Twin Crowns is a high-stakes fantasy rom-com about twin princesses separated at birth—one raised as the crown princess, and the other taken as an infant and raised to kidnap her sister, steal the crown, and avenge the parents’ murders.
We chat with sisters-in-law Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber about Twin Crowns, writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Catherine and Katherine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourselves?
Doyle: Katie and I are best friends, soon-to-be sisters-in-law and now co-authors! I live in the west of Ireland with my fiance, Jack, and our dog Cali. I’m the author of several MG books for younger readers, as well as TWIN CROWNS!
Webber: It will never not make me laugh that we basically have the same first name. Cat and I met through our shared literary agent years ago, became genuine fan of each other’s writing, and then went on a writing reatreat together and became best friends. It was a very fateful writing retreat, it was when we started the joke that she should marry my brother…and here we are years later and she really is marrying my brother this summer and I am delighted! When I’m not writing with Cat or calling her to ask what she’s reading, I co-write exciting dragon adventures with my husband Kevin Tsang (as Katie Tsang) for young readers. I also write contemporary YA on my own. And when I’m not writing I’m wrangling my two adorable and chaotic young daughters or exploring London, where I’ve lived for the past nine years.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Doyle: The first book I remember reading was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer made me want to become an author, and one that I can’t stop thinking about is the incredible Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor.
Webber: Oh snap, I also am always thinking about Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (Cat and I have very similar taste!) but truly that book is a masterpiece. I even used a snippet of it for a reading at my wedding (Cat, maybe we should do this for your upcoming wedding?) I also am obsessed with the book Every Day by David Levithan. The first book I remember reading was Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace (I adore the whole series!) and the book that made me want to become an author was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle which is still one of my favorite books of all time.
Your new novel, Twin Crowns, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Doyle: Romantic, funny, magical, adventurous and swashbuckling!
Webber: Can I steal Cat’s answer? (Five words!)
What can readers expect?
Doyle: At its heart, Twin Crowns is about the enduring power of sisterhood. But within Rose and Wren’s journey to find their destinies (and each other), there is also room for romance, magic, adventure and lots of hijinks!
Webber: Twin Crowns is a lot of fun. It is a joyful book full of lots of tropes and plenty of romance and intrigue. We poured everything we love about rom-coms and fantasy into this book, and we hope readers have as joyful of a time reading it as we did writing it.
Where did the inspiration for Twin Crowns come from?
Doyle: Sometime in mid-2020, when the pandemic was just getting into full swing, and we were all stuck inside braving the first of what would become several lockdowns, Katie called me with an idea that had been bubbling in the back of her mind she wanted to write YA fantasy novel together, about twins separated at birth. One, a witch, the other, a princess. Something fun and swoony and pacy. A book that would make us laugh, and ultimately – cheer us up.
Webber: I’ve always loved fantasy and romance, but had never tried to write it myself. When I had the idea about a fantasy rom-com, I knew I wanted to write it with Cat, because she’s the funniest person I know and also a brilliant writer. Plus, I knew if it was about twins, it would be so much more fun if we combined our voices and our ideas for it.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Doyle: We had so much fun writing Twin Crowns. The biggest challenge was writing most of it remotely, from two different countries, but that simply made for a lot of phone calls, and epic Google Doc sessions.
Webber: Honestly, Twin Crowns is the most fun I’ve ever had writing anything, and it was a total joy from the first day we began brainstorming all the way to the final round of copyedits. We just love this book so much so it never felt too much like work.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Doyle: I loved writing the scenes where Wren has to sneak around Anadawn palace at night, to try and get her bearings in this strange new place. I thoroughly enjoyed introducing her to hapless Prince Ansel, the secret fiance she didn’t know she had! And of course, that library kissing scene was a lot of fun!
Webber: I love throwing Princess Rose into increasingly precarious and ridiculous situations—and I adore writing scenes between her and Shen Lo, one of the love interests. But most of all I love writing scenes where the twins are together, Cat and I write those in real time together so they are super fun.
Can you tell us about the co-writing process?
One of the best things about writing a book with your best friend is the brainstorming. We started right away, adding our best ideas into a virtual melting pot that would go on to become the first draft of Twin Crowns. We both love romantic comedies, epic landscapes, and stories about sisterhood. We wanted witty banter, sarcastic best friends, hopeless flirting, and lots of sneaking around. Then we added swoon-worthy love interests, magic, witches, royalty, and of course, a cute animal side-kick. We spent long nights coming up with a fully realised backstory for the land of Eana, the world in which Twin Crowns takes place. We weaved our own myths and legends, sometimes texting each other at 2am or 3am with the spark of a new idea. Then we created the world itself. We created a kingdom that sprawled across landscapes we love, from the desert to the sea. Then we filled it with lush forests and bustling towns, and of course – the towering palace of Anadawn, and its glittering golden gates.
What’s next for you both?
Twin Crowns 2 is on the horizon! It’s coming in May 2023!
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
- Portrait of a Thief by Grace Li
- Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert
- The King is Dead by Benjamin Dean
Twin Crowns is SO good! I stayed up till 3am just to finish it! I can’t wait for the next one!!!!!!1