Nellie Steele - A Journey of Love, Sacrifice, and Unmasking the Truth

Nellie Steele is the romance pen name for Nellie H. Steele, award-winning author who writes in as many genres as she reads, ranging from mystery to fantasy and allowing readers to escape reality and enter enchanting worlds filled with unique, lovable characters. Addicted to books since she could read, Nellie escaped to fictional worlds like the ones created by Carolyn Keene or Victoria Holt long before she decided to put pen to paper and create her own realities. When she’s not weaving a romance or spinning a new cozy mystery tale, you can find her shuffling through her Noah’s Ark of rescue animals or enjoying a hot cuppa (that’s tea for most Americans.) As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, The Billionaire's Royal Secret.

Please give us a short introduction to what The Billionaire's Royal Secret is about.

The Billionaire’s Royal Secret is a fun start to a trilogy filled with sweet romance with a dash of intrigue. When Nate, a billionaire’s son who has been burned in the past, runs into Elena (literally!), a secret princess trying desperately to escape her identity, sparks fly. These two can’t deny their growing attraction to each other, but they just can’t seem to be honest–both of them seeking love for who they are inside, not their titles or bank accounts.

The central characters, Nate and Elena, both hide their true identities at the start of their relationship. What inspired you to explore the theme of secrecy in a romance?

It's a bit of a funny story! This trilogy was inspired by The Embassy Waltz music in My Fair Lady. I was enjoying a bit of cuddle time with one of my kitties while this song came up on my playlist, and I started to imagine a story where a billionaire meets a woman he thinks is “average,” and then the tables are quickly turned on him and he is thrust into a world of unimaginable wealth with all the pomp and circumstance royals are well-known for. I ended up with Nate and Elena’s tale that started with each of them keeping their identity secret.

Elena is a crown princess under immense pressure to marry Prince Eric. How did you approach writing her inner conflict between duty to her kingdom and her desire for personal freedom?

I think all of us have this inner conflict at some level. Elena’s is just on a grand scale. I try to imagine a time when I’ve been expected to do something, but haven’t wanted to participate in any way, and then magnified it to a public arena.

Nate, the billionaire, has experienced betrayal, especially with his ex-fiancée. How does his past shape his decisions and interactions with Elena?

Nate’s past REALLY colors his experiences going forward. He’s in a constant battle with both himself and the outside world to redefine who he is and what he wants from life. Chloe’s betrayal cut him very deeply–enough that he doesn’t trust that it won’t happen over and over again.

And it’s this exact fear that leads him to very quickly decide to lie to Elena about who he is. He takes a real chance being dishonest, but he wants to test her immediately to see if it’s him that she likes or his money.

The dynamic between royalty and wealth is intriguing. How do you balance the contrast between Elena’s royal obligations and Nate’s billionaire status in the context of a romance?

This is a recurring and key theme throughout the trilogy. Elena’s royal obligations, especially, are a source of friction between them. Nate feels his money comes with less strings attached, though Elena disagrees. The immersion of Elena into Nate’s world in book one is one of the barriers to their love succeeding, and when we get to book 2 where we see Nate immersed in Elena’s world, things are magnified even more.

Both Nate and Elena are trying to escape the expectations of their titles. What message do you hope readers take away about the struggle to reconcile love with societal obligations?

Both characters really have to go through a growing process in the books. While their initial love comes easily to them, staying in love and supportive is a bigger struggle. I hope that readers will both enjoy the journey as they come to terms with how their love will grow and change and that the take away will be that love, while sometimes hard, is worthwhile.

Julian, Elena’s cousin, adds a layer of tension to the story. How did you craft him as an antagonist, and what role do you see him playing in the overarching trilogy?

Julian is a real weasel, that’s for sure! And I imagine there are plenty of jealous second–, third–, and more in lines for a throne that wish something would befall those ahead of them. Julian is another source of friction for the couple, and he has a very interesting role in some of the family dynamics as the trilogy progresses. He really has a front-and-center role as “the guy you love to hate”.

Besides writing, what other "secret" skills do you have?

I’m also a professor of Statistics and Data Science (which automatically makes me the least favorite person on campus, haha). And I have a menagerie of rescue pets that I take care of including a one-eyed cat who appears in one of my mystery series. And he’s not the only one who has made it into a book. We’ve got some really unique personalities to work with which makes them fun additions to my stories.

Nate’s struggle with sobriety adds emotional depth to his character. How did you approach writing about addiction and recovery in a way that feels authentic?

This was really a defining character trait for Nate. I wanted to make this something that he still struggles with and that isn’t easy, which I think is authentic to the struggles people with addiction deal with. It’s a sensitive topic, but I really tried to paint it in a realistic light.

This is the first book in the Devotion and Dynasty trilogy. Without giving too much away, what can readers expect from the next books in the series?

This trilogy moves from Elena’s immersion into Nate’s world to Nate’s immersion into Elena. So, in book 2, we flip the script and see Nate dealing with the expectations of the royal court. And in book 3, all bets are off! We see a fun “swap” with Nate heading to Eldoria while Elena flies to the US, each of them trying to surprise the other and ending up thrust into a problem they never expected.

You write across multiple genres, from romance to mystery and fantasy. How does your experience in these different genres influence your approach to crafting a romantic storyline?

I started out as a mystery writer, and I think some of those intrigue-y elements stick with me even in the romance stories. There’s usually a hit of a mystery in them, though the romance is the overarching focus.

If you could spend a day with one of your characters—Elena, Nate, or even Julian—who would you choose and why?

Elena! I think it would be fun to see how she lives, and she’s very outgoing. Also, I secretly want the carousel she has in her backyard at the country house. I’m not sure she’d be able to pry me off of one of those horses.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve got a lot in the works for readers! I’m finishing up the last book in another romantic suspense series that features a tech billionaire and his wife who find love AFTER twenty years of marriage (it’s a long story, haha). And I’ve got more mysteries on the way, too.

Stay tuned for great things coming in 2025.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I have two fantastic readers’ groups on Facebook where I give readers updates and do live events.

Hearts of Steele is my romance readers group (link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1417277315879702)

And Nellie H. Steele’s Mystery Readers’ Group is my mystery group (link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/496225395165359)

I encourage readers to join one or more because I LOVE interacting with them as much as I can!