I was asked to write something fun about Some Like It Royal.
Would you believe that I shocked myself? Repeatedly.
One of the magical parts of writing a book is building a
world and immersing yourself. Now remember, I said this is only one of the
magical parts. What happens when we go back to read it—through revisions,
edits, proofing, and more is that some of the magic wears off. It dulls a
little. All the surprises and the twists and turns have been seen, so they
don’t really affect us again…except that wasn’t the case with Some Like It
Royal.
Few books have had the effect on me that this one did. I
literally laughed so much while I was writing it, I forgot it was supposed to
be work. Later, something even more magical happened, when I went back and read
it a couple of months later, I found myself enjoying the story on a whole new
level. This really is a labor of love for me.
When I made a fourth pass through it to catch some typos, I kept losing
myself in the story.
By the time I was working on the editor’s remarks, I did it
again.
And again on the line edits.
And again on the galleys.
I have never had this happen to me with a book before, yet
with Some Like It Royal, it’s happened every single time. To add to all of this, with each subsequent
book in the series I’ve been transported to that same
feeling of magic. I may never stop writing these…they’re like the perfect
cocktail of pure happiness that every author needs in their writing day.
I hope you enjoy it at least half as much as I did.
Going Royal
Some Like it Royal
by
HEATHER LONG
It's
the role of a lifetime…
Living out of a car and waiting tables to make ends
meet is hardly the stuff of fairy tales. So when a gorgeous man approaches Alyx
Dagmar with a wild story about her royal lineage and an even wilder
proposition, the aspiring actress is sure he's got the wrong woman.
Self-made billionaire Daniel Voldakov needs
connections before he can expand his software business into Europe. A
blue-blooded fiancée would open all the right doors—and Daniel's certain he can
tempt the pretty but penniless Princess Alyxandretta to accept the part she was
born to play.
Alyx can't resist Daniel's offer, and throws
herself into the role. But as the paparazzi fall in love with their
"storybook romance," Alyx finds herself drawn to Daniel in ways she'd
never imagined. Are his returned affections true, or all just part of the plan?
He'll do anything it takes to prove his love, and to make her see that the only
happily ever after he wants is with her…the real her.
Quick Facts:
Some Like it Royal
Going Royal
Release Date: January 13,
2014
About the Author:
National
bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science
fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are
filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime.
From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather
might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters
drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes
her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like
your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines
so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll
enjoy her worlds as much as she does.
Contact Details:
Website:
http://www.heatherlong.net
Email:
heather@heatherlong.net
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Going
Royal Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GoingRoyal
Enjoy
the following excerpt for Some Like It Royal:
Three
days later, he leaned back in the auditorium of the theater he’d rented for the
day. His secretary’d placed an advertisement in all the papers for a casting
call. They’d listed very specific qualities and appearance. He’d gone through
every resume and photograph that arrived until he found Alyx Dagmar’s.
She was the only one he wanted, and she
was the only one who made the cut.
He wrote the script himself. It was a
bastardized version of My Fair Lady, but he didn’t care. The names and the
places were all that mattered—well, and the princess in question.
The theater crew admitted her, gave her
access to a dressing room and the pages she would cold read for the part. Right
on schedule she walked out on the stage. He knew she couldn’t see him in the
darkened theater.
Clasping his hands together, he sat back
and watched as she took her spot. “Whenever you’re ready.” He called quietly,
certain it would carry.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.”
She lifted her hand as though holding a glass up to make a toast. Dressed in
the simple green strapless gown, with her glorious russet hair pinned up, she
seemed as glamorous as any model. “It is time for us to remove our masks, to
reveal ourselves to each other in the fine tradition of the old-world
masquerade. Have you danced with a duke? Did you dine with a princess? Did you
discover your true love?”
She flowed three steps toward the lip of
the stage, the single spotlight highlighting the magnificent column of her
throat. He held his breath. She was better than he imagined. With all the
gesture of flourish she mimed the removal of a mask. Her smile lit up her face
and he leaned forward.
An air of expectancy hung around her,
cloaking her as her smile turned coy, secretive. The notes said she was to
react to surprise with a hint of delight. But the riot of emotion she let play
over her face captivated him.
With a graceful curtsy, she dipped
toward the stage and her gaze roved over the audience. He could almost imagine
she hunted for him in the shadows and when she paused to straighten, her chin
came up. “Yes,” she said in a clear, true voice. “My name is Princess D’tente.”
It was a stupid name, he grimaced at it,
but he’d wanted her to take the message in it.
“And at long last, I am reunited with my
family.” She paused again, but this wasn’t in the script. Her smile faltered
and fell away.
Her gaze arrowed straight at him, where
he sat, arms braced on the back of the seat in front of him.
“You son of a bitch.”
Yep. That definitely wasn’t in the
script.
2 comments:
Thanks for being with us today Heather! I will take your advice and "Keep Calm because we're going Royal" :-)
Thank you for having me. This has been a such a great week.
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