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The story behind the story: Uncovering the origins of ROYAL CALEVA: GABRIEL
It was in the midst of the dark days of the pandemic. I had turned in the last book in The Consultants series in May of 2020. The worst thing that can happen to a writer hit me right after that.
Burn out.
I had written three books in eighteen months to fulfill my contract. On top of that, the anxiety of the early pandemic was crushing me.
I couldn’t write a word.
So I did what many of you did: I turned to reading to escape. Weirdly, I chose science fiction as my preferred genre, probably because it got me off this world and onto a different one. I became addicted to a series known as the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. It had characters that leaped off the page—especially the main hero, Miles Vorkosigan—and a fascinating universe, including three planets ruled by an emperor. I ripped through all 16 novels and the various associated novellas before I started at the beginning and read them again.
A spark of inspiration kindled in my brain. No, I wasn’t going to write science fiction, but I wanted to do world-building like Ms Bujold did. I still needed to escape from the real world situation, so I decided to set my barely flickering idea of a story in a brand new country that I constructed from the ground up. That country became Caleva (which is a mash-up of two Spanish words: caliente, meaning hot, and vaho, meaning mist or vapor, because the island is volcanic and there is still geothermal activity in some areas.)
Oh, I have had such fun waving my magic wand to create miraculously medicinal Calevan lilies that cure dementia. I love dragons but I don’t write fantasy, so I’ve had to enjoy them only in other people’s books. Then a friend sent me a postcard with a dragon-like lizard called a plumed basilisk. Thus was born the giant Calevan frilled dragon, featured on the country’s coat of arms.
Miles Vorkosigan is a nobleman on his world, related to the emperor. I loved all the court intrigue, so I waved my wand again to bring forth a monarchy, headed by the very hot silver fox, King Luis IV. Then I conjured up the royal family around him.
Gabriel, Duke of Bencalor
Gabriel, Duke of Bencalor, burst out of my brain and into the story. He’s a royal duke, third in line for the Dragon Throne, and he plays flamenco guitar. Not to mention that he made a great sacrifice to save his cousin, Prince Raul, whom he grew up with and loves like a brother.
Quinn had to be an American and utterly unsuitable to be the romantic partner of a royal duke. She has an ugly past that’s a matter of public record and a father who’s a con man. But she is also brilliant, independent, and perceptive.
Then I had a ton of fun creating the secondary characters: the royal family (who will get their own books), Quinn’s father and uncle, and Quinn’s dark, enigmatic boss, Mikel.
I wrote with joy and abandon, letting the characters and story take me wherever the Muse wanted to go.
That was great for my creative brain, but my business brain looked at the word count and said, “Uh-oh!” I was already at 100,00 words (by comparison, my previous novel, The Agent, was 86,000 words) and the story was nowhere near finished. I might have cursed a bit at that moment.
So I tried to turn Gabriel and Quinn’s story into two volumes. I wrote a dramatic suspense scene for the end of Volume I. I made myself cry with the final emotional moments of that volume. Then I launched myself into Volume II.
About a third of the way into Volume II, I stalled out. I didn’t have enough story left to support a whole second book. At the same time, my publisher said they didn’t want a two-volume story. I didn’t blame them, honestly. I didn’t either. But that meant that I was going to have to self-publish this book.
What might have been a disappointing rejection became a liberating release.
I ripped out the dramatic suspense scene and gut-wrenching emotional climax at the end of Volume I, tore up the opening scene of Volume II, mashed together the two volumes, and kept going. Since this was going to be a long book no matter what, I set my Muse to dancing for as long as she wanted to boogie.
As a result, when I finished, Royal Caleva: Gabriel was a whopping 154,000+ words long!
There was a lot of editing ahead of me. So much that my right eye sometimes stopped functioning properly. When that happened, I would keep it closed and peer at the screen with only my left eye. Eventually, I whittled the book down to 143,000 words, which translates into roughly 548 printed pages. It’s a BIG book.
I like it that way. I wanted to give you, my wonderful reader, an immersive experience, a way to escape from this world and dive into a new one. My fictional world has its own problems, of course, but they get resolved and you can always count on a happily ever after.
Join me in traveling to the island country of Caleva, eight hundred miles off the coast of Spain, where lilies bloom, dragons roam, and sexy dukes play flamenco guitar.
Goodreads giveaway until April 22nd
I’m giving away three AUTOGRAPHED print copies of ROYAL CALEVA: GABRIEL on Goodreads. The giveaway ends April 22nd so don’t delay in signing up for a chance to win!
Skoda and Mobi wish you a happy Easter!
Thanksgiving is fun!
My extended family gathers at my sister’s house every year for Thanksgiving…for several days! (Yes, my sister and her family are saints.) We eat and drink a lot but we also have a ton of non-food-related fun.
Last year, we decorated potatoes–and one lemon when we ran out of potatoes–to look like turkeys (sort of) and then put them on wheels…because you can’t win at decorating. We raced them down a ramp to see who built the fastest turkey.
Racing our potato turkeys…and one lemon!
We also did yoga, competed at trivia, and played various cutthroat card games. There was puzzle-working and bhangra dancing, crokinole and indoor bocce ball, pickleball and brewery visits. It’s like summer camp for grown-ups!
I wish you as much fun at your Thanksgiving celebration as I will have at mine. May your day be filled with the warmth and blessings of family and friends.
Most of all, I want you to know how thankful I am to have you as my terrific, supportive reader. You are right up there on my gratitude list!
Hugs, Nancy
A burst of summer
I’m kind of a gazpacho aficionado which means I’m both a fan and picky. Barbara Samuel O’Neal–who writes the most marvelous books–shared a recipe for watermelon gazpacho that sounded interesting, so I made it last night. Wow! It is absolutely delicious! It tastes like summer and freshness, and it’s totally healthy. It’s filled with watermelon (obviously), grape tomatoes, half an English cucumber, scallions, red pepper, lime juice, and a jalapeno pepper (optional but I like a little kick).
Note: It’s supposed to be garnished with cilantro which would make it much prettier but I forgot to buy the cilantro. Oops! It still tastes amazing. I can’t wait to eat more.
Any other gazpacho fans out there?
Thank you, wonderful readers…all one million of you!
My publisher just sent me this handsome trophy to mark an achievement I never dreamed I would reach: one million readers have bought my books! I am awed and humbled by this number. While I am very proud of my stories, this accomplishment was a joint effort between me and all the amazing folks at Montlake Publishing. They are incredibly smart, hardworking, and innovative. My books would not have reached all of you without their support.
But really, I want to thank YOU, my readers…all one million of you! (Wow, that sounds like a lot.) You are the ones who have spent your hard-earned money on my books. You are the ones who tell me via email, Facebook, reviews, notes, etc., that I should keep writing because my stories mean something to you. You are truly the wind beneath my writer’s wings!
I bow down and lay my virtual pen at your feet in tribute to your enthusiasm and encouragement. Love you guys!
P.S. If you read the fine print on the trophy, I hit the million-reader mark last July but I just got the trophy yesterday. I was waiting for it to arrive before I thanked you, but I didn’t expect it to take quite so long, I have to admit. Sorry for the delay! LOL!
I won!
In these strange times, good news is something I want to share. The Money Man won the Maggie Award for Best Contemporary Romance. Woohoo!
I was lucky enough to be at the Georgia Romance Writers’ wonderful Moonlight and Magnolias conference to accept my beautiful silver magnolia pendant in person. The new friends I had made there were kind enough to cheer me on and celebrate my win with me.
Speaking of which, it was so great to be with my fellow writers once again. (Everyone masked except when eating or taking photos which was a good thing.) It felt so good to talk about characters, critiquing, websites, marketing, and all things book-related. I attended some terrific workshops and came away with an excellent to-do list.
