Spotlight on… The
Royal Desires Series
By Kelli
A. Wilkins
Hi everyone,
Today I’m sharing an inside look at the
making of the Royal Desires Series.
This trilogy of historical/fantasy romances is made up of A Most
Unusual Princess, A Most Intriguing Temptation,
and A Most Unfortunate Prince. Together,
they are a fun series, but each story stands alone as a separate read. Why? Because when I wrote A Most Unusual Princess, I never knew I
was writing a trilogy.
I’ve been asked how I
plotted the series. Did I use note cards to keep track of each character’s
description? Did I make an overall outline of the whole trilogy, and then write
each book?
Nope. The truth is… I just
wrote the story that was in my head. I didn’t intend to write a trilogy—it
kinda happened on its own. (With a lot of typing on my part, of course!) I
wrote each book by itself, with its own setting and theme, apart from the book
that came before. So, although they share characters, each book can be read
apart from the others.
A
Most Unusual Princess is a sensual
novella about unruly and willful Princess Elara, and Dalton, the handsome (and
incredibly patient) guard tasked with protecting her while she searches for a
suitable husband. The book is a unique blend of comedy, human drama, and
romance. It’s also the first fantasy romance I ever wrote—and it was a lot
of fun.
I liked the idea of
following a very headstrong and spoiled Princess Elara as she looked for a
husband. From the outset, we learn that
Elara is an opinionated young woman who is used to getting her own way. When
Dalton innocently catches Elara doing something very unladylike, the
Dalton-Elara love/hate/love relationship is born.
I enjoyed writing Dalton and Elara’s
story and fell in love with them. I never expected I’d visit these characters
again, but not long after completing A
Most Unusual Princess, I knew Dalton needed his own book, so I wrote A Most Intriguing Temptation.
A Most Intriguing Temptation
focuses on the theme
of fidelity. Elara wants to test Dalton’s loyalty, so she masquerades as a
sultry kharim girl in a pleasure
palace. Naturally, she gets in over her head and into big trouble. I took Elara
out of her element and gave her new challenges and experiences. We also got to
see a different side to Dalton’s character and learned about his weaknesses and
desires.
When I wrote A Most Intriguing Temptation, I
introduced readers to Prince Allan. He’s basically the male version of his
sister, Princess Elara—hedonistic, selfish, and utterly wild at times. I had fun
creating the character and enjoyed setting him free in a pleasure palace completely
without limitations. I soon realized that Allan needed a book of his own, so I
wrote A Most Unfortunate Prince. (Several readers also asked me if Allan’s story would be
told, and I was happy to oblige!)
But before I wrote a word,
I knew that Allan was going to have to face the music for his bad behavior. At
the start of the book (yes, right there on page 1) Allan is banished for his
actions stemming from A Most Intriguing
Temptation. His father kicks him out into the real world alone and broke,
and he’s forced to make his own way in life.
I decided to take this
carefree, roguish prince and turn his world upside down. I asked myself: How
bad can you make things for him? He has nothing: no food, no fancy clothes,
certainly no job skills, and no real sense of identity. He had lived a pampered
life where everything was handed to him on a silver platter (literally), and
now was in for a rude awakening. I really put the screws to poor Allan, and at
times left him broken, sad, and utterly miserable.
Over the course of the
book, Allan suffers life’s lessons at the hands of his evil employer and falls
in love—twice. The story introduces us to Claudette, a sassy seamstress who
fancies Allan and helps him adjust to the life of a commoner. Once a carefree womanizer,
Allan discovers a secret side to himself, and through his relationship with
Claudette, he learns what is truly important in life. And to round things out,
a more settled Elara and Dalton also appear in the book and help wind up the series.
I enjoyed writing each of
these books. It was fun to create the characters, give them unique adventures,
and complicate their lives—all in the name of love. Although these are
historical/fantasy romances, there’s enough spicy love scenes, adventure,
drama, sadness, and humor to keep readers of all genres entertained and
enthralled.
Read the Royal Desires Series from the start:
If you’ve read the trilogy,
let me know what you think. What was your favorite book? Which scenes did you
like best? Readers can contact me via the email address on the “News” page of
my site or on social media.
Happy Reading!
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more
than 95 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 5 non-fiction books. Her romances
span many genres and heat levels.
In 2016 Kelli is re-releasing her romances previously published by
Amber Quill Press. Visit her website and blog for a full title list, book
summaries, and other information as it becomes available.
Her writing book, You Can Write—Really! A Beginner’s Guide to
Writing Fiction is a fun and informative non-fiction guide based on her
15 years of experience as a writer. It’s filled with writing exercises and
helpful tips all authors can use.
If you like to be scared, check out Kelli’s horror ebooks: Dead
Til Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse.
Kelli posts on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and Twitter: www.Twitter.com/KWilkinsauthor. She also writes a weekly blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/.
Visit her website, www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings, read book excerpts,
reviews, and more. Readers can sign up for her newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb.
CATCH UP WITH KELLI
Here are a few
links to find Kelli & her writings on the web
2 comments:
I love the covers and what a fun concept for a series! I wish you all the best!
Thanks! The graphic artist I had design them is very talented!
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