A Royal Christmas Quandary is a standalone. 1860. Lady Alexandrina Gailey is looking forward to a cozy holiday at Windsor Castle with her best friend, Princess Alice, and her long-time crush, Lord George Worthington. But Drina's plans are all but dashed when Alice's parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, declare that Alice must choose one of two royal princes to become engaged to before Christmas.
There's just one problem: George, a junior member of the Foreign Office, has accidentally misplaced one of the princes.
Together, Drina and George scour the town of Windsor for the missing prince, desperately hoping to deliver him to the royal dinner party with the queen none the wiser. They might just need a royal Christmas miracle to pull it off.
Do you have a favorite character?
Princess Alice! I had such a wonderful time learning more about Queen Victoria’s third child. She was truly a woman ahead of her time. She was passionate about nursing and corresponded with Florence Nightingale. She established the Alice Society for Women’s Training and Industry, which was dedicated to educating women for employment. She also started the Alice Hospital in Darmstadt, which treated sick people without charging.
How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
It was my third traditionally published novel (this one, in fact!). My first two books were published by Swoon Reads; an imprint of Feiwel and Friends / Macmillan. To submit a book for their consideration, you just upload it onto their website www.swoonreads.com. If you’re selected, they offer you a traditional publishing contract (royalty advance, editing, cover design, marketing, etc.). They offered for my first book, The Last Word. Then my editor purchased my second book, The Invention of Sophie Carter. I decided to get an agent and she negotiated my third book contract for, A Royal Christmas Quandary.
What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?
A great way to find an agent that is a good fit for you and your writing, is to read the acknowledgments section of a book similar to yours. Dangerous Alliance by Jennieke Cohen is a historical romance, like the kind that I write. I queried her agency, Jennifer Unter Agency, and I was lucky enough to find a good match with an agent there: Jen Nadol.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I usually have a desired word count that I want to hit that day. Sometimes its 1,000 words, other times 2,000 words. I try to write until I hit my goal. I don’t listen to music, but I have four kids, so it’s not exactly silent.
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
I have a very flexible outline, that get’s updated while I draft. I don’t let my outline get in the way of my creativity or my characters.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
The Last Word and The Invention of Sophie Carter are available in print or ebook form from all major retailers or local indie bookshops. A Royal Christmas Quandary is only available in ebook form. You can find it at: Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, Kobo, Google Books, and eBooks.com.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
Yes. Creating is my joy and marketing is a necessity. I try to devote 15-30 minutes a day to marketing and social media. If you’d like to check out my accounts:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthahastingsauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HastingSamantha
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHastingsAuthor/
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Reading! I’ve always been an addict. I also love to go on long walks. I enjoy playing tennis and basketball; and I can still beat my 11-year-old son in one-on-one basketball.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?
Neither. I’m allergic to pet dander.
Chocolate every time!
Tea. Orange Spice is my fav.
Text. I think it’s torture to listen to voicemail these days.
Day. I’m like Cinderella’s coach, I turn into a pumpkin at midnight.
A Royal Christmas Quandary
Samantha Hastings
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: October 6th 2020
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Readers looking for a light, fun read full of holiday mischief will be delighted by Samantha Hastings’ A Royal Christmas Quandary, perfect for fans of A Christmas Prince.
When you spend Christmas in a castle, anything is possible.
1860. Lady Alexandrina Gailey is looking forward to a cozy holiday at Windsor Castle with her best friend, Princess Alice, and her long-time crush, Lord George Worthington. But Drina’s plans are all but dashed when Alice’s parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, declare that Alice must choose one of two royal princes to become engaged to before Christmas.There’s just one problem: George, a junior member of the Foreign Office, has accidentally misplaced one of the princes.
Together, Drina and George scour the town of Windsor for the missing prince, desperately hoping to deliver him to the royal dinner party with the queen none the wiser. They might just need a royal Christmas miracle to pull it off.
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
Author Bio:
Samantha Hastings has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Reading (Berkshire, England), and the University of North Texas. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, and chasing her kids. She is the author of THE LAST WORD, THE INVENTION OF SOPHIE CARTER, and A ROYAL CHRISTMAS QUANDARY.
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Nice cover. It sounds like an interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
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