Guest Author Carrie Lofty
by sue on Jan.13, 2010, under Book Chat
Scoundrel’s Kiss by Carrie Lofty
Setting: Kingdom of Castile (modern-day Spain)
Subgenre: Medieval historical romance
Hero: Gavriel de Marqueda
Heroine: Ada of Keyworth
One sentence summary:
In medieval Spain, a hunted warrior monk saves the troubled English translator he’s going to protect, but she plans to seduce her way to freedom, jeopardizing his vows of obedience, nonviolence, and chastity. 
Thing your heroine would never be caught dead doing/saying:
Initially, she wouldn’t be caught dead apologizing. She’s radically stubborn and has cut ties everyone who’s ever cared for her. But after she matures and learns that being beholden to others is not necessarily a bad thing, she finds a reserve of inner strength and peace that she won’t ever give up again.
Scene in the book moved you the most as you wrote it, or made you the most happy? (This is the same as the scene I most like and would never cut):
Ada is accused of a crime and is sentenced to trial by combat. To stand up for her and take her place in the combat arena, Gavriel claims that he’s her husband. It’s a bizarre marriage proposal because he’s trying to save her life–but he also means it. And she knows it.
Gavriel stared at the judge. “I claim the right because she is my wife.”
Ada gasped.
Glancing at his bailiff, Judge Natalez seemed to maintain his bearing by force of will alone. “What proof do you have?”
With no other choice to save Ada from the vindictive judge, Gavriel set aside caution. She eased hurts that had been so much a part of him, like bones and blood and breath. That she caused a deeper pain at the thought of her suffering loosened the worry in his chest. This was right.
“What proof is needed?” Gavriel asked. “We’re both Christian, having lived on the edge of the reconquista frontier where neither banns nor priest are required.” He found Ada’s blue eyes and did not look away. Swords and men in armor separated them, but he spoke to her in a voice barely louder than a whisper. “You need only my word. And hers.”
She looked at him as if the crowd, the judge, the verdict—none of it mattered. Only him. Only the words he had said in an effort to save her life. But he knew better. And by the way a smile began to change her face—first the light in her eyes, then the gentle curve of her lip—she did, too. He had made the claim of their marriage because he wanted it.
Tell them. Tell them we are married.
The words pounded inside his forehead. Noise from the throng of onlookers faded, or else he had ceased to hear them. He only waited for Ada’s reply to his most unconventional proposal.
Natalez’s rumbling voice cut between them. “What say you?”
Ada turned to the hundreds of people in the courtyard. Considering the injustice of the judge’s ruling, appealing to him would do little good. “Yes,” she said. “He is my husband.”
Applause and laughter jumped from the crowd. Dressed in green, her hair whipping free in the morning breeze, Ada tossed Gavriel a carefree smile. He drank in her vigor, her beauty. Tingling warmth flooded his veins when she blushed. He would not take his eyes off her, but he knew if he closed them now, images of his future would be filled with her. Them. Together. If he proved strong enough.
This is Ada. And this is me in love with her.
Have you learned or found any bizarre facts while doing research?
Most of the bizarre facts stemmed from the culture war that the Christian Kings were conducting against the Moorish tribes to the south. Marriages could be consummated without a priest, without witnesses, and without posting a banns. Mistresses to noblemen claimed legitimate status, as did their children, and these women could eventually go on to marry without any social fallout. Children born to slaves could be acknowledged as legitimate heirs as long as they’d been baptized. All of this was to promote Christianity in the frontier regions. Eventually, as the Moors became less of a threat, these concessions were revoked and social practices were brought in line with the Catholic Church. The two crimes most severely prohibited were those who carried on sexual relations with Muslims, and women who arranged affairs between married women and single suitors. These practices threatened the hard-won Christian stability and were punishable by death.
Ancillary character you had the most fun with:
Fernán Garza. He’s a feckless fourth son who hates being a monk and provides many of the comedic elements. But, to my surprise, he played a significant part in the story and revealed an emotional subplot that proved quite noble.
What is one thing in your history that has influenced your writing, whether it’s a character, your work habits, or your favorite plot conflict?
My favorite characters are, by far, those in need of redemption. Redemption doesn’t necessarily have to be in atonement for a crime, but perhaps, such as in Ada’s case, being redeemed of childish mistakes, immaturity, or the unwillingness to take responsibility for one’s actions. I love characters who start out self-centered and immature, because they really have to work toward earning their happy ending as fully-functioning grownups!
