Have you ever read a romance novel and thought that one (or more) of the secondary characters deserved his or her own book?  I have.  Regarding the medieval romances I’ve written, I felt this way about a handsome young knight named Dominic de Terre, whom I introduced to readers in A Knight’s Vengeance, the first book of my Knight’s Series.

In Vengeance, Dominic is the loyal friend of the tormented and scarred hero Geoffrey de Lanceau, who returns to England after fighting on Crusade to seek revenge for his father’s killing years ago.  Geoffrey’s plot for vengeance involves kidnapping Lady Elizabeth Brackendale, the beautiful, headstrong daughter of Geoffrey’s avowed enemy, and holding her for ransom.

Dominic serves as Geoffrey’s conscience throughout the book, offering sage advice when asked (and sometimes when brooding Geoffrey doesn’t want to hear it).  Dominic has a wry sense of humor that helps to lighten tense scenes, and he’s also intelligent, a nobleman, and handsome (of course!).  He was definitely romance novel hero material, and after Vengeance was first released in paperback back in 2006 (I reissued it last December as a Kindle eBook), I had readers asking if Dominic would ever get his own story.

He did.  A Knight’s Reward, the second book of my series that’s now available on Kindle, continues after Geoffrey and Elizabeth are happily married and expecting their second child.  Dominic is sent to the sleepy town of Clovebury on a secret mission: to find a stolen shipment of silks that belongs to Geoffrey and is worth a small fortune.  He is disguised as a peddler, hobbling through the town market, when he recognizes someone buying bread: Gisela Anne Balewyne.  She’s a commoner, but the only woman he ever loved.  He had to say “goodbye” to her years ago when he left to join King Richard on crusade.  He wonders what she’s doing in Clovebury, far from where they first met.

When she flees the market, he follows.  He catches up with her in a stable, only to realize she’s changed from the woman he knew.  She has a young son and barely makes a living as a tailor—and she harbors secrets, including the fact that she ran away from her abusive husband who is searching for her.  Dominic vows not only to succeed in his mission for Geoffrey, but to win Gisela’s love again—goals that endanger them all, especially when Dominic learns she’s been promised a hefty payment to make clothes from some of the stolen silks.  As he unravels the truth about the silk shipment and her little boy, he faces losing all that’s dear to him—or winning a knight’s greatest reward.

A Knight’s Reward is an emotional story, but one that I was able to lighten with Dominic’s humor and wit.  Since I was already well acquainted with him from Vengeance, it was a fun challenge to keep his character consistent and also look ahead to him appearing in Books 3 and 4 of my series.  As an author, it was easy to fall in love with Dominic—and I hope readers feel the same way, too!

For more information on A Knight’s Vengeance and A Knight’s Reward, please visit my website.

What romance novel did you read lately that made you think a minor character deserved to be the hero or heroine of a book?  I will gift one visitor who comments with a Kindle copy of A Knight’s Vengeance or A Knight’s Reward–winner’s pick!

I love my slow cooker.  It sits in a place of prominence on my kitchen counter.  I don’t use it every day, sometimes only a few times a month, but I can safely say it’s one of the few kitchen appliances I wouldn’t want to be without.

Kind of funny, really, because up until 10 years ago, I’d never used a slow cooker before and wasn’t familiar with coordinating meals first thing in the morning that cooked all day.  Then, one of my busy friends with four kids showed me her crock pot.  She’d bought it on a recommendation of a friend.  “It’s so easy,” she said, “and the recipes taste great.”  It was ideal for her, because she could set it up before she went to work and when she got home, dinner would be ready.  She could save money by using cheaper cuts of meat, too, that would become tender through the cooking process.

So, 10 years ago, during a trip to Costco, I bought my Rival Crock Pot (I still have the same one).  I was busy writing passionate, adventurous medieval romances, hoping to sell my first novel, eager to find ways to squeeze a few more minutes out of my day that I could spend with my roguish heroes and willful heroines, or with my young daughter and husband.

