So, I have news. Kinda big news. Recently I sold 3 Steampunk romances to NAL under the name of Kate Cross. Some of you are already aware that I have a Young Adult Steampunk series launching from Harlequin Teen in May. The first book is The Girl in the Steel Corset and it’s being published under the name Kady Cross.

I also just sold an urban fantasy series, which I’m not going to say much about because nothing has been signed yet and I don’t want to jinx anything. However, I am so excited I could squeal like a little girl. It’s also going to be written under a new name. Right now I’m gearing toward Kate Locke.

Yes, it’s a lot to absorb and a lot of change. Some of you many wonder what’s going to happen to Kathryn Smith — and that’s the rub. I’ve been Kathryn Smith my whole life, and Kathryn Smith professionally for more than 10 years. However, When Tempting a Rogue will be the last Kathryn Smith book for awhile, possibly forever. It feels… weird.

So why the change, you may ask? Well, in publishing there are all manner of factors — how different the new product is from what fans expect from Kathryn Smith, wanting a fresh start… My reasons were many. Mostly, I decided I needed a change, and a restart to my career. That doesn’t mean that giving up Kathryn Smith was easy. It wasn’t. It isn’t. However, I also want to give these new books the best chance they have to succeed, and sometimes that means a clean slate. I don’t want Kathryn Smith’s history (the good and bad) to influence these new books. However, I also want to make it easy for fans to find me, so I’m going to do all I can to make sure my current readers know I’ve made the change. Hopefully they’ll follow me.

Then there’s the fact that a pen name affords a certain amount of privacy. I can go out and put on the persona of Kady Cross and then come home and be plain ole Kate, which I have to admit, sounds good. In fact, if I could go back, I would write under a different name than Kathryn Smith right from the beginning.  Do you know a reader once said she wouldn’t read me because my name didn’t sound ‘historical romance enough’? It’s true, I swear.

This new venture is scary. I haven’t written anything for any publisher other than Avon (except for one short story) since they bought me in 1999. Now, I’m writing for 3 different — and new to me — publishers. Scary, and exciting. I find myself nervous about new territory and new working relationships, but at the same time the enthusiasm for these new projects has been infectious. I am so excited to be working on these books and with the chance to really push myself and see just what I’m capable of creating.

That’s my news. What do you think? Does it bother you when authors switch gears and change their names? Or do you follow ‘em regardless because you like their work? Fellow authors, have you played the name game? And who are some of your favorite authors who write under different names?

Most of my life has been sort of charmed. I don’t mean in the way that I’m beautiful or have everything that I desire; I mean that I’ve been happy. Really happy. The older I get the more I realize how

"Mom and Dad expecting me!"

lucky I am to have been born to my parents who are truly great people. They are incapable of saying no. I don’t mean in the spoiling your kids rotten way, I heard no often enough growing up and we didn’t have a lot of material things, but as I got older I needed someone when times got tough I knew I could always just call my mom or dad and say I need you and they’d be there.

A few years ago my really good friend Beverly Brandt had been nominated for a RITA for her book the TIARA CLUB and she couldn’t find the exact dress she wanted. My mom (and all the women in my family) sews. So I said to B that my mom could do it. I said to this to her as we were talking on the phone so she knew I had no time to call my mom and ask her, I just knew that mom would never say no to something like this. But what I realized after Beverly and I finished talking was that my mom wouldn’t say no to me.

I’ve tried to be that way with my kids. I don’t say yes to everything only the really important things. The things that can change their lives and make a difference, the things that will show and remind them that the world should be a nicer place.

My heroine in TAMING THE VIP PLAYBOY has this same kind of charmed upbringing (to be honest I based her loosely on my youngest sister). She was a very talented dancer from a young age and her parents and her older sister sacrificed to make sure that Jen was taken to dance rehearsals and eventually to competitions. They did this not because they had to but because they realized that Jen lived to dance and that she needed their support. She needed to safety net of her family to fall back on.

And in the book Jen is falling from some really tough breaks. For the first time in her life, she’s not feeling very charmed. This happened to me almost four years ago and I had no idea who to turn to, but instinctively went first to my parents and then my closest friends for support. In TAMING THE VIP PLAYBOY Jen’s parents are dead and she has only her older sister and young nephew to turn to, which she does. And they offer her a safety net that she uses to rebuild her life and to some extent herself.

I’m not sure what kind of family you have. My wise friend Beverly says we build the families we didn’t have from the friends we choose and I feel very lucky that I have both a great family to start with and one that I’ve built from friends.

I hope you all will check out TAMING THE VIP PLAYBOY its in stores today. And for one lucky blog participant I will send an autographed copy of the book.

