Welcome, Romance Lovers! Romance author Julia Barrett is with me this morning!

      Available now at Cerridwen Press

Welcome, Romance Lovers!

I'm talking this morning with Romance author Julia Barrett. Julia writes for Cerridwen Press, the mainstream Romance line of Ellora's Cave Romance. Julia has a brand new release coming out March 26th, and I'm eager to find out more!

Before we get into the book talk, why don't you tell us a little about yourself.

I have been so many things in my short/long life – I’m a Registered Nurse, but I’ve worked as a caterer, and private chef, owned a restaurant, been a wrangler, a waitress, a research assistant for a medical study, a freelance writer, a mom – Other than being a mom and writing, I get bored easily. I would probably be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder if I was a kid nowadays.

You have a new book coming out Today!! We’d love to hear about it.

My newest release with Cerridwen Press on March 26, is entitled My Everything, from the song by Barry White.  I love this story! It came to me in its entirety in a dream. All I had to do was write it down. I think I spit it out in record time! It’s the story of Ben McCall and his first love, Grace Rafael. In the ten years they’ve been apart, both have suffered tremendous heartbreak. When they are unexpectedly thrown together again and must protect each other from a madman, well, let’s just say the sparks fly.

Do you identify with the characters you write about?

I always identify with my characters. Grace is a nurse, a pain management specialist. Ben is part owner of a security agency. Grace is, to a large extent, me, myself and I...while Ben’s character is modeled after a young flyboy I met under circumstances very similar to Ben and Grace’s first meeting. You’ll have to read the book to find out where and when!

You have another eBook book out. How exciting! We’d love to know the details.

My first book released was Anytime Darlin’. It’s actually sold quite well as an eBook and I can’t wait to hold a print copy in my hand, hopefully by this summer. It’s the story of Jake McKenna, a rancher from Montana, and Eleanor Devlin Barre, a young woman from Iowa, two people who meet under tragic circumstances, experience an immediate connection, but are forced to go their separate ways for four long years. When they finally get together, be prepared for fireworks! These two characters connect on a very deep level. They are definitely soul mates.

When do you find the time to write?

I am a whenever writer. Sometimes it’s easier for me to concentrate at night and I usually dedicate two to three hours every evening to writing. However, I’ll also sit down to the keyboard during the day when I have the time, or even in the middle of the night if I wake up inspired. I often fall asleep, wake up at say, two a.m. with a scene in my head, so I grab my laptop and head downstairs to get it recorded before I forget it altogether.

Do you have a day job? How do you balance the two?

I do work as a nurse and my job is intense. Until a couple years ago I worked full-time. It’s only been recently that I’ve been able to switch to on-call. I tend to work a lot of weekends and maybe one or two days a week. Nurses are in short supply, so if I was willing, I could work everyday. But...then I wouldn’t have the energy to write and I want to write. I was originally an English/Creative Writing major, but I couldn’t find a job. I returned to school and became a nurse so I could always find work.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Keep on keepin’ on. First of all, do it for yourself. Write because you love to write. You’d better love it because it’s dang hard to find a publisher.

Secondly, write what you know. If you write about something completely unfamiliar to you, your reader will pick up on that and your story won’t ring true.

What is your next project?

I have a book coming out this July, Cara. It’s more of a general fiction/romance with a Happy Ever After, but it tackles some very tough subjects, sexual abuse and domestic violence and the scars they leave on everyone involved. Writing the book was exhausting and I’ve now moved on to something much lighter – a straight contemporary romance entitled All Things to All People.

Now, here is a 'totally off the writing subject' question. What’s the coolest, wackiest, most risk-taking thing you’ve ever done?

Most recently, mountain climbing in Scotland, especially since I had major knee surgery just eighteen months ago after an injury I sustained in a fall. For better or worse, I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker. Life is short and I guess I’m determined to make the most of it.

I don’t know...a week-long rafting trip down the Salmon River in Idaho?

Deliberately jumping out of a raft into the Colorado River and nearly drowning in a Class Four rapid?

Free climbing in Canyonlands and Bryce and Capitol Reef? (Don’t do it anymore.)

Riding any horse, anytime, anywhere – forgive me, I was young, but I still ride whenever I can.

I love to waterski.

The one thing I refuse to do is parachute jumping. I have a horrible fear of jumping out of a plane.

And I won’t go caving. I hate tiny spaces.

What else would you like to tell us?

I’d just like to thank you for the wonderful opportunity to talk about my books. All I can say is – keep reading! All genres – and read to your kids. I have a house full of books. They are precious to me. Someday we may only read on electronic devices, but give me a book in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other and I’m a happy camper!

Where can we buy your books, Julia?

Anytime, Darlin'
My Everything

Julia Rachel Barrett's website:

http://juliabarrett.wordpress.com/

Thank for sharing with us today, Julia! Come back soon!

Coming Up Next...More "Coming Soon" releases from Samhain Publishing!