Showing posts with label Stephanie Julian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stephanie Julian. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

ONE NIGHT ONLY—WHAT'S YOUR WISH?





My guest is Caridad Piñeiro. She's a romance author but still quite the eclectic writer in subject matter. Everything from vampires, super strength heroes, a touch of  sci-fi, and suspense. All with a strong heartbeat of romance and engaging stories. 
Her topic is a newer area of writing, erotic romance, and how create a good story to hang a hot romance to. Erotic romance is more than sex scenes. There has to be an engaging story. Something that touches fantasiesand haven't we all had them? That moment we wish we could have acted on?

When I was first approached about participating in the ONE NIGHT ONLY anthology, I really wasn't sure what to write about.

The theme was one special night, just one, and I went over idea after idea in my head until the story came to me in a blast of memories.

There I was back at my alma mater, Villanova, and there were the ROTC men and women in their dress uniforms at a formal.  They all looked so beautiful and amazing and I knew then that my hero had to be a just graduated Marine who will soon be leaving.

I wanted to shake things up a little so I decided that the heroine had to be someone that the hero, Jase Hart, might consider off limits.  Who might that be?  His best friend’s slightly older sister, Nickie de Salvo.

I had so much fun getting them together and giving them a very special and sexy night on the day of a graduation party of Jase and Nickie’s brother Tommy.  I won’t say more, only that the story is emotional and sexy.

It’s also been awesome working with my fellow anthology members, Stephanie Julian, Raven Morris and Willow James!  They've all had such great ideas about the theme for the stories and for all the fun memes and teasers we've been sharing for the anthology.


I hope you’ll take a moment to check out our anthology and the four naughty novellas that are sure to have you snuggling beneath the covers to finish the book in one sitting!

  • If you had to write, or live, a story about one special night or day, what would you choose? It doesn't have to be erotic or even romance.
Would you choose sitting on a mountain as the sun goes down? A night in Vegas, a show on Broadway, a jungle safari? Ballooning at sunrise? Snorkling? An adventure on the USS Enterprise?  

The Genie is present what is your wish?

                                                                                                                          

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, ALL ROMANCE
He has just one night to prove to her that anything is possible . . .

Jason Hart, Jase to his friends, has just graduated college and earned his commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. It's the night of the graduation party and she'll be there. His best friend's slightly older sister, Nickie. Nickie is the only woman he's really wanted for a long time. He has just one night to make it happen.

She has just one night before the man of her dreams leaves, maybe forever, but can she find the courage to take a chance . . .

Nicole de Salvo has been in love - and lust - for her little brother's best friend for years. For years she's watched from afar and done nothing about her attraction for Jason Hart only now their time together is almost at an end. On their last night together will she find the courage to do something about her feelings, or will she live with regret for the rest of her life?

                                                                                                                           



Caridad Pineiro is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. Caridad is a Jersey Girl who just wants to write, travel, and spend more time with family and friends. Caridad is the author of over 40 novels/novellas. You can find Caridad: Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Website

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

HOT ROMANTIC READS FOR A COLD NIGHT





For those of you who like to read a good romance I have some selections to snuggle up with on a cold winter night.




A Romance Over a Year of Holidays...Shannon Quinn is the small-town girl who runs "Holiday Quinn" -- a holiday-themed inn and resort based in scenic Door County, Wisconsin.

One winter evening, wealthy Minneapolis businessman, Bram Hartwick, blows into town along with the fast-falling snow. The sparks Bram and Shannon create succeed in heating up the chilly Midwestern night, not to mention plenty of holiday weekends in the year that follows...

But is their relationship reserved only for special occasions, or might it be the elusive everyday love that neither of them thought could be found? First chapter excerpt


Lyric Whetsone only had eyes for Quinn Sobel’s brother Oliver, until a car crash took Oliver’s life on New Year’s Eve. Then, a moment of shared grief between Quinn and Lyric became something more impassioned, something that frightened Quinn so much he ran from Lyric’s bed and her life, disappearing for four long years.
Now Quinn’s back for another New Year’s Eve, struggling for closure, desperate to leave his grief in the past and make amends with the girl of his dreams.
But Lyric has a secret–one that could drive Quinn from her life forever. Will Quinn run away from the love and acceptance he’s always wanted…or will he claim his New Year’s kiss and make her his at midnight? First chapter excerpt
And for those of you who like your reads really hot and sexy, may recommend a spicy holiday anthology from some of the biggest names in erotic romance.


Share Me
by Olivia Cunning, NYT & USA Today Best-Selling Author
Lindsey longs for an amazing Christmas Eve with her favorite band, Sole Regret, and spends one snowy night with two generous rock stars who love to share their gifts.

Jingle Ball 
by Cari Quinn, USA Today Best-Selling Author
This Christmas, rocking the office holiday party has taken on a whole new meaning...