Tell me in what ways are you charmed? Is it by your family or maybe you have an incredible talent? What is it that makes you special?

This post is not about Christmas. It’s not about my childhood Christmases when my siblings and I had to wait until my grandparents arrived before we could open presents. It’s not about the grilled cheese dinners we used to have on Christmas Day. No – we weren’t poor, but my parents always hosted a huge Christmas Eve dinner for my dad’s side of the family and that was about it for Mom. She took the next day off! And well-deserved it was. Anyway, we kids didn’t really care about fancy dinners and probably wouldn’t have eaten much of it anyway. Grilled cheese suited us just fine.

This post isn’t about writing Christmas cards or shopping or trying to find the perfect gift. It’s not about online shopping versus visits to the mall. I’m not going to tell you about the hours volunteered at the Capuchin Soup kitchen or mornings spent packing donated food goods for the food bank.

No, this post is about 2011 – and the two new Margo Maguire books that will be coming next year. One of them is out quite soon. In fact, my release date is February 22! It has seemed like such a long way away – 2011. But hey – it’s almost January! And February is always such a dreary month, especially here in Michigan, that I’m thrilled to have something fun to look forward to  (instead of the mid-winter doldrums).

So here’s a sneak peak of my newest cover. The book is Seducing the Governess, and it’s the first of two books about a couple of sisters whose mother was disowned by her noble father, the Duke of Windermere.  Then, when the two girls were orphaned as toddlers, the nasty old grandfather wanted nothing to do with his daughter’s progeny, so he had them separated and farmed out to families in different parts of England. When the old duke becomes ill, and sees that he is close to death, he realizes his error and hires a man to find the girls – now young women. Seducing the Governess is the story of the first of these two sisters.  The second book, Wicked, will be out next December.

Next time I’m up, I’ll give you some more details on Seducing the Governess, the story of Mercy Franklin, granddaughter of the Duke of Windermere, who was raised by a strict vicar and his wife. Mercy is forced to make her living somehow, and finds herself at Ashby Hall, where she becomes governess to the niece of the earl, a man severely damaged at Waterloo before inheriing his elder brother’s earldom and guardianship of the little girl.

In the meantime – Happy Holidays!

And the winner of the signed copy of Kerrelyn Sparks’s Eat Prey Love is Chelsea B!.

Congrats, Chelsea. Email me at shana@shanagalen.com with your address.

is Lori Ann!

Congrats!

Email Shana at shana@shanagalen.com with your address, and she’ll send a signed copy!

Congrats to
anne
cheryl c.
and Leona Bushman

Each of you has won a signed copy of a Christie Craig book. Email your address to shana@shanagalen.com and we’ll get those out to you ASAP!

As you know, this month, we’ve been highlighting the 2010 Rita nominees. One of the most popular categories is Paranormal Romance. The competition in this category is hot! The descriptions I’ve posted are from BN.com.

First up, Laurie Brown with What Would Jane Austen Do? Laurie is a fellow Sourcebooks author.
When a modern woman goes back to Jane Austen’s time, she needs to know how to tell a villain from a rake. Otherwise, she could fall into a most shocking scandal…

Kresley Cole is a double finalist with Untouchable and Kiss of a Demon King.

In Untouchable, Kresley Cole brings us the story of Murdoch Wroth, a brutal vampire soldier who will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden—the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in 300 years. But Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can only be touched by her own kind.

Here’s the synopsis for Kiss of a Demon King. From New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole comes this spellbinding story of a demon king trapped by an enchantress for her wanton purposes—and the scorching aftermath that follows when he turns the tables and claims her as his captive.

Carolyn Jewel is a nominee for her novel My Forbidden Desire.

TORN BETWEEN…
Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he’s hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can’t deny the white-hot passion between them.

DESIRE AND TEMPTATION
Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he’s been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them…or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.

Marjorie M. Liu is nominated for her novel The Fire King.

The world has yet to learn the power of the tortured Chimera shape-shifter prince-and the scarred yet brilliant Soria has yet to know his love.

Former Jaunty Quill, Anne Mallory is a nominee for her novel For the Earl’s Pleasure.

Beneath every scornful smile . . .

They were once cherished childhood companions, until a scandalous secret tore them apart. Now Valerian Rainewood and Abigail Smart are the fiercest of enemies. To Abigail, Rainewood is a notorious rake, hell-bent on mischief and not fit for polite society. So what if it seems as if he can seduce her with nothing but his eyes? She will not succumb. But when the earl is viciously attacked, Abigail’s distress tells her that something still binds her to the wild Rainewood.

Lies an unquenchable desire . . .

