Comet Babe's Books: #HIFortnight - Guest Post by AJ Nuest

Today for #HIFortnight, I am happy to bring to you a guest post by the fab AJ Nuest

Greetings fellow readers and bloggers, and a huge thanks to the lovely Johanne for inviting me to stop by her lovely blog in celebration of the #HIFortnight! Whoo Hoo!

For as long as I can remember, I've been enamored with the concept of a prince and princess falling in love. I blame Disney—and their ever-present worldwide inundation of Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, etc. I was obsessed with the movies as a kid and this fascination followed me into adulthood. (No matter how old I get, deep down I’m still that little girl who experiences a flutter of excitement in her belly the moment she hears another Disney Princess is about to hit the big screen.) It was no surprise to me that as I started my career as an author, I chose romance as my genre of choice. Nor was I surprised by my recent foray into the world of fantasy romance. Simply put, I’m in love with falling in love—even more so when a swashbuckling, handsome young prince is involved.

Some could argue the attraction lies in image of a tall, strapping young hero charging in to save the day. And I’d have to agree. There is definitely something to be said for an aptly timed rescue. However, I’m not really one for the shrinking princess who hides out in her tower for fear she might break a nail. I like my heroines feisty. And a woman who isn't afraid to save herself despite some dire circumstance appeals to the modern side of my personality.

Maybe the appeal holds somewhat more of a “royal” nature. I gotta admit, falling for a man who may one day rule a country does have a nice ring to it. For starters, I’d never have to wash another load of laundry or cook another meal. I could sit near the fire and get room service with the snap of my fingers. However, I also like an element of adventure and danger with my romance, and the idea of a heroine who refuses to get her hands dirty makes me cringe. No snobs here, thank you very much. We all put our pants on one leg at a time.

Admittedly, I have a “thing” for tortured heroes. Perhaps therein lies my attraction. A lot of princes are conveyed as reluctant heroes—you know, the guy who doesn't really want to be a prince because he finds the rules too confining or his role in the kingdom too burdensome? But there, again, I prefer a strong hero who isn’t about to take orders from anyone…especially as far as his future is concerned. Give ʼem to me virile, determined and steadfast in their pursuits. No namby-pamby heroes here.

So what is it that I love? I deliberated the issue for quite a few hours before it finally hit me.

As a purveyor of fantasy romance, I expend vast amounts of time staring at words on the page…or rather the computer screen…so, for me, my love for this genre is all about the prose. And, more specifically, the dialogue. Ahhh…

There is just something about the way a prince speaks, the dialect, the romantic pentameter of his voice. It makes me swoon like that first upside-down, feet aimed the sky, swing on a swing set. Give a man the ability to whisper sweet nothings in my ear and I am putty in your hands. LOL

Case in point, an excerpt from Rowena’s Key, Book I, The Golden Key Chronicles:

He studied the pensive shifting of her eyes. She was, in some ways, less…and, in others, far beyond what he’d expected. A sorceress, yes, and yet she was more an innocent than the conniving witch Fandorn had cautioned him against. An unwitting victim of these torturous circumstances, much like him.

He lifted a finger to the mirror and traced the edge of her jaw, so refined, like a piece of the finest china. Her lips curved in a gentle smile before she touched the glass, meeting his finger with the tip of hers. The veil shimmered and hummed at the contact and, when he lifted his brows in surprise, an alluring blush of amazement crossed her face as well.

She opened her hand and placed her palm flush against the mirror. He followed suit and a shallow vibration pulsed up the length of his arm. Warmth flooded his skin.

“Do you feel that?” she whispered.

“Like Helios’ golden rays, full on my face.”

“The buzzing is almost metallic, and yet I can sense the pressure of your hand.”

Caedmon glanced away. He was one step nearer his goal. One breath closer to losing his heart. “The barrier between our worlds weakens.”

She quickly withdrew her hand and understanding flitted across her face, but her eyes remained shrouded in sadness and her shoulders lowered as if weighted by a heavy burden. “Seems you

were the right choice, after all.”

She shook her head, yawned and lay down along the span of a lace coverlet. When she tucked her hands under her pillows, the gentle waves of her hair spilled a pool of gold beneath the delicate frame of her face. “Caedmon, can I ask you a favor?”

He would obey her every command, and when she slept, he would stand guard over her to ensure she remained safe. “You have but to ask, Sorceress.”

She smiled. “Please, call me Rowena. And now I want you to tell me everything you remember about your mother.”

So what about you? What is your favorite thing about Prince and Princesses in fantasy romance?

About The Author

Multi-published, award-winning author, AJ Nuest resides in a small farming community in NW Indiana. A wife, mother and freelance editor, she shares her home with a variety of spoiled-rotten pets. She and the cat are currently vying for dictatorship.

AJ Nuest