Stephanie Julian

Today, I welcome a good friend, Stephanie Julian. Stephanie is the author of the Magical Seduction, Lucani Lovers and The Fringe series from Ellora’s Cave and the upcoming Forgotten Goddess series from Sourcebooks Casablanca. A former reporter for a daily newspaper, she enjoys making up stories much more than writing about real life. She’s happily married to a Springsteen fanatic and is the mother of two sons who love her even when they don’t have any clean clothes and dinner is a bowl of cereal. This so true. Great kids.






1) You recently had a new release. Could you tell us a little about it?

SIZE MATTERS is a little different than my Magical Seduction and Lucani Lovers series. Yes, it's sexy and a love story but it's also funny, which is really freaking hard to write!

Carrie Benton's got the best job in the world working as a reporter for the Weekly News Journal. Chupacabra picnicking at the Jersey shore? Check. Aliens in the White House? Absolutely. Bigfoot stalking the forests of northern Pennsylvania? Well, okay... but Bigfoot is so Left Coast.

Tim Sattazahn can't believe his luck. The six-foot redhead who crashed into his forest during a snowstorm is gorgeous, funny and hot for him. Everything would be perfect except for the fact that she's looking for Bigfoot.

And, unfortunately for Tim, she's found him...

2) Did you have to do any special research for the novel?

Not special, no, just fun. I got to troll the internet for Bigfoot lore. How cool is that?

3) Why do you write in the genre you do?

Because I love to read it as well. Paranormal romance gives you such a wide latitude to write in. It's very freeing.

4) What was the hardest scene to write?

That final scene where I have to end the book. I hate to leave my characters so it's always the most difficult for me.

5) What was your favorite scene to write?

the love scenes, of course.

6) You have an amazing backlist. Would you like to tell us a little about it?

Thanks! Well, my first series, Magical Seduction, is seven books and focuses on the Etruscan fairy races. Lots of magic, lots of hot sex. The Lucani Lovers series is three books and counting. These focus on the Etruscan werewolves. They're warriors, strong men and women who love just as fiercely.

7) What do you consider your strengths, in terms of writing?

I think I write my men really well. I fall in love with each and every one of them so they're a joy and a curse to write. And I think I write emotion well.

8) What do you consider your weakness and what strategies do you use to overcome it?

Plotting. I'm a seat-of-the-pants writer and sometimes I write myself into a corner that takes mea while to figure out.

9) What is the best writing advice you've received?

Write every day, even if it's only a paragraph. You really have to be dedicated if you're going to make a career in this field because it's just so tough to break in and to keep going. Rejections are tough but if you quit, you'll never finish that book.

10) What is the worst advice you've heard, to you or an author?

I can't really say I've ever heard bad advice. It just didn't work for me. Not everything will. Some people storyboard. I couldn't do that to save my life.

11) What kind of books do you read?

Paranormal romance, erotic romance, a little urban fantasy (ok, really only Jim Butcher who I adore) and non-fiction, especially speculative non-fiction. So interesting.

12) How do you spend your down time?

What down time?

13) Are you a goal setter?

I think you have to be. When you first start to write, you write for yourself. But once you make it a career, your goal is to publish. Now that I'm published, my goal is to stay published, which means I have to finish books on a regular basis. Your goals will change daily, weekly, yearly, depending on where you are in your career.

14) What's the most adventurous thing you've done?

Begin the journey to publication. You have to have stamina and a thick skin. You need to be able to write and not just have the desire. You have to be dedicated and motivated and able to withstand prolonged bouts of seclusion and random outbursts of "Oh, wait, I gotta write that down."

15) What advice would you like to offer to aspiring authors?

Don't quit. When you start, you have to write every day, there's just no way around it. You have to get in the habit of making writing a priority in your life.

16) How can readers contact you?
at stephaniejulian@msn.com or through my website at www.stephaniejulian.com

17) Do you have a writer's cave or are you able to write anywhere anytime?
I do have an office. The walls are bright red, I have a bulletin board above my monitor filled with pictures of gorgeous guys and the walls are filled with books. But after years of schlepping two boys to baseball, soccer, swimming and karate, I can pretty much write anywhere.

18) Conferences: What advice can you offer to author's attending them?

Depends on where you are in your career. If you're just starting, make sure you hit all the craft workshops you can. Some may not speak to you, but there will always be that one piece of advice you take a way. When you sell, the industry workshops are invaluable.

19) Write the book of your heart. What does that mean to you?
It means write what you love. But if you want to make this a career, you also need to write with the market in mind. Luckily, I write paranormal romance and there are lots of people out there would love it as much as I do.

20) What is your most valued writer's memory and why?

Going to my first critique session at my very first writers group and having someone say "Are you published? Well, you will be."