We're thrilled to have Vanessa Kelly (and check out our interview with her alter-ego V.K Sykes) join us on Fresh
Fiction today!
She opened up to Fresh Fiction Reviewer Monique Daoust about royals, castles, highlanders, and
what her
fans can
look forward to in the future.
Monique: Hi, Vanessa! We're thrilled to have you on Fresh Fiction!
I'm a
huge fan of
your
Renegade
Royals series, and I'm so excited that you could take a few minutes
from
your busy
schedule to answer some questions!
Vanessa: Thanks so much for hosting me today—it’s really a pleasure
to be
here.
Monique: Even though some of us are aware of the research that led to
the
innovative
Renegade
Royals
series, would you mind telling our readers briefly about this
fascinating
topic?
Vanessa: There were actually two sources of inspiration for The Renegade
Royals,
both relating to British Royalty. The first idea came from a book about the
children of King
George III. I stumbled across a brief reference to a charity boy who was
raised
with the
young princes—it was an experiment dreamed up by the queen with the
intention of
teaching the
princes about charity and compassion.
Apparently, it was a failure as some of the princes delighted in teasing
this
unfortunate
lad. I couldn’t help wondering what happened to him. That interesting nugget
led me
to create
Sir Dominic Hunter, the leader of the Renegade Royals. He became the charity boy raised
with
princes,
who went on to become England’s most powerful spymaster.
The second idea came from additional research about the royal sons and
daughters. I
was
surprised to learn that the princes (and possibly one of the princesses) had
a fair
number of
illegitimate children—upwards of twenty or more. History knows who some of
them
are, but with
others it’s only speculation. So I took those unknown children and invented
lives
for them.
They are the
Renegade
Royals, and it’s Sir Dominic’s mission to help them find the lives—
and
loves—they
truly deserve.
Monique: Your attention to historical detail is legendary, and it
goes
without saying
that you do a considerable amount of research. How has your research
influenced
your writing
or unexpectedly changed the story you may have planned?
Vanessa: That is very generous of you, but it makes me a bit nervous.
LOL!
As I
mentioned, my research helps me with ideas for stories and characters, and
it also
helps
ground the plot in historical reality. Research can also send me off in a
different
direction
when I discover that something I thought was possible—in law or medicine,
for
instance—was
actually NOT possible in the Regency period. That can be annoying and even
terrifying, but
can also send me off in a more fruitful direction as I work to solve the
problem
that history
has created for my story. That was the case with HOW TO MARRY A ROYAL HIGHLANDER, when I worked
through the
complications of how my hero could legally inherit the earldom from his
Scottish
grandfather.
Monique: Blairgal Castle features prominently in your latest book, HOW TO
MARRY A
ROYAL
HIGHLANDER, and you described it so vividly, I cannot help but wonder
does it
really
exist? If not, pray tell, what was your inspiration?
Vanessa:Blairgal is an amalgam of several Scottish castles, but it’s
mostly
based on
two: Fraser Castle in Aberdeenshire and Aboyne Castle, also in
Aberdeenshire. I
would love to
visit both, someday!
Monique: Action and adventures are a huge part of what make your
books so
captivating.
When you’re about to start a new book, do you first think of the plot and
then
which
character would be best suited to the story, or do you begin with the
character and
build the
story according to his personality?
Vanessa: Thanks so much for your kind words! It’s really hard for me
to
separate the
two. Story often comes to me first, but that story usually revolves around a
specific
character—either the hero or heroine. I do a lot of pre-work before I start
writing. I create
a plot-board, character biographies, outlines, and draw up various charts
and
lists. I will
say that whichever element percolates first—story or character—will dictate
what
happens
next. If it’s a very action-oriented story, I’ll fit the character to that.
Or,
perhaps, go
against type. A plot with a lot of action and adventure can feature a quiet,
unassuming
heroine who has to learn to grab the bull by the horns. That was the case
with CONFESSIONS
OF A
ROYAL
BRIDEGROOM,
Renegade Royals book 2, and my heroine Justine.
Monique: Your heroes, especially your Highlanders, are different from
those
omnipresent in historical romance novels, and while I know precisely why I
love
your male
protagonists, what qualities are essential for a Vanessa Kelly hero? What
gives
them this
special je-ne-sais-quoi?
Vanessa:Wow. Again, thank you. I guess I’ll start off by saying that
all my
heroes are
really good guys, even the rogues. For better or worse, no unrepentant bad
boys for
me. My
guys are big, strong men with marshmallow hearts—they’re good with animals,
children, have a
sense of humor, and very strong instincts to protect the weak. My heroes
like women
(natch!)
and have a great deal of respect for their brains and emotional acumen. Now,
they
can be a
bit thick when it comes to figuring out what their women want, but I
personally
think that
makes them all the more realistic!
Monique: And the question that you certainly expect: what can we look
forward to from
Vanessa Kelly next? Any further instalments in the Renegade
Royals
series?
Vanessa: Not exactly—I’m starting a spin-off series called The
Improper
Princesses. This series will feature the female versions of the Renegade
Royals,
their half-sisters and cousins. The first book is called MY FAIR
PRINCESS
and it
features Gillian Dryden, the half-sister of Griffin Steele, the hero of CONFESSIONS
OF A
ROYAL
BRIDEGROOM. The story is also partly based on the movie musical, My Fair
Lady—
but with a
bit of reverse engineering going on! That book will be out in spring, 2016.
Monique: That's a squee moment! Oh my gosh! I cannot wait for My Fair Princess! It's
one of my favourite tropes! I can't wait for the spring! Vanessa, thank you so much for
joining us
today!
Vanessa Kelly was born and raised in New Jersey, but eventually migrated
north to
Canada. She
holds a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University, and went on to attend the
Ph.D.
program in
English Literature at the University of Toronto. Alas, she didn’t finish her
degree, but she
did spend many happy hours studying the works of 18th and 19th century
British
authors and
writing about the madness of King George III. Vanessa now writes Regency-set
historical
romance for Kensington Zebra and contemporary romance with her husband under
the
pen name of
VK Sykes.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Blog
Illegitimate yet thoroughly irresistible, the Renegade Royals are
leaving
behind their
careers as daring spies for the greatest adventure of all…
At sixteen, Alasdair Gilbride, heir to a Scottish earldom, fled the
Highlands and
an arranged
betrothal. Ten years later, Alasdair must travel home to face his
responsibilities.
It’s a
task that would be much easier without the distracting presence of the most
enticing woman
he’s ever met…
After one escapade too many, Eden Whitney has been snubbed by the ton. The
solution:
rusticating in the Scottish wilderness, miles from all temptation. Except,
of
course, for
brawny, charming Alasdair. The man is so exasperating she’d likely kill him
before
they reach
the border—if someone else weren’t trying to do just that. Now Eden and
Alasdair
are plunging
into a scandalous affair with his life and her reputation at stake—and their
hearts
already
irreparably lost…
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