His Royal Hotness Week~Day Four

Today I welcome my fellow Muse sister, and one of my partners in crime at BookFish Books, Erin Albert. Erin is super active on Twitter and Facebook, and lots of fun. She's also very a talented author, with the second book in her series releasing soon, so be sure to keep an eye out for The Oultanders! Now, without further ado, here's Erin!

Happy Prince Week! Who doesn’t love a good prince? I think back to my childhood and to all the princes that shaped my definition of the word. Remember Prince Eric? Prince Charming? Prince Philip? I can still see Sleeping Beauty twirling in Prince Philip’s arms as the fairies change her dress from blue to pink. I think that’s my favorite part of that movie. And I look at modern princes from movies and real life (some are still swoon-worthy and some not so much): Prince William and baby Prince George, Prince Joffrey, Prince Hans, and Prince Caspian.

So with all these examples in real life, books, and movies, what makes a good prince? I’ve always thought a good prince must be honorable, courageous, selfless, and wise. Perhaps this belief spilled over into my own books as I wrote the character Prince Wilhelm of Etherea.

When I wrote my first draft of The Prophecy, my friends and beta readers (affectionately called The Dream Team) told me Wil seemed too perfect. Two Dream Team members swooned hard for him, but another said he needed more conflict within himself. So I went back to the proverbial drawing board and tried to round Wil out a little more. 

I realized his honor and selflessness, while a great attribute, could also work against him. He vowed to put the interests of his people above his own, yet he struggled when that value set got tested. When Wil’s forced to choose between his people, his family, and the woman he loves, we see the seemingly perfect prince at a crossroads. He’s torn between honor, duty, and love. Could we so easily watch the people we love perish if it meant saving a group of people to whom we felt a great responsibility? I don’t envy his choice.

In addition to being honorable, courageous, and selfless, a prince should be wise. After all, he is next in line to be king. Given an incredibly difficult set of conflicting choices where no good options are apparent, death seems inevitable, and evil and villainy are certain to rein, a wise leader chooses a path invisible in the quagmire of chaos. He is faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem. No one will be happy with the result...or so it appears. Yet a good king, or in this case future king, comes up with a resolution that is noble, conforms to his values, and solves the problem. And maybe that's it more than anything. A king and future king applies his wisdom and insight by instinct. Without an apparent path to righteousness, he blazes his own trail.

I’d like to think Wil is as noble and wise as Ned Stark (only he manages to keep his head) with the cunning, instincts, and vision of Captain Kirk.

I hope you will join Wil and his friends during their adventures in The Prophecy and its subsequent novels, The Outlanders and The Fulfillment.

Happy “His Royal Hotness Week!” Oh, did I mention Wil is sha-mokin’ hawt??

Top 5 Disney Princes (in ascending order):

5) Prince Phillip

4) Aladdin

3) Prince Eric

2) The Beast

1) Flynn Rider

Random Trivia about princes:

-Sleeping Beauty’s Prince Phillip was named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II

-Prince Eric is the first prince to be saved by a princess

-Aladdin is modeled after Tom Cruise, and his hat feather falls forward when he lies.Book Recommendations:
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Need series by Carrie Jones

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He's grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear...not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash's secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.

Erin Albert is an author and fitness trainer. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the "Grammar Police." In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing. Her favorite place to be is at home with her family and easygoing tabby cat.

Don't forget to swing by April Erwin's blog to see what she's got going on today!

And now, Raffle Time!! Be sure to check the previous couple days for other raffles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One more day to go. Who will our royal visitor be?? Guess you'll have to stop back and see!