The crock pot filled my needs perfectly.  I’ve made stews, pot roasts, chili, spaghetti sauce (heavenly!), even a Sticky Toffee Pudding (My British husband was thrilled).  I’ve only dipped my finger, really, into all the yummy prospects this nifty appliance can provide.  One of my goals this year is to try recipes I’ve never made before and add to my collection of favorite slow cooker recipes.  There are some great ones at Food Network (http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/slow-cooker/index.html) and Epicurious (http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=slow+cooker&x=0&y=0).

My crock pot is still my go-to gadget if I have a busy week along with late-afternoon appointments.  There’s nothing more rewarding than stepping into the house after a long day to the delicious aroma of a healthy, ready-made meal.  To my trusted slow cooker, I say “thanks.”

What’s your favorite slow cooker recipe?  Please share it in the comments section.  Everyone who shares a recipe will be eligible to win a copy of A Knight’s Vengeance, Book One of my Knight’s Series—either a paperback (now out of print) or a Kindle version.  Winner’s choice!

I saw this game on Facebook and thought it would be fun to play here since we love authors and books. The Rules: list fifteen authors (poets included) who’ve influenced you and made an impression. Don’t take too long to think about it. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes.

Here’s my COOL FIFTEEN list:

VICTOR HUGO – For LES MISÉRABLES alone Hugo will always be on my best-loved list.

EMILE ZOLA – Nineteenth century France is one of my passions. So many things about that period speak to me – the Impressionist painters, post-Haussmann Paris, the literature… One of my favorite writers is Emile Zola. Like Hugo, Zola provides a vivid window into this world.

JANE AUSTEN – What’s not to love about the original romance writer and her body of work?

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD – Nick Carraway had me at chapter one. When I reached the end of GATSBY, I was hungry for more Fitzgerald.

ALICE HOFFMAN – She’s brilliant with magical realism.

SYLVIA PLATH – The way she weaves words and turns phrases brings me to my knees. In my book, she’s a literary goddess.

JK ROWLING – Harry, Ron and Hermione are like personal friends.

DOROTHEA BENTON FRANK – She speaks to the southern girl in me. I want to be her when I grow up.

TRACY CHEVALIER – The beauty of her smart books takes my breath away.

NORA ROBERTS – Nora is the one who made me want to write romance. Her well-crafted storied still sweep me away.
As an author, one of the perks of the job is meeting other writers and getting to know them beyond the pages of their books. It’s only natural that some of my favorite authors have become my friends. I dedicate this portion of “15 Cool Authors” to them:

KATHERINE GARBERA – Kathy was the very first published author I met…way back when. We became acquainted through our local RWA chapter. Since then, she’s became one of my very best friends. I’ll never forget the day I met Kathy. It was my first RWA chapter meeting. I was nervous and unsure of why I was even there. It just happened that on that same day, Kathy walked in with the cover of her very first book (THE BACHELOR NEXTDOOR wasn’t even out yet and she’d just received the cover flat). I was awe struck. Standing right in front of me was a living, breathing author, who was so talented, yet so personable and approachable. She made me feel as if I’d always been part of the chapter. Her smart, sassy prose hooked me from the get go and her sweet personality has made her friend for life.

CINDY KIRK – Cindy and I met at my first RWA conference. Synchronicity had a hand in our friendship when by chance we found ourselves at the same luncheon table two days in a row (amid 2,000 women and no assigned seats). We were both unpublished, but dogged determined to change that. We became fast friends and corresponded over the years – mind you, this was pre-email, back in the prehistoric days of the telephone and letter.  Now, Cindy is not only a good friend, she’s my plotting and brainstorming partner. Her books are fun and heartfelt and I always look forward to reading her next release.

CATHERINE KEAN – Catherine writes rich, beautiful historical romances. I’ve always described Catherine’s books as “jewel boxes” full of exquisite treasures. Her beautiful touch has influenced my work, too, since she’s been my critique partner for fourteen years.

