A voracious reader and from a young age, Roxy Harper especially loved the romance genre—stories which told of strong, fearless heroines and the champions who captured their hearts. She entered a submission to the Historical Romance Warriors Wanted! blitz and was thrilled when her story was selected. Spending time writing allows her to escape to the ancient worlds of her protagonists, journeying with them as they battle the external forces that strive to keep them apart, and their own personal barriers to falling in love, until they find their happy-ever-after.
Becoming a published author has been a dream come true – Roxy can’t wait to write more stories for Harlequin Historical and very much hopes her readers will enjoy them!
Harlequin: Tell us about yourself. Our readers want to know!
Roxy Harper: Born and raised in Kenya, of Portuguese-Goan descent, and now living in London, I feel lucky to have encountered many different people from all walks of life, and to have been exposed to a variety of different cultures along the way. I also have a passion for history and decided to study Latin and Ancient Greek at university, which definitely informed some of my story telling. All of these things (coupled with the fact that I’ve always been a romantic at heart!) have had a deep influence on my romance writing and I love for my heroes and heroines to come from different cultural circumstances, and for them to fall in love against an historical backdrop.
H: Why did you want to become a romance writer?
RH: My best friend from childhood and I grew up reading all sorts of romances, from Pascal’s Sweet Valley High in our awkward pre-teen stage (where we eagerly followed the twins, Jessica and Elizabeth, on their journey through high school), to the Brontë sisters (where we fell in love with Mr. Rochester) to Victoria Holt’s collection (where we asked our English teacher for access to her secret library so we could get our hands on the next book in the series). I lost count of the times my parents would discover me reading under the covers, after lights out, a torch in my hand, as I tried to devour the last chapters of a Jane Austen or a Hardy. And then, having attended an all girls’ boarding school, I discovered Mills & Boon, and was able to live vicariously through the strong-minded heroines that featured in the fast-paced, emotionally-charged romances. Romance had always been part of my literary go-to repertoire, and one day, I had a thought – I spend so much time reading romances, so why not try my hand at writing one? It took many years to finally muster the courage to pick up a pen, and many more to get to the point of being a published author, but it’s been an incredible journey.
H: What were the big steps in your journey to becoming a published author?
RH: I’ve always been a voracious reader, but it’s a different kettle of fish when you’re the one with the pen in your hand, and the story in your head. So the first milestone was thinking up a plot, and then actually putting pen to paper in order to produce a robust synopsis. That part was probably the hardest bit for me, but also the most fun. Even though that first story wasn’t the story that ended up getting published, conjuring it up and writing it was an important stepping stone on my journey. After that, the next key step was being lucky enough to gain the support of a Harlequin editor, who was ready to back me and act as my cheerleader and champion – that’s where Hannah Rossiter came in! Hannah was a constant support for me over the years, and when I look back at the first few chapters I submitted in the Warriors Wanted blitz, and compare those to the finished product, I am surprised at the difference in the quality of my writing. Hannah was integral in shaping my writing and storytelling, while still allowing me to retain my voice.
The final steps involved perseverance, rolling with the punches, getting knocked back and getting up again…300,000 words, 3 stories and 6 heroes/heroines later, I finally got the call!
H: What advice would you offer aspiring writers?
1. Never give up. Writing is hard, there are always setbacks, whether it’s receiving constructive feedback, overcoming writer’s block, or emptying the proverbial bin after many an attempt at writing that one niggly scene. But I promise, it will all be worth it in the end!
2. Be flexible. You’ll have a story in your head, but the editorial team may well have different ideas about how to execute it. Take their advice and suggestions on board. They know what they’re doing and they’ll make you an even better story-teller!
3. Find a friend. I was lucky that I had someone who was a relatively experienced writer and who also worked in the publishing industry. I was able to bounce ideas off him, even though romance wasn’t his specialty. But he acted as an impartial sounding board for me through my journey. More importantly, he wasn’t afraid to tell me when parts of my story sucked. I didn’t always like hearing that, but it definitely provided perspective.
H: What did you do when you got the call from Harlequin?
RH: I submitted my first story to Harlequin in May 2024. Only a couple of weeks later, Hannah asked if we could have a call. My heart dropped…surely it was too soon for the team to have read the entire manuscript? My first instinct was that the team probably only got as far as the first few chapters, didn’t like it, and had finally had enough of me… it was time to hang up my pen. Steeling myself for the final rejection, I scheduled the call that afternoon. But when Hannah told me that in fact, she loved the manuscript and the Harlequin team wanted to offer me a two-book deal, my knees almost buckled with relief. I couldn’t believe it (in fact it’s still sinking in today!). That evening after work, to celebrate, I cracked open a bottle of my favourite champagne with my husband, and our two close friends, since they were some of the first people to sample my initial, rather amateur, attempts at writing.
Now, let’s hear from Roxy’s Editor, Hannah Rossiter:
When I first read Roxy’s writing, I fell in love with her ability to immediately transport the reader to a different time period! In The Viking’s Royal Temptation she brings Constantinople to vivid life. And I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, as I followed Erik and Thea’s rollercoaster journey to happily ever after!
