YA author Julian Winters stopped by Geek Vibes Nation to talk about his latest YA novel, Prince of the Palisades, the book’s royal inspirations, and why he’s so passionate about centering queer characters of color and joy in his work.
GVN: Hello Julian! Thank you for speaking to us about your upcoming novel, Prince Of The Palisades. Could you start by telling our audience about yourself and your work?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m a very nerdy, anime-loving, rom-com enthusiast. I’ve written multiple contemporary Young Adult novels that center queer characters being the hero of their own stories, thriving in found family support systems, falling on their faces while falling in love, and celebrating their own uniqueness. My books range from a soccer romance with Heartstopper vibes to a diverse, super queer mash-up of The Breakfast Club and Can’t Hardly Wait.
GVN: Prince Of The Palisades is a sweet, swoon-worthy YA romance. Could you tell us about what inspired you to write the novel?
All credit to Penguin Young Readers Digital Marketing Manager James Akinaka! I was struggling to figure out what my next book would be, but my wonderful editor Dana Leydig reached out to the marketing team for suggestions and James immediately said he wanted to see me write a queer royal romance. I’m an outspoken fan of Netflix’s Young Royals, Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue, along with anything royal-related. As a queer Black author, I never considered I could write my own version of these amazing stories, but when James threw that idea out where, I thought, “Why not?” There are readers across the world just like me who deserve this kind of story. To know we’re worthy of crowns too.
GVN: How was writing this novel similar or different from your previous books? Were there any lessons you learned while writing this one that you’ll take into writing your next book?
It was different because I wanted to focus heavily on the romance this time. While all my other novels have a romantic storyline in them, this is my first book since Running With Lions where I knew I wanted the romance to be equal to—if not bigger than—the coming of age themes. I’ve learned to trust my big romantic heart more and lean into the banter, the yearning, and those quiet moments between two characters.
GVN: secondary characters like Annika and Ajani were great and written beautifully. What do you think is the key to writing well-rounded secondary characters?
For me, it’s about not only making sure the secondary characters have a meaningful impact either on the main character or the overall story, but it’s also about giving them their own journey. I love when secondary characters experience some form of change from the beginning of a novel to the end.
GVN: What were some of your favorite moments while writing the book? Do you have a favorite character or scene?
I have so many favorite characters: Reiss, Annika, Karan, and definitely Léon. I also had a ton of fun writing the first date scene between Jadon and Reiss. It helps that Santa Monica Pier is the perfect setting for adventure, laughs, and a tremendous amount of swooning. I was kicking my feet and giggling while writing the moment in the photo booth and their first kiss under the Pier’s iconic sign.
GVN: Did you face any obstacles while writing this book? If so, how did you overcome them?
The biggest obstacle I faced was the fear I’d get it wrong. There are not a ton of queer contemporary royal romances traditionally published in YA at the moment. Even fewer with queer BIPOC royals. I felt a lot of self-induced pressure to not mess up the representation of Prince Jadon, a Black and queer royal. I needed to get him perfect or else I’d fail my communities.
I think a lot of BIPOC creators feel that way—like what we create represents our entire community. But that’s not true. Our job is to tell honest, great stories. I had to remind myself we are not a monolith. I don’t have to carry the weight of any community. But writing Jadon’s story allows me to make room for more voices to be heard. That’s what kept me going.
GVN: I know you have a passion for centering queer joy and queer characters of color in your stories. Could you talk about why those elements are so important to you?
Growing up, I rarely got to see queer BIPOC characters get their happily-ever-afters. They weren’t the hero of the story. More often than not, they didn’t make it to “The End.” It didn’t give me much hope for my own existence. When I started writing professionally, I promised myself I’d never let the next generation feel that way. Every part of the queer and BIPOC experience is important—the good, the bad, the difficult—and should be highlighted in stories, but I want to remind those readers that our joy exists too. We should never have to earn the right to embrace it.
GVN: Were any scenes left on the cutting room floor that you wish could have been included?
In the first draft, there was a scene at a karaoke bar with Jadon, Reiss and his friends, and Ajani. I remember being stranded at La Guardia airport in NYC during a snowstorm when I wrote it. It was ridiculously fun and silly. Jadon sings “We Are Young” and Reiss joins him onstage—truly some High School Musical goodness. But my editor pointed out why it wasn’t working, and I agree. It didn’t do anything to move the story or romance forward. But it was still a good time. Maybe it’ll make it into another book!
GVN: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Write what you love first and foremost. It’s easy to slip into the trap of trying to write what you think the reader wants, but if you don’t love the story you’re telling, they won’t either. Also, read widely. Pick up books outside of the genre you’re writing. You can learn so much about craft and storytelling by seeing what others are doing across multiple genres.
GVN: Can you tell us about what you’re working on next?
I can’t say much, but my next YA is sad, magical, and romantic. Think You’ve Reached Sam meets The Song of Achilles with a hint of Lore Olympus.
GVN: Where can our readers connect with you online?
You can find me on Instagram (@wintersjulian) and X (@julianw_writes) or visit my website, julianwinters.com.
Prince of the Palisades is on sale now everywhere books are sold.
About The Author
Julian Winters is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary young adult fiction. His novels Running with Lions, How to Be Remy Cameron, and The Summer of Everything (Duet, 2018, 2019, 2020, respectively) received accolades for their positive depictions of diverse, relatable characters. A former management trainer, Julian currently lives outside of Atlanta, where he can be found reading, being a self-proclaimed comic book geek, or watching the only two sports he can follow–volleyball and soccer.
About The Book
Writer. Video Essayist. Film/TV Critic. Pop Culture Enthusiast.
When he isn’t writing for Geek Vibes Nation or The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found typing away at one of the novels or screenplays he’s been working on forever.