Light Me Up
by Cherrie Lynn, NYT & USA Today Best-Selling Author
She’s dreaming of a little sparkle in her stocking this year. He’s planning a night that’s anything but silent…

An Indecent Proposition 
by Stephanie Julian
Two men. One Woman. Half a million dollars. One very indecent proposition. 

Christmas is Coming 
by Raven Morris
The best gifts are all tied up with a bow…

Stay tuned, I have more hot romance coming up this month. 
Friday, January 4th, my guest will be historical author, Jennifer Hudson.


Friday, December 9, 2011

Chat With The Magical Stephanie Julian



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







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:


Wednesday, July 13, 2011

AUTHOR INTERVIEWS: Stephanie Julian



Thanks so much for having me over for coffee, Sia, though I must admit I don’t drink it. So I’ve brought some hot chocolate. And Junior Mints.

I'm thrilled to have you visit Over Coffee again. I always have hot chocolate and teas. I remembered the Junior Mints from the last time you were here. :-) 

I’m really enjoyed reading What a Goddess Wants. You create such a fascinating world.

WHAT A GODDESS WANTS, the first book in my Forgotten Goddesses series.

This isn't your first book set in Etruscan mythology, though, is it?

When I first started writing WHAT A GODDESS WANTS, I was already deep into the two Etruscan series I've been writing for Ellora's Cave for the last three years. All of the books I've published, with the exception of SIZE MATTERS, have been set in this world. 


Actually, the world is the same one we live in; except there are whole communities of magic users normal people know nothing about.


The Etruscans are an ancient race of magic users including witches, werewolves, elves, fairies and deities. The first series I wrote, Magical Seduction, featured the elementals, the fairies and elves, and a witch. The second, Lucani Lovers, focuses on the lucani, the Etruscan werewolves.

Why Etruscans, rather than Greek or Roman?

I chose the Etruscans because there wasn't a lot of information known about this ancient race so I could play with the facts and twist them however I liked. I could take something that had a basis in fact and take it out of history and into the Twilight Zone.

But it also meant I was flying mostly blind. Unlike the Romans or the Greeks, I couldn’t look up a quick answer to anything.  Since I love to do research, this meant I ordered many, many, many books by Etruscan scholars, books not written for the casual reader. But in those 1,000-page tomes, I picked up lots of little tidbits that I could use in my stories.

Have you noticed that my goddesses wear red shoes most of the time? That’s one of those little bits I found in one of those books.

Most scholars believe that the Etruscans based their pantheon on the Greeks’ but, since none of those scholars can agree on where exactly the Etruscans came from or when, I chose to ignore that. Instead, I took what limited information I could find that didn’t mimic the Greek pantheon and expanded from there.

Let’s talk a bit about Tessa. Something I didn’t know and found intriguing is Tessa being a goddess with dual powers and duties.

Tessa in WHAT A GODDESS WANTS is the Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn. She used to lead the sun into the sky at the start of each day until that Roman bitch Aurora usurped her job. Tessa was pretty ticked off about that but she still had her duties as a Goddess of Childbirth. That’s another of those little tidbits I picked up.

Aurora cracks me up. I loved some of your secondary characters, like Sal, and I’d love to know more about him.

All of my Etruscan stories are linked; I was able to build a fairly large community with lots of characters who I love to revisit. For example, in WHAT A GODDESS WANTS, you’ll get to say hello to Salvatorus, who you might remember from SEDUCED BY MAGIC, SEDUCED BY TWO or EDGE OF MOONLIGHT.

You’ll also meet a new race of magical beings, the Cimmerians. Well, they’re not actually new. Robert E. Howard actually wrote about the Cimmerians in his Conan books. Yes, Conan was a Cimmerian, a fact Caligo, Tessa’s hero, grinds his teeth over constantly. Damn Arnold Schwarzenegger anyway.

I have so much fun playing in this world, creating a world within our world and revisiting characters throughout the stories.

And it shows in your stories, Stephanie. They’re fun to read. You said you have other series you’re writing. Anything new coming out in those series you’d like to tell us about?

As a matter of fact, I have another story in the Lucani Lovers series, GRACE IN MOONLIGHT, releasing July 20.

Thanks so much for having me over, Sia.

WHAT A GODDESS WANTS BY STEPHANIE JULIAN – IN STORES JULY 2011 

In his arms, her magic powers are on the rise…

Tessa, Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn, is desperately fighting off a malicious god, but her powers are weakening. She needs a hero and fast, because only sexual energy can give her strength. So she seeks out Caligo, whose sexual prowess is legendary

 And she’s the only one who can bring him into the light…


Caligo is a fabled Cimmerian warrior determined to stay away from spoiled goddesses who trample heart after they've had their fun. But there’s something irresistibly hot and inviting about Tessa, and he knows he’s her only chance to escape the encroaching darkness…EXCERPT 

BUY: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, All Romance eBooks. 


