What If Series, Book #1
Romance Comedy / British satire
Clean and Wholesome
Release Date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Pink Ink Press
Small-town girl, Katie O'Connor has always dreamed of seeing her name in lights. Check the box for fame, a movie deal, the perfect leading role that comes with a gorgeous leading man! Katie moved to Hollywood, elbows her way into auditions, lives on a shoestring budget-whatever is required to land a deal, she throws her heart into… until she's involved in a royal kidnapping.
As the future king, Prince Alexander refuses to rule from an ivory tower. Duty-bound, he intends to relate to his future subjects, regardless of their walk of life. Before his coronation, he needs a foolproof plan to outrun his security team and go temporarily AWOL. While visiting L.A., all it takes is a sound stage collision and Alex is blindsided by a headstrong woman who is simply irresistible. So much so, he calls in a favor in order to secure her help … as his pretend girlfriend.
Their worlds are oceans apart, but their immediate attraction is impossible to put aside, especially their nonstop banter. Miffed at being wrangled into a situation that might blow up in her face, Katie comes up with her own plan. If The Prince is serious about walking the walk of the common folk, she's only too happy to oblige as his pretend girlfriend. Through an ice storm, a road trip, kitchen duty, and a Texas pig race, Alex captures the hearts of the locals as well as Ms. O'Connor's.
What starts out as a deal Katie can't refuse becomes the acting role of a lifetime… letting Prince Alexander go without a fight.
A delightfully funny retelling of The Prince and The Pauper that romance readers of all ages will enjoy. On a two-week 1,500-mile road trip, Katie and Alex discover the end of the road might just be the beginning of their 'Happy Ever After' together.
Excerpt:
The fire she imagined she'd have to walk through as a royal guide, cough babysitter, might be harder than eating nails. Impressed, Katie was not.
Like any good actor, she wanted to ascertain the parameters of this role, so she cut to the chase. "Exactly what is it that you expect from me, Your Royal Highness?"
The Prince's smile deepened, as if her challenge were a source of amusement. Jeffrey huffed, sliding onto the leather seat. He slammed the door shut as if to punctuate her inquiry.
"Something people routinely do all over the world," Prince Alexander supplied, not giving her an answer.
It was a subtle move. What her dad classified as a perp's first line of defense, a deflection of an interrogation question. If Sam preached once, he had preached a thousand times: do not ask open-ended questions. Slowly but surely, move the conversation in a specific direction by controlled, structured planning.
Katie took a minute to consider what to say, how to frame the next question. She could hear her father's voice. Don't allow anyone to rush you. You own the show. She'd grown up with this type of guidance. That's what law enforcement officers did, she suspected, all over the world as parents. They lectured. They policed. They yakked about the good old days as police.
She studied The Prince while asking, "How far away are we traveling?"
Alex chuckled as if that were the funniest repartee he'd heard in a while. "I'm not kidnapping you, Ms. O'Connor."
Katie eased back against the leather seat and crossed her legs. She wore skinny jeans, rolled at the cuffs above her ankles, and ripped at the knee. She lightly tapped the toe of her trainer and noticed the direction of The Prince's gaze at her foot. A nervous habit. Stilling, she inquired, "May I have a copy of your schedule?"
"Jeffrey, send a copy of our diary to Ms. O'Connor, straightaway."
"Do you decide on the events that occur each and every day?" She thought she knew the answer but waited expectantly on his reply.
His Highness arched a brow. "Rarely. If there's latitude, Lord Sizemore deals with the particulars."
"Our schedule changes, sometimes moment by moment," Jeffrey explained "At times, we have events listed that we have no intention on attending. It's for security purposes."
"Then how will I know what to plan, when it comes to routes and finding places to park? If I'm in the dark, it'll prevent me from doing my job to the best of my ability," Katie said, then added, "Besides being a colossal waste of time. Yours and mine."
For the briefest second, Prince Alexander's eyes clouded. Then his gaze locked with hers. "It might save your life, Ms. O'Connor."
How could she be so blatantly thick? The man had lost his mother and brother because security had unwittingly been lax. She dialed down her frustration. Clearly, The Prince's security was not a trivial matter. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Sometimes, I speak before my brain has time to decide to pull the plug."
Like any good actor, she wanted to ascertain the parameters of this role, so she cut to the chase. "Exactly what is it that you expect from me, Your Royal Highness?"
The Prince's smile deepened, as if her challenge were a source of amusement. Jeffrey huffed, sliding onto the leather seat. He slammed the door shut as if to punctuate her inquiry.
"Something people routinely do all over the world," Prince Alexander supplied, not giving her an answer.
It was a subtle move. What her dad classified as a perp's first line of defense, a deflection of an interrogation question. If Sam preached once, he had preached a thousand times: do not ask open-ended questions. Slowly but surely, move the conversation in a specific direction by controlled, structured planning.
Katie took a minute to consider what to say, how to frame the next question. She could hear her father's voice. Don't allow anyone to rush you. You own the show. She'd grown up with this type of guidance. That's what law enforcement officers did, she suspected, all over the world as parents. They lectured. They policed. They yakked about the good old days as police.
She studied The Prince while asking, "How far away are we traveling?"
Alex chuckled as if that were the funniest repartee he'd heard in a while. "I'm not kidnapping you, Ms. O'Connor."
Katie eased back against the leather seat and crossed her legs. She wore skinny jeans, rolled at the cuffs above her ankles, and ripped at the knee. She lightly tapped the toe of her trainer and noticed the direction of The Prince's gaze at her foot. A nervous habit. Stilling, she inquired, "May I have a copy of your schedule?"
"Jeffrey, send a copy of our diary to Ms. O'Connor, straightaway."
"Do you decide on the events that occur each and every day?" She thought she knew the answer but waited expectantly on his reply.
His Highness arched a brow. "Rarely. If there's latitude, Lord Sizemore deals with the particulars."
"Our schedule changes, sometimes moment by moment," Jeffrey explained "At times, we have events listed that we have no intention on attending. It's for security purposes."
"Then how will I know what to plan, when it comes to routes and finding places to park? If I'm in the dark, it'll prevent me from doing my job to the best of my ability," Katie said, then added, "Besides being a colossal waste of time. Yours and mine."
For the briefest second, Prince Alexander's eyes clouded. Then his gaze locked with hers. "It might save your life, Ms. O'Connor."
How could she be so blatantly thick? The man had lost his mother and brother because security had unwittingly been lax. She dialed down her frustration. Clearly, The Prince's security was not a trivial matter. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Sometimes, I speak before my brain has time to decide to pull the plug."
About the Author
Southern gal at heart. Alina is a librarian who adores her job. She has a degree in anthropology from Vanderbilt and loves writing offbeat romance comedy. To refuel, Alina sings karaoke, bakes sweet treats, and can be found at the Y, kickboxing. She lives in Knoxville with her husband and Callie, their doxie mix.
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