Teri Wilson Q&A
Today we’re talking to USA Today bestselling author Teri Wilson! Teri writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Her USA Today bestselling novel Once Upon a Royal Summer is out now! Without further ado, let’s get into it!
We love being whisked away to romantic destinations. Tell us about the setting of your novel.
Once Upon a Royal Summer is a novel with two completely different settings, and each one is magic in its own way. The first half of the book takes place at a fairytale-inspired theme park in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Around the halfway mark, the book moves to the fictional kingdom of Bella Moritz, near the French Riviera, where the royalty and castles are real.
Choose one of your characters and have them give us one piece of relationship advice.
Fresh off a breakup, Lacey Pope, the heroine of Once Upon a Royal Summer, would tell you that your heart is even more precious than a glittering diamond tiara. Guard it at all costs, and never give anyone the chance to break it…especially not a real-life prince who lies about his identity and lets you make a complete and utter fool of yourself in the process.
What other authors in your genre do you love to read?
One of my favorite authors of royal romance is Katharine McGee. Her American Royals series is just so fun and creative. It imagines what America would be like if George Washington had been our nation’s first king instead of a president, and the series kicks off in modern day, with a young woman as America’s first heir to the throne.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses are always exciting. Tell us one thing you did while writing your upcoming novel.
One real-life thing I did that very much inspired Once Upon a Royal Summer was attend a Cinderella dinner party at Disney World in Florida. I was there for a romance writer’s conference, and a group of author friends and I made a reservation for dinner with Cinderella, Prince Charming, the step-sisters and the evil step-mother. We all dressed up and wore tiaras. I can’t even explain how much fun we had! The step-sisters were especially hilarious, and the actors never, ever broke character. That is when the initial idea for Once Upon a Royal Summer first came to me.
Choose one of the following that happened to you or in your novel and tell us all about it: a sweet surprise, a loving gesture, a thoughtful gift, date-night idea, romantic dinner.
Once Upon a Royal Summer opens with a romantic dinner that quickly spins out of control when Lacey, a theme park princess, accidentally forgets to remove her giant fake crown before her date night with her very proper (and very boring) unofficial fiancé. To say Mark is not amused would be a royally big understatement.
Give us a three-song playlist that would be the soundtrack to your new book.
Bejeweled, by Taylor Swift
Love Story, by Taylor Swift
So This is Love, from Cinderella
Tell us your favorite part of the publishing process and why.
My favorite part of the publishing process is always getting to hold my new book in my hands for the very first time. It makes everything seem so real. Books have always been magical to me, and I still can’t believe that I get to write them for a living!
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on a secret new project for Harpeth Road inspired by Grace Kelly, America’s silver screen sweetheart turned real-life princess of Monaco. When I was around twelve years old, I saw Rear Window and was completely enamored by Grace Kelly (and equally enamored by her wardrobe). Her life story seemed like a fairy tale come true, and I have always wanted to write a book inspired by her and her sense of style.
