Vanessa is an award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association,
as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set
historical romances have been nominated for awards in a number of contests, and
her second book, Sex and The Single Earl, won the
prestigious Maggie Medallion for
Best Historical Romance. Her current series, The Renegade Royals,
is a national bestseller. Vanessa also writes USA Today Bestselling
contemporary romance with her husband under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.
Please give Vanessa a warm welcome!
Please give Vanessa a warm welcome!
Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun
Remember those Doublemint gum commercials? They always
starred attractive female twins getting up to some kind of trouble—usually of
the male persuasion. Then there was the Patty Duke show, which showcased
identical twin cousins (both played by Patty, of course) who had completely
different personalities. And accents. Those two gals were full of hijinks, switching
identities and fooling all the poor saps too dumb to see through the ruse.

And then there’s the almost mystical element that often
enters into the relationship between twins. There’s a great deal of research
and anecdotal evidence to suggest that twins are connected on a very deep,
almost psychic level, knowing when something bad is happening to the other twin
even when physically separated by hundreds of miles. They can communicate on a
level that defies any sort of rational explanation.
In my latest historical romance, How to Plan a Wedding for a Royal
Spy, my heroine is an identical twin.
Evelyn Whitney and her sister, Eden, are absolutely devoted to each
other. They share each other’s looks, thoughts, and very often feelings—they
also share each other’s bad eyesight. When dressed identically, very few can
tell them apart, even when they speak.
But Evelyn and Eden are very different in how they deal with
the world. Evelyn is a shy, thoughtful young woman who hates being the center
of attention and has no problem wearing spectacles—even though it means the
rest of the world labels her as a bluestocking and spinster. In fact, she
rather prefers that, since it means that most people will leave her alone. Her
sister, on the other hand, is confident, flirtatious, athletic (despite her bad
eyesight), and has a bevy of suitors a block long trailing after her. In terms
of how they approach their circle of family and friends, they’re as different
as chalk and cheese.
That’s also the case with their love lives, too.
Evelyn has long been in love with Captain Will Endicott, her
childhood sweetheart and the man who broke her heart. When Will mysteriously
and suddenly comes back into her life, Evelyn is determined to keep her
distance—both physically and emotionally. Will, of course, has other plans, but
Evelyn is having none of it. There is no way, no how, she’s going to let Will
mess up her life again—no matter how much, deep down, she might want to. She’s
just too cautious to let anything like that happen again.
Eden, of course, knows that Evelyn is still in love with
Will, and thinks her twin should give the poor man a second chance. She thinks
Evelyn should throw off her wallflower persona and get into a little trouble
with Will—the kind that involves long carriage rides and walks in the park, and
maybe even a little kissing. After all, what could really go wrong?
Lots, as it turns out. After all, Will is not only tall,
handsome, and smart, he’s also a military intelligence agent—one who’s been
ordered to spy on Evelyn, who finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a deadly
conspiracy. Will and Evelyn are going to end up in a lot of trouble, the kind
that calls for some pretty bold action (and kissing).
And that’s when Evelyn discovers that she’s a lot more like
her brash and self-confident twin than she ever thought possible. Everyone
including Will is surprised by that development—everyone, of course, except
Eden! But I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise, should it?
Do you know any twins
or two people who seem connected on another level that defies explanation? Or
have you ever had that sort of relationship with someone in your life? Tell me
about it! One person who comments will win a copy of the first two books in The
Renegades Royals Series: Secrets for
Seducing a Royal Bodyguard and Confessions
of a Royal Bridegroom.
Whether
as spies or lovers, the Renegade Royals—illegitimate sons of England’s Royal
Princes—are bold, skillful, and a force to be reckoned with…
A war hero
returned from Waterloo should be able to indulge in a bit of bad behavior.
Instead, Captain William Endicott is summoned by his father, the Duke of York,
to investigate an assassination plot. The unlikely suspect: William’s former
sweetheart. Will can’t believe that innocent Evie Whitney could be mixed up in
anything so nefarious. Then again, almost everything about Evie has
changed—except for his body’s instinctive response to hers…
Just as
Evie’s life is finally coming together, Will saunters back into it. Should she
slap him—or seduce him? Even as she tries to decide, scandal pushes her toward
marriage with a man she can neither trust nor resist—and into the heart of a
deadly conspiracy…
Buy links: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com/books/spy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanessaKellyAut
Congratulations on the new book Vanessa! We knew an older couple some years ago who were so adorable together. Their affection and devotion for each other was so nice to see.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing older couples like that. Really warms my heart. :)
DeleteThanks so much for hosting me, ladies! It's always an immense pleasure to be here with you and your readers!
