My guest today is Stephanie Julian. Stephanie writes a
series of erotic romance about Etruscan deities, Forgotten Goddesses. The
second book in the series is now available and entitled, How To Worship a
Goddess, the story of Lusna, the all but forgotten Goddess of the Moon and
the Lady of Silver Light. You can find
more about the Etruscans, their deities, and how they've been hiding in plain
sight by visiting Stephanie’s website.
Stephanie is an easy person to chat with and has a fun
sense of humor, and she has cracked me up with a well-said phrase and a look
(she couldn’t write the fun romps she does without one). I have a lot of respect for her and her hard
work and determination to be published. She didn't let her rejections stop her.
Today, you’ll learn a bit more about this magical author
and her road to publication, as well as some of her discouragements and
triumphs.
- Did you try other genres before you hit with this one?
I tried for several years to break into Harlequin.
As a teenager and into my 30s, Harlequin Presents were my favorite books to
read. Charlotte Lamb, Violet Winspear, Robyn Donald and, more recently, Jane
Porter is just some of the authors I read religiously. I loved the combination
of sexy, Alpha male and feisty independent female. I never could seem to
capture the tone they were looking for but I truly believe writing at that
length makes you so intensely conscious of how important characterization is.
- Who was most/least supportive of your writing career?
My husband has been the most supportive. He’s never
told me to give it up and whenever I say, “That’s it, I’m quitting,” he’s
always quick to say, “Of course you’re not,” because he knows quitting is the
one thing I can’t do. Least supportive? I can honestly say no one in my family
has been outright dismissive of my career. Sure, my parents shake their head at
the fact that I write erotic romance but they’ve never once said I shouldn’t.
And my dad is always the first to say his daughter is a writer.
- What's the hardest thing you've had to face as a writer? How did you overcome it?
Getting dumped by two previous agents. It shakes
your confidence to the core, much more than a rejection from an editor ever
did. Why? Because the person who once believed in you had lost that faith. It
makes you doubt yourself. And that
sucks. But those setbacks only made me more determined and I pushed myself
harder. Today I’ve got a new, wonderful agent and we’re working together to
sell books in this unsettled time.
- What was the single best or luckiest thing that got you pubbed?
My sheer pigheadedness. My parents always said I
was the most stubborn kid they knew. Turns out it comes in handy. I haven’t
given up. Not when I got the first 100 rejections. Not when I got so close to
being bought by my dream publisher, only to be told it wasn’t happening. I get
writing. I’m still writing.
- What does your writing day look like?
Since I work at home, I have to treat writing like
a job. I answer email before breakfast. I do whatever promotional work needs to
be done after breakfast then I write. If it’s a run day, I break about 10:30
and head out to the trail, where I tell myself that since I ran, I can have a
snack later. In the afternoon, I write. After dinner, I try to do some more
writing, if I can. Otherwise, that’s research time. Or vege time in front of
the TV.
- Describe your writing space.
My writing space is an office with bright red walls,
white trim, purple sheers and carpet and a yellow chair. I love my office. It’s
my space. There’s a bulletin board on
the wall in front of my monitor with lots of photos of hot guys that I can look
at for inspiration. Other walls are covered with books.
- How do you refresh and recharge yourself so you can continue writing?
By reading. I consider myself a reader first and a
writer second. I don’t think writers can write without reading. It’s almost
like breathing. When I’m stuck on a particular story or the words aren’t
flowing, I’ll sometimes pick up one of my favorite books, like Lora Leigh’s
Dawn’s Awakening or Meljean Brook’s The Iron Duke, and use those to clear my
head.
- How has your own romance colored how you write romance in your stories?
Many of my heroes are quiet guys. They don’t talk a
lot but when they have something to say, you know it’s worth hearing. That’s
totally my husband. He’s supportive, he never tells me no (although I still
haven’t gotten that pony for the backyard, lol) and he washes clothes and
windows. The man is a god.
Stephanie, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by today!
HOW TO WORSHIP A GODDESS
Stephanie Julian--Available in stores and online bookstores.
HE'S EXACTLY WHAT SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED…
Lucy was once the beloved Goddess of the Moon, and she could have any man she wanted. But these days, the goddesses of the Etruscan pantheon are all but forgotten. The only rituals she enjoys now are the local hockey games, where one ferociously handsome player still inflames her divine blood...
AND SHE UNLEASHES HIM LIKE A FORCE OF NATURE...
Brandon Stevenson is one hundred percent focused on the game, until he looks up and sees a celestial beauty sitting in the third row. A man could surely fall hard for a distraction like that...EXCERPT
"Sparkles with fantasy ... and
smoldering erotic scenes ... unpredictable and fascinating."
—RT Book Reviews
—RT Book Reviews
BUY: AMAZON, BARNES and NOBLE, INDIEBOUND
Stephanie Julian is the author of the Magical Seduction, Lucani Lovers, Darkly Enchanted and the Forgotten Goddess series, as well as The Fringe series. 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.
Julian's erotic romances have a paranormal bent reviewers have called "fascinating," "truly fantastic," "intoxicating," "highly imaginative" and "hot enough to peel paint."
You can find Stephanie:
