Julie Anne Long

Get Lost in This Story…

For years, he’s been an object of fear, fascination…and fantasy. But of all the wicked rumors that forever dog the formidable Alexander Moncrieffe, Duke of Falconbridge, the ton knows one thing for certain: only fools dare cross him. And when Ian Eversea does just that, Moncrieffe knows the perfect revenge: he’ll seduce Ian’s innocent sister, Genevieve—the only member of the powerful and wealthy Eversea family as yet untouched by scandal. First he’ll capture her heart…and then he’ll break it.

But everything about Genevieve is unexpected: the passion simmering beneath her cool control, the sharp wit tempered by a gentleness that coaxes out his deepest secrets… And though Genevieve has heard the whispers about the duke’s dark past, and knows she trifles with him at her peril, one incendiary kiss tempts her deeper into a world of extraordinary sensuality. Until Genevieve is faced with a fateful choice…is there anything she won't do for a duke?

Today, historical author Julie Anne Long joins us! Her latest book, What I Did For a Duke just released on Tuesday and is already getting rave reviews. I can’t wait to read it J. And I’m sure YOU can’t wait to find out more about the lovely Julie, so let’s get right to it!

Heather: How often do you get lost in a story?

Julie: Every day, if only for a few minutes. And I always need to read before I go to sleep, if only for a few minutes. I think losing yourself in the world of a book is like a transition, a bridge, between real life and dreams.

Heather: What’s the first book you remember reading

Julie: Thumbelina, with riveting 3D-type illustrations of Thumbelina sleeping in a flower and riding on a dragonfly and the like. I loved that book.

Heather: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

Julie: Truthfully, anything that keeps me turning the pages. I like wit, intelligence, a unique writing voice, a wonderful way with prose, and any author who has a strong sense of place, so I can feel really transported.

Heather: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Julie: Hmmm…I have different favorites for different moods. But I’ll mention one movie most of us can relate to: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I remember, lo these many, many years ago when I first saw it, thinking it was going to be cloying, and was surprised by how layered and sophisticated it is—often dark, very funny, complex, moving. And it has the world’s most satisfying ending. Says a lot about so many things, including the stages of love, ambition, sacrifice, greed, faith, American life... I get something new out of it every time I watch it. I love older films in general.

Heather: What’s your favorite fairy tale?

Julie: Hard to choose, isn’t it? I’ve noticed a vaguely of Cinderella theme in a number of my books. I’ll go with that one.

Heather: What sound or noise do you love?

Julie: I rather like flapping sounds. Sails and flags in the wind, flocks of birds taking flight, the ears and coats of dogs or cats when they shake themselves. I like the chirping sound my cat makes when I touch him and wake him up from a deep sleep.

Heather: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

Julie: Almost always. Maybe even always. And it depends. I listen to so many kinds of music that I often do a few exploratory wade-ins, sample a few songs before I commit to a direction, so to speak, to test if that’s what I need to hear. I’ll know it when I hear it, when there’s a sort of inner “click”: yes, that’s the right mood for this scene. Debussy got me through one entire book. A brilliant English band called Elbow through another. The Decemberists, and a brilliant record by Deerhunter, especially a song called Earthquake, was another. Arvo Part. Rachmanminoff. And every now and then Gary Puckett and the Union Gap or old Neil Diamond or 60’s British Invasion... Depends on the scene, the day.

Heather: What was the first story you remember writing?

Julie: My first (self) published work was a Crayola-illustrated book about a talking Rabbit named Reddy. Surprise: He was red! I think I was six years old.

Heather: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Julie: They’re inextricable. I take a lot of pleasure in language and sentence structure, and finding the right words to tell the story fuels the pleasure in storytelling, and vice versa. It’s all of a piece.

Heather: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Julie: You are the best-looking, most delightful, most discerning people on the planet, and you really ought to hug yourself right….well, NOW would be great.

Also, I’m so unbelievably touched by the support love and enthusiasm for WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE! Perfect Tens, Top Picks, Desert Island Keeper! I’m astonished. It’s all pretty wonderful. I hope everyone truly enjoys it.

Heather: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Julie: Staggeringly wealthy world-traveling philanthropist.

Heather: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Julie: Curl up in a fetal position and rock myself gently for a time. Then I seep for 22 hours, free my hair from its deadline ponytail and wash it, stagger out into the real world, blinking and squinting. Gradually relearn how to speak to humans.

Heather: What question are you never asked in interviews, but wish you were

Julie: “Thank you for your time, Julie! What time would you like us to deliver Richard Armitage to your house? He’s yours to keep for visiting our blog today!”

Heather: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Julie: I’m not positive I’ve ever been unwound. How does one tell? Although when I’m in the throes of a deadline I take a lot of long baths to sort of refresh my fevered brain.;) Reading in the bathtub is delightful. Or I run myself silly on my mini trampoline. Massages are an excellent way to relax. Long meandering conversations with friends and laughing until your ribcage feels bruised is another.

Heather: What is something that not a lot of people know about you but you WISH more people COULD know?

Julie: That every time someone buys one of my books an angel gets its wings.

