Soundtrack to Writing a Villain Worth Falling For, Odessa, Path to Ashes

Odessa's theme song: “Paint It Black”, cover by Ciara, originally by The Rolling Stones.

No one is born a villain, and no villain is ever completely evil. At least not in my stories.

Throughout writing Path to Ashes, I often found myself ping-ponging between perspectives, questioning who the true villain really was. There are moments where it almost feels like we should be rooting for Odessa. To me, that’s the mark of a great antagonist—someone so layered, so compelling, that part of you wants them to win.

What draws me to Ciara’s cover of Paint It Black is how hauntingly alluring it is. Her voice slinks through each verse, beautiful but unsettling. You have to stop and really listen to the tone, the tension, the darkness hiding between the lyrics. It’s seductive and dangerous. You want to lean in even when you know you shouldn’t.

That’s exactly what Scarlet struggles with. She wants to trust Odessa, to believe that the power offered could fix everything broken in her world without understanding the full cost or consequences. Odessa, of course, knows exactly what she’s doing. She wields her beauty and confidence like a weapon, convincing others her vision of dominance is liberation.

That’s what makes her so fascinating to write. She’s not a monster without reason; she’s a powerful woman shaped by pain, power, and the belief that she can create a better future no matter who burns along the way. Odessa is a villain worth falling for in Path to Ashes.

You can find all the purchase links for Path to Ashes on my website—direct, Kindle, and paperback.

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