ReplyDeleteIt's always a pleasure to have you here! I'm looking forward to reading the new book. I've had such fun with your Renegade Royals!
DeleteSo glad you enjoying them, my dear!
DeleteMy husband and my father can't figure out how my mom & I can have a conversation without finishing the sentences.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think moms and daughters can have a very close and special relationship like that.
DeleteI have heard a lot about it, and have seen instances from various studies where twins who have been separated their entire lives have had amazing similarities, but don't know any personally.
ReplyDeleteThe research on it is very cool, clynsg!
DeleteMy niece's oldest two are twin boys, now in college. They are identicals and in many ways very much alike but like siblings, sometimes you can see how opposite they can be too.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's true, catslady. I had fun playing with those elements of identity.
DeleteCongratulations on the new release. I know two sets of twins, but they're not identical. You hear stories of twins heightened senses about the other, but I haven't seen examples of it.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun to see it in action, Kim!
DeleteCongrats on your new release. My mother had a twin brother, I am not sure how much they were in sensing things about each other.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to know, Quilt Lady!
DeleteCongrats to Vanessa on the newest release! I don't know any twins but I remember always wanting one. I loooooved The Parent Trap (the original w/ Hailey Mills) when I was younger :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of the original Parent Trap, erin. I love stumbling upon it on TV. :)
Deletehave twin nieces, while they have some similar personality traits, there's plenty about them that's night vs day from looks, to taste, to personality too
ReplyDeleteI know twins like that too. Though they are identical, their personalities are very different.
Deletemy cousin and I are a lot alike. Not quite the twin thing, but close enough. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book, Vanessa! My sister is 11 years younger than me. I went away to college at 18, so we didn't really "grow up" together. We now live in different states & only see each other once a year. However, we love the same movies & can quote lines. We connect on an emotional level & have empathy for each other's situations. We can have a conversation as if we just saw each other yesterday.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Vanessa!
ReplyDeleteI know a couple of twins that when one got pregnant the other could swear she felt when the baby moved! It was kind of weird and amazing at the same time! LOL
JoannaM
There's a set of twins with whom I have been friends with since middle school. Even though they now live in different states they still have that connection. It's pretty amusing when they make almost identical posts on Facebook at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading How To Plan A Wedding For A Royal Spy!
I've always been fascinated by twins and the close bond they share, but I don't know any twins personally. My sister and I have a pretty close bond, we like a lot of the same things, but it isn't anything like what you hear about with twins. :D
ReplyDeleteI don't know any twins, but my parents were beautiful to watch. They knew each other most of their lives & were married for 66+ years.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I had a very close bond. We often thought the same things at the same time and often spoke the same words at the same time as well.
ReplyDeleteCongrats Vanessa on this newest release. I can't wait to read this. Twins always make the story so much more exciting I think. My masts Mom & Dad had known each other since theey were both 14 and had the ability to feel when one or the other was distressed whenever apart . Which was rare. They were married almost 60 years when Mom passed away and Dad followed a couple years. Later.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
No twins. I'm close to my older sister.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book, HOW TO PLAN A WEDDING FOR A ROYAL SPY. This is certainly a series I will be reading. I like a bit of intrigue in stories, and reunion stories are a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI think many children start life with the ability to connect with others. It isn't really understood or accepted in most instances. Children learn to hide or ignore it rather than nurture it. On the night before my 4th or 5th birthday, I dreamed of my uncle who was fighting in Korea. I saw him killed on the battlefield. The next day I told my parents and was punished for upsetting everyone. My grandparents got the telegram informing them of his death that afternoon. Needless to say, I kept my premonitions to myself after that. My husband and I have a fairly good connection. I sense when things have happened or are going to happen with him. It is also true with our children and other relatives. I often know the phone will ring minutes before a call, and who it will be. Who knows what causes this and how much more receptive we would all be if it was more acceptable and nurtured.
Not entering contest, just adding my recommendation, love this series, now just starting in on the latest.
ReplyDeleteI have an aunt and uncle who are twins, never heard them talk much about any special bonds and of course wasn't around when they were young, lol. though, I did grow up and go to school with two girls who were twins, and yes those two could communicate without words, and had lots of fun fooling people a lot as even their personalities were very similar most of the time.