I have been obsessed with historical dramas since I was nine years old. My childhood revolved around the Megan Follows version of Anne of Green Gables. I spent my afternoons lost in The Secret Garden, A Little Princess, and the surreal world of Labyrinth. I even had a massive crush on Horatio Hornblower as a pre-teen.
My taste was not always appreciated by my peers in middle school. I made the mistake of recommending LadyHawke at a sleepover. My friends were confused by a woman turning into a hawk. I tried to redeem myself with A Knight’s Tale at the next sleepover. They turned me down for a horror flick and told everyone not to trust me with the movies.
The Pain of the Missing YouTube Playlist
My obsession only deepened during high school. I lived for BBC dramas like Pride and Prejudice, The Forsyte Saga, and Jane Eyre. I spent hours hunting for obscure episodes of North and South on YouTube. I still remember the physical pain of finding a playlist where episode three, part four was missing.
The love for epic stories followed me into college. I embraced everything from Outlander and Sense and Sensibility to The Pirates of the Caribbean. I discovered the vibrant worlds of anime like Inuyasha and Howl’s Moving Castle.
Why Adventure Needs More Romance
Eventually, I found the world of romantasy. Books like ACOTAR, Crescent City, and Fourth Wing changed everything for me. I am a total Cassian girly and proud of it. These books provided a slice of joy and a necessary escape on my toughest days.
I noticed one common thread in all my favorite stories. They all featured a compelling romance at their core. I love seeing a relationship progress against a cool backdrop like the one in The Mummy.
However, I always found myself wanting more. I wanted the high stakes of a fantasy adventure but with the romance dialed up to eleven. I wanted the “enemies-to-lovers” tension to be the main event instead of just a subplot.
Bringing the Stories to Life
My sister Marie and my friend William decided to solve this problem together. We came together to write our own novel because we wanted to see these romantic scenes come to life. The result of our hard work is our new novel, Betrothed to the Blade.
We poured our hearts and souls into this pirate romantasy to give you a place to escape. This world is often difficult and exhausting. I hope this story allows you to believe in magic again because the world is a better place with a little enchantment.
-Caroline (the C in C.M. Willows)