Spotlight & Giveaway: Revelations of a Secret Princess by Annie West

Posted February 17th, 2020 by in Blog, Spotlight / 64 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Annie West to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Annie and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Revelations of a Secret Princess!

 
Waving a big hi to you all! It’s lovely to be here.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

Caro, actually Princess Carolina of St Ancilla, has just discovered the stillborn baby she secretly gave birth to four years earlier is alive. She’d been spirited away and adopted out on orders of Caro’s domineering father. Now Caro is determined to do whatever it takes to claim her child. But recently orphaned Ariane is now the ward of her adoptive uncle, Jake Maynard, a super wealthy, super powerful tycoon. Fearing he’ll use his power to keep Ariane from her, Caro masquerades as a nanny to see her daughter. Getting legal guardianship of her daughter may take years but she’s determined to be with her little girl. But living under the same roof as the sexiest, most intriguing man she’s ever met brings a whole new set of complications.
 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • My working title was Royal Masquerade Nanny! It says it all.
  • I loved writing this book because it combined my love of a deeply emotional story, a royal theme and a gave a chance for a masquerade. I love heroines who try to deflect attention from themselves by changing their appearance. And then of course, when the hero sees them as they really are…!
  • The book was partly inspired by my love of the Alps. Think wonderful mountain views, gorgeous hikes, wood carvings and terrific chocolate.
  • The story opens in a Swiss castle and I had a wonderful time visiting a couple of those in order to write this story! One of the joys of research.

 

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Ah, this was one of those books where hero and heroine are instantly aware of each other. That sudden sizzle of connection is there, though in this case it’s camouflaged by their initial doubts/fears regarding the other. There’s strong distrust in the beginning so it takes a while for them to admit to attraction. In fact it’s almost an enemies to lovers story. But what really attracts them is that they have a chance to see each other for who they really are, as they work to look after a traumatised little girl. Each discovers in the other qualities they admire and relate to. I so enjoyed seeing them peel away those layers to discover the person they distrusted is in fact someone they could love.

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Not crying, but almost. It was the moment when Caro, reunited with her long lost daughter, finally gets to hold her close. They have just escaped a disastrous accident and emotions are already heightened:

Seeing Ariane’s tears spill, Caro found the energy to sit up, curling her legs under her and pulling Ariane to her. Her daughter burrowed close, her arms creeping around Caro’s neck. Caro had never experienced anything like the burst of glorious happiness that exploded inside her.
This. This is what she’d missed all these years.
For so long Caro had been tempted to fantasise that her child hadn’t been stillborn. But the fantasy was too dangerous and she’d forced herself to put it aside and face reality. Then, discovering Ariane was alive, Caro had been so focused on tracking her down that she hadn’t allowed herself to imagine this moment. It had seemed like tempting fate into stealing away her daughter again.
She rocked Ariane, breathing in the scent of snow, pine trees and little girl. It was a perfume she’d remember for the rest of her days.

 

Readers should read this book….

if you like a deeply emotional story. Both Caro and Jake’s actions are motivated for their deep love of a child. Initially that gives them common purpose but, when old secrets and scandals are revealed, it puts them on opposing sides. Caro’s story in particular is heart-wrenching, which made that final happy ending so very special. This is a book full of emotion, passion and sensuality. I’d particularly recommend it if you like books with secrets and scandal, highly charged sexual tension, boss-nanny stories, royal romances or stories with a touch of fairy tale magic.

 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

Ah, I’ve got lots coming up! In March/April ‘Contracted to Her Greek Enemy’ is published. If you’ve ever dreamed of a romantic trip to the Greek islands, don’t miss it. Then in July/August it’s ‘Claiming His Out-of-Bounds Bride’ where Olivia’s marriage of convenience takes a twist when the wrong brother claims her. I’m just beginning work on a new story. It’s early days but if it works out as I plan, it should appeal especially to people who read and enjoy ‘Revelations of a Secret Princess’. Yes, that’s a hint but I won’t say any more just yet. If you’re one of my newsletter subscribers I’ll keep you up to date on progress. If you want to sign up you can do so here https://tinyurl.com/ya56pe7c.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: International giveaway: two readers will each receive a signed royal romance by Annie.