KATHLEEN O’BRIEN – Kathleen is the wise woman in my life. She has such a poetic soul that radiates from the pages of her books. She was an established author when I met her. Now, I am so very fortunate to call her a friend and brainstorming partner.

KRISTAN HIGGINS – Kristan is fabulously funny and talented, and she has one of the most generous spirits of any writer I’ve met. Her Rita-winning novel “Catch of the Day” was the one that hooked me. Now, I count the days until next Kristan Higgins release.

So, there you have it…my Cool 15. I’m dying to hear who’s on your list. Since I’m celebrating being part of a group of six more very cool authors who have each crafted books in the latest FORTUNES OF TEXAS series (I’m book five out of the six-book series – book one launched this month. My title FORTUNE’S UNEXPECTED GROOM will be released in May 2012), I will give away the first two titles in the FORTUNES OF TEXAS series: Karen Templeton’s FORTUNE’S CINDERELLA and Marie Ferrarella’s FORTUNE’S VALENTINE BRIDE to one lucky person who posts their own 15 Cool Authors list.

Hands.  I’ve been thinking about mine a lot lately.

I dream of smooth, unblemished hands with pretty, long, painted nails—like the hands on the models in the O.P.I. magazine ads.  Hands like those look great holding fancy pens, like the special ones I reserve for autographing copies of my books at signings.  Hands like that show off sparkly rings and bracelets with enviable elegance.  Hands like that… Well, they’re a far cry from my hands right now.  I look at my dry, parched fingers and short, split nails and sigh with despair.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at the state of my hands.  This wintery time of year—and yes, it does get cold in Florida!—wreaks havoc on everyone’s skin.  I also demand a lot from my hands as I wash dishes, do laundry, houseclean, garden, drive, grocery shop, prepare food for my family, care for my kitty, exercise, and write on my computer.

To pamper my hands, I avoid liquid and bar soaps with Sodium Laureth Sulfate; this seems especially hard on my skin.  I also slather on hand cream whenever possible.  I read about special gloves to wear at night after your hands have been slathered with lotion, but that doesn’t appeal to me.  In fact, it sounds slightly icky.  :(

What do you use on your hands in the winter months?  Do you have a special remedy or favorite beauty product that you use when your hands are lizard-scaly-dry?

I’m eager to hear what you have to say—and my poor hands will thank you.  I’ll gift a Kindle or Nook eBook copy of my award-winning medieval romance Dance of Desire to one person who leaves a comment.  To learn more about this book as well as my other medieval romances, please visit my website.

As I look back on 2011 and think of all that I accomplished and all that I just didn’t get to, I see that the year held a number of “firsts” for me.  I consider that to be a good thing.  Acknowledging that an achievement is a “first” means that it’s something brand spankin’ new; a fresh challenge; a pushing at my personal boundaries and looking beyond, even if it’s not the easiest option, which is exactly how I’d classify my approach to my writing in 2011.

So here are my “firsts:”

I went Indie.  I released my first self-published eBook in August

My sensual medieval romance Dance of Desire was the first full-length manuscript I sold to a publishing house, back in the fall of 2004.  It was the first mass market paperback to hit bookstore shelves with my name on the cover (wow!) .  I held Dance of Desire in my hands and marveled that, finally, I’d done it: I’d become a published author, as I’d always dreamed.

At the end of 2010, after my former publisher decided to stop printing paperbacks, I got the rights back to this novel and all of my other previously published historical romances.  I thought then about reissuing Dance of Desire myself, but this meant learning about formatting and all of the other details.  Ugh!  My brain just wasn’t ready for that.

It wasn’t until August that I tackled the daunting learning curve and, with the help of my technical genius husband, figured out how to “make it so.”  I’m so glad I did.  I’m thrilled that Fane and Rexana’s fast-paced, romantic story, which is one of my personal favorites of all the books I’ve written, is available to readers via Kindle and Nook.

I tried a new genre.  My first contemporary romantic comedy written as Cate Lord was published.

