Today's Special - - Q&A with Vanessa Kelly

I'm delighted to welcome Vanessa Kelly back to The Romance Dish today. Vanessa's new release, The Highlander's Princess Bride brings her popular Improper Princesses trilogy to a close and at the same time, introduces a new family of characters who will be at the heart of her next series. I have loved this trilogy which includes two of my all-time favorite Kelly heroines plus adventure, romance, and sigh-worthy happy endings. Vanessa Kelly continues to get better and better with each book she writes. If you enjoy humor, heart, adventure, and romance set within a family of Highlander brothers in need of taming, I highly recommend The Highlander's Princess Bride. 

Welcome back, Vanessa! It’s always a pleasure to host you here at the Dish.

PJ, thank you for hosting me! The Romance Dish has always been one of my favorite spots in Romancelandia.

I’m so excited about the recent release of The Highlander’s Princess Bride. It’s one of my all-time favorite Vanessa Kelly books. Please tell our readers what they should expect from this story.

I’m SO glad you enjoyed it! THE HIGHLANDER’S PRINCESS BRIDE is book 3 in my Improper Princesses Series, which features heroines who are the illegitimate daughters of English royalty. My heroine, Victoria Knight, is the offspring of the Prince Regent himself—and a barmaid. Victoria is also a governess and a devoted teacher, and wants nothing more from life than to establish her own teaching seminary for young ladies. Fate and a murder charge put her on a different course, however, straight to the Highlands and the arms of Nicholas Kendrick, the Earl of Arnprior.

The book is basically a mash-up of the classic movie musicals Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Sound of Music. Victoria finds herself trying to manage a household of rambunctious Highland men, all while falling in love with Nick, the oldest brother. There is also an irascible Scottish grandfather, some very bad doggies, and a scary villain. In other words…romance and mayhem!

I didn't realize you intended the book to be a mash-up of two of my favorite musicals until after reading it but it's a description that fits this story perfectly.

I adored Victoria. She and Gillian top my list of favorite Kelly heroines. Is Victoria the last of the improper princesses or will we be meeting more?

This book is actually a spin-off to a new series called Clan Kendrick, which will feature Nick’s brothers as heroes. But there very well might be novellas featuring more Improper Princesses or their male cousins and half-brothers, The Renegade Royals. I really enjoy writing about these characters, and would like to visit them again.

Nick captured my heart right along with Victoria’s. Who’s the last hero (not written by you) that captured yours? What made him special?

I absolutely adore Michael, Lord Acton, the hero of the Doyle and Acton Series by Anne Cleeland. This is a fabulous mystery series featuring a VERY different sort of hero. Acton is mysterious, brilliant, absolutely devoted to Doyle, and more than a bit crazy—or as Doyle calls him, slightly “bent”. I’m in awe of Cleeland’s writing and I was captivated by the unusual love story she created with these characters. Acton has got to be one of the most loyal and devoted heroes in fiction!

I'm so excited you're planning stories for Nick's brothers. I’ve fallen in love with the Kendrick family. Who's up first? 

The first book in the Clan Kendrick Series will be out in Nov. 2018. It’s Royal’s story, and it’s called THE HIGHLANDER WHO PROTECTED ME. Big, bad Logan is up after that…and then I have to figure out who goes next!

You and your husband also write together as V.K. Sykes. Do the two of you have any new books in the works?

We’re currently working on another baseball romance in The Philadelphia Patriots Series. Hubby is also waiting on me to revise another romantic suspense. He’s a very fast writer!

Great news! I've enjoyed both your baseball and romantic suspense stories.

Rapid Fire Q&A:

Early Bird or Night Owl? 

SO night owl!

Apple Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice?

Pumpkin all the way!

Hot cider or Hot chocolate?

Always go with chocolate!

Favorite new TV show? 

Ozark. OMG, so good.

Book you’re currently reading? 

Rereading A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

What’s next? 

Working away on my Highlander heroes! I also expect to have a novella or two out sometime in the spring of 2018.

Where can readers find you online?

www.vanessakellyauthor.com

http://twitter.com/VanessaKellyAut

https://www.facebook.com/vanessakellyauthor

https://www.instagram.com/vanessakellyauthor/

Thanks for visiting with us today, Vanessa! Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thanks so much, PJ! I’d love to know what non-romance books (if any) people are reading. I’m always on the lookout for recs outside the genre!

Vanessa is giving away signed, print copies of MY FAIR PRINCESS and THREE WEEKS WITH A PRINCESS to one randomly chosen reader who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM (Eastern), November 4.

Beach Bag Reviews - - Three Weeks with a Princess

Short reviews of recently read books that have filled our days...and nights...with reading pleasure.









Three Weeks with a Princess
By Vanessa Kelly
Publisher: Zebra
Release Date: June 27, 2017
Reviewed by PJ

Lia Kincaid, illegitimate daughter of the Duke of York, comes from a long line of notorious women. Raised by her grandmother, formerly mistress to the late Marquess of Lendale, she has little hope of a respectable marriage. But the new marquess, her childhood friend, Jack Easton, would make a very desirable protector . . . if he weren't too honorable to take her to bed.

It's bad enough being saddled with a title he never desired. Now Jack must resist the beautiful woman he desires far too much. Duty calls, and he is duty-bound to choose a wealthy bride. But then Lia makes another outrageous suggestion: asking Jack to devise some tests to find her the perfect paramour. Tests that involve flirting, kissing, and other pleasurable pursuits. Tests that, in a matter of weeks, could transform friendship into the ton's greatest scandal, igniting a passion even duty can't deny. . .


Vanessa Kelly's Renegade Royals series includes some of my favorite historical romance stories of the past few years and the first two books of her new spin-off series, The Improper Princesses, have kicked the entertainment factor up even higher.

I enjoy a good friends-to-lovers story, especially friends with a solid childhood history who are reunited as adults under challenging circumstances. After inheriting a title and nearly bankrupt estate he never wanted, Jack's mother is determined to find him a rich heiress and wants Lia and her grandmother thrown off the family estate while Jack is determined to protect and provide for them. Lia, who has always been a fixture on the estate (growing up in a cottage there with her grandmother) doesn't want to add to Jack's burden and sets off for London to provide for her family by following in her mother's footsteps on the stage or, as a last resort, as a courtesan. It is her family legacy, after all, even though sheltered Lia has never been exposed to it.

Jack, of course, isn't about to let Lia shoulder the responsibility that should be his and travels to London to head her off. Jack is all about responsibility...not to mention guilt...and, of course, there's that pesky attraction to his childhood friend that is fast exploding into a blaze of desire. Of course, Lia leads him a merry chase at every turn. It's so much fun to watch him gradually realize his childhood friend is all grown up and what that fact is doing to his mind...not to mention, his heart.  

What follows is a fast-paced adventure that includes danger, desire, witty banter, exposed family secrets, humor, and heartwarming romance. Fans of Kelly's books will be delighted to see familiar characters from both her Renegade Royals and the first Improper Princesses book, My Fair Princess play key roles in this story while readers new to this world should be able to enjoy Jack's and Lia's journey without being lost. 

I highly recommend adding Three Weeks with a Princess to your summer beach bag along with the first book in the series, My Fair Princess. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and am hopeful that Lia and Gillian (heroine of My Fair Princess and, possibly, my favorite Vanessa Kelly heroine ever) will both appear again in future books.