In response to question #1, No. Reloading a crossbow is a move-equivalent action, and a full-round action for a heavy one. Even a character with multiple attacks per round cannot shoot a crossbow any quicker than one shot/round for a hand and light, and every other for a heavy. The 3.5 rules helped out the crossbow person in that there's a feat called rapid reload that enables a crossbow person to be able to load a hand or light crossbow as a free action, just like bows. A heavy crossbow gets loaded as a move-equiv action. I believe that this feat is also in the cleric splat-book as well (song & silence?), and should be an option here if you wanted it when you receive your next feat.
As far as a better prestige class for you, I would have to check out the other books again, but nothing comes to my mind that stands out right now.

When you have a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.
-Some forgotten Dwarf-