Your hero’s favorite hobby: I can’t say. But it’s a nasty hobby and Ada helps cure him of it. He has as many dark secrets as she does…
What you think readers will like best about this book: Gavriel. He’s a big, gruff, plain-spoken, angst-ridden hottie. Fernán will probably go over well too, the silly goof. And I hope readers also come to respect Ada and her struggle. She goes on a very difficult, very personal journey.
For the readers:
What do you think of characters in need of redemption? Do you prefer characters who start out fairly well grounded and self-aware, or those who need a heavy dose of personal growth as they search for their happy ending?
Giveaway: five copies
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Sue G - Borders True Romance Host - Borders Romance Buyer, reads romance. For her JOB. No, really. You can email Sue at sgrimshaw at bordersgroupinc dot com.
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Previously published as Wishes No Matter How Fast You Run. . .The newborn baby boy is beautiful, perfect, and hers for the asking. All Kate Summers has to do is agree to one condition--she must disappear from Boston and never breathe a word about the adoption to anyone. Or How Far You Go. . .Fifteen years later, Kate has built a good life for herself and her son, Jon, in Hopewell, Oregon. Still, she is haunted by the fear that he will somehow be taken away. Then Daegan O'Rourke arrives in town and strikes up a friendship with her and Jon. But Daegan has his own past to hide--one with shocking ties to hers. A Killer Will Always Find You. . .Someone is watching Kate, watching her son, and is willing to go to any lengths to claim him. And the one man Kate is tempted to trust has dangerous secrets that could change her world forever. Soon the past Kate thought she could outrun will explode, unearthing a legacy of lies and treachery, and a fury powerful enough to kill. . .
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May 29th, 2010 on 10:42 am
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January 23rd, 2010 on 6:47 am
Saw your blog bookmarked on Delicious.
January 16th, 2010 on 4:56 pm
I enjoy reading books where the hero starts out kind of rough around the edges, you know the one that needs the love of a good woman to make him into a better man. I don’t particularly like the women to be that way. I really don’t like it if they are whinney and self absorbed. A little spoiled, strong-willed and determined, that’s great.
January 16th, 2010 on 11:39 am
I haven’t read a medieval romance in such a long, long time, and this books sounds wonderful
I always enjoy seeing character growth within a romance, but I think it takes a delicate balance to incorporate personal growth while adequetly developing the romance. But when that balance is achieved, it makes for a truly memorable novel.
January 14th, 2010 on 10:07 pm
Just a wee bit broken, please.
And I needed to mention that I haven’t read a medieval novel in about ten years (last I read was some K. Woodiwiss).
Cheers!
January 14th, 2010 on 6:46 pm
I love characters especially the hero who is in need of redemption - and finds it’s not that easy to acquire and second chances sometimes require great sacrifices. On the other hand, I like my heroines kinda grounded, intuitive and definitely in charge of their hearts and minds.
January 14th, 2010 on 3:50 pm
Most Great Stories Have A Characters In Need Of Redemption. The Worse The Character Is The More Gratifying Their Redemption Is. It Makes you Feel For Said Character And Gets You Invested In Their Outcome. Scoundrel’s Kiss Sounds Awesome And I Really Need To Read It.
January 14th, 2010 on 10:04 am
Oh, yes please, begin with a broken character. Someone dark and full of secrets and flaws. Then take me along for the ride while they grow and stumble and falter and then blossom and become strong. Sigh. This sounds like the PERFECT book for me!
January 14th, 2010 on 3:40 am
Oh, definitely those who need a heavy dose of personal growth as they search for their happy ending. I’m all about the angst
Love, love, love the way this book sounds!
January 13th, 2010 on 10:24 pm
I prefer a strong hero and heroine who think they have everything under control only to be proven wrong. I enjoy the journey to see how their relationship grows and opens each of their eyes to a new and more exciting life–together.
Congrats! Carrie are the release of Scoundrel’s Kiss. Can’t wait to read it!
January 13th, 2010 on 10:15 pm
I prefer characters who are given a heavy dose of personal growth to achieve their happy endingbecause those stories usually have a more fun plot.
January 13th, 2010 on 9:25 pm
Hello again, everyone. This joint is jumping! All of your comments and congratulations are wonderful to read. Thank you so much!
