ROYAL, Lauren

PERSONAL: Born March 3, in Hollywood, CA; married; children: two sons, one daughter. Education: Attended University of California—Irvine, and University of California—Los Angeles.

ADDRESSES: Offıce—P.O. Box 52932, Irvine, CA 92619. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Author. Former jewelry store owner.

AWARDS, HONORS: Amber was listed in Booklist's "Top Ten Historical Romances" of 2001.

WRITINGS:

"JEWEL" TRILOGY

Amethyst, Signet (New York, NY), 2000.

Emerald, Signet (New York, NY), 2000.

Amber, Signet (New York, NY), 2001.

"FLOWER" TRILOGY

Violet, Signet (New York, NY), 2002.

Lily, Signet (New York, NY), 2003.

Rose, Signet (New York, NY), 2003.

Also author of novella, "Forevermore," published in anthology In Praise of Younger Men, Signet (New York, NY), 2001. The "Jewel" trilogy has been translated into German.

SIDELIGHTS: Lauren Royal has written two sets of historical romance novels—the "Jewel" trilogy and the "Flower" trilogy—that have won her acclaim from fans of the genre. Royal's books are set in Restoration England, a departure from the more traditional romance-novel time-period. An avid historian, Royal fills her books with details that create an historically accurate depiction of her setting.

Royal, who was born and raised in southern California, became interested in the Restoration period when she was in her teens, and began collecting books and information with the intention of writing her own novel some day. In college, she studied film and television production, and went on to open a jewelry store in a mall, which she ran for fourteen years. The company grew larger and larger over the years, opening stores all over southern California, and eventually she decided to sell. Her first novel, Amethyst, appeared shortly thereafter, and received many positive reviews for its lively, detailed recreation of the seventeenth century. "I try very hard to dribble details into the story so as not to hit the reader over the head with blocks of description or history," Royal told Suzie Housley in an interview for MyShelf. "As a reader myself, I enjoy learning those things, but if they're all clumped together without the dialogue and thoughts and emotions that keep me involved with the characters, then that's when I start skimming. Ugh. My goal is to write unskimmable books."

Amethyst tells the story of an eponymous young jeweler (Amy for short), who, devoted to her trade, spends all of her time working in her father's shop. Her father betroths her against her will to his apprentice, but the papers are lost when the Great Fire sweeps through London in 1666. In the chaos that follows, Amy meets Colin Chase, the Earl of Greystone, and Royal follows the couple as they maneuver obstacles ranging from class tension to previous betrothals. "Like any good romance, Amethyst is a character-driven story," Wendy Crutcher wrote for Romance Reader. Under the Covers' Laurie Shallah was disappointed with the development of the heroine. "Amy, unfortunately, loses some of her charm because she is forced into the role of pining away for the stubborn Colin," she wrote. Other reviewers, however, enjoyed the characterizations; Crutcher also commented on Royal's "wonderful" secondary characters, noting Colin's siblings in particular, whom she described as "so well-drawn and developed that I got a real sense of family."

Royal's knowledge of her time period is evident throughout Amethyst, and most reviewers appreciated the accuracy. Colleen McMahon, though, wrote in All about Romance that she "had a problem with the dialogue," finding the blend of seventeenth-century phrasing and modern language to be somewhat disjointed. In general, however, Royal's book found many fans, and Crutcher noted that "the author's passion for history is apparent from the opening chapters, and her enthusiasm is contagious."

Many critics found that the same could be said for Royal's second book, Emerald, which continues her "Jewel" trilogy with the story of Jason Chase, brother of Amethyst's Colin. In pursuit of a dangerous criminal, Jason meets Caithren Leslie, who is on a mission of her own—faced with the prospect of forfeiting her estate if she does not marry within a year, Cait needs her scoundrel brother to sign over his rights to her. All about Romance's Jennifer L. Schendel wrote that she "found Cait's sense of practicality and independence refreshing," although she felt that Royal's story was strongest in the beginning: "Unfortunately, the book never did regain its early promise." Many other romance fans applauded Royal's sophomore effort, however; Carol Carter noted in Under the Covers that Royal "pens sensuality into later chapters that are not only sizzling, but surprisingly funny." Best Reviews' Leena Hyat called Emerald a "warm romance with a delightful plot" that is "full of captivating historical flavor."

