Highlanders, Royals, Castles, and Improper Princesses with Vanessa Kelly

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!

About Vanessa Kelly

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.

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About HOW TO MARRY A ROYAL HIGHLANDER

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…