Coming Soon!
The Hot Mess Prince
Substance abuse, depression, references to death of a family member (before story starts).
Duke for the Summer
Homophobia, parental estragement, depression, substances (alcohol, cigarettes). There is also a secret that's only revealed to the reader toward the end of the book. See the notes below for more details.
The Hot Mess Prince
I wrote this in about 3 months during covid. Like most of the world, I really needed something comforting to distract myself from reality, and immersing myself in the fictional country of Ankenbrand helped me cope. This was my first time writing romance and I found it really fun and uplifting. Neel sprang fully-formed off the page but Thibault was originally much more of a charming, stereotypical romance hero. But as I wrote, I realized how much these two really needed each other. Neel became a little less put-together and Thibault became a lot more complex, and honestly one of my favorite characters that I've written. A lot of his depression and self-destructive tendencies are very personal. Also, he's a Leo. (A much more extraverted one than me, but still).
Favorite scene to write: the apple orchard scene
Favorite supporting character: Queen Eleanor
Wish I could have included: a Halloween scene! It didn't fit with the storyline but I have a feeling that Thibault is incredibly extra about Halloween.
Duke for the Summer
Omg this book took me so long to write. I thought of it as "Communication Breakdown: the book" for a while. These two ding-dongs wouldn't get together and I couldn't figure out how to make it work without compromising their characters. Finally I came up with the running injury idea and it flowed so quickly from there. At lot of Nate's experience is inspired by my time teaching ESL on a tropical island in China. Oh, and also working as a package handler (hilarious name; dehumanizing job) for UPS in a shipping warehouse. China is definitely not Italy, but I did spend a lot of time there feeling really welcomed but also really isolated, doing endless stair climbs—in an apartment building, not a castle—running a lot at night, and making friends with local dogs and cats. I didn't have a hot summer romance, unless you count my boyfriend-now-husband coming to travel with me after my teaching contract was over.
Favorite scene to write: the trip to Palermo
Favorite supporting character: I loved all of the sisters so much, but Thea and Gracie were my favorites. In my head they have a spin-off where they wreak havoc all over Europe.
Wish I could have included: I did think about making the resolution more “resolved” and tying up loose ends, but it didn't feel realistic to have everything wrapped up neatly. Both characters still have a lot they need to process and work on, and I wanted to recognize that. I do hope to write a follow-up short story about these two at some point, though!
What was with that plot twist, Emily? I hated it and now I'm mad at you. (Click to reveal)