It's always a pleasure to host Vanessa Kelly but today is special because we're celebrating the release of her new historical romance, My Fair Princess. I've been enjoying Vanessa's books since her debut but this new one is one of my all-time favorites from this talented author and her heroine, Gillian has leaped onto my all-time favorite heroines (by all authors) list. I absolutely adore her. In Charles, she finds her perfect match...eventually. I loved having the opportunity to travel their journey with them. It's fun, emotional, and oh, so enjoyable!
Kelly 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. The Renegade Royals, her last series,
was a national bestseller. Vanessa also writes contemporary romance with her
husband as VK Sykes.
Where you can find Vanessa online:
Website: http://www.vanessakellyauthor.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanessaKellyAut
With a song in my heart!
Like most writers, I’m a bit obsessed with the high concept.
After all, there are only so many basic story ideas—boy meets girl, boy loses
girl, and so on—so it’s the particular twist or crazy viewpoint that often
gives a book or movie some oomph. The classic example of the high concept movie,
for instance, is Aliens—Jaws in space.
With MY FAIR PRINCESS,
I’m starting a new series. It’s actually a spin-off from my previous one, The Renegade Royals. The heroes were
the unifying concept for that series—they’re the illegitimate sons of England’s
royal dukes. The concept is actually based on the fact that the Prince Regent
and his randy brothers all but littered the English countryside with
illegitimate children. It’s a bonus in historical romance when you can take a
concept and ground it in true-life events!
My new series, The
Improper Princesses, also features the illegitimate children of those
rakish royals—but this time it’s the ladies rather than the gents who are front
and center. My heroines are all royal by-blows, half-sisters or cousins of the
Renegade Royals, and they face adventures just as challenging, dangerous, romantic,
and entertaining as their male counterparts.
But there’s another concept that unifies these stories—each Princess book is based on a famous
movie musical. You might ask where that idea came from, and I’d have to confess
that I don’t have a clue. Except for the fact that I love classic movie
musicals!
When I was a kid, I never missed a chance to watch those
fabulous movies whenever they came on TV.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, My
Fair Lady, Camelot…I loved all
of them. Some I even saw in the movie theatre, in all their glorious
Technicolor.
MY FAIR PRINCESS obviously
riffs off My Fair Lady. Gillian
Dryden is an unconventional heroine, one who was raised in rural Sicily and
taught from an early age to take care of herself. She’s a crack shot, a
bruising rider, and she carries knives in her boots—just in case! Gillian is
also something of a Robin Hood figure. She’s the sworn enemy of bandits and
brigands, and will do whatever she must to protect the innocent and seek
justice.
Which lands her in a great deal of trouble, as you can
imagine. That trouble eventually brings her to the attention of Charles Penley,
Duke of Leverton, the most polished and sophisticated man in the ton. It’s up to Charles to teach Gillian
proper manners in the hopes that she a)
leaves off hunting bandits, and b)
finds a proper husband.
Let’s just say that things don’t work out as planned. I’ll
also note that Charles, whose nickname is Perfect Penley, ends up changing more
than Gillian does. That’s the genius of the high concept—you can twist and
shape it however you want. Taking an old or well-worn idea and making it
new…for a writer, nothing could be more fun!
Are you a fan of
movie and stage musicals? Do you have favorites, or do you loathe the entire
genre? One person who comments will win two books from my backlist—reader’s
choice!
MY FAIR PRINCESS
Improper Princesses 1
First,
Vanessa Kelly brought readers The Renegade Royals. Now, in a delightfully witty
new series, she introduces The Improper Princesses—three young women descended
from royalty, each bound for her own thrilling adventure . . .
Despite
being the illegitimate daughter of a prince, Gillian Dryden is happily ignorant
of all social graces. After growing up wild in Italy, Gillian has been ordered
home to England to find a suitable husband. And Charles Valentine Penley, the
excessively proper, distractingly handsome Duke of Leverton, has agreed to help
transform her from a willful tomboy to a blushing debutante.
Powerful
and sophisticated, Charles can make or break reputations with a well-placed
word. But his new protégée, with her habit of hunting bandits and punching
earls, is a walking scandal. The ton is aghast . . . but Charles is thoroughly
intrigued. Tasked with taking the hoyden in hand, he longs to take her in his
arms instead. Can such an outrageous attraction possibly lead to a fairytale
ending?
Buy
Links:
Kindle:
http://amzn.to/1oHHtZV
Nook:
http://bit.ly/1onQcAC
Kobo:
http://bit.ly/20Y3gOm
iBooks:
http://apple.co/2aVNrVq
IndieBound:
http://bit.ly/1PPnZJC
The
Book Despository: http://bit.ly/20ClmA2