The third book in the trilogy, Amber, was one of Booklist's "Top Ten Historical Romances" of 2001, and Housley called it "a powerfully crafted story." Royal's heroine, Kendra Chase, has turned down numerous wealthy suitors, much to the dismay of her older brothers. When they find her unchaperoned with Trick, the Black Highwayman, they insist that the two marry. Although Kendra is herself attracted to the mysterious man, she is wary of her new husband's secretive habits. "This energetic tale is filled with likable characters," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer, who noted in particular that Kendra "takes the refreshing step of talking to her husband about his confusing behavior rather than generating conflict by jumping to conclusions." As with Royal's previous books, critics commented on the lively historical recreation. "The glitter of Restoration England is expertly evoked," noted Booklist's John Charles.

Royal introduces a new family in Violet, the first book of her "Flower" trilogy. The Ashcroft family motto is "Question Convention," and Violet, the eldest daughter, questions the convention of marriage; studious Violet would rather be reading than acting as a traditional wife and mother. She meets a suitable partner in Ford Chase, however—a man who has also sworn off love in pursuit of scientific study. "Violet and Ford are charming in their intellectual single-mindedness," a Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote, also noting that Royal's story "glosses over some of the more serious relationship issues probed in her earlier works." John Charles noted in Booklist that Royal's "gift for understated humor" is apparent in her "delightfully unconventional cast of characters."

Royal rounded out the trilogy with Lily and Rose, the stories of the other Ashcroft daughters. Lily, the youngest, falls in love with a man her sister hoped to marry; Rose, who has set her sights on a nobleman, has an honest and open friendship with an untitled man. As throughout Royal's works, the Ashcroft girls are unusual heroines who have complicated ideas about gender roles, social customs, and marriage. "I think romance fiction is very empowering for women. We get to see all different sorts of women, with all different sorts of strengths and weaknesses, overcome all different sorts of problems," Royal told Housley. "I love the way a romance novel leaves me smiling and looking at the world in a hopeful way rather than a negative one."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, June 1, 2001, John Charles, review of Amber, p. 1855; September 1, 2001, John Charles, review of Violet, p. 69.

Publishers Weekly, January 24, 2000, review of Amethyst, p. 298; February 19, 2001, review of In Praise of Younger Men, p. 75; June 4, 2001, review of Amber, p. 63; August 5, 2002, review of Violet, p. 58.

ONLINE

All about Romance,http://www.likesbooks.com/ (June 2, 2003), Colleen McMahon, review of Amethyst; Jennifer L. Schendel, review of Emerald.

Best Reviews,http://www.thebestreviews.com/ (July 12, 2001), Harriet Klausner, review of Amber; (October 8, 2001), Leena Hyat, review of Emerald; (August 16, 2002), Harriet Klausner, review of Violet; (March 25, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of Lily.

Books 'n' Bytes,http://www.booksnbytes.com/ (June 2, 2003), Harriet Klausner, review of Amber.

Lauren Royal Home Page,http://www.laurenroyal.com/ (June 2, 2003), biography of Lauren Royal, reviews of In Praise of Younger Men, Amethyst, Emerald, Amber, Violet, Lily, and Rose.

Love Romances,http://loveromances.com/ (May, 2002), review of Amethyst; (August, 2002), review of Emerald.

MyShelf,http://www.myshelf.com/ (July, 2001), Suzie Housley, "Beneath the Covers Past" (interview with Lauren Royal), and review of Amber.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (June 2, 2003), Cathy Sova, interview with Lauren Royal; Wendy Crutcher, review of Amethyst.

Under the Covers,http://www.silcom.com/~manatee/utc.html/ (May 26, 2000), Laurie Shallah, review of Amethyst; (December 12, 2000), Carol Carter, review of Emerald; (January 28, 2002), Holly E. Price, review of Amethyst.

Virginia Romance Writers,http://www.virginiaromancewriters.com/ (June 2, 2003), biography of Lauren Royal, and review of Amber.*