Today we chat with Alyssa Cole, award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and SFF romance. Her latest series, Reluctant Royals, starts with A Princess in Theory -- which we totally use this chance to gush about the book with the author! ...Excuse Kate & Tasha while they fangirl.

This week, we discuss:

• Writing historical romance in a period "no one wants to read about"
• Bringing those mundane, frustrating experiences into fiction
• Serendipitous timing - publishing in the time of Black Panther and Meghan Markle's wedding
• Working with the publisher on cover design and dress designer AdornedbyNicole (Etsy)
• Anxiety and writing, and the pressure of having readers looking forward to your next book
• Living up to the opportunity of traditional publishing when you're a woman of color
• Thinking about all those heavy things you don't put on the page as a writer and a human being
• Choosing writing projects based on what's great for your mental health
• Mechanisms for coping with anxiety so you can write

You can find more about Alyssa Cole at alyssacole.com or follow her on social media at @AlyssaColeLit (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook). Her books, including A Princess in Theory are available wherever books are sold!

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