I also returned home newly inspired to finish the d—n book! LOL!
Thank you for supporting animals!
My readers are the best! Thanks to your support of my latest book, THE AGENT, I was able to donate to all of these animal rescue groups:
$1,000 donations to each:
Southport-Oak Island Animal Rescue (S.O.A.R.), NC
Texas Best Choices Animal Rescue, TX
Unconditional Love Pet Rescue, AR
$250 donations to each:
Charlie’s Crusaders Pet Rescue, TN
Paws 4 You, FL
Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, FL
Skoda and Mobi join me in expressing our gratitude!
Buy The Agent! Help animals!
The Agent is here! I’m so excited! This is Natalie and Tully’s story. He’s a former FBI agent turned security consultant. She’s a hair salon owner recovering from an abusive marriage. The attraction between them is instant but they both have powerful reasons for not acting on it. Then Natalie receives threatening notes and turns to Tully for help. I love these two characters so much and had a blast writing their book.
As always, I will be donating a portion of my royalties (including pre-orders and international sales) for the first two weeks after release day on January 5th to animal support groups nominated by my amazing newsletter subscribers. They give me a tough job every time as I have to choose just three for my big donations. I guarantee a minimum of $1,000 to each but the more books I sell, the higher the amount goes. So please spread the word!
Mobi and Skoda hope you will help increase my donation!
I just couldn’t stop with three so I added $250 donations to additional groups that I thought equally worthy. Honestly, I wish I could donate to every one of the 40+ organizations nominated.
Here are the chosen ones:
$1,000 minimum donations to each:
Southport-Oak Island Animal Rescue (S.O.A.R.), NC – a no-kill animal rescue, S.O.A.R. resides on approximately 3 acres of property. There you will find dog kennels for up to 14 dogs; a large fenced-in run and training area where the dogs can play without being leashed; a cattery with open rooms as well as cat kennels and 2 houses for cats living with FeLV (feline leukemia virus) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). S.O.A.R.’s goals are: to give abandoned cats and dogs a second chance at a new life by placing them in their new “furr-ever” home; raise public awareness about animal rescue and other animal issues throughout Brunswick County, NC; educate pet owners about the importance of spaying and neutering and proper pet care; rescue and assist cats and dogs in need.
Texas Best Choices Animal Rescue, TX – an animal rescue and sanctuary just east of Dallas, in Quinlan, Texas. We have 22 acres devoted to housing healthy, happy rescued dogs and puppies. As a no-kill rescue organization, we promote spaying/neutering and the humane treatment of all companion animals. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and re-home dogs and puppies that are hungry, helpless, and homeless in the Quinlan / Hunt County area and beyond.
Unconditional Love Pet Rescue, AR – committed to helping abandoned, neglected, and abused pets; finding loving homes; and educating the public about responsible pet ownership. All of our animals are pulled from overcrowded shelters and animal control facilities. We will also accept pets from owners who can no longer care for their pet. When the animal enters our program, it is treated for any medical needs, is brought up to date on all vaccinations, and is spayed or neutered. When the animal has been determined healthy and socialized, it is placed for adoption. We work with families throughout the northeast, focusing on New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, and Vermont.
$250 donations to each:
Charlie’s Crusaders Pet Rescue, TN – a group of volunteer dog lovers whose mission is to rescue, provide sanctuary, and ultimately to re-home abandoned, stray, and neglected dogs in Mississippi and Tennessee and surrounding areas. We rescue from the Mid-South where almost all the shelters are EXTREMELY high kill and then we transport them up North for adoption.
Halfway Home Pet Rescue, ME – We focus our mission on the rescue and rehabilitation of cats and kittens from Caribou and surrounding communities who are not eligible for admission to other area shelters. HHPR provides medical care, social and emotional rehabilitation through our foster home networkand a safe haven that is “half way home.” HHPR provides community support by: providing pet care assistance to families in crisis; promoting spay/neuter; assisting low income homes with spay/neuter resources; offering equipment for temporary fostering of strays; practicing Trap/Neuter/Relocation of area feral colonies; and providing community education about animal welfare issues.
