BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Secret Lives of Royals [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Shalini Dua to talk about her debut novel, The Secret Lives of Royals (28 March 2018, Shalini Dua, 218 pages), a Young Adult Humorous Fantasy.

"The Secret Lives of Royals takes you on a riveting, tumultuous, and luxurious journey with Olivia as she explores, discovers, and loves. Congratulations to Ms. Dua on this riveting narrative that is incredibly difficult to put down!"

"What a fun read! I loved all of the characters and thought the author did a great job of taking multiple story lines and weaving them together seamlessly. The narration and inner monologue of the main character felt very authentic to me and captured the young, just out of college girl in a big city. This is a light hearted, fun and easy to read book. Once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down! The only down side is having to wait for the next volume. =) Loved it!!!" - Amazon Verified Purchases

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Shalini Dua; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To begin Shalini Dua has shared with us her music playlist for The Secret Lives of Royals - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for The Secret Lives of Royals ?

"The Secret Lives of Royals has been rattling around in my head for years. Inspired by school history lessons, my travels and wanderlust for places I haven’t yet managed to visit, and by my love of food and art; Olivia’s story is a culmination of my journey thus far and the daydreaming I’ve done along the way. This novel is self-published, so I hope you will look past its raw state and enjoy the magic in this contemporary fairytale world."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"There is definitely some of my personality in Olivia. I can also neither confirm nor deny that Connor and Alex both have elements of boys I have dated in the past."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Secret Lives of Royals - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"A good friend of mine, Lauren Connor, is a very talented packaging designer. She created the cover for me. We’ve been friends since we were six so she knows me pretty well. Lauren read an early galley of the book, went away and came back with six concepts. I picked my favorite and she sent me different iterations that I fed back on. It was a very collaborative and fun process."

Why should we read The Secret Lives of Royals and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"I think the language of this book is particularly unique. Read this book if you’re intrigued by royal life and have a passion for humor, wanderlust, food and fashion, but particularly if you’re tickled by pop-culture based references."

Who would you recommend The Secret Lives of Royals to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"This book is a YA/New Adult romance about a millennial woman that takes matters in to her own hands and works hard to shape her own future. It also looks at the link between media and power, which is particularly relevant right now."

If you could / wished to turn The Secret Lives of Royals into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think Kat Dennings would make a great Olivia. Chris Hemsworth is Connor and Jamie Dornan as Alex."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"My preferred topics are tumultuous romance and pop-culture based humor."

What is your writing process?

"Lots of procrastination. I get really hungry, get creative with my snacks, binge watch Netflix for a while. It’s the only time I clean my apartment. And then, just when I’m about to go to sleep, inspiration hits and I stay up all night writing."

What is in store next?

"I am working on a follow up to this novel. In the follow-up Olivia gets deeper into this world and it’s almost like she was born and bred for royalty, but this type of life comes with responsibilities that she may not be ready for. I’m also working on an entirely different novel about a haunted circus. I’m working on a script for a tv series and I’m working on a poetry collection."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have this weird habit of doodling on my arms when I’m writing."

Thank you for sharing!

Confessions of a Shopaholic meets The Adjustment Bureau, this contemporary fairytale is both relatable and aspirational. Taking a look at the current balance of media and power with a healthy dose of humor, fashion, food and wanderlust.