We enjoy romances where the heroines are strong and independent, and the ladies of the Sinners Trio series—Madeline, Olivia, and Princess Juliana—are as spunky as they come. With the trilogy drawing to an end with Sins of a Wicked Princess, PW caught up with author Anna Randol to discuss the adventure story set in the Regency era.
Your novels have a lot of Regency elements, but the plots are more intricate than the typical books in this genre. Were the stories so deep and multi-faceted because of the era (spies during Napoleonic era) or did you pick the era because that was the best setting for this kind of a plot?
I’ve always loved Regencies. They were the first romances I ever secretly checked out from the library. So when I decided to write my romance, of course it had to be one. But— now confession time—I have never read a complete Jane Austen book. (I know I should hang my head in shame.) Instead, I have always preferred the exploits of dashing Regency era heroes such as Richard Sharpe and Horatio Hornblower. So while I always wanted to write Regencies, they were never going to take place in a drawing room!
Is this the last we will see of The Trio? What happens to them?
This is the last book in the series, but there may be a few hints of them in upcoming stories. For instance, the Duke of Abington will hopefully have his own book, and I can’t imagine Ian staying entirely out of that…. In December, I will also be posting a short scene from Ian and Princess Juliana’s first Christmas back in Lenoria on the Dashing Duchesses blog.
All the Sinners Trio books were particularly complex with unexpected twists and turns. What was a particularly challenging scene or plot point for you to work on in Sins of Wicked Princess?
The final scene. Not because it was hard to write, but because I had so many different, outrageous ideas for how to end it! I finally had to dig deep and decide which one would stay truest to the story. And which one would keep Ian the most on his toes.
It seems we learned more about The Trio’s activities in this book than in the previous. Is that because Ian was the one more involved with the workings, the missions? Or just that it was time for secrets to be exposed?
A little bit of both. There are some threads that finally come together in this book and things that can finally be explained. But Ian has always been a master at maneuvering behind the scenes. Information is currency to him. He knew things about the Trio’s work for the Foreign Office that his friends never learned of. He has done his best to keep them protected from the darkness. For a long time it was a burden he carried alone, but now, for the first time, he meets someone who knows what it is like to have that kind of weight on her shoulders.
With this series wrapped up, what is next? What are you working on now?
I have many projects in the works. This week, I am polishing up a Regency Christmas novella that will release next year. I am also currently working on a super-secret YA novel that should be released next year as well!
