prince harry

Modern Royal Family Scandals

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How I’m Inspired by Modern Royal Family Scandals

 My next book – The Royal Bodyguard – is the second book featuring the Royal House of Laurent in the fictional European nation of Drieden. The main character in this book is Caroline, the former princess of Drieden. You may remember mentions of her in The Royal Runaway. She’s Thea’s sister, who eloped with a Formula One driver and had her title revoked.

SCANDAL!

To find out what happened to her and why she’s single and ready to mingle with a former bodyguard, you’ll have to read the book and find out. #sorrynotsorry

But I will disclose that I enjoyed poking around the histories of modern European families for inspiration while writing of the Driedish royals’ many affaires du coeur.

In fact, nearly every major European royal family has had some pearl-clutching moments in the past century – and not the kind that they’re trying to drum up against our beloved American princess, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. (That time she wore a messy bun! Or sent emails in the morning! Or that time she dared to be pregnant at another person’s wedding! OMG. How will the monarchy ever survive such a dreadful person? /sarcasm font)

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In Britain’s own history, let’s just recall that not one hundred years ago, they had a king renounce his throne to marry his divorcee American mistress (Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson, later the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.)

And let’s just conveniently forget that same king and his wife were Nazi sympathizers, shall we?

One of the best things about the Netflix series, The Crown, is that it is reminding us of the complete and total messiness of Princess Margaret – her ill-fated affair with a married Royal Air Force Officer and then her marriage to a commoner (later the Earl of Snowden) who had affairs with men and women, which is totally fine – except when you’re married to the Queen’s only sister. 

Really, almost all the Windsors have been messier than Meghan Markle’s favorite hairstyle. Prince Charles dated Lady Sarah Spencer then married her little sister, Diana, then had a long-term affair with another old girlfriend (Camilla) who he then married (and really, I’m happy for those two kids. Just wish so many people hadn’t been hurt along the way, you know?)

And do we have to talk about the Yorks? Andrew’s soft porn actress girlfriend and the Duchess of York’s toes being sucked look positively innocent and sweet compared to the nastiness of the Duke of York’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

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(Someone! Quick! Mention that Meghan Markle didn’t curtsy or hold her purse in the correct position to distract us from possible pedophilia accusations!)

I could go on and on about the Windsors but cross the channel and we find more and more scandalous royal stories fit to be written about in novels.

I’m sure someone would tell me that it is “unrealistic” in this day and age for a monarch to have not one, but multiple secret babies with girlfriends and mistresses. However… have you met Prince Albert of Monaco? The press has reported about two illegitimate royal babies but there’s always whispered speculation about more….

And in my books, Caroline’s titles are stripped when she elopes with a handsome race car driver, Stavros. Is that unrealistic? Not so much. Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf removed his sister’s, Princess Christina, HRH status when she married a commoner (and the same thing had been done to their other two sisters by their father) yet two years later, he married a German (non-royal) interpreter and gave her the title of Her Majesty Queen Silvia. All three of his children, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine have married commoners as well (a personal trainer, a reality star and a businessman, respectively.) They’re all beautiful and have good hair and no one ever mentions that Queen Silvia’s father *might* have joined the Nazi party at one point anymore, okay?

The wedding of Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia. No, not that one.

The wedding of Prince Carl Phillip and Princess Sofia. No, not that one.

In fact, there seem to be just as many commoners in royal households as people who were manor-born and these real-life stories are so inspirational to me, a writer of royal romance. When Norwegian Crown Prince Harald met the love of his life in 1968, a commoner named Sonja, King Haakon reportedly had serious misgivings. But Harald declared that if he could not have Sonja, he would not marry anyone which would have effectively ended the Norwegian monarchy because he was the only heir to the throne.

A story fit for a romance novel, right?

King Harald’s oldest child, Princess Martha Louise, announced in the Spring of 2019 that she had found love as well. Actually, her exact words were, “her twin flame.” Sounds spiritual, doesn’t it? Rightfully so, since her twin flame is a celebrity shaman.

Y’all. I don’t think even I could make this stuff up.

The queens of the Netherlands and Denmark and Spain were all born commoners as well. Queen Letizia of Spain was a television journalist and divorced and supposedly she and King Felipe dated secretly just like Harry and Meghan did!

