Julia London national best selling author has graciously granted Fallen Angel Reviews request for an interview. Julia has written 8 wonderful books, seven of which are historical romances and the other a contemporary. She has recently released her new series called the Lockhart Family Trilogy with Highlander Unbound and will continue her contemporary series Lear family with the upcoming release of Beauty Queen in April. Julia lives in Austin Texas with her main man Louie and their gorgeous white Labs Hugo and Maude.

For those of you interested in contacting Julia you can look her up on her website: or send her mail at P.O. Box 49315, Austin, Texas, 78765.

Without further ado folks Julia London:


Do you remember what it felt like when your first book was published?

Oh of course, I'll never forget it! Devil's Love had a white cover with a single red rose. It was beautiful! There is nothing like holding that book in your hands with your name on it and your words inside and realizing that you aren't actually dreaming-it's real!

What did you do after you got your copy?

Oh Showed it to anyone who would look at it. Carried it around with me like I was some hot shot author, whipping it out at every opportune and inopportune moment. And finally, the citizens of Austin got together and contacted a friend of mine, who came over to my house, peeled my fingers from the book, and put the book in a shadow box. Now, it is proudly displayed in my living room and the unsuspecting public in grocery store lines and elevators does are free of me. At least free of my books.

Once you got that contract and you delivered the first book, how difficult was it to get a second and complete it?

Oh Devil's Love, my first book, flowed out of me. I could see the story in my head (I did not, however, hear voices) and it sort of spun along on it's own. When that first book was sold, they also contracted for a second book. I really thought my Wicked Angel would go the same way as Devil's Love. But two things happened-one, the publisher wanted a proposal that outlined the plot. And I said: "Plot? Whadaya mean plot?" And they said: "Exactly!"

So for the first time I had to think the story through, beginning to end. That was a whole lot harder than just writing to see where the characters went, particularly since the second thing happened, which was a deadline. I did not have the luxury of time to explore all avenues of the story through many meanderings like I did before I had a contract. I had to be thoughtful and organized about what I was doing. That's right…THOUGHTFUL and ORGANIZED. So to answer your question, it was very difficult to adapt to writing commercial fiction, which is sold on the proposal and put on deadline to keep books in the hands of readers. But now, eight or nine books later, I've learned how to do it and I really enjoy working from a proposal.

Did you always know you wanted to be an author? And if so was the romance genre your target?

Oh I was always writing something as a kid, and I can safely say I have always written. Even my boring government jobs involved lots of technical writing. I wish I could say that writing was some higher calling, but the truth is, I never aspired to be an author until I was grown and had a successful career. The amazing thing to me is that while I never aspired to be an author, the moment I started, it quickly became a therapeutic drug for me. I loved it. I couldn't stop. Still can't. It's like chocolate-I just keep cramming more and more of it in. And no, the romance genre was not my target. I didn't really know romance was a "genre" when I started-but I love a good love story, and I love history, so it seemed the thing to try.

What made you decide to write historical romance specifically?

Oh Okay, you know I grew up on a ranch in West Texas, right? So I spent a lot of time on my own, and I was forever casting myself in Wagon Train and Rawhide episodes as the pioneer girl in distress. And when I got older, and started reading Victoria Holt books, I started seeing myself as the queen, or the chatelaine, or the medieval maiden captured by rogue knights, etc. And let's not forget Kathleen Woodiwiss and old south sagas, and me, in hoops, running from the villain across big wide plantation lawns. So historical romance seemed a natural for me. I have since branched out, more to challenge myself than anything else, but I will always write historical romance because it is my first love.

Your last book was a contemporary; did you think that was easier or harder to write than your previous works?

Oh It took me several attempts to get the cadence and rhythm of the contemporary voice down-it is much more clipped and faster than historical novel writing. But once I felt like I had that going (and hope to be improving), it seemed easier to write than the historical novels, with the exception of the language. Honestly, historical writing comes so naturally to me now-I have a pretty good grasp of the language from the early 19th century. But I find it hard to keep up with the slang and nuances of everyday speech in this country. I think I was the last person on the planet to know what bling-bling meant!

Do you always start at the beginning of the book or do scenes or events appear to you?

Oh Scenes definitely pop into my head-I have always been able to visualize stories and character's lives. I can see an old man walking down the street and an image of him as a younger man will pop into my head. And most of my ideas start with a scene or an image…but while scenes may pop into my head, connecting them in a coherent stream is quite a different thing all together. So I usually start at the beginning of the story and slog my way to the end. It's like walking through six feet of snow-one giant step at a time, sometimes falling back, then picking up and taking another giant step.

What do you find most rewarding about being a writer?

