Because The Wrong Prince comes out tomorrow and kicks off her Heirs of Cornwall series, we thought we’d catch Veronica Crowe and have her answer our favorite questions.
Give us a little bit about your background and when you first started publishing or writing.
I started writing in 2011. Telling stories was a hobby of mine and I enjoyed it immensely when I had time in between my work as a dot com entrepreneur and event designer for celebrities in Los Angeles and New York. I only shared my book drafts with readers on Wattpad. It was a lot of fun interacting with readers in real time. I wrote the Highest Royal Coven of Europe series and the Heirs of Cornwall series. Both were picked up by a previous publisher. But once I got the rights back, I am happy that Dragonblade became my new publisher for the Heirs of Cornwall series.
Historical Setting Related:
Have you visited the places you’ve written about or just read about them?
Oh, how I wish I could have visited my settings in person! But no, all my settings are a figment of my imagination with the help of some research. Being an event designer helped me a lot in constructing settings and grand homes because that is what I do in real life.
What interesting settings have you used (homes, battlefields, events in history, etc.)?
I love using the advent of commercial trading between India, America, and England (and subsequently, other major ports) for my Heirs of Cornwall series. As a serial entrepreneur, business and commerce is a very interesting subject to me. In fact, my heroes in the series are unconventional aristocrats with a shrewd mind for business. While most of the aristocracy depended on their land for income, they found financial fulfillment and became pioneers in International trade, import-export and logistics.
Why did you choose the particular period you write in? What is it about that era that speaks to you?
I love the Regency era! The exquisite attires, the grand houses, the fabulous balls, and the men! Oh! The men—dressed so handsomely in fine apparel! Can you imagine the sight of a Regency gentleman on horseback? Top hat, cravat, tailored coat, close-fitting riding breeches, shiny Hessians—did I mention close-fitting? I could conjure an entire book with just those snug breeches as the main character. How about those officers in their dashing military ensembles trotting all over town in their prime-blooded mounts? No wonder ladies swoon all over the place back then. Ha! I will take a pouch of smelling salts to go, please.
Writing Process:
What inspires you to create a certain character (give example)? Have you ever changed the character arc because it didn’t work with the storyline?
I have an odd writing process. I do not do outlines because writing for me is literally an out-of-body experience. I actually dream of my characters and the story is not necessarily in the correct order, which makes my process very tedious. Sometimes I would write multiple versions of the same book because I was not hearing or interpreting my characters correctly. If that happens, I write it all over again even if I have already written 50K words. It doesn’t really work well when I have a deadline! However, it is very rewarding once I figure out exactly what is being given to me.
Do you have a certain quirk in your writing process? Do the stars have to be aligned or do you have to have your favorite tea? Where do you do your best writing?
I can only write when it is quiet—it doesn’t matter what time of day. I cannot have people around me or talking to me because I lose my connection to my characters. But do you know what’s great about it? Writing makes me lose weight! Once I enter that phase, I am so immersed in it that eating and sleeping becomes a chore.
Miscellaneous:
From all your books, who is your favorite hero and why?
My favorite hero is Allayne Carlyle from my second book, The Viscount’s Heir. He is a very unusual gentleman. His personality is a confounding contradiction. Affable but unpredictable. A care-free rake with a sharp intellect. Gorgeous, with the face of an angel—but exceedingly dangerous. Oh—and very, very sexy.
Outside of your own genre, what’s your favorite genre?
I like writing Urban Fantasy apart from Historical Fiction. There’s just something about creating your own world and telling stories of other-worldly characters that fascinates me.