Guest Post: Fate of Eyrinthia Trivia (Royal Spy)

Note: This post was originally hosted by @The_Reading_Pantry on Instagram as part of the Royal Spy media tour.

The world of Eyrinthia is a fun place for me to hang out, and I hope readers enjoy it, too! For this guest post, I thought I would share 5 fun facts about the series.

1. Once upon a time, Royal Decoy was a MUCH longer book. It basically combined Royal Decoy AND Royal Spy. It was far too long to publish, so I had to make some changes, and that was an interesting process, as I had to rethink story arcs and character development for two books. But I’m very pleased with how things turned out!

2. Grayson was a character I didn’t plan on. When I started writing Royal Decoy, the storyline was all about Clare. I still get chills when I remember the moment I started a new chapter...and I was not in Clare’s head. I had NO idea why I was suddenly standing in a corridor in a castle in Ryden, the enemy kingdom, but I went with my gut and wrote from the POV of a dark-haired teenage prince. I had no idea what I was about to discover, and I’m SO grateful that Grayson stepped up and let me tell his story. I later went back and integrated him into the story with some earlier chapters, but that first chapter I wrote from his POV is still in Royal Decoy. (It’s Chapter 10, if you want to check it out ;)

3. Fletcher, Mia’s guard, got his name from my own family tree! Fletcher comes from my maternal great-grandparents, who I actually had the great blessing to know. Adding their name into my story was a way to pay homage to them.

4. In Royal Spy, you’ll meet a character named Yahri. She is an old Mortisian noblewoman--but she wasn’t always! When I wrote the first draft, she was actually a middle-aged man. I made the change because it felt like the right thing to do, and I LOVE the result! It makes Yahri a much more interesting character.

5. Mortise is a fun mix of cultures. I took inspiration from middle eastern countries and India, and it has become my favorite kingdom to spend time in! I’m so excited for readers to see it . . . and for everyone to meet Desfan, the reluctant serjah and current regent to the throne. (He also stars on the cover of Royal Spy.) Let’s just say, I am VERY excited for you all to meet him!