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Similarly, Crown Prince Fredrick of Denmark met his Australian wife, Mary while at the 2000 Summer Olympics and flew back in forth in secret for over a year to see her until the press discovered them. (JUST LIKE HARRY AND MEGHAN.)

And finally, let’s talk about one of my absolute favorite royals: the woman formerly known as Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti.

Yes.

The one. The only. Queen Máxima.

The story goes, that when Máxima met then-Prince Willem-Alexander he only introduced himself as Alexander and didn’t tell her he was a prince until he knew if they would keep seeing each other. Their road to a picture perfect royal HEA was bumpy when the press discovered that Máxima’s father was an Argentine cabinet minister at the same time a bunch of people were rounded up, killed or disappeared. Ouch. Her parents weren’t even allowed to come to their wedding because of the… (dum dum DUM!) SCANDALO!

The Dutch royal family. heart eyes

The Dutch royal family. heart eyes

When I read all this, I almost wonder if I haven’t gone far enough in my books! Maybe that’s why one blogger called The Royal Runaway “completely unrealistic.” Maybe I should have included more toe sucking and illegitimate kids and shady foreign connections.

Maybe I will fix that in the next book…

 

If you love royal romance and scandal, check out my Royal books here. (And pre-order THE ROYAL BODYGUARD!)

And follow my Facebook page for more royal fashion and discussion every Friday.

AND!

If you want more behind the scenes peeks at my writing and free snippets and chapters of my books, you are invited to join the Inner Circle - my newsletter with all the juicy stuff.

See you there!

Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I could receive a few coins for posting them. As always, thank you for your support and encouragement!

Best Books to GIVE Now - 2018 Holiday Gift Edition

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Last year I selected six books that would make excellent gifts for anyone and I decided to sort-of continue the tradition this year. I’m editing the list this year to only focus on the books I think my readers would enjoy.  I picked three non-fiction books and three novels that portray smart, full-hearted women who are defining their place in the world.

The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson


I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this and I have not stopped talking about it. From the author of the “Unleashing Mr. Darcy” series (you may know them from Hallmark movies),  Teri Wilson’s book about a beauty pageant is thoroughly funny, entertaining and romantic and would be perfect for teen/college aged readers on up.

Amazon || Apple Books

Any excuse for a Miss Congeniality GIF

Any excuse for a Miss Congeniality GIF

And this one too!

And this one too!

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Amazon || Apple Books

So technically this book doesn’t come out until January 8, 2019 but do yourself (and the reader you love) a favor and pre-order it. It’s a fantastic story about the inspiring women  who protected London during World War II and their heartbreak, sacrifice and friendships.  

 

There are no funny GIFs about WWII and the Blitz but this one came up when I searched for “Women Fighting Nazis” so I guess it will do…

There are no funny GIFs about WWII and the Blitz but this one came up when I searched for “Women Fighting Nazis” so I guess it will do…

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Amazon || Apple Books

I’ve always followed politics and probably knew of Barack Obama before a lot of people had heard of him. I remember there was a column I read about how his wife, Michelle, was far more successful and accomplished than he, and that if he were to run for President, they expected her to be the first candidate’s wife to keep her job. Of course, she ended up being a fairly traditional and active First Lady but that original impression of her always stuck with me – that she was the brains in the marriage.  I am very excited to read (and give!) this memoir to learn more about this half of the former White House power couple.

Any excuse for my favorite world leader friendship GIF…

Any excuse for my favorite world leader friendship GIF…

Together – Our Community Cookbook – HRH The Duchess of Sussex

Amazon

When I heard about this cookbook project, I knew I would love it. It supports a community of women who banded together to provide fresh food to their neighbors after a horrific tragedy. And it was announced by The Duchess of Sussex at an event where Prince Harry was caught stealing samosas so what’s not to love? (Watch it here)

Speaking of stealing food… turnabout’s fair play…

Speaking of stealing food… turnabout’s fair play…

Whiskey in a Tea Cup by Reese Witherspoon

Amazon || Apple Books

I don’t buy every celebrity memoir, but I love the ones from celebrities I adore (usually the funny smart women – Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, Shonda Rhimes). So of course Reese Witherspoon’s book instantly made the cut. Part memoir, part lifestyle guide, it reminds me of all the quirky things about being a modern Southern woman. We may be educated, independent businesswomen, but some rules about etiquette and fashion and food are still deeply ingrained in us. This book would be a great gift to anyone who loves Elle Woods.

Any excuse for an Elle Woods quote…

Any excuse for an Elle Woods quote…

The Royal Runaway

Yes, my book IS the perfect Christmas gift for your girlfriends, daughters and sisters who fell head over heels during the royal weddings in 2018.  The book is a blend of mystery, adventure, and romance so there’s something for every type of reader!

Amazon || BN.Com || Simon & Schuster ||Apple || Amazon UK || Kobo

Any excuse for a royal wedding clip….

Any excuse for a royal wedding clip….

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Best Books to Read Now - September 2016

Reminder/ Caveat/ Disclaimer: This is my (hopefully) monthly list of books I’ve read and enjoyed. These are not reviews, I do not include books I didn’t enjoy because life is too short to speak badly of books!

Dream a Little Dream

by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

dream-a-little-dream

dream-a-little-dream

This is the first SEP book that made me cry. Again. And again. And over. and over.

Let me back up a few. When I join a book club, I lay down my first rule: no hurting kids stories. I don't care how uplifting they turn out, if there's an abused or murdered kid, I'm out.

So it should be no surprise that it was the KID in this book that made me sob.  And really, it wasn't so much the kid as his mother, who loves him so desperately that she's willing to go to desperate measures to provide him food, shelter and clothing.

Even with the tears, do I recommend it? Yes. It has more pain than most SEP books (with a widower hero, to match the widow heroine), but it also has all the feels, the funny and a few Chicago Stars - my favorite.

A Scot in the Dark

, by Sarah MacLean

scot-in-the-dark

scot-in-the-dark

The first few chapters of this book were fine. And if you think I'm speaking badly of this book, please remember that it's written by Sarah MacLean and a "fine" Sarah MacLean novel is better than 98% of all books.

I'm just warning you. It's a fine story about a forgotten ward and the Scottish duke who discovers he's her guardian. And then. ...Slowly, deliberately, artfully, Ms. MacLean began to slice and dice my heart with a Scottish broadsword and stuff it into a sheep's intestine and call it haggis, #romancelandia style.

A SCOT IN THE DARK comes very close to my favorite Maclean (That would be

NO GOOD DUKE GOES UNPUNISHED

) (and yes, savvy Sarah Mac fans will note similarities between the Diluted Duke and the Killer Duke and therefore deduce my preferences in heroes - growly, damaged and often violent.)  I also loved the bright spots of humor and banter that balance the torturous haggis o'heartbreak. Also? SESILY NEEDS A BOOK, SARAH!!

Me and the ever-awesome Sarah Maclean

That's me plying Sarah with alcohol so she'll write me a Sesily story.

The Governess was Wicked, by Julia Kelly

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book-1_-the-governess-was-wicked

As observant readers will remember, Julia Kelly is a friend of mine and I was able to scoop up an exclusive advanced reading copy of this book in July at RWA.  Observant readers will also recall that I've been devouring non-traditional historical romance for this whole year, and THE GOVERNESS WAS WICKED fits right into that.  The heroine is a governess, of course. The hero? A doctor.  And a whole heck of a lot of clandestine sexual tension between two people who are supposed to be very good role models.   Scoop this one up quickly (it's on sale for $.99!), because the next two in the Governess series (Wild and Wanton) will be released in the next TWO months.

Julia Kelly is unique among historical romance authors because she has dual citizenship in both the U.S. and U.K. She graciously agreed to provide my readers with this exclusive, insightful and delightful quick BRITISH Q&A w/ Julia.

Austen or Bronte?

Tough one, but I’m going to have to say Austen. Although it feels like I’m betraying governesses by picking her over Charlotte Bronte and Jane Eyre, Persuasion has been one of my favorite books since I read it in high school. Every time I go back to it I find some other insight that fits another stage of my life.

Sherlock or Poirot?

Another hard one! I was raised on both series of books and TV shows. Choosing one feels wrong. Kind of like this:

sherlock

sherlock

If I have to choose, I’d say it’s Sherlock by a hair. He’s a fascinating character, and I really enjoy watching how different actors have interpreted him in so many different ways.

Sorry Poirot.

poirot

poirot

Afternoon tea or ale at the pub?

This is a little easier. An ale at the pub, please. I love pubs and the little communities that surround them.

Also, although I’m a staunch tea drinker I’m actually not crazy about high tea (which is how I interpreted this question). It all stems from having been a waitress in a rather stuffy tea shop before going off to college. I used to have to wear a frilled cap and a pinafore that was a pain to keep clean, starched, and ironed. The one benefit was that developed asbestos hands that can still stand very hot water.

Favorite British historical period?

If you think about it, the Victorian era was an amazing period. You could have been born at the beginning of Victoria’s reign in 1837 and by her death in 1901 have watched the railways and manufacturing boom, the installation of electric lights on the streets of London, the explosion of print media like books and newspapers, and the invention of the telephone.

For a writer, it also is helpful that the Victorian era is a time of social shifts with the rising industrialist classes clashing with members of the aristocracy who struggled to maintain their fortunes in a changing Britain. It’s full of material to write about, and it doesn’t hurt that the frocks were pretty too.

Favorite British tourist spot?

Although I grew up in Los Angeles, my parents relocated to London and live right by Hyde Park. When I go there for the holidays I love taking the dogs for walks in the park. On some mornings you can still see riders exercising their horses along Rotten Row just like a Victorian gentleman would have.

Favorite undiscovered (by Americans) spot in the UK

There were two things I did on my last trip to Edinburgh that I thought were wonderful and I never would’ve known about if my sister and her boyfriend didn’t live there. One was taking a boat called the Maid of the Forth out to Inchcolm Island. There’s a ruined abbey you can climb to the top of if you’ve got a strong stomach for slippery, narrow staircases. There’s also World War I and II defenses on the island, but I went during nesting season for gulls. Here’s what happens when you try to walk by a gull’s nest:

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I also paid a visit to the Assembly Rooms on George Street. It’s an imposing Classical building with a grand Georgian interior. I actually gasped when I walked into the ballroom which still has its massive original mirrors and chandeliers. I desperately want to set a scene in a historical romance in that beautiful space.

Music you listened to while writing Governess was Wicked (or series)

I’m not much of a music listener while I’m drafting, but I rely on it to keep me on track while editing. For the Governess series I listened to a lot of dreamy ballads like Beyonce’s “Superpower” and Hozier’s “Work Song” as well as big, joyful songs like Ellie Goulding’s “Love Me Like You Do” which is the stuff of happy endings.

Will Liverpool win the 2016-17 EFL Cup?

For those who don’t know, I’m a big soccer fan and wake up too early some Saturday mornings to Liverpool play.

To answer your question, Lindsay, I wish that Liverpool could pull out a league-winning season but, I think it’s too optimistic to believe the manager, Jurgen Klopp, can turn around a team that’s hovered at mid-table for so long. He needs time to reshape Liverpool to his own system, and I just hope that the club has enough faith in him to allow him the time he needs to pull it off.

For now, let’s just look at GIFs of the adorkable giant German nerd of a man that is Jurgen:

jurgen-3

jurgen-3

jurgen-2

jurgen-2

jurgen-1

jurgen-1

Favorite Britishism

There are so many! I lived in Manchester while studying abroad which isn’t far from Liverpool where my mother’s family is from. I still miss everyone from bus drivers to the ladies in the school cafeteria calling me “love,” and starting off every conversation with “You alright?” (which sounds a lot more like “Y’alrite?”)

I also love (and believe) that the appropriate reaction to any crisis is to put the kettle on and make a cup of tea.

Favorite Royal

Is there really an answer other than Harry? Here, look at this BuzzFeed article of him playing with dogs and tell me I’m wrong.

So here’s the deal. The man is a former wild child who served in the military and now does a lot of high-profile charity work for children and wounded veterans. Harry’s also faces a lot less pressure than William who stands to inherit the crown — something I’m not at all interested in. He’s also handsome, seems intelligent, and fun.

Plus the man dances like this which just makes me giggle:

prince-harry

prince-harry

Thank you Julia! You answered all the questions correctly, especially the last.