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: In ‘Revelations of a Secret Princess’ Caro hides her identity and pretends to be a nanny. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a completely different life? If you could be someone else for a day, who would that be? Would you have a different career or live in a different country or maybe even a different time?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Revelations of a Secret Princess:

Jake has just interviewed Caro for the job of nanny, and offered her a twenty four hour employment trial, since his niece took to her straight away. But something about the primly buttoned-up nanny niggles at him. He’s discussing her with his secretary, Neil:

Jake grunted out a laugh. They’d worked together for years. Neil could take anything he dished out and was no pushover. He also had a quick, analytical brain.
‘Do you like her?’
‘I told you she’d be good for the job.’
‘Not what I asked. Do you like her? Trust her?’
Neil’s amusement faded. ‘You really are concerned!’ He paused. ‘I’ve barely spoken to her. She seemed…nice. Trying not to show she was nervous while she waited for the interview. But I felt she was genuine, not ignoring me because I’m a lackey nor buttering me up for information about you. And she has a sweet smile.’
Jake shook his head. ‘A sweet smile? Good thing I’m hiring the nanny, not you.’
Neil shrugged. ‘You asked. I like her better than the one with two Masters Degrees. That one might know the theories of child development but I’m not sure she’d cope with a carsick kid.’
Jake thought of that eye-opening car trip through the Alps when he discovered Ariane didn’t travel well.
‘You have a point.’ He shoved his chair back. ‘I’ll leave you to finish up. I’m going to check on this would-be nanny.’
Jake was at the door when Neil spoke. ‘There was one other thing I noticed about Ms Rivage.’ He turned and caught the gleam in his secretary’s eyes. ‘She has spectacular legs.’
*
Those legs were on display when Jake reached Ariane’s playroom. Rugs lined the floor and padded window seats held bright cushions and dolls. But it wasn’t Ariane or her room that snared his attention. It was Caro Rivage standing on a small stool, arms raised above her head as she reached for something on a high shelf.
Neil was right. She had spectacular legs. Fabulous legs.
She’d taken off her shoes and stood on tiptoe, the stance accentuating the fine curve of her calf. She’d removed her jacket, Jake saw it draped over the back of a nearby chair. Her white blouse strained over her breasts.
Something dug into his belly, grabbing tight. His nostrils flared on a quick inhale. His gaze tracked down to her toes and up over the loosely fitted skirt to a lithe torso revealed by that taut blouse. Then up the long, feminine arch of her back-tilted neck to her bundled-up hair.
Jake’s breath expelled in a rush that left him almost light-headed.
Stripped of her conservative shoes and unflattering jacket, Caro Rivage was slim, svelte, feminine and intriguing. A different sort of intriguing to the way he’d viewed her earlier.
Except Jake knew that was a lie. Despite her prim pose and drab clothes, he’d been aware from the first of this woman’s magnetism. It was a sly thing. Not overt like Fiona’s blonde beauty and overtly sexy curves.
Even as he’d catalogued and dismissed Caro Rivage’s expertise, at another level, that of primitive male, he’d been aware of the attractive woman behind the pursed lips and downcast eyes.
Heat drilled down from his temples to his gut, boring straight to his groin.
Did this explain his resistance? Was it why he didn’t want to employ her? Because he responded to her as a man to a woman, not a boss to a governess?
He sucked air into tight lungs. Business and pleasure didn’t mix. He had no intention of beginning anything personal with a staff member.
After Fiona he’d found it easy to avoid the charms of the opposite sex. Except to his horrified fascination, he realised sex was the operative word here.
Caro Rivage bit her lip, shifted her hips in a way that shouldn’t be in the least provocative yet turned up his inner thermostat from hot to scorching. The tug of desire dragging at his groin told its own story. It wasn’t one he wanted to hear.
But Jake prided himself on facing facts.
She wasn’t gorgeous like the women he dated. She wasn’t his type. He hadn’t decided if he could trust her, yet he was attracted.
Urgently attracted.
Worse, he felt compelled to give her a chance despite his better judgement because his niece showed every sign of bonding with her. That rankled. Jake made a point of being the one to dictate terms. He didn’t take kindly to being forced into decisions. But little Ariane had held herself aloof from everyone except her teddy since the accident that killed her parents. Seeing her shy excitement with Caro Rivage was a profound relief. It was the first time she’d smiled properly in a month.
