Behind
the Scenes: A Most Unusual Princess
Book
1 of the “Royal Desires” Series
By
Kelli A. Wilkins
This
“Behind the Scenes” blog is part of a series examining my romance novels. In
each blog, I’ll talk about why I wrote the book, share my thoughts on the plot
and/or characters, and reveal what I loved most (or least) about writing the
book. Warning: Blogs may contain spoilers.
If
you missed any blog in
this series, you can catch up here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/blog
Hi everyone,
Many years ago I wrote A Most Unusual Princess for
the Amber Quill Press “Amber Heat” romance contest. My premise was simple: a
headstrong, spoiled princess has to find a husband. Her father has arranged for
her to meet a lot of eligible bachelors while being watched over by her new bodyguard,
Dalton. (Basically, it’s a medieval style of speed dating.)
Elara is an independent young woman and insists she
doesn’t need a husband. But what she’s really saying is she doesn’t want to be
controlled by a man. She wants to make her own decisions in life and refuses to
allow anyone to tell her what to do. She is an unusual woman for her time—smart,
quick-thinking, and knows what she wants. Or at least she thinks she does... then Dalton enters her life.
Dalton and Elara’s first meet is anything but typical. On his way to the palace, Dalton comes across a young lady bathing herself in a pond... except she’s not exactly bathing. Dalton knows he shouldn’t watch, but he is captivated by the beautiful free-spirited woman. When Elara discovers she is being spied on, she gives Dalton hell and tries to slap him—but he’s not bothered by her actions. In fact, he finds her amusing... and enchanting.
Later, things really heat up when Dalton learns he has
been assigned to watch over Elara while she courts suitors. He is not allowed
to leave her side and decides to make a pest of himself. At first, Elara
resents Dalton for being around her all the time, but over the course of the
story, they realize how compatible they are. Along the way they also discover
how easy it is to share a few forbidden passionate encounters.
When I wrote the novella, I wasn’t exactly sure what
defined erotica, so I decided to spice things up right on the first page. (Believe
it or not, erotica and erotic romances were a new subgenre at the time.) I made
sure to keep the romantic/sexual tension between Dalton and Elara building
throughout the story.
One of the things I liked best about writing the book
was coming up with the different situations for Dalton and Elara to bond over. Each
encounter between them (whether they are arguing or teasing each other) helps
build their relationship and show how well-matched they really are.
Dalton is unmoved by Elara’s tantrums and moodiness and has the ability to settle her down when she gets riled up. (Her calls her “little princess” to annoy her. She insults him by saying he’s “just a bodyguard” to her.)
Dalton isn’t intimated by Elara when she tries to pull
rank on him; instead, he finds it entertaining. The more Elara insists she
doesn’t want a husband, the more she finds herself falling for Dalton. The
longer Dalton stays with Elara, the more he realizes he doesn’t want to lose
her to anyone else. He goes out of his way to protect her and even fights for
her honor—with mixed results.
When I wrote this novella, I had no idea it would be the
first book in a trilogy (collectively the three books are known as the Royal Desires series). Readers fell in
love with the characters and wanted more. Elara and Dalton were fun characters
to write for, and I wanted to explore more of their relationship and give them
new erotic adventures. So I wrote a sequel, A Most Intriguing Temptation.
(I’ll talk more about that book in another blog.) Although
the story is part of a series, it stands alone as an individual read.
A
Most Unusual Princess is still one of my favorite romances
for many reasons. I love the connection and banter between Dalton and Elara. It’s
a lighthearted, humorous, and sexy story. And it’s anything but boring.
I hope you will read the book and fall in love with
Elara and Dalton as much as I did. Here is the summary and links:
A Most Unusual Princess
Princess Elara needs to find a royal husband, but
claims that no man can satisfy her. Her father hires Dalton, a special guard,
to watch over her while she’s courting suitors. Dalton finds her unusual
behaviors charming—and enthralling.
Dalton’s aloof manner intrigues Elara, and despite
their differences, they share tender moments and intimate nighttime encounters.
Elara is heartbroken when her father chooses a “proper” husband for her—until
she meets the mystery man.
The Royal Desires series
is available on Amazon & other platforms. Catch this hot historical/fantasy
trilogy from the start:
Book 1: A Most Unusual Princess:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CBX43D8
All
other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/me00L9
Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-most-unusual-princess
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D8P8604
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/47kkvj
Read reviews
here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-most-intriguing-temptation
Don’t Miss Book 3: A Most Unfortunate Prince:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Most-Unfortunate-Prince-Historical-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B01DMBYJ6E
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/3yPPM6
Read
reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/a-most-unfortunate-prince
I hope you enjoyed
this “Behind the Scenes” look at the making of this romance.
I welcome
questions and comments from readers and other authors. Contact me via the form
on 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 100 short stories, 24 romance novels, and 8 mystery/horror
ebooks. Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare
readers with her horror and mystery stories.
Her twenty-fourth romance, For Love’s Sake, an epic
historical/fantasy romantic adventure, was published in January 2025.
In August 2024, she released Surreal
Escapes, a collection of 7 speculative/spooky stories. Anything can—and
does—happen in this anthology.
Kelli also released her fourth gay romance, A
Thousand Summer Secrets, in 2024. This tender contemporary romance
takes place over a summer weekend, where two friends reconnect while seeking
love and acceptance.
She published The Route 9 Killer, a
mystery/thriller set in Central NJ, in 2023.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
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