Once Upon a Time in San Rimini

(AKA: The Story Behind the Royal Scandals: San Rimini Series)

Once upon a time, I worked as a freelance writer for several magazines. In my off hours, I wrote two romantic suspense novels and submitted them to publishers. The feedback was positive overall and the commentary from publishers boiled down to, “we like your writing, you create believable characters, and the emotions feel real, but…” There was the same “but” each time. The publishers enjoyed the romance, but weren’t completely sold on the suspense elements in those two manuscripts.

I decided to scrap those two stories and go back to the drawing board. I wanted to write a larger than life story that played to my strengths. I was toying with ideas one morning in front of the television when a royal wedding aired. I kept flipping between wedding coverage and a story about families fleeing a war zone. The contrast between the grandeur of the wedding and the desperation of the refugees made me wonder what would happen if a member of the royal family fell for a relief worker.

Could two people from such different backgrounds make a relationship work? How would they navigate living a private versus a public life? What could they learn from each other? What would their friends and families think?

(And isn’t it interesting to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle negotiate those same issues today?)

From that idea, Going to the Castle was born, as was the fictional country of San Rimini. I’d traveled along the French Riviera and through Italy and knew I could create a fascinating, realistic kingdom in that part of the world, one with a rich history.

The manuscript was named a Golden Heart award finalist by the Romance Writers of America. I was offered a contract on its first submission and it soon became my first published novel. To quote Monty Python, there was much rejoicing. Three more San Rimini books followed: The Prince’s Tutor, The Knight’s Kiss, and Falling for Prince Federico. I was thrilled when The Knight’s Kiss won a number of awards, including the coveted RITA for best short contemporary romance. (It’s never a bad day when you get to share a stage with Nora Roberts, Kristin Hannah, and Lisa Kleypas.)

I had plans for one more San Rimini book, To Kiss a King, but within days of being offered a contract, my publisher was sold to another company. The usual corporate upheaval ensued, and I decided to table the project for a time when I knew it would not become a victim of departmental realignments.

When I began writing the Royal Scandals series, set in fictional Sarcaccia, I had the San Rimini stories firmly in mind. The two kingdoms exist in the same world, and I knew that—due to the aforementioned publisher upheaval—the San Rimini books would soon revert to my control. So as I wrote about Sarcaccia, I dropped in little bits about San Rimini. I also started plotting a book that would bring the two kingdoms together: Fit for a Queen.

When the San Rimini books officially became mine again, I dove into writing Fit for a Queen. (Note: As I was writing, my DC/Marvel fan husband kept referring to the manuscript as The Big Crossover Event in a voice suited for a TV ad. I kept reminding him that my story stands on its own and that few comic-inspired crossovers do. Many crossover discussions ensued.)

Then, rather than simply republish the four original San Rimini books, I gave each story a full rewrite and expanded them. I knew that for most Royal Scandals readers, these would be completely new stories. I wanted the reading experience to feel seamless. I was also able to put the series in audio for the first time. Hollis McCarthy, who narrates the original Royal Scandals series, also narrates Royal Scandals: San Rimini. Her performance blows me away every time I listen.

After that, I finally had the opportunity to dig into the story I’d been compelled to set aside, To Kiss a King. There’s something special about writing a story that isn’t often told. To Kiss a King features the push/pull of public versus private lives and the struggle of weighing duty against desire, which factors in many of my stories. However, it also follows a later in life romance with a special set of challenges. Can a man known worldwide as a romantic icon truly fall in love with someone else? Would a woman at the pinnacle of her career risk it all for that relationship?

Going back to San Rimini has been a joy for me. I love the diTalora family and their world. I hope you do, too.

San Rimini - Original Series

San Rimini - New Series

Fit for a Queen in Three Days

 

Only THREE DAYS until the release of an all-new Royal Scandals novel, Fit for a Queen! This story takes place in the beautiful Adriatic country of San Rimini, where you'll find a woman on a mission, a man undercover, and a king with secrets. I can’t wait to hear what you think of Daniela D’Ambrosio and Royce Dekker’s surprise romance.

You can read an excerpt and go behind the scenes here, or check out the Fit for a Queen inspiration board on Pinterest.

If you haven’t preordered your copy, do it now! In the meantime, here’s the back cover copy.

She holds the secrets of a queen. He’s been hired to watch her.

Daniela D’Ambrosio is the most trusted employee of Sarcaccia’s Queen Fabrizia, managing the queen’s schedule and ensuring she never makes a misstep in public. But when Fabrizia sends Daniela to organize the belongings of San Rimini’s late queen for a charity auction, Daniela finds a locked closet full of treasure, a suspicious king, and an attractive handyman who seems strangely familiar.
 
