Q&A With Erin Watt 

I have the honor of doing this Q&A with New York Times Bestselling author Erin Watt. Erin Watt is the brainchild of Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy, two bestselling authors who have co-written Paper Princess, Broken Prince, Twisted Palace, Fallen Heir & Cracked Kingdom, all of which are part of The Royals series. Erin Watt’s other books include When Its Real & One Small Thing. 

Q: Erin, would you like to tell the readers and I about Paper Princess books and about your solo books When Its Real & One Small Thing?

A: The Royals series is about an orphaned girl who is found by a very wealthy friend of the father she never knew and taken into his home to live with him and his sons. In her new life, Ella experiences the darker side of extravagance with teenagers who (mostly unbeknownst to their parents) run wild. While Ella works on coming to terms with her new life, she and her new ‘brothers’ get caught up in unraveling secrets best left kept. It’s full of twists, turns, angst, and cliffhangers – and not for the faint of heart!

InWhen It’s Real: he’s famous, she’s not. Renowned teenage pop-star Oakley Ford needs a desperate image overhaul to make his recording dreams come true, so his publicist makes a call – time to fake-date someone wholesome! 

Vaughn Bennett is the perfect ‘normal’ girl. She keeps her head down, stays out of trouble, and her family needs the money. The only problem: she thinks he’s a self-centered jerk. Good thing they’re only fake dating… right?

OST: Beth is sick of living in the shadows of her dead sister, and her parents being desperate to keep their remaining daughter safe leaves her desperate for a thrill. When she sneaks out one night for a party she meets Chase, a boy with a past and much to atone for – including his part in her sister’s death. Will their forbidden romance tear her family apart again? The answers all start with One Small Thing. 

Q: Where do your ideas for your books come from? What is your creative process when creating fictional worlds and characters?

A: The Royals (where we started) was a book we originally began plotting somewhat by accident, before we’d even decided to write together. We both loved Cruel Intentions and Gossip Girl, and realized we had the desire to write a story full of angst and over-the-top drama, where people have a lot of money and behave badly. It became a ‘What if’ meets ‘Oh, and then!’ back and forth, until we had a large chunk of Paper Princess planned out.

For creating fictional worlds and characters, we start by figuring out what sort of story we want to write, because everything else depends on that. Once there’s a plot, then there’s the scenery, and the characters that move the story along. Because we don’t each write a character or chapter, we have to make sure we’re on the same page before the writing starts.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: Right now we’re both focused on our separate passions. Elle is currently writing the Campus Diaries series, the next-gen books based off her Off-Campus series, and Jen is working on a few projects.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to The Royals Series & When Its Real & One Small Thing? The entertainment industry needs more original content. 

A: At this time, we’re not at liberty to discuss who has or may be interested in the production rights of our novels, but we will say we would LOVE to see our books on the big (or little) screen someday!

Q: I read online that both of your parents are talented authors like you are. Were they a big influence in your writing and where/are they your biggest supporters?

A: Actually, we’re not sure where this came from but neither of our parents are writers!  

About the Author

Erin Watt is the brainchild of Jen Frederick and Elle Kennedy, two bestselling authors linked together through their love of great books and an addiction to writing. They share one creative imagination. Their greatest love (after their families and pets, of course)? Coming up with fun—and sometimes crazy—ideas. Their greatest fear? Breaking up. Learn more online at www.authorerinwatt.com.