Though the ton believes there is nothing between them, Rainewood knows the truth. Abigail tempts him the way no other woman has. Wanton lust overwhelms him whenever she is near. But keeping her too close may put her precious life in danger. He must destroy his enemies—so that with every touch he may prove to Abigail that though their past was filled with trouble, their future will be nothing but pleasure.

Darkness Unknown by Alexis Morgan is the next nominee. Alexis Morgan’s seductive Paladin series continues with a red-hot romance between a powerful warrior sworn to secrecy and the irresistible woman who makes him lose control….

Gwen Mosely’s life changes forever when she stumbles across a handsome stranger, bleeding and left for dead in the woods behind her farm. But the real shock is how his wounds heal overnight — a trait he shares with Gwen’s teenaged half-brother Chase.

Jarvis Donahue can’t keep his eyes — or his hands — off the sexy redhead who rescued him. Gwen’s warm smile and lust-filled eyes are impossible to resist…but Jarvis immediately recognizes Chase as a fellow Paladin, a warrior born to defend mankind in the relentless battle against the Others. Although Gwen may hate Jarvis for it, he is dutybound to introduce Chase to the Paladins’ dangerous lifestyle.

As the barrier between the two worlds weakens, the threat grows perilously close to Gwen’s farm. Jarvis is determined to protect his lover — but if he reveals his identity, he not only betrays his people’s secret, he risks losing her forever….


J.R. Ward is once again a nominee with Covet. Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about — his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.

Vin diPietro has surrendered himself to his business—until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who makes him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over…but to redeem his very soul.

And lastly, but only because I’m highlighting these in alphabetical order, is Eileen Wilks with Mortal Sins.

FBI Agent Lily Yu and her werewolf lover are embroiled in a series of murders, each linked to a form of dangerous “death magic.”

Any of your favorite authors nominated this year? Who are you hoping takes home that coveted Rita?

Hello! It’s me, Jaunty P. Quills, and I am so honored to accept this award. I want to thank my mother, my agent, the Academy—

Robyn: Jaunty, this is a lovely speech, but…I just can’t do it.

Terri: I hate to break it to you, Jaunty. You didn’t win an award.

Jaunty: Yes, I did! I won…well, I don’t know what I won, but look at the title of this blog. I won something.

Kristan: You didn’t win, Jaunty.

Katherine: You’re announcing the winner.

Jaunty: The winner? I’m the winner.

Jan: No, Jaunty. You’re announcing the winner of the Sony e-reader.

Jaunty: E-reader? What are you talking about! I won.

Margo: Okay, Jaunty, just calm down. Here’s a pine nut.

Shana: While he’s distracted, I want to congratulate Lulu (lnichols2000…). You’re the randomly chosen e-reader winner! Contact me at shana@shanagalen.com with your address, and I’ll mail you the Sony E-Reader ASAP.

Kate: Congrats, Lulu!

Nancy: If you didn’t win, don’t forget to check back often. We do lots of giveaways and will have another big one soon.

Emily: We’re planning it as we post this.

Catherine: It’s going to be good.

Jaunty: Another giveaway? Can I win that one?

Cindy: No, Jaunty. You’re not eligible to win.

Jaunty: (sniff) Fine. But I’m not done here. I’ll be back tomorrow. Tune in when I interview Nancy Robards Thompson about her July Silhouette Special Edition, Accidental Father. RT Book Reviews gives it 4 ½ stars and says: “…This heartwarming story with strong, genuine characters and a strong plot to match is definitely hard to put down.”

Now scroll down to read Kate’s blog about Canada Day!

”

The Jaunties are kicking off summer with a contest! We’re giving away a Sony e-reader, and all you have to do to win is comment on the blogs you read here every day. A winner will be randomly picked from all those who comment until Wednesday, June 30. So the more you comment, the more chances you have to win! Keep visiting and keep commenting. Not only could you win a Sony e-reader, you won’t miss any of the dish on books, life, and (of course!) me, Jaunty P Quills, Porcupine Extraordinaire.

Hello! It’s me, Jaunty P. Quills. Yes, I’m still upset with Shana (read below). She’s a tricky one. But the other Quills convinced me to return, just briefly–like a cameo–to announce I’m having a contest! Or, rather, the Jaunties are kicking off summer with a contest.

I’m–I mean, they’re–giving away a Sony e-reader, and all you have to do to win is comment on the blogs you read here every day. A winner will be randomly picked from all those who comment between Monday, June 14 and Wednesday, June 30. So the more you comment, the more chances you have to win! Keep visiting and keep commenting. Not only could you win a Sony e-reader, you won’t miss any of the dish on books, life, and (of course!) me, Jaunty P Quills, Porcupine Extraordinaire.