But he still seemed weak to me. And I just don’t like weak heroes. So, I liked that film, but didn’t love it.

When I started seeing previews for Underworld: Evolution, I was intrigued, but not desperate to see the movie. Then I actually saw it. Wow–what a change! Michael became all alpha male. He was strong. He saved his vamp girlfriend (several times!). He didn’t hide in a corner, waiting for Selene to do all the work. He proved his right to be called super beastie.

Of course, there was more to the movie than Michael’s just being a badass. It delved into the Lycan/Vampire feud, clearing up some loose ends from the first movie, and quite possibly setting up a third installment.

Yes, I enjoyed the show. I plan to buy the DVD once it hits the stores. What can I say? Heroes really do make or break movies (and books) for me. Don’t give me a weak hero, whatever you do. Give me someone strong. Someone who isn’t afraid to fight.

What do you think? Anyone have any other favorite heroes you want to mention?