Madeline Ash: Character Interview - Her Secret Prince

Today we’re chatting with Prince Jebediah and his new wife, Dee, as they reflect on their lives following the events in Her Secret Prince.

You are the couple of the moment, the fairytale romance on everyone’s minds! Do tell us how you two met.

JED: I moved around a lot as a kid. At sixteen, my mum moved us to San Francisco. I met Dee at school and we became friends.

DEE: You mean I was your only friend. He wasn’t interested in being social, because his mum was probably going to make him move again. But for some reason, he liked me and I fell in love with him pretty fast. I mean, look at him, who wouldn’t? All dark hair and shadowy stares, my God, he still makes me weak. Anyway, he was too shy to make a move, so I did, right before he disappeared. My heart held out for him for the next ten years.

That’s so romantic. So Jed, is it true – you had no idea you were royalty until recently?

JED: Not a clue. My true lineage was kept from me throughout my childhood. It wasn’t until my father made contact with me recently that I found out. I was stunned.

DEE: Yet it made sense. Beneath his quiet words and confused soul-chasing, there’s always been a kind of…presence, you know? People look at him when he walks into a room. They listen when he talks – and he doesn’t talk loudly. He’s measured and compassionate, and if ever there was a secret prince in the making, it makes complete sense that it was Jed.

Aw, absolutely! And Dee, you lived in Los Angeles before you moved to the castle here in Leguarday?

DEE: That’s right. I had a poky apartment that I loved to death – about the size of my wardrobe here. I spent my days working on screenplays in a café around the corner. It was a simple life, a bit lonely, but I miss it sometimes.

Yes, it must be very different here. One final cheeky question – we heard that you two are very active lovers and are making your way through the castle one room at a time. Can you tell us whether that’s true?

JED: No comment.

DEE: Oh yeah, we’re almost half way! Thanks for having us!

Thanks for chatting to us! If you’d like to know more about Prince Jebediah and Dee’s love story, Her Secret Prince is available on Amazon now.

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Thanks for having me on the blog today, Lee! It’s been fun interviewing my own characters post-story!

Best, 

Madeline

Madeline Ash: Reuniting again and again…and again…

I’m currently writing a four-book series, all following the theme of reunions. I’ve chosen this recurring hook because it’s one of my favorites – there’s something special about giving characters a second and usually unexpected chance at love.

I suppose you could call it cheating. That in these romances, the characters’ existing backstory means the hard part of getting to know each other is out of the way. It also avoids the issue of developing the romance so quickly as to be unbelievable – it can sometimes be difficult to swallow a happily ever after that takes place over the course of a few days, but with a reunion romance, this is absolutely possible.

But I don’t think it’s cheating! There’s always a good reason characters have fallen out of contact. Often their parting was rife with conflict and it can be almost impossible to convince them to give each other a chance, as determined as they are to avoid falling in love!

There are so many ways a reunion romance can go; so many reasons the characters could have been separated in the past. The possibilities for this structure sucked me in – so many juicy set ups to accompany a reunion!

The first two books in this series have already been released by Tule Publishing. THE PLAYBOY came out as a part of the Hot Aussie Heroes series in January, and the second, HER SECRET PRINCE, was just published as a part of the Royal Holiday series.

Each book begins with a prologue set in their adolescence. In The Playboy, Parker tries to take advantage of Alexia, resulting in a mortifying experience for both. When Alexia returns to her home town years later, their reunion is thick with distrust, residual awkwardness, and scalding sexual attraction.

Her Secret Prince focuses on best friends and lost love. In the prologue, Dee and Jed are school friends who have secretly been in love with each other for a long time. They’re on the cusp of taking their friendship to the next level when Jed disappears. This makes for a heartbreaking reunion, weighted down with hurt, angst, and a burning decade-long love.

As for the remaining two books in the series, well, let’s just say I have a thing for boys next door and the forbidden call of a best friend’s younger sister. :)

To celebrate my first guest post on Tote Bags n Blogs, I’ll be giving away a free kindle copy of The Playboy. Just share whether you’re a fan of reunion romances – and if so, I’d love to know your favorites! I’ll keep the contest open for 48 hours before randomly selecting a winner.

Thank you very much Lee for inviting me here today.

***Madeline's winner is Nova!  Please email totebag@authorsoundrelations.com with your mailing details!!***