Paws 4 You, FL – a volunteer, donor-subsidized animal rescue organization based in Miami, Florida. Over the last 11 years, we have served the vital need of sheltering, fostering, and placing dogs in the southern part of Miami-Dade County. We offer life-saving services and employ various strategies to place and keep animals in loving, lifelong homes. These include: saving dogs from abandonment and euthanasia; providing needed medical care including, but not limited to, spaying, neutering, vaccinations, and emergency procedures; and providing a safe retreat/shelter with the end goal of adopting dogs into safe and loving families.
Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando, FL – More than 6,000 homeless dogs and cats will turn to the Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando for caring, compassion and hope through our animal shelters this year. Pet Alliance provides food, medical care and shelter for dogs and cats until they find their new homes. The average length of stay for dogs is 8 days and for cats is 15 days. Pet Alliance’s live release rate averages around 96%, making it what is considered a “no kill” shelter. Pet Alliance also works to develop progressive and innovative programs that help keep pets and people together. This combined with initiatives to minimize the number of feral cats being born will help reduce the number of dogs and cats that need to enter the shelter. Pet Alliance also provides low-cost spay/neuter surgeries and animal wellness through our public veterinary clinics.
The Raptor Trust, NJ – The Trust’s professional staff supplies the highest quality medical care and maintenance to all avian patients. A fully equipped medical infirmary, including an intensive care wing, exists on site. Although begun as a raptor care facility, the Trust now offers assistance to all native wild birds. The goal is always to return all viable individuals to the wild. In the ten year period of 1986 through 1995, over 25,000 wild birds were admitted to the rehabilitation facility—half of which were set free.
Thank you for your support of my donations! I so appreciate your help!
Your purchase of The Hacker supports animals!
I’m going to be honest here: I cried as I visited the websites of all the amazing animal support organizations nominated by my newsletter subscribers. It breaks my heart not to be able to donate to every one of them because they all deserve it. 
A portion of the first two weeks of royalties (including pre-orders and international sales) from The Hacker will go to three rescue groups. As always, the minimum donation I make to each will be $1,000. If sales of the book go higher, I will donate more. (For The Money Man, I donated a total of $6,000 to animal rescue groups.)
After a lot of debating, I’ve chosen the groups below—but all of them were worthy. If only I had more royalties!
Forgotten Cats of Delaware: https://forgottencats.org/ The leading trap, neuter, vaccinate, return (TNVR) nonprofit in the region. Servicing Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey, Forgotten Cats specializes in TNVR in order to humanely reduce the homeless cat population. Valuing all lives, Forgotten Cats is a no kill organization.
My sister cares for a colony of feral cats in her hometown in Virginia and my daughter worked for a vet clinic that served feral colonies in Pennsylvania so I am supporting this cause to honor their commitments.
Happy Homes Rescue: http://www.happyhomesinc.org/ A no-kill, volunteer-based, non-profit organization that rescues cats and kittens from shelters and outdoors, bringing them to safe indoor environments. They are also heavily involved in TNR efforts in the Old Bridge, NJ area. They strive to help reduce the unnecessary euthanization of cats and kittens in New Jersey and New York.
I’m all about cats nowadays, as you know, and this is a small organization that’s been hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown, so they really need the help.
Freedom Service Dogs: https://freedomservicedogs.org/ They unleash the potential of dogs by transforming them into custom-trained, life-changing assistance dogs for people in need. The clients they serve live with disabilities like autism, traumatic brain injury (TBI), multiple sclerosis (MS), muscular dystrophy (MD), Down syndrome, cerebral palsy (CP), spinal cord injuries, and more. They also serve veterans with post-traumatic stress (PTS).
As the reader who nominated this organization said, “This organization performs miracles!”
The truth is that all the folks who give of their time and resources to animal rescue are miracle workers.
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