What option did he have but to give this nanny a chance?
She expelled an exasperated breath that puffed up the strands of brown hair drifting free of her brutally neat bun. She looked ruffled and pink cheeked and Jake knew a growing curiosity to see her flushed and rumpled for other reasons.
‘Can I help with that, Ms Rivage?’ His voice hit a resonant baritone note that betrayed the trend of his thoughts. He could only hope she wasn’t as adept at reading men as she was little kids.
*
His deep voice came out of nowhere, lassoing her around the middle and drawing her off balance. Caro teetered on her toes, arms windmilling, then warmth enveloped her. Hard warmth that wound round her and held her steady.
She registered a broad palm and long fingers splayed across her hip bone. A solid body, all heat against hers, and near her breasts a head of tousled dark hair.
She hauled in a shocked breath and wished she hadn’t. This close she could smell Jake Maynard’s skin, warm and scented with bergamot and citrus. Her eyes sneaked shut for a self-indulgent moment, enjoying that fresh, masculine tang.
He was Ariane’s uncle. A potential employer. An obstacle to be overcome. She couldn’t think of him as a desirable man.
She hadn’t considered any man in that way for years. Not since she’d been blindsided by Mike’s smiling attentiveness, then gutted by his betrayal.
Reluctantly she looked down to Jake Maynard standing with his head a whisper away from her breasts. Dark brows contracted over brilliant grey eyes that no longer looked icy. Instead they reminded her of the heat haze she’d seen rising over boiling geothermal pools in Iceland. Heat drenched her skin and sank into her bones.
Still she shivered.
‘You can let go. I’m not going to fall.’
She wondered if he heard her, though his gaze was anchored to her face.
‘Even so. I’ll get whatever you need. I’d rather you didn’t take a tumble.’
His voice was brisk, his movements quick as he lifted her off the stool. Yet when he’d swung her to the floor he took his time releasing her. Caro was inordinately conscious of the weight and size of those hands. Of his tall frame close enough to lean into. Of the tendril of beckoning male scent in her nostrils.
She stepped back smartly and he dropped his hold.
Belatedly she looked at Ariane, who’d turned back to the puzzle on the floor. Was it just Caro who felt the air thicken and clog when Jake Maynard was around? It must only have been seconds since he strode into the room yet it felt as if time had spun out far longer.
Panic whispered through her but she conquered it. She was stronger than this. No man would derail her plans.
‘Thank you, Mr Maynard.’ She pointed to the top shelf. ‘There’s a puzzle we wanted to try. If you could reach that one I’d be grateful.’
Of course he grabbed it easily, as she would have if he hadn’t taken her by surprise.
‘You like puzzles, Ariane?’ Instead of handing it to Caro he crouched next to his niece. Caro registered the tautness in his folded frame as he waited for Ariane’s response, and the ease of tension when the she nodded and whispered that yes, she liked puzzles.
That was when Caro guessed some of his diamond-bright hardness might be down to something other than a demanding nature and a short temper.
Was he worried about Ariane? His movements as he settled himself beside the little girl were ostensibly easy, yet Caro saw how carefully he moved, as if not wanting to spook her. And though Ariane didn’t move away, nor did she lean against his big frame. She didn’t burrow close for reassurance as would be natural if she relished the comfort of a beloved uncle.
What was Jake Maynard’s relationship with his niece?
As Caro put away the footstool and tidied a few toys, she observed them. Both were wary, treating each other with the politeness of strangers.
Caro huffed out a relieved breath. At least Ariane wasn’t afraid of her uncle. If she had been…Well, she didn’t know what she’d have done but she wouldn’t have been able to watch without taking action.
The urge to declare herself and her relationship with Ariane was almost overwhelming.
Caro imagined announcing the truth, at which point little Ariane would fling herself into her waiting arms and it would be as if they’d never been apart.
Then what? Jake Maynard would simply relinquish his niece to her care?
She didn’t even have to look at the obstinate angle of his jaw to know that wouldn’t happen.
It was a nice fantasy but it would never be that easy. Announcing the truth would be complicated, especially since she had no intention of letting Ariane be taken from her again.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A princess in disguise…

