2/24/2011

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?

Twitter: @JulieAnneLong (http://www.twitter.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!

32 comments:

  1. Congrats on the release! I believe the answer is TO LOVE A THIEF. Am I right?
    Anyway, congrats on the 5th Pennyroyal Green release. Is this the last? If so, what will you be working on next?

    manning_j2004[at]yahoo[dot]com

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  2. Hello Julie!

    I tend to identify with the heroine more than the hero. It really depends on what type of romance I am reading. Certain genres capture my interest in different ways. Congratulations on your new release!

    Stacie
    user1123 AT comcast DOT net

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  3. Hi Julie,

    I snagged the LAST copy (no joke) of WIDFAD yesterday at the 5th Ave B&N in NYC! I am midway through and loving it. Alex & Gen are headed to my Favorite Couples Hall of Fame.

    I am a hero-centric reader, it is usually the hero that will determine whether the story is a keeper or not but a poorly written or abrasive heroine can ruin a novel for me. Miles Redmond is my favorite JAL hero, so far...we'll see if Alex topples him. I have a thing for brainy guys, LOL. :)

    Congrats on the fabulous reviews. Well deserved!

    jenma76 at hotmail dot com

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  4. It's the heroine for me!

    Robin D
    pobindpdx@yahoio.com

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  5. Congrats on the new book. I can't wait to read it.
    I think the modiste, Madame Marceau, first appeared in To Love a Thief.

    penfield716@yahoo.com

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  6. Hi Julie,

    Congratulations on your latest release, What I Did For a Duke!

    Your question: I have to cheat here and say both. The hero definitely draws me into the story, but the heroine has to be his match and it is their chemistry together that ultimately does it for me. The novels I finish or read over and over have a great hero and heroine.

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  7. BTW, I read books more for just the enjoyment of the books, but I do usually end up falling for the hero.

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  8. Good morning, girls! Thanks for the congrats! And thanks to our lovely hostesses for having me today. :) I'm pretty excited about the feedback for WIDFAD. And I LOVE envisioning you snapping up the last copy at B&N, Scorp! ;)

    It's 8:22 here on the West coast, I'm on my first of what I suspect will be 3 cups of tea, and my cat is going crazy for some reason, galloping up and down the halls. He wants to play! He's 14! LOL. It's supposed to SNOW here in the next few days, which is just crazy—it only does that like once in a generation in this part of CA. How's YOUR weather?

    June, you got the answer right! It was indeed To Love a Thief!! Send me your mailing address here: http://www.julieannelong.com/internal/contact.html

    If I'm doing my job right as a writer, I'm usually strongly identifying with both the hero and heroine—I try to inhabit both of them as I write, identify with their needs and motivations, which is I think the key to making them feel real. It's always interesting to me to hear how readers feel about it. I suspect as a reader I might fall into the "the hero makes the story for me" camp, but if I love the heroine and the hero doesn't measure up for me, it can really wreck a story!

    And June, next up in the series is HOW THE MARQUESS WAS WON, and it's not the last book in the series. ;) More juicy stories are on the way My editor thinks she might like HTMWW even more than WIDFAD!! It'll be out in January '12. I'll keep everyone posted about it on my website, Facebook, etc!

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  9. What a fantastic cover, Julie Anne, welcome! I so related to your interview questions. Tough question you asked your readers. Can I be wishy washy and say it depends? It depends on so much ... the strength of the character, and who garners my empathy the most. It's not a male/female, black or white question IMO. Writing is about feeling, and there will always be people you identify with more. And if they're memorable too, you'll pick up that author time and time again! Thanks for being here at GLIAS.

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  10. I'm looking forward to reading the book

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  11. Madame Marceau was in To Love A Thief and had a cameo in The Secret Of Seduction

    Kit3247@aol.com

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  12. Welcome to GLIAS, Julie. I vicariously want to fall in love with the hero. Even though I have my own --he travels. LOL

    I love these questions and discovering all the "extras" about our guests. What a fantastic interview !

    ~~Angi

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  13. You are one of my few autobuy authors! I'm off to buy WIDFAD this afternoon, even through the snow (it snows many times a generation here in Canada.)

    My cat makes that same noise. It's similar to her "hello" noise when she pops her head into the room. Such a sweet noise.

    These interviews have all taught me that I am not nearly adventurous enough in my cheese-eating. I should remedy this asap!

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  14. I forgot to mention - I am a heroine girl all the way. And I have never quite gotten over Colin Eversea. Sigh.

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  15. I think you are wrong about Elvis, Julie; I think he'd be drinking the blood of hound dogs instead :)

    Also think you'd enjoy the sound of Richard Armitage reading your new book aloud. (Really, who wouldn't?!)

    Congrats on the new book. I was going to wait 'til the weekend to buy it, but I just can't hold out any longer. Tonight, I'm hitting the bookstore!

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  16. Oh, I read to fall in love with the hero, for sure, though I always hope I can identify with the heroine :-)

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  17. Julie, I love your sense of humor and oblique references to Ms. Sookie's stories, but I have to say that I'd fight to the bitter end for Mr. Armitage.