Heather: Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

Julie: The Duke of Falconbridge from WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE. Because gazing into his eyes along from across a candlelit table—and his eyes are exceptionally beautiful, by the way, an extraordinary green—would be a heady experience. Plus he’s fiercely smart and observant, a penetrator of defenses, dryly witty and effortlessly seductive. A seasoned man. Wholly himself. We may not even get around to dinner, if I have dinner with him.

Heather: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Julie: Writing for a living is itself a dream come true. Working independently has always been a dream. It’s also an enormous challenge. But even in the most challenging times I’m hard pressed think of a career I’d prefer.

Heather: What soundtrack or playlist do you recommend for your current release?

Julie: Anything from purring cats or snoring dogs or Debussy or AC/DC. Anything that helps take you to another place entirely. Although, if I’ve done my job right as a writer, a reader wouldn’t lift their head even if someone started jackhammering the sidewalk next to them. I want people to miss their subway stops when they read my books. Just kidding! Be safe, kids. Look both ways.

Heather: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

Julie: Tea. Very strong. Straight up. Green or white varieties. Earl Gray with lemon when I’m feeling naughty or coming down with a cold.

Heather: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?

Julie: Arguably, I’m comprised entirely of quirks. Perhaps I’ll poll all my friends one day to see if they have a favorite.

Heather: What’s your favorite kid joke?

Julie: Q: What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?

A: A carrot!

Heather: Which era would you most like to have lived in, fashion-wise and why?

Julie: The 1930’sor 40’s. The bias cut gowns suit my body type. I love them. Although I also rather like fringe and things that lace up. I would have made an enthusiastic hippie, at least from a wardrobe perspective.

Heather: Have you ever written a character who wasn’t meant to be a hero/heroine but he/she wouldn’t go away?

Julie: Nearly everyone I write is eligible to be re-deployed in some future book. ;) I’m the puppet master! Hee! But I usually embark on a story knowing pretty distinctly who the hero and heroine are, and though I become very fond of (and interested in) peripheral characters, none of them has of yet wanted to take over a book. That doesn’t mean they won’t get their own book in the future. E.g., a lot of readers would love to see Lavay from I Kissed an Earl get his own book. And since I know his back story, I’d love to give him a book one day. He definitely strikes me as a hero.

Heather: What is your favorite cheese?

Julie: The minute I read that question I went into a reverie about a Stilton with lemon peel. But I like a lot of different cheeses and I love trying new ones. As long as they’re excellent quality and interesting.

Heather: What’s in your refrigerator right now?

Julie: Let’s see…Greek Yogurt, wilting baby spinach, a mad variety of vinegars, a jar of Thai curry paste, brown basmati rice, some aging capers, some broccoli crowns, Smoked Gouda with black peppercorns, and quite a number of little Tupperware containers I’m a little nervous to open. I think I’ll leave them as heirlooms for my younger posterity.

Heather: Is Elvis really dead?

Julie: Don’t be silly. Everyone knows Elvis is a vampire who goes by the name of “Bubba” now and drinks the blood of cats.

Heather: Dog person or cat person?

Julie: I’m an animal person—I’m fond of or at least interested in all of them, even crocodiles, which patently freak me out— but I always have a cat for a roommate.

Heather: What would you do if you had a time machine?

Julie: Watch Season Five of Mad Men? See Led Zeppelin at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco? Take a stroll with Jane Austen? Arrange to hear the Powerball winning lottery numbers, win, and donate all the money to charity? Attend the party my darling husband Richard Armitage throws me for being #1 on the NYT list five consecutive years in a row? It’s impossible to choose.

Heather: How much money does it take to be happy?

Julie: Just enough.

Heather’s GOTTA ASK – Julie’s GOTTA ANSWER J

Heather: So, I noticed on your website that you were in a rock band and had a Bono fixation (you’re right…who didn’t?). If you could be on stage with anyone for one night, who would it be and what would you sing?

Julie: Tough question! I’m not so much a singer as a guitarist and songwriter, a band member. Maybe I want to stand up there next to Jim Morrison and smell the leather and Patchouli and harmonize with him on Love Me Two Times. Guess I’ll need the Time Machine for that.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?

Julie: I’ve heard so many wonderful things about both Alex, the duke of Falconbridge, and Genevieve Eversea, and one reviewer asked me what I thought was a good question: When you read a romance, do you identify more strongly with the hero or heroine? Do you read a romance more to identify for the heroine or to vicariously fall in love with the hero. ;)

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS?**

Julie: We’ll be giving away a signed copy of THE PERILS OF PLEASURE today to a random commenter!

We also have a bonus trivia question for you, ladies:

Madame Marceau, a modiste, has had cameos in a number of my books. In which of my books was she first introduced?

The first person to comment with the right answer (if anyone has it!) will automatically win a signed Pennyroyal Green title of their choice!

Thanks so much for being with us today, Julie! Where can your fans learn more about you on the web?

www.JulieAnneLong.com

Twitter: @JulieAnneLong (http://www.twitter.com/JulieAnneLong)

Facebook is http://www.facebook.com/authorJulieanneLong (fan page) and http://www.Facebook.com/JulieanneLong

**Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North American addresses only. If an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Come back again tomorrow, when Simone hosts Erin Kellison!