Oh The royalty checks are pretty nice. HA HAAA. But the finished manuscript is the very best part. I hate writing a first draft of a book. I mean I abhor it all the way down to my toes! It usually sucks and looks like I wrote it when I was in seventh grade (lots of sighing and exclaiming going on), and I begin to believe I am a talentless hack who will be discovered for the fraud she is and tossed right out on her ear. But once that funky skeleton of a story is on paper, I go back and improve or expand on the original kernel of an idea until it begins to take shape and there is some meat on the bones, and it actually turns out to be pretty decent. I marvel at that every single time, because I would swear to you, two weeks prior to that moment, there was no way in hell. So for all aspiring writers out there, I say, get the story down on paper and don't worry about how bad it sucks, because it does suck. But the next phase of writing is what separates authors from people who want to e authors-being able to take that shell and create something compellingly readable from it. (Is there such a word as compellingly? First draft, what can I say?)

Are there any other genres of books you intend to write in the future?

Oh For the moment, I am fully committed to writing historical and contemporary romance…but I don't rule out trying my hand at something new down the road. I like to try new things.

What inspires you to write a story?

Oh I'm not really sure. Ideas sort of pop into my head. I read a lot, and that always generates ideas. So do movies and TV (except for reality TV which I seem to be watching way too much of lately!)

What can you tell me about your upcoming book Highlander Unbound, its set in England and it's about a Highlander; did you do a lot of research in writing this book? I ask because I noticed there are some language references that are used through-out your excerpt. Or did Lucy..and is there really a Lucy?

Oh I did some research on Gaelic and the Highland regiments in writing this series. I am very familiar with the time period and have lots of reference materials for politics and social scene, but I picked up some Gaelic references during a recent trip to Scotland. As for Lucy, well…she's pretty worthless when it comes to research. No, really, she is. I mean, she talks a good game, but she's just not that good at it. I keep her around, though, because she is my sister and I have to. And her name isn't really Lucy, its Nancy. But Nancy always wanted to be named Lucy, and when I named an old pig Lucy in Wicked Angel, it made her really mad. She thought the name should have been assigned to someone more deserving than a pig. So now I have a Lucy in every book just to torment her. Sometimes Lucy is a minor character, and other times, such as in Highlander in Disguise (02/05), she's a major character. And Nancy-I mean the REAL Lucy-thinks that all research assistants should be named Lucy. So we go traipsing all over the place-Lucy and her fake job, me and my notebook. While she shops, I stop in bookstores and libraries. Now how is that fair? I guess its fair enough because Lucy is also my CPA and is invaluable for knowing what to write off and what not to write off, LOL!

What characteristics represent your ideal hero and heroine?

Oh Excellent question! I love alpha males-men who aren't afraid to be men, who wear their strength and desire and common sense on their sleeves. But they also must have a sensitive side that they show only to the women in their lives. As for women, I like them to have a little spunk and not be a wall flower. Even if they appear to be a wallflower, inside, they need to be seething and desperate to break free of monotony. And for both characters, honesty is a must, or the lack of honesty has to eat away at them and be intrical to the plot (assuming, of course, that I actually have a plot). Last, but not least, all my characters MUST have a sense of humor. Everyone should be able to laugh at themselves or life every once in awhile.

What is/are your favorite dessert/desserts?

Oh Are you kidding? Brownies, thick brownies, and double fudge brownies. I live for brownies. I dream of brownies. I HAVEN'T HAD A BROWNIE IN THREE WEEKS!!

And my last question is…You seem to travel a lot. Out of curiosity, do you make yearly vacation trips? And is it usually centered around a book or merely for your pleasure?

Oh I do seem to travel a lot! I usually end up going somewhere fun at least once a year. When I set a book somewhere, I try and make at least one trip there so I have that picture in my mind. But most of the time, my trips are strictly for pleasure and my books somehow get centered around my vacations. How convenient, right? HA HA.

Thanks so much, Fallen Angels, for asking me to drop in with this interview! I wish you the best of luck in your site. And if any of your members would like to hear about upcoming books or read some excerpts, please check out www.julialondon.com and sign up for my notification list. Thanks again for having me! Julia

I asked the third question because I know your first book was picked up with in a few weeks of you sending in the query letter.

Oh That's right, Teri. I was in the right place at the right time, that's for sure! I sent my queries to agents on a Monday, and by the Friday I had an agent. She sold Devil's Love and another book to Dell two weeks after that. It really was like a dream.

I really have to tell you that I really enjoy your work and in my opinion, you are a very talented author. You are on my to-buy list for historical romance because they're my favorite.

Oh Thank you so much! That means a lot to me, really. You can really create a vacuum for yourself writing full time. Most days I sit here pounding away and I have no idea who thinks what of the books out there. Half the time, I don't even know how they are selling until months later. So to hear something like that really makes my day!

Sorry to say I didn't pick up the contemporaries, but I plan to rectify that oversight soon.

Oh Honestly, whatever floats your boat! If you do, that's great. If you don't, I understand that too.

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

Oh Thanks for asking me. I told Jaymi that I really love to do these things because its such a great way to reach readers. So anytime you guys want me to do something, please ask!

Thanks, again, Julia
Julia's Website


Interviewed by:
Teri