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Juliet Burns lives in Texas with her husband of twenty years and their three active kids. She likes to think her emotional nature—sometimes referred to as moodiness by those closest to her—has found the perfect outlet in writing stories filled with passion and romance. Juliet spent her youth with her nose in a book, immersed in the worlds of Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennett, and believes romance novels have the power to change lives with their message of eternal love and hope.
NM: Hey, Juliet! So glad you could join me here today. We've just read your official bio. Anything else you want to tell us about yourself?
JB: Ok, let’s see… I’m an old, fat, married gal with 3 kids. I love to read, sing, and hang out with friends. I have a big family and I’m kind of the “event planner” for the family. I have 4 sisters, and I was named for my grandmother (middle name: Ione)
NM: Wish I lived closer, I'd definitely be hanging out with you! What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
JB: I’ve been fired from almost every job I had, so working for myself is a much better career choice for me.
NM: Good thing you're a writer then. :-) Why don't you tell us about your most recent release?
JB: The Pirate’s Possession is an erotic romance set on a pirate ship in the 17TH century. It’s a novella in the anthology Secrets Vol 28, Sensual Cravings from Red Sage Here’s the blurb
Plain and quiet, Lady Gertrude (Tru) Fitzpatrick hides a passionate will. When her disgusting cousin tries to ravish her, she escapes, and willingly gives her body to the handsome captain of her girlhood fantasies. But she fears her heart is lost as well as her innocence when she becomes a pirate’s possession.
Ewan MacGowan needs money to get back to the Caribbean. But when he thinks he’s been tricked by a noblewoman, he exacts revenge by taking her to his bed. Only trouble is, he may have stolen the lady’s innocence, but beneath her plain exterior is buried a hidden treasure he never thought to find. The true woman of his heart.
NM: I was lucky enough to get a peek at this story ahead of time and I can promise everyone a great read! You have an alter-ego – Jillian Burns. Tell us about her.
JB: Jillian writes sizzling hot contemporary Romance for Harlequin Blaze. Her next book is out in Oct 2010 and is a sequel to her May 09 release, Let It Ride, about Air Force fighter pilots.
NM: OK, I've got it marked on my calendar right now! What element of story creation is your favorite? (Character? Setting? Plot? Etc.)and why?
JB: Plot! I’m a plot-driven writer and love to come up with fun, meaty situations that are unique and sexy. Why? Because I suck at characterization. Hey, you do what you’re good at, right?
NM: If you could be one of your characters for a day, who would it be, and why?
JB: Oooh, I’ve never been asked that before. Great question. Let me think. I guess I’d be Audrey from the very first romance I ever wrote. It was the first book I ever sold, too. It was a Silhouette Desire and came out in March 05. Audrey was kind of like Drew Barrymore in Never Been Kissed. She goes undercover as housekeeper on a cattle ranch in Texas to get a story about this ruggedly handsome champion Bull Rider who mysteriously became a recluse.
NM: I remember that story! Such a great tortured hero! And that was your first book? Wow! Do you have rituals you follow when writing?
JB: Yes, First I come up with the basic premise, like Travel channel personality sneaks aboard Alaskan bush pilot’s plane to investigate rumors that he killed his passengers years ago. That’s a Blaze I’m working on now –should be out in early 2011. I’m very sensual, in that I use my 5 senses a lot. I need pictures and make a collage of my setting and my hero and heroine. I need songs, smells, and tastes that will be incorporated into my story. I always interview my characters, come up with their GMC and core belief and then I write short synopsis hitting the basic turning points in the story and the Black Moment and the resolution.
NM: Sounds like a great plan! And before you know it you have a new book for readers to enjoy. Do you celebrate every new release?
JB: Um… This Secrets is the first one I haven’t really done anything special for. Too busy with deadlines. But I do celebrate new sales. How? I usually take the family out to eat somewhere we usually wouldn’t normally spend money on. Like steak. I know, we’re just livin’ La Vida Loca, no?
NM: La Vida Loca is right! Most people think a writer’s life is really glamorous. What’s the least glamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?
JB: Hmm…So many to choose from…scrub the trash cans?, step in dog poop? Oh wait, I know, how about not shower for 4 days right before my deadline. My husband didn’t notice because I wasn’t sleeping in our bed anyway, I caught snatches of sleep at the keyboard. Did you know drool isn’t good for keyboards?
NM: Neither are cookie crumbs or melted chocolate! What can we look forward to from you in the future?
JB: My next 2 books out will be Harlequin Blazes. I’m waiting to hear back on the title for the October book. And the second Blaze is titled PRIMAL CALLING. It’s the Alaskan bush pilot meets Travel channel personality.
NM: Where can we find out more about you?
JB: You can visit my web site www.julietburns.com or you can bribe my teens to spill all the gory details. They’re on Facebook.
NM: It's been great chatting with you today, Juliet. Is there a question you’d like to ask our readers?
JB: Yes, My first love for pleasure reading is Historicals, and the only contemporary romances I like to read are Blazes, because to me, the women are assertive, independent, and not afraid of their sexuality.
Which genre of romance is your favorite? And why?
Do you like Romantic Suspense? Or Futuristic/ Fantasy?
Let's hear it folks.
Natasha
www.natashamoore.com
