Interview: The Wild Princess by Mary Hart Perry

Hi Mary! Welcome to My Secret Romance, where we love all things romance! Thank you so much for taking the time out for an interview. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks! I'm so glad to be with you today at My Secret Romance. And aren't all romances full of secrets of one sort or another? She or he holds their feelings in their heart, hoping, waiting, to see if the other person returns their affection. That's how romance often starts. Do we tell our friends? Do we keep our love from our family? Hmmm...so many decisions.

Well, you asked for a little about me? I'm a New England girl, grew up in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Graduated from UConn--go Huskies! My two kids are grown, and I have a lovely granddaughter. I live in Silver Spring, Maryland with my husband and two kitties--Miranda and Tempest.

Tell us about your current book, please.

The Wild Princess is about a real woman, Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. I think Mary Jo Putney said it best after she read the advance reading copy: " In The Wild Princess, Mary Hart Perry spins a marvelous tale about the life of the real Princess Louise, Queen Victoria’s most unconventional daughter—and the fascinating events that might have taken place between the cracks of recorded history.  Full of romance and suspense, The Wild Princess is the life Louise could have—should have—had."   

Louise wanted to be trained as an artist, when girls weren't allowed professions, and princesses weren't allowed to mix with commoners. It's also a love story, an unconventional one, with a to-die-for American hero.

I love the concept of your Wild Princess series and how it follows the story of Queen Victoria’s daughters. I’ve always been fascinated with royalty and their stories. Tell me, what was your inspiration behind it?

I was inspired to write about Louise because I, too, love reading about royalty. But she was so very brave and willful, and she stood up for herself and her dreams.

What was your favorite part of the book to write?

Oh, I had lots of fun with this book, and many fave scenes. One is a scene near the beginning that appears to be the development of a tender love scene...and then it morphs into something very different. I hope readers will be surprised.

Do you have an excerpt or favorite scene you would like to share from The Wild Princess with us?

Yes, I do, and you can find it on my website: http://www.maryhartperry.com. 

Do you have an idea when the next book will be out?

I'm waiting to hear from my editor on that. It's nearly finished, but publishing dates aren't something a writer can control. Wish it were otherwise!

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No, actually. I never thought I'd be able to write well enough to be published. I always loved to read and I admired writers. Then I decided--what the heck, why not give it a try. I ended up working very hard for 12 years on my fiction before I had a novel that was good enough for publication. But it was so-o-o worth it!

Do you plan out your characters and storyline, or does it come to you as you write?

I always plan. For me, it's too scary to launch into a story cold. I need structure, and at least a loose outline to begin.

When you get a chance to read, what books do you love to read? What’s your favorite genre?

I read voraciously, everything. Well, almost everything. My favorite reading treats are history (both fiction and nonfiction), biographies, love stories and mysteries of any kind.

What’s your favorite thing to do for downtime?

Read...read...read! But I walk, garden, and adore traveling.

If you could go back to any time period, which would you choose and why?

I love the Victorian period because so much was happening then to pull people into the modern era. Great inventions like the steam engine. For the first time, people could travel faster than a horse could walk or run. And women were winning the rights they should have had all along. It must have been such an exciting time. My heroine, in real life as in fiction, certainly thought so.

What’s something readers wouldn’t know about you?

Whenever I get up to speak to a group of a couple hundred people, I get just as nervous as anyone else. Most people don't know this--they think I'm just as cool as can be. Guess I hide it well!

Describe yourself in three words.

Caring, driven, a worrier.

Since I love all things romance, I need to know- Is there romance in The Wild Princess? Will there be a Happily Ever After?

Oh yes, there's plenty of romance. I think most readers will feel there's a HEA in this story--although it may not be the one they first imagine. Can't say more without giving it away!

Where can we find out more about you and your work?

My website is your best and first stop: www.MaryHartPerry.com

I'm on Facebook:

          http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Hart-Perry/169651376460162

On Twitter:  @Mary_Hart_Perry

And Goodreads: Mary Hart Perry

Thank you so much for being here with us today!

Thank you! I'm delighted to be here.

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