Stephanie Julian is the author of three erotic romance series with Ellora’s Cave. She is a member of RWA and Valley Forge Romance Writers and is a freelance entertainment and lifestyle feature writer. Stephanie lives in eastern Pennsylvania, where she is working on the next two books in the Forgotten Goddesses Series: How to Worship a Goddess (December 2011) and Goddess in the Middle (July 2012). For more information, please visit www.stephaniejulian.com.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Writing Happy Endings—The Beauty of Romance.

I know I’ve mentioned, a time or two, that I love a good romance. One of the reasons I do is the happy ending. The fun is seeing what the characters go through to get that happy ending—sometimes parroting life, at times holding love as something worth fighting for. Life is full of horrific happenings. Love is strong and I happen to think it’s one of the strongest and most enduring qualities. It survives being poor, wars, sickness, and even death. It holds hands with hope and the belief the world isn’t so bad if you have love and share love.

My guest today is Romance author Stephanie Julian. She shares why she likes happy endings. Pull up a chair and join in the discussion.

There is coffee, tea, and yes, now a nice pot of hot chocolate, plenty of scones and muffins. *sliding a crystal bowl of Junior mints near Stephanie. We can’t have withdrawal pangs, Steph, lol!



Thanks for having me, Sia. Do you mind if I bring hot chocolate? I don’t do coffee. Or tea or alcohol (though I love Fuzzy Navels and Mojitos). I don’t smoke either but I do have a wicked addiction to Junior Mints.

And romance.

I’ve been a romance reader all my life, since I first discovered Harlequins in the mid 70s. I think I was eight or ten. I was a pretty precocious reader, graduating to Bertrice Small and Rosemary Rogers by the time I was twelve.
I also read a lot of fantasy, including Tolkien, Eddings and Brooks, and every Stephen King. But even as I enjoyed those stories, I was always looking for more romantic elements. And was vaguely disappointed when a book didn’t have enough romance.

At college, I majored in English. I loved Shakespeare but of course I was the one who wanted to rewrite the ending of “Romeo and Juliet.” The greatest love story of all time and they both die? What the hell? Yes, it’s an amazing written work but I’ll stick with “As You Like It,” thank you very much.

That preference for a Happily Ever After is why I write romance. People who don’t understand or look down on the genre don’t fully understand the appeal.
Why do you want to read a book where you know the ending? That question is one you hear a lot from people who read books where all the major characters die at the end, usually in horrible fashion.

I read romance because I like to believe that life isn’t always so dire. That there is hope and love does triumph even when your world is crumbling down.

Pollyanna much? Maybe. But isn’t that the beauty of romance?

When Rhett Butler walks out of Tara and away from Scarlet, I knew one day she’d follow him and win him back. Same goes for Ilsa and Rick in “Casablanca.” Actually, I just finished working on a ménage so maybe Ilsa and Rick and Victor… Maybe not. But Ilsa and Rick are meant to be together, even if they have to wait until Victor dies heroically liberating death camps.
In my Magical Seduction series for Ellora’s Cave, an entire society of Etruscan magical users has hidden itself in our society, clinging to their old ways while trying to fit into modern life. They still retain their magic; they worship deities (who just happen to be living among us, as well) and fight to keep themselves and their families safe in a world that, if they were exposed, probably wouldn’t look too kindly on them.
Some of them have horns, wings and pointy ears and can change into wolves and other animals. But these stories are first and foremost romances and the central story is always two (or three) people falling in love amid turmoil, suspense and conflict.

How they overcome their obstacles to live Happily Ever After is the best part for me. Yes, writing the sex scenes is fun and exciting but having the story unfold before my eyes is even better. I’m not a detailed plotter. I have a general idea of the story before I start but I typically just start to write when I finally have the main characters in my head.

I had a leg up on that plot for “Seduced by Danger,” the sixth book in the series, just released from EC. It’s a continuation of the story told in “Seduced by Chaos.” I knew Michael and Cara before I started their book and I knew where their journey would take them.

They were going to have a pretty rocky road but, at the end, they would come through and be stronger for it. Together.

And isn’t that what we all want?
***
Stephanie Julian is an avid reader, who used to have a book-a-day habit. Then she realized she not only wanted to read books but write them, too. Romance has always been her first love, the sexier the better. Hot men, strong women and a heaping helping of magic dominate (and she does mean dominate) her blazing hot stories.

When she's not writing, she's, well... she's certainly not cleaning. And she only cooks when her guys complain that they're hungry. Otherwise, she's got her fingers on a keyboard, her butt in a chair and her head in the stars.

For other books in the Magical Seduction series by Stepanie Julian, visit Ellora's Cave http://www.ellorascave.com/


This and other titles in the series are available now.












STEPHANIE IS OFFERING A PRIZE TO
ONE LUCKY COMMENTOR TODAY:
SHADOW MAGIC (on the left) Featuring Seduced by Magic and Seduced in Shadow, books one and two of the Magical Seduction Series.