His Royal Hotness Week~Day Five

To round out our week of hot royal princes, I'm super thrilled to be hosting Becky Wallace and two of the hotties from her upcoming debut, The Storyspinner. I had a chance to beta on this book, and let me tell you, it's one you don't want to miss, so be sure to mark your calendar and sign up to follow Becky's blog, or stalk her, I mean follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Now, here's Becky!

Here’s a terrifyingly true fact: my type of guy was determined by a Disney prince. I was eight-years old when The Little Mermaid came out and I decided then and there that I was going to marry Prince Eric…or at least someone who looked like him. Dark hair, bright blue eyes, dreamy smile. I mean, hello! A girl couldn’t go wrong with that combination.

If you were to sort through my high school dance pictures, you would find an embarrassing amount of guys who fit that exact description. Thank goodness I grew up and realized that good looks were not a requirement for princeliness.* (It helps, but it’s not a prerequisite).

So while we’re on the subject of His Royal Hotness, I’d like to introduce you to two of my princely characters in THE STORYSPINNER.

If you’re a World Cup follower, you might recognize the ever drool-worthy Cristiano Ronaldo of the Portuguese National Team. I’ve been a CR7 fan since, well, forever. And there’s no question he inspired Lord Rafael DeSilva. Rafi, as he’s known to friends and family, has a tendency to seem a little smug and arrogant. It’s a façade he wears to disguise his fear of failure—his father died a few months before THE STORYSPINNER begins, and Rafi is certain he’s going to screw up, disgrace his family, and let down the people who are relying on him. Underneath that cocky grin is a young man who is fiercely loyal, quietly kind, and all sorts of intense.

If brown-eye and brooding, isn’t your thing, then maybe my next character will be a better fit.

Say hello to Leao.

Hel-low. 

This picture is of Brazilian model and actor, Henri Castelli. (Sidenote: I love that he’s Brazilian because THE STORYSPINNER has a decidedly South American feel. Perfeito!)

Leao could have chosen the simple life of a diplomat, he’s the heir to a kingdom of magic-wielding people, but decided to train as an Elite Guard instead. Even with his military background, he’s a little naïve and is guided by a very black-and-white sense of justice. At the beginning of THE STORYSPINNER, he makes a brave and dangerous choice that forces him out of his shelter and onto a collision course with his long-time crush—a slightly older and significantly more world-wise superior officer.

Ummm…. yes, puh-lease!

You can read Rafi and Leao’s stories in THE STORYSPINNER, available March 3, 2015 from Simon & Schuster. You can see more pretty pictures of them now on my Pinterest or Facebook pages.

*(Okay, okay. My husband could double for Prince Eric, but I swear he has a lot of qualities that have nothing to do with his looks.)

Synopsis of THE STORYSPINNER:


In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.

In second grade, Becky Wallace had to sit in the corner because she refused to write anything besides princess stories and fairy tales (and because she talked too much). Her time in isolation gave her plenty of opportunities to dream up the fantasy worlds she's been dabbling with ever since. She was lucky enough to find her own, real-life prince charming. They have four munchkins and live in a happy little town outside Houston, Texas. 

You can find Becky on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and on her website.

Top 5 Disney Princes (in ascending order):

5) Hercules. The man goes to hell and back for his lady love. 'Nuff said.

4)  Kristoff. I love his entrepreneurial sprit. Also, have you seen the man's shoulders? I mean, of course you haven't, but I bet if Disney ever showed their princes shirtless, he'd win the prize.

3) Scar. Is it okay if I choose a villainous prince? Because if Scar was human, he’d be a perfect anti-hero. Also, according to CG Pintor’s version, Scar would be habanero hot. 

2) Prince Eric. He might not be the brightest in the pack, but those blue eyes are a double-dose of swoony. 

1) Flynn Rider. Who doesn’t love handsome with a thick slice of sarcasm?

Random Trivia about princes:

-A reigning king makes his wife a queen. A reigning queen makes her husband a prince. 

-Prince Harry is the first member of the royal family to see action—of the military variety—
since his uncle, Prince Andrew, flew helicopters in the Falklands War in 1982.

-The Beast from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has the head of a buffalo, the eyebrows of a gorilla, body of a bear, jaws and mane of a lion, tusks of a boar, and legs and tail of a wolf. Whew! Man, that witch must have been pretty mad at how he treated her to turn him into that creature. 

-Prince Charles travels with a white leather toilet seat. 

-Queen Elizabeth’s husband was actually Prince Phillip of Greece, but he gave up that title when they married. 

Book Recommendations:
SIEGE AND STORM and RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo. The second and third installments of Grisha Triology feature a prince who is charming, rakish, brilliant, and you know, a pirate.

THE FALSE PRINCE by Jennifer Nielsen. A sort of Anastasia story that takes a hard look at how a royal should be. Great mystery and characters!

THE IRON FEY series by Julie Kagawa. If you haven’t read this series and you like faeries and princes with bad attitudes, then this is the series for you. Ash is perfect in every way.


And that brings His Royal Hotness Week to an end, folks! Thanks for all the fun times this week. I hope you had a chance to visit with April Erwin this week, too, and enjoyed all her princely choices and fun things! If not, why not swing over now and see what you missed!

To close things out with a bang, here's an amazing raffle from Becky. This is for US residents only, but don't panic! If you aren't a US resident, check out the other raffles from this week before they close!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway