We chat with Katharine McGee about Reign, the stunning conclusion to the New York Times bestselling American Royals series!
Hi, Katharine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m Katharine McGee, the author of the American Royals series. I live in my hometown of Houston, Texas with my husband and two little boys (one just a week old!)
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have always been a reader, and dreamed of becoming an author since I was little—even in kindergarten, I used to say that I wanted to “write lots of books” when I grew up! To me, books are the closest thing we have to real-life magic, since they transport you out of your own life and into someone else’s, if only temporarily. I feel so lucky to do a job that I love, one that is creative and lets me meet so many incredible readers!
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!
First book I remember reading—the picture book stage is a blur! I’m going to cheat and say that the first books I remember reading to someone else are E.D. Baker’s Frog Princess series, which I read aloud to my little sister when she was very young (probably too young to really follow!) Those books fed my love of royal stories with strong female characters.
Book that made me want to become an author—Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series. Years later, these are still some of my favorites.
Book that I can’t stop thinking about—I recently read Madeline Miller’s Circe and absolutely loved it.
Reign is the fourth and final installment in your American Royals series! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Bittersweet farewells and fitting conclusions
What can readers expect?
Reign is filled with more of everything you’ve come to expect from American Royals: more drama, more romance, more scheming, more secrets coming to light. Since it is the finale, I did my best to bring back most of the characters you’ve seen throughout the series—it was a bit of a juggling act, and meant that this was the longest book I’ve written to date! As usual, there’s also a twist at the end that should surprise you.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring one last time?
I had a lot of fun exploring the American Royals alternate-reality version of Texas! One of the characters visits the Duchess of Texas’s estate in the Texas hill country, a place that is very meaningful to me. I loved imagining this royal twist on my home state, especially since this Texas is ruled by the sort of strong-willed southern woman that I have known all my life.
What was it like wrapping up the series?
Writing a finale is never easy, and this one was especially tough because I have lived with this story for over a decade! I (mostly) knew where everyone would end up in the finale, but there were some surprises, even for me! It took a number of drafts before I felt like I really did right by all the characters, and it was very bittersweet to let them go. I definitely shed some tears writing the final lines of the epilogue.
What were your favourite moments from the series?
As far as the romances go, there are some moments in Majesty that stand out—I loved all of Sam and Marshall’s fake-dating scenes, and Beatrice and Teddy’s slow-burn romance was such a treat to write (particularly the scene at Teddy’s family home where they play video games and share their first real kiss!) Though I have to say, my favorite plotline is probably the unexpected friendship that develops between Daphne and Nina as they try to take down a common enemy in Rivals.
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on a new project which will come out next year. I can’t say much about it yet, except that if you enjoy the glamour, drama, and romance of American Royals, you’ll love this one too!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
For more royal romance, I always recommend Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean—it’s like the Princess Diaries set in the modern Japanese imperial family, and it is so much fun! Another recent release that I’m obsessed with is The Daydreams by Laura Hankin. It follows a group of child stars as they reconnect in their thirties to film a reunion episode of their hit TV show. The perfect escapist read!