Interested in winning Julia's book, mine, or tons of other prizes?  Julia (and friends) have put together a huge Rafflecopter giveaway to celebrate the release of THE GOVERNESS WAS WICKED.  Enter today and as always, let me know here, on Twitter or Facebook what books you're loving!

prince harry

prince harry

Best Books to Read Now

There's a phenomenon that many authors experience, where reading for pleasure becomes difficult, if not obsolete. This can be for various reasons, whether we don't have the time, or we can't turn off the inner critic. I'm still reading, but I have to admit, it's not the easy, loving relationship I used to have with books.  I know the pain of writing a book and, I'll be honest, my reading time is limited.  If I'm not clicking with something, I'm a lot quicker to put a book in the DNF (Did Not Finish) pile than I've ever been.

But there are so many books out there that still make me sigh and squeal.  I've been to several book-y events this year where the whole table just starts gabbing about their favorite authors and such and it's the best.  There's a joy in book talk, in finding your people to book talk with.

So to combat the book ennui and remind myself of the things that I love about reading, I decided to start a (hopefully) monthly post about books I've read.

PLEASE NOTE: This will NOT be a review post, per se. If I do not like a book, or do not finish it, I won't write about it here.  My taste is my taste and I respect authors too much to write negatively about their work.

I put together a list of four books that I've read recently and strangely, I noticed they fit into two very distinct categories.

ROYAL BOOKS

The Royal We

-  by Jessica Morgan and Heather Cocks 

royal we

royal we

I've been a long-time reader of

Go Fug Yourself

, a hilarious fashion blog by these two authors (and their intern George (Clooney, that sweetheart). This book is essentially a fictionalized account of Prince William and Duchess Catherine's romance, except in the book the heroine is an American exchange student who meets the heir to the throne whilst studying abroad at Oxford which is a super awesome fantasy that no girl in America ever has. *cough*

I would not call this a "romance" in the usual sense. Because it's essentially Wills and Kate (Nick and Bex in the book), we know they're getting married and having cherubic royal babies.  The behind the scenes drama with the Pippa- like sister had me raging and the peek into the fashion reinvention of a princess was fun and fascinating.

This book would be an excellent movie and SURPRISE!

It will be!

  My girl Lorelai, I mean Lauren Graham will be writing the screenplay and her onscreen daughter (not Rory, the other one) Mae Whitman will be starring.  LOVE. Can't wait for that.

(Oooh. Just noticed that they have the

first seven (7) chapters for free

on Amazon if you want a deluxe sample.)

A Royal Pain

- by Megan Mulry

royal pain

royal pain

After I finished The Royal We, I decided I wanted a little more royal romance so I opened up A Royal Pain, which I've had on my TBR (To Be Read) pile FOR-EVER.  Megan has been tremendously supportive of me and I adored her last contemporary release so I couldn't wait to get into her back list.  If you like to read about the glamourous life, pick up a Megan Mulry book. Her descriptions of Valentino gowns, wines that I'll never be able to afford and ducal jewels kept in locked vaults are nearly as sexy as the... well, super-sexy scenes.

HISTORICAL ROMANCES

The Suffragette Scandal

 - by Courtney Milan

suffragette

suffragette

This is book four of the Brothers Sinister series and I have no idea why I waited so long to read this. I flew through probably six or seven of Milan's books, the first three from this series and then her other series but not this one. Maybe I was sick or something. ANYWAY, I finally got to the story of Fredericka "Free" Marshall and it, like all of Milan's historicals is like a breath of fresh air. I don't know what it is, the Victorian time period, the forward thinking characters, the precise prose, but if you love historical romance or if you're looking for a nice romantic companion to a

Meryl Streep movie

 check this one out.

W

hen A Scot Ties A Knot 

-by Tessa Dare

scot ties knot

scot ties knot

If I could, I would compose a sonnet full of my love for Tessa Dare books (unless that's creepy. Is that creepy?) I know I've posted on Facebook about her books and when someone wants a historical romance recommendation, Tessa is one of the top authors I recommend. I was lucky enough to spend some time with the fabulous Ms. Dare at a recent event and she is lovely, literate and can make you laugh AND cry - in a speech as well as in her books!

tessa bnr

tessa bnr

I cried during this book, and it wasn't even at the half way mark. It was a good cry, there were good laughs. It's just plain good.  If the title doesn't hook you, Tessa recently did

an  Avon podcast

where she talked a little about her books and the plot .

I just noticed another theme with all these books.  They're all set in Britain, mostly. Huh. Strange.

Alright, I'd love to hear what books you've loved and what you recommend to other readers. I have a HUGE TBR pile  but I can always add on!

Cheerio!

prince harry

prince harry