I Ponder The Alaskan Royal Family...And The Awesomeness That Was Kate Duffy

I've had a couple of book ideas simmering in my febrile, yet terrifically fertile, brain for the better part of a year. I used to have the great privilege of writing for Kate Duffy, late of Planet Earth, badass book editor, and Poster Chick for Cool. The books she and I liked best were the Alaskan Royals series (The Royal Treatment, The Royal Pain, The Royal Mess). And although I haven't written a new one in three years, in my heart I was never finished with those pesky princes and princesses. Kate is gone now, a fact I keep tripping over like something depressing I can't bear to put away, so I've been thinking about characters and editors.

So I posed a question on my Facebook page, just like the one I'm posing here (and you can reply here, or Facebook, or both...I'm indifferent): if I did write more about a royal family that was actually a) cool, b) not hopelessly interbred, or c) not spreading homophilia like it was margarine on muffins, what would you guys want to see?

Prince Nicky's story? Edmund Dante? (Perhaps the sun would rise in the west...and King Al would fire Edmund? Perish the etcetera.) Dr. Pohl? More bodyguard lust? Less? How about if Nicole was pregnant? Or The Dragon? (Hmm. That's...terrifying to contemplate, actually.)

It's not a quiz, and there won't be penalties for "wrong" answers...I've just been thinking about these characters a lot, and wishing I could bounce a few ideas off Kate (then go off into gales of laughter at whatever cool-yet-hilariously-sly suggestion she came back with) and am curious to see what you think, too.

Next week: I'm back from the Romantic Times convention...and lived to tell the tale! (Probably.)

I am lazy, then go to RT

Sorry about the lack of blogs lately...I've been unashamedly enjoying the super-cool spring weather. Blogging has been far, far from my mind. Also child care, grocery shopping, and personal hygiene.

The family and I are heading up north for something family-esque, and then Tuesday I leave for sexy Columbus, Ohio for the 2010 Romantic Times Convention. I look forward to this thing all year, mostly because I can score free books, but also because the RT convention is this strange parallel universe where I'm famously cool. I occasionally have to be bodily removed from the hotel in question: "No! Don't make me go back to that other universe! I want to stay in this one! Pleeeeease! Ow. Not the face, dammit!"

You know the old saying: a day without a misdemeanor bust is a day without sunshine.