Celebrating Debutantes 2016: The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright (Author Interview + Giveaway)

Hi guys! This is it! The first author feature for #CelebratingDebutantes2016 - The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright! She chose an author interview. With the novel involving royals, romance and London, my head immediately filled itself with questions. This interview is the result of that. We're giving away a signed copy later, so stick around! ;)

What or who inspired you to write The Heir and the Spare?
The idea popped into my mind when Prince William married Catherine Middleton. It got me thinking about Prince Harry. I was curious how his life might differ being the second son. Particularly when it came to a love life. Once I had that idea, I was off and running.

How different is the final version of The Heir and the Spare from its original version?
It's definitely different as I went through a couple large revisions. It is shorter than the original and I did cut a couple characters. But overall, most of the plot and characters stayed the same. Oh, and it was originally titled The Spare, but once Evie’s voice took over, that’s when I tweaked it to The Heir and the Spare. I was actually surprised that my title was the one used by my publisher, but I was really happy they liked it and it stuck.

Did you encounter any challenges while writing this book? If yes, could you tell us some?
Well, the biggest challenge was writing with a kidlet in the house. Just finding the time to squeeze in moments to write was hard. Also, I’ve visited England years ago, but not living there made it a bit of a challenge. I did a lot of research, some that got used, some that didn’t. And despite all the research, I probably got something wrong.

The premise reminds me a bit of Frozen: the perfect prince charming might not be so perfect after all. Could you tell us a bit about Edmund and his background?
Edmund’s very loyal to his family and tries his best to make them proud, which makes it difficult for him to put his own dreams and desires over his royal obligations. Being the second son, Edmund’s always felt a bit like an outsider and a little lost in his role as a royal. He’d love to step away from his role and just be a normal guy. As a child when he’d get overwhelmed he’d run into the gardens at the palace and climb his favorite tree, where he’d sit and think and just be alone. His older brother Philip was always the one to get him and bring him back. They’re still extremely close and look out for each other. Growing up, Edmund went to the very best schools, which is actually where he met Preston. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here before this becomes a novel. ;)

Royal romances - how do you put this down into paper? Could you tell us a bit about your writing style as well? 
I don’t know that writing a royal romance is really any different than any other romance. Maybe a little more research, but ultimately, it’s still just about sitting and getting the words on paper. And lots and lots of revising.

As for my writing style, I don’t really know how to describe it. I write what makes me happy and a story that I’d like to read. I do tend to shy away from being super flowery and descriptive. I strive for clear and concise, whether I get it or not is another story. ;)

Thank you, Emily!

About the Author:

Emily Albright is a major bookworm, a lover of romantic movies, a Netflix junkie, a wife, a mother, and an owner of one adorable (yet slightly insane) cockapoo and one very tolerant cat. Her debut young adult novel, The Heir and the Spare, is available now from Merit Press. Currently, she’s busy working on her next book.

Follow Emily: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram

Book Description:

Hardcover, 288 pages
Published January 18th 2016 by Merit Press

Family can be complicated. Especially when skeletons from the past pop up unexpectedly. For American Evie Gray, finding out her deceased mother had a secret identity, and not one of the caped crusader variety, was quite the surprise. Evie’s mom had a secret life before she was even born, one that involved tiaras.

In this modern day fairytale, Evie is on a path to figure out who her mom really was, while discovering for herself what the future will hold. Charged with her late mother’s letters, Evie embarks on a quest into her past. The first item on the list is to attend Oxford, her mom’s alma mater. There, Evie stumbles upon a real life prince charming, Edmund Stuart the second Prince of England, who is all too happy to be the counterpart to her damsel in distress.

Evie can’t resist her growing attraction to Edmund as they spend more time together trying to unravel the clues her mother left behind. But, when doubts arise as to whether or not Edmund could ever be with an untitled American, what really ends up unraveling is Evie’s heart. When Evie uncovers all the facts about her mom’s former life, she realizes her mom’s past can open doors she never dreamed possible, doors that can help her be with Edmund. But, with everything now unveiled, Evie starts to crack under the pressure of new family responsibilities and the realization that her perfect prince may want her for all the wrong reasons.

Giveaway

Thank you to Emily for this giveaway!
What's up for grabs: Signed Copy of The Heir and the Spare
Scope: US and CA


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!