Earlier this year, I heard about a new, ambitious company called Entangled Publishing.  I asked my literary agent to submit the full manuscript of my funny, quirky, Bridget-Jones-esque romantic comedy Lucky Girl, to see if they might be interested.  They were.

Putting up the Christmas tree is a job that usually falls to me.  I don’t mind, really.  I pop in a CD of Christmas music, turn up the volume, and get busy building the tree—a fake one, unfortunately, because of my family’s allergies.  Once the branches are in place (not always easy, with a rambunctious cat “helping”), I string on the lights (again, more rambunctious kitty antics) and hang on the ornaments (minus a few, by the end, thanks to… you guessed it… my mischief-maker kitty).

I always get a bit teary-eyed when I decorate the tree.  Among the ornaments are the chunky, tissue-paper ones my daughter made in pre-kindergarten, and the painted wood and sparkly jewel snowflakes we made together at the kitchen table when she was about five or six (I swear some of that glue is still on the kitchen table).  There’s an ornament of an orange cat, bought after my best buddy orange cat died of kidney failure a few Christmases ago.  I also have a cork and wool rocking horse, made by my sister years ago when we were kids and spent hours making decorations with our grandma.

There are also decorations that commemorate events or trips—including lovely glass ornaments I bought in England on a vacation some years ago, and a seahorse my Canadian parents bought for me during their visit last month, when we went to the Ringling Museum in Sarasota.

It’s always fun to see those ornaments and remember why they came into our collection.  Do you have special ornaments on your tree?  I’d love to hear what decorations are special to you.

One of the questions I’ve been asked since the September release of my quirky romantic comedy Lucky Girl, written under my contemporary pseudonym Cate Lord, is why I decided to switch from writing medieval romances to contemporary romantic comedies.

This is a good question.  I didn’t exactly switch.  I do plan to write more medievals, since I love crafting emotionally-charged stories featuring roguish, alpha-male knights and stubborn damsels.  I’m currently reissuing my medievals in ebook format for Kindle and Nook, to keep my historical novels available for my readers.  But the inspiration for Lucky Girl?  I wrote it as a challenge.

My muse is willing to indulge most of my story ideas.  While writing my medieval romances, though, she whispered that there were more genres to be tapped in my “creative well.”  Why not try a story that was set in the twenty-first century and had more of a light-hearted, Chick Lit tone?  Instead of concentrating on developing the love story between a medieval hero and heroine, why not focus on the character growth of a modern day heroine?

I decided to give it a try.

The challenge wasn’t just in writing a contemporary setting complete with modern conveniences like cell phones, laptops, and shiny lip gloss.  It was also in tightening my focus.  It was strange, at first, to limit the point of view to that of twenty-nine-year-old Jessica Devlin who works as the beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine and who takes an overdue vacation to fly to England to take part in her British cousin’s wedding.  In my historical romances, I gave equal attention to the points of view of the hero and heroine; we see, feel, and live the plot through their thoughts, emotional reactions, and decisions.  Could I tell a complete story from just one character’s perspective?

I started chewing my nails—not an easy feat while trying to type.  I made a list of issues that concern most women of today, such as job security, weight, dating, office politics, computer woes, mother-daughter relationships, and the longing to find Mr. Right.

Secretly, I wondered if my muse had set this challenge to drive me crazy.

The more I got to know the insecure, heartbroken, loyal, eccentric, sarcastic, and lovable Jess, though, the more determined I became to write her book.  Because we only see the world through Jess’s eyes, I leave more for the reader to interpret than I do in my historicals.  For example, Jess stresses over the pounds she’s gained in the four months since her ex-fiancé betrayed her, and is appalled at the way she looks in the maid-of-honor gown she’s to wear to the wedding.  Is Jess as overweight as she thinks?  Or, due to the painful, crushing blow her ex delivered to her self-esteem, is she imagining how awful she looks?  Personally, I see Jess as a pretty normal-weight woman whose insecurities make her blow things out of proportion, but I’m also happy to let readers imagine her as they prefer.