For me, like many of your replies, redemption is about second chances. I don’t have a past hugely riddled with mistakes and regrets, but I look back at how lucky I was that youthful indiscretion didn’t explode into something more life-altering. So when I think of characters, I generally first “encounter” them in my mind when they’re missing something. They have a square wheel, or one wheel is missing altogether! The love story is as much about them finding peace and acceptance within themselves as it is about the romance. It’s like the romance inspires them to be their best person–the person they hadn’t been strong enough or brave enough to be before. That love is some powerful stuff!
@ Katrina: I chose this setting because I knew Ada would need a supply of opium, and because I wanted to feature a warrior monk. Spain was about the only place in Europe at that time where I could do both, while still keeping them within civilized places. Spain was *such* a mash-up of cultures that it allowed for a lot of social freedoms that otherwise wouldn’t have been permitted, making their romance possible. (And part of me was just intrigued by Spain and wanted the freedom to spend a few months mentally hanging out there!)
Thanks again, everyone!
January 13th, 2010 on 8:54 pm
I don’t think I have a preference. A hero/heroine in need of redemption or one who knows who they are both make for great stories. It just depends on what I feel like reading at the time!
January 13th, 2010 on 8:53 pm
Amen to enjoying characters who need redemption! I figure if they get theirs……I can still get mine : )
January 13th, 2010 on 8:11 pm
Now I need to know what’s under his monk’s robe, lol!
Redemption is always good and makes for more angsty reading.
January 13th, 2010 on 7:59 pm
Well I like my heroes to be heroes in any form. But I guess the heroes that I remember and tend to stay with me are the ones that went through at least some personal growth so I’ll have to make that my final answer
Congrats Carrie on what sounds like a great romance!
January 13th, 2010 on 7:39 pm
I like both but with the second I don’t like them to start out being so detestable that it is hard to believe they can change.
January 13th, 2010 on 7:05 pm
i prefer both, it’ll makes my reading not too boring !
January 13th, 2010 on 6:09 pm
For me, it depends on why the characters need redeeming. Everyone makes mistakes but some can be resolved in the span of a novel and some can’t. Redemption is great and makes for excellent happily ever afters, but if it rushes the story I find myself losing interest.
January 13th, 2010 on 5:43 pm
I like characters who need redemption, but they need to work at it through out the book.
January 13th, 2010 on 5:23 pm
I totally go for heroes in need of redemption. It has to do with being able to identify with the character, not many of us are perfect and we all have issues. I’d like to believe there’s hope for us all, and that we can all work through our issues, and grow to be stronger and if lucky content and happy. Stories with redemption are about giving us hope.
January 13th, 2010 on 5:22 pm
I like characters in need of redemption (who actually work to get it!). If the characters are too together, I tend to distrust them. I guess I can’t relate to that.
And I loved, loved What a Scoundrel Wants so I’m really looking forward to this one.
January 13th, 2010 on 4:13 pm
What a brilliant sounding book. I love the unconventional place and people.
The right characters in the right story make it all work. So a story of redemption can be just as good as self-actualized characters.
(Kaetrin: I just got Flowers From the Storm yesterday.)
This really does sound brilliant.
January 13th, 2010 on 3:42 pm
I love when characters are in need of redemption. It makes them so much more interesting.
January 13th, 2010 on 3:27 pm
Carrie, I’d love to know what made you choose this setting. It’s so unusual for romance novels, but sounds like it’s rich with possibilities.
January 13th, 2010 on 3:14 pm
I enjoyed that excerpt. I want more!
I love the idea that the hero and heroine learn from their journey. We all have faults, and the HEA is so satisfying when one finds redemption.
January 13th, 2010 on 2:41 pm
Hello Carrie!
It’s a combination of both. I think it’s not only the outcome that makes a character/person but the journey along the way. The character, like a person, grows through their experiences, their losses and how much they learn from each. To make them seem more real to the reader it’s best to have them have life experiences.
January 13th, 2010 on 1:58 pm
Humanity renders us imperfect, so we’re all in need of some redemption. I like that in characters, too. It makes them more real.
January 13th, 2010 on 1:52 pm
To be honest I love both depending on the mood I am in. Most of the time I go for the characters that need work! The one’s that need to grow into there own.