Following a harrowing stint in the military, Royce Dekker now runs his own security firm in San Rimini. When he goes undercover to safeguard the late queen’s possessions, Royce learns that the woman organizing the auction project is none other than Daniela D’Ambrosio, the stunning beauty who’s fueled his late-night fantasies ever since their stolen night under the stars.

When Daniela recognizes Royce, she realizes there is more to the palace job than she was told. But can she trust the sexy man standing guard over her as she works? Or will Royce discover that Daniela also has secrets to uncover?

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Next month, look for another Royal Scandals: San Rimini novel, Going to the Castle. It’s available for preorder now and hits stores this St. Patrick’s Day.

Fifteen Years

Fifteen years ago today, a phone call changed my life.

Often, when someone says that a phone call changed their life, it's bad news. The death of a loved one, a job loss, a frightening diagnosis. However, in my case, the woman on the other end of the line was Gail Chasan, a senior editor at Silhouette Books. She offered to buy my first romance novel.

It was 12:01 PM on December 1, 2000.

When I hung up the phone, I called my husband, got his voice mail, and left a message asking him to call me immediately. Then I told myself I'd make the most of the opportunity to write for a living.

Going to the Castle hit store shelves in December 2001, and I've been a full-time writer ever since. I wouldn't change it for the world.

There's been a lot to celebrate in the last fifteen years. I've had letters and emails from readers that have made me smile and—on several occasions—laugh loud enough to scare my dog. I've made lifelong friends I never would've met otherwise. Three of my books have been RITA finalists and one even won. Best of all, I spend my days writing stories about compelling people and the challenges they must face.

That's not to say there haven't been bumps on the road. When I made the decision to become a full time writer, I quit practicing law, a career for which I'd studied long and hard (and let's not talk about law school tuition.) It was a big risk, knowing it'd be difficult to go back if I couldn't make it as a writer. During my first years as a published author, I also wrote for a number of magazines as a freelancer, which meant crazy hours but more income.

Eventually, I sold a young adult novel and dropped most of the magazine work in order to maintain both a romance writing career (as Nicole Burnham) and the young adult career (as Niki Burnham.) Still crazy hours, but they were more predictable. Eventually, due to contract changes and editorial shuffling, I found myself down to one publisher and a less-than-ideal contract. I made a difficult choice—but the right one—and, once again, took a risk and walked away.

Offers came from other publishers, but nice as they were, the stories they wanted me to write didn't tap into my strengths as an author, nor were they what my readers wanted to read. By this time, I'd built a small but solid following, so I decided to write what I knew would work both for me and for those readers: a series of romances centered around a sprawling, messy royal family from southern Europe. I wanted to make each story different, yet give readers the uplifting tone they desired and a spectacular setting they would relish revisiting.

I took the leap and self-published a novella and the first two books in the Royal Scandals series simultaneously. Two more full-length books and two novellas have joined those first books.

Many of you who read my books from the very start with Silhouette picked up the Royal Scandals series. Others who found me via my Niki Burnham books for teens (and who are now adults!) have done the same. Better still, you've shared your love of the series with your friends, and the series has grown steadily in popularity.

Thanks to you, I've been able to keep the promise I made to myself when I received that life-changing phone call fifteen years ago.

Needless to say, there are more Royal Scandals books on the way. I'm also planning a new series, one I think you'll enjoy.

In this season of gratitude, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you to Gail Chasan for making that phone call and believing in my talent. Most of all, I want to thank you, my readers, for fifteen wonderful years.

I look forward to the next fifteen.

Now Available in German...

Attention German readers! Two of my classic Silhouette Romances are now available in the EU in German language editions.

Romana Extra #29, which is on stands now, contains the German translation of Going to the Castle, the first book I ever published. Set in the fictional country of San Rimini, it tells the story of a crown prince reluctant to marry and the refugee camp worker who helps him see the world--and his role in it--in a new way.

Romana Extra #30, which will be released on Tuesday, June 16, contains the German translation of Falling for Prince Federico, which is set in the same fictional country as Going to the Castle. It features the crown prince's younger brother, who is a single father to two rambunctious boys, and the woman he hires to help care for them.

I haven't seen the German editions yet, so I look forward to hearing what you think of the translations (particularly those of you who've read them in English already and then try the German versions!)

CORRECTION  (posted three hours later...)  The book being included in Romana Extra #30 this coming Tuesday is NOT Falling for Prince Federico as I originally thought. Instead, it's another book in the same series, The Prince's Tutor.  It's the book that immediately followed Going to the Castle, and is about the family's youngest--and wildest--sibling, Prince Stefano di Talora. 

My guess is that, with the first two books in the series now being released in German, the others--including Falling For Prince Federico--won't be far behind. If and when I get more info, I'll share it here ASAP.