Today I’m thrilled to welcome Lilah Pace to the blog, to discuss her newest releases: His Royal Secret and His Royal Favorite! Both books are out now from InterMix (see end for purchase links).
James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he’s keeping a king-sized secret…James, next in line for the throne, is gay.
This sexy and suspenseful modern-day prince/commoner romance has absolutely stolen our hearts, and Lilah joins us today to answer some of our burning questions about James, Ben, and how these novels came to be!
Hi Lilah! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few of our questions!
How did the idea for His Royal Secret and His Royal Favorite come to you?
At first it wasn’t a plot idea as much as a legal hypothetical. The UK was debating legalizing gay marriage at the time (a few years ago, now), and many points were made about how the Church of England wasn’t going to solemnize those marriages anytime soon. Someone asked what would happen if a future monarch were gay—and this was an anti-equality speaker, talking about the idea as if it were some fantastical absurdity that would only come to pass if people accepted such a thing might be possible. But it made me start thinking about how a gay heir to the throne would have to act, the hurdles that person might face. Soon it took shape as a story.
That cliff-hanger at the end of Book 1 had us biting our nails until the second book came out… did you know going in that this was going to be a duology? Or was it originally intended to be one book?
It was originally all in one piece, but it was also originally about 170K, which is a little long! Also, I hoped (and still hope) for a print run someday, in which case that’s really long. So I divided it at the most significant breaking point and reworked the first part to make it both longer and a true stand-alone.
Which of the British royals is your favorite?
Right now? Harry. Isn’t he everyone’s favorite?
In recent memory, the Queen Mum. She had such a great attitude. Apparently, once at the Royal Albert Hall, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mum were coming backstage to congratulate and speak to the performers. The highly anxious performers heard them approaching, and the queen was apparently unhappy about some point of protocol that hadn’t been observed. The Queen Mum’s response: “Oh, Elizabeth, get over it. Who do you think you are?” CLASSIC.
Of all time? Eleanor of Aquitaine. Anyone who divorces the King of France to marry the King of England has to have a whole lot of awesome going on.
We’ve spent hours creating a headcanon for James and Ben after the books end, so we have to know: will we see more of these characters in the future?
Although I don’t have any specific ideas now, it would be fun to revisit that royal family. Maybe we’d see the coronation?
Which scene in the series was your favorite to write and why?
I’ve hesitated over this question for so many minutes, and have settled on at least half a dozen scenes until I go, No, no, it’s that one! again. It took work to narrow it down to three: (1) The last big romantic scene for James and Ben in Ben’s Islington flat, because I think that’s a huge catalyst for both of them; (2) the press conference where James comes out, because I had to switch gears and become a political speechwriter for a change! ; and (3) the final scene of the epilogue in HIS ROYAL FAVORITE, because I’m a sucker for a happy ending.
What’s coming up next for you?
I’m turning in both M/F and M/M proposals to my editor, so what happens after that is up to her!
James, the handsome, cosmopolitan Prince of Wales, is used to being in the public eye. But he’s keeping a king-sized secret…James, next in line for the throne, is gay.
He’s been able to hide his sexual orientation with the help of his best friend and beard, Lady Cassandra. Sometimes he feels like a coward for not coming out, but he daren’t risk losing the crown. If he did, the succession would fall on his deeply troubled younger sister, Princess Amelia. To protect her, James is willing to live a lie.
While on holiday, he meets Benjamin Dahan—a rugged international reporter with a globe-trotting, unattached life—who catches far more than James’s eye. And when Ben is transferred to London, it seems fate may finally be smiling on James.
But what began as a torrid fling grows into something far more intimate and powerful. Soon James will have decide who he is, what he wants from life and love, and what he’s willing to sacrifice for the truth…
Lilah Pace is a pseudonym for a New York Times bestselling author, so she can’t give away too much about herself here, but she has lived everywhere from Italy to the United Kingdom before putting down roots in the American South.
She’s addicted to Diet Coke, loves her dog, and daydreams about several British movie stars (though usually no more than two at a time).
And while it took her a long while to get up the courage to write books, now she hopes she’ll never stop.
Find Lilah online at http://lilahpace.com/
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