January 13th, 2010 on 1:18 pm
I am a complete sucker for “second chance” and redemptive plot themes. Which probably explains why I love historical western romances so much. That entire sub genre tends to be riddled with such storylines.
No need to enter me in the contest, as I already own the book. Just wanted to stop by and wave hi to Carrie!
January 13th, 2010 on 1:09 pm
in all honesty I really like both. Picking a book can depend on what mood I am in so I like to have a mixture of both
January 13th, 2010 on 12:55 pm
I personally am a fan of the tortured hero who needs redemption. Love the journey and the angst that the hero, along with the heroine, go through to get to their HEA.
Congrats on the new release!
January 13th, 2010 on 12:46 pm
I think everyone needs some sort of redemption, don’t they? I like it when a character learns about themselves in the course of the book, or when they already are self-aware, they just haven’t quite figured out what to do about it.
January 13th, 2010 on 12:45 pm
I usually like my heroes and heroines to be well-grounded. I want to escape from problems and don’t want to feel so badly for a character who has a lot of angst.
HOWEVER, SK sounds like an awesome book and I want Ada to find her HEA.
January 13th, 2010 on 12:39 pm
Hi everyone!
A big thanks to Sue for letting me stop by and chat today. And what a turn-out first thing in the morning. Good to see everyone!
@ Ellen H: Scars? Hmmmm…you’d be surprised what Ada finds under this particular monk’s robes (or maybe not–but you’ll be happy either way!).
@ anet W: I *love* Patricia Gaffeny’s work. Just…speechless.
And I’m glad to see that everyone seems so keen on the different setting and the redemption theme. My writing partners were teasing me that a retrospective of my work will one day be called Angsty Redemption.
Thanks for commenting today, and best of luck with the drawing. I’ll be here throughout if you have any questions or curiosities…
January 13th, 2010 on 12:14 pm
I like both. It depends on the story.
January 13th, 2010 on 11:48 am
Count me on the redemption side. I especially like heroes that are so-very-alpha on the outside but tortured and angst-ridden on the inside. A scar or two doesn’t hurt…
The book sounds great! Love the non-British Isles medieval setting.
January 13th, 2010 on 11:32 am
I’m all for character-growth-type torture.
It makes the HEA all the more fulfilling.
January 13th, 2010 on 11:31 am
I like both but truthfully, my most re-read stories are tales of redemption: To Have and To Hold comes to mind! (by Patricia Gaffney)
This book sounds marvelous.
January 13th, 2010 on 11:08 am
I like both…but the brooding, anti-hero, alpha male is still my favorite! The reality of it may be less exciting…but in fantasy land it is HAWT!
January 13th, 2010 on 11:05 am
I like characters who are confident yet still have a bit of vulnerability. Not big on the macho man or uber-femme fatale types. But in the end it’s all in the finesse of the writer for me, a well-executed character can cross any personal boundaries. Thx.
January 13th, 2010 on 10:15 am
I actually like to see both types of character mixed together and at odds with each other because even grounded people have room for growth and who better to test them than people who aren’t? I like seeing growth from whatever kind of characters are in a book - I like them to be changed, somehow. I don’t care for static characters who are exactly the same at the end of the story as they were at the beginning.
Margay
January 13th, 2010 on 9:41 am
I like a character that needs alot of personal growth through the story. I think it helps keep a story interesting.
January 13th, 2010 on 9:27 am
Personally, I like to see characters make a journey–maybe not both hero and heroine, every single time, but at least one of them should learn something/be irrevocably changed by their relationship. Sounds like your books deliver exactly what I like!
January 13th, 2010 on 8:21 am
This sounds like an absolutely BRILLIANT novel. I couldn’t stop reading the excerpt.
I love it when characters need redemption (Kaetrin, Flowers from the Storm is next on my TBR pile), but I don’t want them to be too hideous (personality-wise) because I won’t completely buy their turn-around.
Good luck, Carrie!
January 13th, 2010 on 5:57 am
I do enjoy a hero or heroine who starts out unlikable and through the story they change and grow and work for their HEA. I just re-read Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas, one of my favorite villian to hero stories.
January 13th, 2010 on 3:45 am
Oh I love a hero or heroine in need of redemption. All that angst!! Most often it’s the hero that needs redeeming though, in my experience, so this story sounds really interesting.
One of my favourites in need of redemption was Jervaulx from Flowers from the Storm.
Best wishes for the new book Ms. Lofty.