This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Alix Nichols will be awarding a digital box set of her bestselling series The Darcy Brothers to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Blurb:
For sixteen years, they’ve hated each other...
and craved each other.
Widowed and betrayed, Eva Castellane will do anything to protect her daughter’s inheritance.
Standing in her way?
Alex Castellane—her late husband’s steely, magnetic half brother.
The man poised to take it all.
Her worst enemy.
Her forbidden temptation.
Stuck together in the family castle, their legal fight spirals into war…
until a common threat forces a reluctant alliance.
Desire blurs the lines.
Chemistry sizzles.
Rules get broken.
But as the verdict nears, one slip could unravel Eva’s explosive secret…
A Duchess with a Secret stands alone within the Montevor Royals Saga. It is a spicy contemporary enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity, family secrets, and a hard-won HEA.
Read an Excerpt
Alex
The air outside the basement at Mount Evor Secret Service feels colder than it did inside. It isn’t exactly chilly; just crisp enough to bite, which I welcome wholeheartedly. It clears my head.
“I’m going to walk to the hotel,” Eva says. “I need air.”
“I was about to say the same.”
She shoots me a look. “Please don’t. I don’t want to start thinking we have things in common.”
“What about the duchy?” I taunt.
“Of all the things we don’t have in common,” she quips, “the duchy is the one we don’t have in common the most.”
I smile despite myself. The pretty shell has some humor.
“May I walk beside you?” I ask.
“If you must,” she says after a beat. “But don’t think I’m warming to you.”
“Understood.”
We fall into step, heading toward the hotel located in the city’s historic center. She keeps her arms folded tight across her chest like a shield.
“I want you to know I will fight you with everything I’ve got. Dirty. No-holds-barred,” she warns. “My lawyer, Pauline, is very good at her job.”
I glance over. “So, this is your idea of small talk?”
“If you’d prefer silence…”
“No, this is delightful.”
We keep walking. Pombrio glows in the late-September dusk. The limestone facades catch the last golden rays and appear to be lit from within. Lined with old trees starting to turn, cobbled streets stretch ahead, winding gently. Cafés hum with end-of-day energy, clinking glasses, and low laughter. A faint whiff of woodsmoke rides the breeze.
I’d enjoy this stroll more if Eva weren’t so close. Her presence is magnetic and annoying in equal measures. Her perfume doesn’t help. It has none of the sugary sweetness most ladies favor. Instead, it’s seductive in a sharp, provocative way that’s so much her.
Interview with Alix Nichols
Author of A Duchess with a Secret
Thank you for having me, Nancy! I’m happy to answer your questions about the research and creative process behind A Duchess with a Secret.
I am glad you are here! Thank you for visiting with us today!
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story? Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
The book is set in a fictional European principality, so the research trips mostly took place in my imagination. That said, the principality is located in the Alps between France, Italy, and Switzerland, and my real-life trips to the region (on both the French and Swiss sides of the border) have definitely shaped how I picture Mount Evor. Fort Vauclairt and its dungeons were inspired by several Swiss and French castles I’ve visited over the years, most notably Chillon and Neuchâtel.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
There are a few murders and attempted murders across my books. Every time I research a poison or a murder method, I catch myself glancing over my shoulder and wishing I could leave a little note for the algorithm watching my search history: “This is for a book, I swear!”
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
All of it! For the Montevor Royals series, I’ve written an (admittedly incomplete) history of the realm, from its founding in 986 by a local brigand-turned-knight-turned-prince Isidore Pox-Face, all the way to its current political predicament. The lore behind the nine keys draws inspiration from the medieval legend of Melusine, the mermaid fairy (also known as the Serpent Goddess) — the same one you may have spotted on the Starbucks logo. According to legend, Melusine founded the French royal house of Lusignan. In my fictional world, she may also be the ancestor of Princess Jeanne de Malafosse, who married into the Valois-Montevor dynasty in the 16th century and brought the nine enchanted keys with her to Pombrio…
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
Too many to list. My paternal grandmother stands out the most. She was a wonderful storyteller. My favorite fairy tale she used to tell me was called Armless Lucy. Cross my heart! She had a real knack for giving her heroines Ultimate Expert Level challenges. I’m fairly certain that spark is behind every book I’ve written.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
Genre, yes. Sub-genre, not always. I enjoy several romance sub-genres and I’ve tried my hand at quite a few of them over the years.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
Of course. I’d love to write a domestic thriller one day. The only problem is I’d probably still give the hero and heroine an HEA… which gets a bit awkward when it’s a thriller, and one of them is likely a psychopath.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
I love writing the brooding, misunderstood hero (cue Mr Darcy). Why? Because I love Mr Darcy. There’s something deeply satisfying about peeling back the layers of a man who appears cold or difficult on the surface and discovering the loyal, passionate heart underneath.
About the Author:
Alix Nichols is a caffeine addict, a longtime fan of Mr. Darcy. She pens sexy romantic comedies and romantasy. Her books have been described as "pure pleasure" (Kirkus Reviews) that “keep fans of romance hanging off the edge of their seat” (Romantic Times).
At the age of six, she released her first book. It featured highly creative spelling on a dozen pages stitched together and bound in velvet paper.
Decades later, she lives in France and still writes. Her spelling has improved (somewhat), she has become a Kindle Scout winner, Chanticleer First Place winner, USA Today bestseller, Book Riot's Top 100 Must-Read International Romance author, and Amazon All-Star for being one of the 100 most-read authors in Kindle Unlimited.
Connect with Alix Nichols
Giveaway:
A digital box set of her bestselling series, The Darcy Brothers — One winner
