Virginia Kantra is back in the Lair!

by Anna Sugden

I'm thrilled to welcome back my dear friend and one of our favourite Lair authors - the wonderful Virginia Kantra. It's particularly exciting because this means the wait for Sea Lord - the third book in her fabulous Children of the Sea series - is over! The Amazon pigeon is struggling across the ocean with my copy, as we speak *g*. Welcome, Virginia.

Thank you, Anna. It's always great to visit the Romance Bandits.


I understand you're talking about a special kind of hunky hero, in honour of your new release, Sea Lord.

I am. Today, we're going to be talking about The Prince.

Can't wait! Over to you, Virginia.

CINDERELLA'S PRINCE: Am I not Sensitive, Clever, Well-mannered, Considerate, Passionate, Charming, As kind as I'm handsome And heir to a throne?

RAPUNZEL'S PRINCE: You are everything maidens could wish for!
[Stephen Sondheim, "Agony" lyrics]



In "Into the Woods," Sondheim makes fun of princely heroes and fairy tale archetypes. I, however, am a sucker for The Prince. His appeal goes beyond his sword and crown, his servants and castle, even his charm.

Which is good, because the title hero of my latest release SEA LORD, selkie prince Conn ap Llyr, is determined, dedicated, disciplined and ruthless, but not particularly charming. Or sensitive.


That's okay. It's those other qualities that make him a good leader and explain the appeal of the prince.

Males in the animal kingdom compete for the right to reproduce. Not only must the male drive off or defeat his rivals, but his prowess - his ability to protect and provide - attracts his mate. You don't have to stretch your imagination to see how some paranormal writers (werewolves and tigers and bears, oh my!) make this work for them in their books. But even in the human kingdom, we still look for a hero who can protect and provide.

Maybe it's primal instinct, but we seem drawn to men who can protect us, who can guard the cave and defend our young. Which no doubt explains the popularity of Navy SEALs, gun slingers, cops, and the Undead. The ability to provide goes beyond hunting skills to social power and monetary power, which is why we have heroes who are dukes and billionaires.


Establishing the male’s fitness as a mate isn’t only a matter of physical prowess, of wealth or social standing, but of competence. Nora Roberts has said that to a woman with two small children, a hero is the man who can fix the toilet on a Saturday night. This may explain part of the popularity of the “nerd” books, in which the hero’s mental competence is at least as important as his physical strength.

Princes, kings, and sheiks combine all these qualities. They're strong, rich, powerful, competent, and commanding. In short, the quintessential alpha males, confident and fully capable of protecting and providing for the heroine and their people. What's not to love?

We-ellll...All those strengths can be pretty overpowering.

The prince's virtues can make him arrogant, inflexible, and overly protective. Any heroine who doesn't want to be locked in a tower ("for her own good") has to step up and take a stand.

The woman who dares to love a prince has to find her own power, her own strength, to match him. And when she does, he will respect her abilities and nurture her talents.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for The Prince.

So what about all of you? Do you go for the alpha type ruler or his steady second-in-command? The bad boy or the boy next door? How Charming does your prince have to be to talk his way into your...favor?

One lucky commenter today will win a prize!

USA Today bestselling author Virginia Kantra is a six-time RITA Award finalist and winner of numerous writing awards including the Golden Heart, Golden Leaf, Holt Medallion, Maggie, and two National Readers' Choice Awards.

Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of three kids, Virginia is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love.

Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations.

Visit her on the web at www.virginiakantra.com or www.myspace.com/virginiakantra. You can also find Virginia on Facebook.

Bandita Booty!

by Anna Sugden

Thank you to everyone who dropped by and had fun with Virginia Kantra, Regina and Dylan.

The random number generator has picked a winner, who will receive a copy of Virginia's fabulous book Sea Fever.

Don't forget to check out Virginia's website http://www.virginiakantra.com/ and her MySpace page www.myspace.com/virginiakantra , where you will find a fun video about the selkie legend.

And the lucky winner is ...

Dina!

Congratulations, Dina. If you send your snail mail address to me at anna at annasugden dot com, I will pass on your details to Virginia.

Meet Virginia Kantra and an extra special guest!

with Anna Sugden

I'm delighted to welcome one of my favourite authors and favourite people (and the lady who gives the best workshops any aspiring writer can attend!) to the Bandita's Lair ... Virginia Kantra.

