The country in the article was Yemen, so I rolled up my sleeves and started my research. When I decided that the heroine was going to be an aid worker as well as the daughter of a philanthropic rock star, the story simply exploded. I love writing from inspiration—best feeling in the world.
It wasn't easy though. The situation in Yemen, and who had control of which area, kept changing. Digging into the news about the humanitarian toll of the conflict was emotionally taxing, and I wanted nothing more than to write a story of hope in the midst of chaos and war. To that end, my research also led me into the culture of humanitarian aid—what was working—and insights into how to fix what was broken.
The final copy of The Princess and the Mercenary is markedly different from its first draft. Despite reducing the number of factions involved in Yemen, the intertwining plot I envisioned was too ambitious for one book and I began the process of what Stephen King called "Kill your darlings." I reduced the number of characters, removed several plot lines, and simplified the political parties' names to improve readability, especially since I was writing a romantic suspense and not a straight thriller. I didn’t want either the romance or suspense to overpower the other and I hope I achieved that goal.
And how can I forget the map! As I was writing, I kept on opening google maps to figure out where to send my characters and recon my setting and, in my research of Yemen, I came across its ancient heritage and thought it would be really cool to have an antique-looking map for the book. I hope you found it useful.
As always, a huge thanks to my editor Kristan Roetker. Your feedback, your meticulous edits, and your patience with all my questions helped polish the manuscript to its full potential. You are not only my editor, you’ve also become a dear friend.
Thanks to my betas, with special mention to Geri, who brought my attention to a goldmine of a news article and telling me it reminded her of me. LoL! Your analysis of my characters, plot, and pacing helped me tighten and improve my story.
And to the rest of my betas, much thanks to Lynn, Victoria Colotta of VMC Art & Design, Laurie, and Ms. D, all of who provided different perspectives into my story that I found invaluable.
I found my author tribe with this book! Thanks to Brynne Asher, Taryn Rivers, and Hadley Finn for our daily chats about writing, reading, and talking about just life. You all kept me motivated to continue my journey as an author.
And last but not least, thank you to my Alpha Team Bar members, readers, and bloggers everywhere—much love and heartfelt appreciation for your continued support.
Connect with the Author
Find me at:
Facebook: Victoria Paige Books
Website: victoriapaigebooks.com
Email: [email protected]
FB Reader Group: Alpha Team Bar
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Also by Victoria Paige
Guardians
Fire and Ice
Beneath the Fire (novella)
Silver Fire
Smoke and Shadows
Reclaiming Izabel (novella)
Always
It's Always Been You
Always Been Mine
A Love For Always
Misty Grove
Fighting Chance
Saving Grace
Unexpected Vows
Standalone
Deadly Obsession
Captive Lies
* All series books can be read as standalones
The Princess And The Mercenary Page 29