My Favorite Countess–Guest Post & Giveaway Back to Blog
Update: The winner of MY FAVORITE COUNTESS is…Hilleary Peterson. Congrats!!
I’m so excited to have my buddy (and uber talented author) Vanessa Kelly here today! Vanessa has a fabulous new historical romance out on the shelves now. Welcome, Vanessa!
Playing Second Banana
My latest historical romance, My Favorite Countess, is now in stores. As you have likely deduced from the title, the lead character is a countess. A widowed countess, actually. Her name is Bathsheba and she has many thrilling and occasionally dangerous challenges to overcome in the course of the narrative, along with her hero, Dr. John Blackmore.
The story, of course, is mostly about them. But it’s not all about them. There are several other characters in My Favorite Countess and their stories are important, both as sub-plots that support the main plot and in adding portrayals that enrich the book in their own right.
Secondary characters have always played a critical role in books, movies, and TV shows. Take, for example, one of my favorite TV programs: House. Gregory House is the lifeblood of the show, with his caustic wit, his insane adventures, and his tortured psyche. If he wasn’t on screen for at least 75% of the time, I think most viewers would get pretty darn cranky. And Hugh Laurie’s portrayal is so commanding that he could probably read the proverbial phone book and make it interesting.
But one of the things that makes House such a great show is the way the main character interacts with the secondary characters. Where would House be without Wilson to play faithful second banana, the one person who truly understands him and accepts him for who he is? And how about his team of assistants, whose different personalities serve as foils to highlight House’s strengths and weaknesses, and also challenge him to confront the demons that bedevil him? These characters aren’t cardboard cut-outs. The portrayals are so fully realized that viewers care for them, both in their separate story lines and in how they relate to House.
Romance novels are often part of a series, and when they are secondary characters tend to play an even more vital role. They help to pull the story forward from one book to the next, ensuring continuity and also introducing new themes and plot twists in the over-arching development of the series.
My Favorite Countess is the third book in my series of Regency-set historical romances, and I do have characters from earlier books playing key secondary roles in this one. The most important are Stephen and Meredith, the Marquess and Marchioness of Silverton, and the hero and heroine of my first book, Mastering The Marquess. In that book, Stephen and Meredith faced many challenges on the way to their HEA—including a poisoning and a kidnapping—and you would think that I would just leave them in peace to enjoy their happy lives together.
Not! In fact, things have the potential to go very wrong for them, and it will be up to John and Bathsheba to save the day.
But Stephen and Meredith aren’t just devices to drive the plot and give my hero and heroine an excuse to be, well, heroic. This pair of secondary characters inhabits a fully realized subplot, and it brings an additional strength to the story that wouldn’t be there if I had left it out. When this subplot joins up with the main plot in the climax of the book, things get really hairy for everyone, and I think it’s all pretty darn exciting!
On my website, I have a bonus prequel chapter to My Favorite Countess, that kicks off Meredith and Stephen’s subplot several months before the main action of the book begins. You might want to check it out, along with the regular excerpt for the book.
What do you think of secondary characters in romance? How important are they to the hero and heroine’s story? And who are some of your favorite secondary characters in romance novels? One commenter will win a copy of My Favorite Countess.
Vanessa Kelly writes Regency-set historical romance for Kensington Zebra. She also writes contemporary romance with her husband under the pen name of VK Sykes. You can visit her on the web at: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com
Free bonus read: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/books.html
Excerpt: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/excerpt_mfc.html
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Hi, Vanessa!! Thank you so much for coming by today! 🙂
Thanks for having me here, pal!
Thanks for introducing me to a new author for me Cynthia!
Vanessa this sounds great! I’ve gotta add it to TBR!
I think secondary character are important. They keep the book exciting,I like my romance to be adventurous and have a little action and that is what they do, plus you alway now there will be another book coming and that’s the best part.
Vanessa, how fun to have a doctor as a hero in a historical! The hero in my WIP was the heroine’s best friend in my book Dead People. Readers told me they wanted his book, so I had to write it.
In A Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener has a gang of street boys that help out the hero and heroine. The boys are among the best secondary characters I’ve read. The book won’t be out until August. I’m her CP, so I was lucky to be the first to read it. 🙂
Dee, thanks for stopping by!
Wendy, I agree that strong secondary characters usually deserve their own book.
Edie, that’s one of the big advantages of being a CP, isn’t it?
I really enjoy when you have strong secondary characters that you really do turn it to another book. I am a big fan of series books because you get to follow all the characters you fell in love with beyond the original story.
Hilleary, I am a big fan of series books, too. I love seeing secondary characters get their own stories.
Hi Vanessa! Congratulations on the new book – the cover is stunning.
I think secondary characters are very important in romance- they often give the hero/heroine a sounding board and lots of emotional support. I also think that they can be a source of humor for each story. while I do read a lot of historical romance I also read a lot of paranormal romance and secondary characters are even more important there- I think my favorites are Nathaniel and Micah in the Anita Blake series because they are so much more than just part of her romantic interests in the story, I also love Warren in the Mercedes Thompson series who is really Mercy’s best friend. I also love Jenks and Ivy in the Hollows Series by Kim Harrison, they’ve been good secondary characters throughout the books and Andrea in the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.
Maria, that’s a great point you make about secondary characters being a source of humor. Sometimes if the main storyline is a very serious one, you still want to lighten up. Secondary characters are often the best way to do that.
I think secondary characters are vital to a story. Without them there seems to be no real body to the work. Secondary characters bring detail to the main characters we wouldn’t get otherwise. Just two people can’t really carry a book and keep my attention throughout.
