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.
You can get your copy of this wonderful Regency romance here: https://bit.ly/TheWrongPrince
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.