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  18. Hey Donnell! Thanks for having me!! :) And I would say it's perfectly OK to be noncommittal about the hero & heroine! LOL. Because you know, I asked the question in part because it was interesting to me to learn that so many readers have very strong opinions about one or the other—me, I write the relationship between the hero andheroine, and so I relate strongly to both as a writer, not more to one than the other. It *is* true, however, that if I'm going to spend an entire book with a guy, he'd better be worth my time. ;) So I do my best to make sure that's the case when I'm writing the hero!

    Ingeborg and Kim, thanks for stopping by! :) You ladies got the answer right, but June beat you to it! :) But I'm doing a little bit of a blog tour, so there will be more trivia questions—check out my schedule here http://www.julieannelong.com/internal/meet.html.

    Thanks for the welcome, Angi!! :) Lovely to be here. And glad you enjoyed the interview!

    Simone, VERY honored to be an autobuy for you! And that you'll brave the snows to get your copy of WIDFAD—you're setting an example for all of us! Hee! If Simone can do it, ladies, we all can. ;) A lot of girls have a soft spot for Colin Eversea, too (from THE PERILS OF PLEASURE)—you'll find him in WIDFAD, too, in a smaller role. But as he's Genevieve's older brother, we can't have a story w/out him. ;)

    LOL, Mary, re Elvis and hound dogs! And you're right re Richard Armitage—wonder I can arrange for that to happen?? Apart from assistance from a time machine. ;) I hope you DO hit the bookstore tonight—you'll have to let me know what you think of the story!

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  19. Hi Julie! Sorry for the late welcome here, but had to wait until the Boy was down for his nap :)

    It was great fun interviewing you! I must say, I'm a huge fan of Stilton myself...

    As for hero/heroine, I think I tend to identify most with the hero. While writing, I try to be firmly in the heads of both, but when reading I seem to like his point of view the best.

    Just started WIDFAD this morning...loving it so far!

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  20. Congrats on your release! I have just recently learned about you, so I haven't had the pleasure of reading you yet. I do have this book on my to read list now. I can't wait to read it! It sounds wonderful! I had hoped to receive it for review. (sigh)

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  21. Congrats on the newest release. I can't wait to read this book. It looks very good. This books is definitely on my wishlist and I can't wait to get my copy.

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  22. So happy to have a new book from you. Debi Allen and I get each one as soon as it appears.

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  23. Still have a couple of your books in my tbr pile, but I know they'll be good and can't wait to add this one to the top!

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  24. Good job noticing the Sookie reference, Joyce!! :) And I'd fight for Richard, too...maybe we can have an arm-wrestling tournament for the pleasure of his company. LOL.

    Thanks for having me, Heather! And for the opportunity to answer some fun interview questions. ;) Hope you love WIDFAD all the way through the end!!

    Thanks for the congrats, Linda! And I'm delighted you just learned about me—you'll have to let me know what you think of my books! ;) Go exploring at my website if you fee like it—I have excerpts and reviews of all of my books up there. And I'd love hear what you think about WIDFAD if you do get a chance to read it.

    Thanks for the congrats, Danielle, and for stopping by! I hope you love WIDFAD if you get a chance to read it—I'm blown away by reader response! It's been gratifyingly extraordinary. ;)

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  25. Thanks, Sharon! You're a doll and so is Debi Allen! :) I hope you girls love reading about the Duke of Falconbridge and Genevieve Eversea. ;) You'll have to let me know what you think if you get a chance! And thanks for stopping by today!

    And Kellie, I hear WHAT I DID FOR A DUKE is the kind of book you should read only when you can afford to stay up all night! Hee! Seriously, I hope you have a wonderful time reading it, regardless of where it currently resides in your TBR stack. ;) Thanks for popping in today!

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  26. Great interview, thanks for coming, Julie. :)
    I think I definitely read romances for the heroes. But I love a great heroine-centric book when I stumble upon one.

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  27. Congrats on your new release!
    I think I'm a bit of both, I like to identify with the heroine and also fall in love with the hero.

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  28. One of your funniest scenes was in Like No Other Lover. Did the shooting scene evolve as you wrote or did it come to you all at once?

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  29. Thanks for the congrats, Mariee! :) And Kim, re Like No Other Lover: so many readers love and remember that particular scene! I remember writing it VERY late at night when it was quiet and I was feeling a bit punchy, and trying to crack myself up as I wrote. And I did kind of watched it all unfold in my head, like a movie. I may have been watching Jeeves & Wooster on PBS at the time, too, so I might have been feeling inspired. LOL.

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  30. Two times no go. Once more, that's it.

    Congratulations, Julie Anne. I identify with the heroine or hero on different levels.

    sraschulz at inbox dot com

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  31. I really loved this book. I was not prepared to like your Duke, as I have a pond-sized soft spot for the Ian Everseas of this world, but you convinced me just as you did Genevieve. Of course it helped to imagine Falconbridge as tall, dark and Richard.
    And I love this blog - the questions here are so vastly inventive and give a wonderfully rounded interview. Huzzahs all around.

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  32. Congratulations SRASCHULZ You are the winner of Julie Anne's drawing. Please send your full name and address to GetLostInAStory@gmail.com

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