USA Today bestselling author Virginia Kantra is a six-time RITA Award finalist and winner of numerous writing awards including the Golden Heart, Golden Leaf, Holt Medallion, Maggie, and two National Readers' Choice Awards. Her new Children of the Sea series debuts with Sea Witch (July 2008) and Sea Fever (August 2008 ).

Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of three kids, Virginia is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love.

Her favorite thing to make for dinner? Reservations.

Visit her on the web at http://www.virginiakantra.com/ or www.myspace.com/virginiakantra

Anna: We have an extra treat in store for you too. Virginia has managed to convince a special guest to accompany her today. Let me hand you over to Virginia, who will introduce her guest.

VK: Thank you so much for inviting me to blog with the Banditas! I’m actually hard at work on Sea Lord, the third book in the Children of the Sea series, so I’ve asked Regina Barone to come with me today to talk about simple summer recipes. Regina?

REGINA: You didn’t say this was, like, some celebrity chef gig.

VK: Well, not exactly. But you’re such a great cook, and I know your mother doesn’t always let you try out new things at the restaurant, so—

REGINA: Sure. You want recipes, I got recipes. No problem.

VK: Oh, my gosh, Regina, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about Nick’s dad being a TV chef .

REGINA: It’s fine. It’s over. You want Food Network, I can do Food Network. How about Lemon Chicken Salad?

VK: That sounds great.

REGINA: Okay. You can substitute the chicken breasts in this recipe with leftovers. Or you can use that rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.

VK: Good tip.

REGINA: Hey, I know how hard it is when you’re struggling to put food on the table for your family. Especially when you don’t have a lot of time.

So, you want two skinless, boneless chicken breasts—that’s four pieces, about a pound and a half. You can marinate them in some olive oil, a little lemon juice, some garlic…

DYLAN: She's marinating the Golden Rooster?

VK: No, no. It's chicken.

REGINA (to VK): Oh, my God. What the hell is he doing here?

VK: I thought...If you couldn’t come…

DYLAN: That’s not usually a problem for her. Not with the right partner.

REGINA: You shut up.

DYLAN: Did you think I wouldn’t want to see you again?

REGINA: I was counting on it.

VK: Guys . . . Could we get back to the cooking lesson?

REGINA (takes a deep breath): Um. Okay, so you want to cook your chicken breasts.

DYLAN: You mean, grill.

REGINA (ignoring him): Under the broiler is fine—about 5 mins a side. While the chicken cooks, combine in your blender or food processor:

1 egg
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
1 teaspoon of sugar
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
Then slowly add ¾ C olive oil, processing. . .

(hisses to DYLAN): What are you doing?

DYLAN: I’m watching.

REGINA: You’re brooding. What do you think this is, a romance novel?

DYLAN: Close enough.

REGINA: Too close. Back off.

DYLAN: That’s not what you said the other night.

VK: What are you supposed to do with the olive oil?

REGINA: Add the olive oil, processing until the dressing is thick and creamy. Arrange the cooked chicken on a bed of lettuce. You can use the pre-washed stuff, but for the love of Mary, don’t buy iceberg.

ANTONIA BARONE, Regina’s mother (shouts from the distance): What’s the matter with iceberg?

REGINA: Ma, I’m trying to cook here. Where was I?

DYLAN (softly): Chicken.

REGINA (takes a deep breath): Top the chicken with the dressing and serve with crusty bread and a nice cold bottle of Pinot Grigio.

VK: Thank you, Regina.

REGINA: Is that it?

VK: Well, if you have a question for everybody . . .

REGINA: Sure. What do you all like to cook in the summer time?

DYLAN: I have a question. Who wants to cook? How many of you just throw something on the fire and open a beer?

VK: And thank you, Dylan.

I, for one, would really like to hear your responses. We’ll be drawing one poster to receive a copy of Regina and Dylan’s book, Sea Fever.

DYLAN: We have a book?

Anna: Thank you Virginia, Regina and Dylan. That recipe sounds fab, Regina. I know we have lots of cooking fans here in the Lair who will be thrilled to exchange summer recipes with you. And Dylan, I'm sure there are a few grillers lurking too.