PRINCESS IN PERIL - Rachelle MacCalla - Free Book

I'm introducing an author I haven't been familiar with before. Welcome, Rachelle. Your series intrigues me. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

All of my characters have some basis in my experiences and emotions, but at the same time, I try to give each character their own personality based on different psychological profiles.  Each character’s behavior stays true to their personality, not mine.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I often spontaneously burst into song—to the delight of my children and horror of my husband.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I started reading voraciously in about the third grade. By fifth grade, I was putting my own spin on stories in my head.  If I didn’t like how things went, I “re-wrote” the story in my head.  Eventually I started coming up with stories all my own.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love stories with action.  If nothing is happening, I get bored easily.  I also love stories that go where no story has gone before, either with exotic settings, untapped conflicts, or characters no one has done before.

How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

With four children ages eight and under, I can never get too far ahead of myself. I’m boxed in by bedtimes and kissing boo-boos. Kids have a way of forcing a person into the present—sometimes by yarping it right down the front of your shirt.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

I have an entire shelf of baby name books I use, as well as name websites I’ve bookmarked. In my Reclaiming the Crown series, many of my characters have Mediterranean backgrounds, so I’ve been selecting names that reflect Greek or Albanian ancestry. The names have to match the people. I’ve been known to change a character’s name several times until I get it just right.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My kids.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A dolphin—they are highly intelligent and social, mysterious, strong, and beautiful creatures.

What is your favorite food?

Dove dark chocolate almonds

I love anything dark chocolate. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest writing roadblock is finding time to write (see question 5 above!).  Fortunately, when I do get a chance to write, I tend to have enough of a backlog of ideas that writer’s block is never a problem!

Tell us about the featured book.

My October Love Inspired Suspense is the first book the Reclaiming the Crown Series, Princess in Peril.  The series follows the four royal siblings of the small Christian Kingdom of Lydia, as they try to survive the rebel coup that has toppled their father’s government.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The royal motorcade lurched to an unexpected stop. Her Royal Highness Princess Isabelle of Lydia glanced at Levi Grenaldo, her recently appointed bodyguard, expecting him to make some reassuring gesture that would indicate nothing was amiss.

He didn't look her way. In the silvery sheen of his mirrored sunglasses, Isabelle saw only the rear bumper of her brother's limousine sitting still on the road in front of them. The seconds ticked by and they sat, unmoving, in the narrow streets of Sardis, Lydia's capital city.

Something had to be wrong. The motorcade represented the power and pageantry of the royal family and therefore never stopped until it arrived at its destination.

“Why are we stopped?”

Levi didn't acknowledge her question, but instead pressed the button for the intercom and told the driver, “Get us off this street.”

When the driver hesitated, Levi pressed the button again. “Now.”

Much as she wanted to remain calm, Isabelle felt her fingers tighten as they gripped the edge of the leather seat. She didn't like anything about this situation. For one thing, she didn't trust Levi.

He'd been abruptly appointed as her personal bodyguard five days earlier with no explanation given, and on top of that, he didn't fit the profile for a bodyguard. Although he was plenty tall and his shoulders were broad with muscles, he was otherwise trim, and the dark angles of his beard gave his face a scholarly look. Unlike all the bodyguards she'd ever had before, his neck wasn't thicker than his head, and he looked unusually sharp in the tuxedo he wore for the state dinner they were about to attend.

Besides that, the bodyguard read books. Intelligent ones. She'd seen him with his nose buried in political tomes whenever he waited for her to finish an appointment.

Out of place as those attributes seemed, what really bothered her was the way he overrode her requests and limited her freedom. As the eldest daughter of King Philip and Queen Elaine, Isabelle was used to having to change her plans to protect her safety, but Levi's impediments went far beyond the usual. They'd butted heads several times. After three days she'd asked to have him removed, but her father had refused her request.

All her instincts told her something was amiss.

The driver had the car two points into what promised to be an eighteen-point turn on the narrow street when suddenly a deafening blast rent the air, rattling the official limo, and an orange ball of fire seared the sky in front of them.

Levi's hand mashed the intercom button.  “Back! Back! Now!”

I can hardly wait for my copy of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.rachellemccalla.com

Thank you, Rachelle, for this interesting interview.



Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com