Yes, Viki. A book can seem a little thin without good secondary characters.
Great blog, Vanessa! And congratulations on all the accolades you’ve been getting for MFC.
Secondary characters can really make a story for me. I think because they play such a big role in world building. Plus they make great heroes and heroines of later books;)
I think you’ve done an incredible job with Bathsheba. It’s so difficult to take a character who is built up as a villain in one book and then transform them into the heroine of her own book. But I think you manage it beautifully.
Aw, thanks, Manda! Bathsheba posed her challenges, but I loved writing her. And that’s a great point about secondary characters playing such a big role in world building. I hadn’t thought of the topic in those terms, but you are absolutely right! A few good secondary characters can really establish setting and tone.
I enjoy strong secondary characters, and when there is a secondary romance, life is good.
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Secondary romances are a lot of fun, aren’t they?
I love secondary characters because they can reveal more about the main characters and they’re fun to read about. Some of my favorite secondary characters are in Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series like Blayne and Ezra, who make the story even more hilarious.
Good point, Jeanette. The way the h/h react with secondary characters can reveal a lot about them.
I think secondary characters are huge and often bring some lightness to a novel. I also love reading their stories later *winks*. As a reader I am always pondering the secondary characters background. Love when that mystery is solved.
Agreed, Robin! I love reading their stories later.
Definitely think secondary characters are important. They add so much to the story, sometimes they’re my favorite. They keep the story going and add comedy to a sometimes too serious moment. I also get to hope that they’ll have a book too, if I really love the character.
Danni, as a writer, it’s amazing how often you have to struggle not to let the secondary characters take over!
I like a story that has amazing secondary characters. I think they are very important to stories. The ones I like the best are in J.D. Robb’s IN DEATH series. Sometimes when I read a story, I want the secondary characters to have a story of their own.
Thank you for the interview and I look forward to reading your books.
Michelle, I’m ashamed to admit I have yet to read any of the JD Robb’s. My husband has, though, and he loves them.
Secondary characters give a story more substance… let the characters interact with others and liven the story up… even give them a chance to have their own story later!
I have enjoyed numerous secondary characters whether they are siblings, annoying and outrageous friends, loyal animals or sidekicks, etc… 😀 they add more to the story and make it entertaining!
Colleen, I love animals in a story!
Congrats on the new release, Vanessa. I think secondary characters add a lot to a story. One of my favorite secondary characters is Christina Skye’s Izzy from her SEAL and Code Name series. Izzy is described as looking like Denzel Washington’s twin.
Jane, I am totally down with anyone who looks like Denzel Washington!
Hi Vanessa, Hi Cynthia,
I love secondary characters it gives a story more spice and definitely gives us hope for a new book to follow on them and their very own story!
One that stands out in my memory is one I read only a month ago by author Heidi Rice the first book was about Maddy and Rye the title of the book was Surf,Sea and a Sexy Stranger it the book we meet Maddy’s brother and oh wow he is a great character however he goes on to meet his own partner and not one from the first book but it the second book Cupcakes and Killer Heels you meet up with both character from the first book which is really fun because you know all about them and in the second book you also meet Ella who is a new character but she is so unique that one can only hope Heidi writes her a story of her own.
Great post Vanessa and a brilliant question thanks for the chance to win your book!
Desere
Desere, I read that book too! I really enjoyed it.
Congrats on your new release! I can’t wait to read it.
I like it, as long as the secondary characters feels like part of the story. I think it adds a lot more richness and interest to the book.
Thanks for stopping by, Mariee!
I do enjoy secondary characters in a book and my favorites are: J D Robb’s Peabody and McNab.
Another vote for JD Robb!
Secondary characters enrich a novel, and although they are not essential, do often give a much better understanding of the hero and heroine. I’m so glad your historicals are out there. The best kind of novel – at least for me. Can you tell I ‘lub’ a good historical?
Thanks, Allison! Me, too!
Secondary characters are great! Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld series has some of my favorites 🙂
Haven’t read those, Chelsea. Mabye I’ll give them a try.
Hi Vannesa, congrats for your release of “My Favorite Countess” ^_^
Secondari character is important.Sometimes they can be comic relief, sometimes they annoy the main character or give a wise advice. Without of them, the story will focus only at main characters. Not bad, but it can make people sometimes boring and secondary character usually bring a change or something important to main characters
I have so many favorite secondary characters, usually they are a friends, partner, family or sometimes an enemy! One of my favorite secondary character is Summerset in In Death series by J.D.Robb.. Haha, I know Eve really2 hate him, but without him, Roarke mansion can’t be called home 😉
I think secondary characters make the story a lot more interesting to read. They can add a lot to the story line whether they are the fun loving kind or the more serious type all of it really adds to the story and every once in a while they will steal the story with their personalities. 🙂
I have noticed that lately I feel different about secondary characters. Until recently I was quite bored and impatient with them (of course there were some exceptions): I resented their “screen time” and wanted to get back to see how the story between the H/H would unfold. But lately I find myself enjoying the supporting characters more and more. Don’t know if it is because they are better written or because I am less impatient and more open to see the book as part of the story, but now sometiumes there are some secondary characters I even prefer to the main ones!
I LOVE series: love how characters met in previous books will come back and learn more about them, I LOVE the “interconnectedness” of books in a series.
Sorry for the lengthy answer and Congratulations Vanessa on your release, My Favourite Countess looks and sounds delightful! 🙂
Thank you and have a nice weekend!
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