To find her precious daughter, stolen from her at birth, Princess Carolina will do anything. Including masquerading as a nanny! Jake Maynard, her daughter’s uncle, is all that’s standing in the way of the reunion Caro has yearned for. If only her body got the message he’s the enemy…

Caro knows this powerful billionaire won’t give up the only family he has left. Yet after years of emotional numbness, Jake is reawakening her! He shows Caro a life filled with passion, not protocol, but what will happen when Jake discovers her true identity?
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author Annie West loves writing passionate, intense love stories. She has devoted her life to an in depth study of tall, dark, charismatic heroes who cause the best kind of trouble in the lives of their heroines. Creating heroines who are a perfect match for those strong, stubborn men is one of her all time favorite things. As a sideline she’s also researched dreamy locations for romance, from vibrant cities to desert encampments and fairytale castles. She lives on the east coast of Australia and her favorite things are books, good company, good food and travel.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

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64 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Revelations of a Secret Princess by Annie West”

  1. Mary Preston

    I have wondered in the past about having a different life. Come with reading and an active imagination. No specifics in mind though.

  2. erahime

    Yes, I do think about that. But I rather be me, flaws and all. Though it is nice to daydream…

    • Annie West

      Hi Erahime. No, I wouldn’t like to swap permanently but I think it would be fascinating to spend a couple of hours walking in someone elses shoes.

  3. Diana Tidlund

    Honestly not really. I believe we are who we’re supposed to be . My older brother had muscular dystrophy and I had to help take care of him until he passed away at 22 ( I was 18) people used to ask did I ever wish he was normal and hadn’t died ? I always said he was normal he just couldn’t walk and no I wouldn’t have changed anything about him because you change one thing you changed it all . He taught us to love unselfishly and accept people who were different with no judgements.

    • Annie West

      Diana, it sounds like you had a lovely bond with your brother. How very special. Learning to accept people as they are is a great blessing.

  5. janinecatmom

    I have often wondered how it would be if I lived a different life. I wouldn’t say it i so much as who I would want to be, but more of what I would want to be. I just want to be someone who has enough money to always pay the bills on time and not have to worry about budgeting so I can get enough food for the week when I go to the grocery store. Living in a nice house and getting to take vacations would definitely be a nice perk.

  6. Lori R

    I wondered more when I was younger but I am happy with my life. I think reading let’s us be the characters in the books we read.

  11. Colleen C.

    I have wondered if I followed a different path… or had some different skills set… what could have been

  13. Caro

    I wouldn’t want to be someone else, tbh. But I would like to live somewhere else, traveling and meeting new people.

  15. Summer

    Yes, I think that’s probably part of the reason I love reading so much, the opportunity to step vicariously into a bunch of different lives.

  16. Lilah Chavez

    All the time! Truly all I really wish for is to be completely healthy. If I was healthy i can be that active person , still working, pretty much just living.

  18. carol L

    IHi Annie, I enjoy who I am but have to say I get to experience people’s lives and different countries as well as gorgeous men through the books I read. Especially with your desert sheiks.
    Carol Luciano
    Lucky4750 at aol dot com

  19. BookLady

    If I could live a different life, I would like to be independently wealthy so I could travel around the world and visit all the places I have read about in books.

  20. Natasha Persaud

    Sometimes I do when the going gets tough I wish had an easier life. But most times I’m content being me

  21. Ellen C.

    Yes, sometimes I’d like to be independently wealthy and not have some of my worries. Of course, then I would probably have different worries. Love experiencing other peoples’ lives in books.

  23. Diana Hardt

    Yes, I have thought about what different paths I could have taken and where that might have led me.

  25. Rachael

    I have sometimes wondered what it would be like to live in other countries or have a different job. I’ve also imagined what it would have been like to have lived in Victorian or medieval times

    • Annie West

      Rachael, I found the TV shows interesting that put people in old houses and made them live as life would have been lived in the past. Tough but fascinating!

  27. laurieg72

    I would like to be a travel blogger and visit Switzerland and Austria. I love history and these two countries have so much history with the musical composers who lived there and the world wars that took place there. I want to see the Alps where the winter Olympics were held.

    • Annie West

      Laurie that sounds brilliant. I love travelling in Austria. There are so many wonderful places and I haven’t been to many of them. Hope you get there one day.

  28. RGP

    Given the chance, I’d like to be a professional athlete (tennis player). I know it doesn’t sound romantic, but I like it and it was one of my childhood dreams.

  31. Amy R

    Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live a completely different life? yes
    If you could be someone else for a day, who would that be? someone on vacation in Italy
    Would you have a different career or live in a different country or maybe even a different time? different country

  32. Alyssa L

    I have thought about it but then I realize that I would not have met my husband or have my daughters. The thought of doing something else would be something more creative (arts/crafts, party planning, reading/reviewing for a living). I would love to live in SE France in a vineyard but with my husband.

    • Annie West

      Alyssa, that’s the tough part isn’t it? Transplanting yourself and your husband to the SE of France sounds like a wonderful dream though.

  33. Glenda M

    I’ve wondered what it’d be like, but never really been dying to do so.

  34. Linda Herold

    I don’t deal well with change! The only thing I would change is the person I married!