Julia Barrett's World

Yeah, some days it’s like that!

Rebecca at Dirty Sexy Books wrote a genius piece back on February 23 entitled -

The Ten Biggest Mistakes Authors Make On Their Websites.

You can check it out here:  (and I asked her permission to quote her, thanks Rebecca!)

http://www.dirtysexybooks.com/Dirty_Sexy_Books/Home/Entries/2010/2/23_The_Ten_Biggest_Mistakes_Authors_Make_on_Their_Websites.html

The first mistake she mentions is the lack of a website.  I have to agree.  In this internet age I’m shocked when I try to find information about an author and her books and google turns up bupkiss!

The second mistake?  No blog.  She’s right – every single day isn’t necessary but a once a week would be nice.  I do get frustrated when I hope to hear what other authors are up to and they have a site, but the last post was a year ago.  Where are you, my friend?

Uh-oh, the third mistake is to bury our stuff under a nest of links.  Guilty as charged?  I try to keep my links to the side but sometimes I wonder if I have too many – but I love those links!  Each one means something to me.  I’ll try to keep in mind, simplify and minimize!

Fourth – link bait for bloggers – Ladies, we need a hook so bloggers find us interesting, you know, like a freebie, a short story that ties into our upcoming release, a freebie for readers and fans.  Okay – workin’ on it!

Five – ignoring your website – that kind of ties in with Mistake Number Two.

Six?  A picture of myself?  Are you effin’ crazy?  I have deep and abiding personal reasons for NOT having a photo.  I do have an icon.  I know it’s not exactly me, but my icon is a smiling redhead, like me!  If you read Captured, you know what I look like and you know what kind of potty mouth I have.

Seven is very important, IMO.  Mistake Seven – They don’t promote anyone but themselves.    This one is of such significance that I think I’ll quote it in its entirety:

Your website is one of your best marketing tools, and so this statement might seem counterproductive, but don’t always talk about yourself.  That’s right, talk about other books, places, and people too.  It’s uncomfortable to visit a site that sells itself too hard, so to avoid that trap, spend some time promoting your favorite authors.  I love to visit Charlaine Harris’s website because she blogs about what she’s reading every few weeks.  Maybe you’re wondering, what if I read something that stinks like a road-kill skunk?  Then preserve your reputation and don’t mention it (let an asshole like me stomp on it), but be sure to give props to the books that you DO like.

Mistake number Eight – We forget to mention and/or link to the reviewers who review our books.  Rebecca suggests a separate review page that contains links to all our book reviews.  Again – workin’ on it!

Number Nine – Author’s don’t interact with their fans.  Well, I do and most authors I know do.  My fans are precious to me.  If they take the time to comment or email me, I will reply.  I’ve been on the non-receiving end.  I’ve written to authors to tell them how much I enjoyed their books and I never hear, so…their books come to mean less to me.  On the other hand, when an author responds, his/her books come to mean a great deal more.

Last but not least – Number Ten – We don’t offer a high-resolution image of the cover.  Sorry, my website won’t always support a high res cover image and I suck at sizing.  Some authors are really savvy.  They know exactly how to fix these things and they are on my most admired list.

I am terrible when it comes to taking advice – stubborn, headstrong, impulsive, but Rebecca has made some excellent points.  I’m trying to learn how to learn when it comes to this blogging stuff.  Thanks!

In other news – Beauty and the Feast - waiting for your recipes and go visit with the delightfully irreverent Chris and her kitties at Stumbling Over Chaos to see how to win a copy.  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

Brynn Paulin is hosting me over at Wednesday Wonder Writers:  http://brynnpaulin.blogspot.com/

Stop by!

Author Donna George Storey has a great little novella in The Cougar Book – Comfort Food.  I have a copy of the book to give away, signed by me cuz I have a story in there too – great minds think alike!  Speaking of websites, here’s hers -

http://www.donnageorgestorey.com/

Okay, done for the day!  Julia

P.S.  Just finished:  Game Change.  Just started:  The Lady in the Tower.

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Good God in heaven I’m tired!  I’ve spent the day finishing up Book Four of Daughters of Persephone - Tempus Fugit, Time Flees.  Bloody exhausting and exhilarating at the same time!  Of course, I only have the cover for Books One and Two, but it, the cover, that is, bears repeating.  Or perhaps bares repeating.  I do love that cover, so Dune-ish in a hot naked guy butt sort of way.

So…news…Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos is stumbling over Beauty and the Feast, my upcoming contemporary romance from Resplendence.

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

Stop over there and check things out – I’ll be giving away a free copy of this delicious, smoking hot romance.

I’m still running my recipe contest here – I’ve tried Lil’s bacon-inspired croissant sandwiches, Jen’s black pepper parmesan biscotti and Dana’s Lemon Cheesecake and so far, we’re on a big hitting streak!  Leave your recipe and you might win a copy of Beauty and the Feast.  My contest runs until April 1.

In other news, Tessie Bradford’s fabulous book, Possessing Eleanor, comes out today with Resplendence as does The Devil to Pay, by Pamela Labud – buy link:

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/

Okelie dokelie – ’nuff for tonight.

Oh gosh!  Over at Author Island in the Tiki Hut with my excerpt from Logical Lust’s The Cougar Book today.  I would love to have you drop in!  http://authorislandtikihut.blogspot.com/

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I got a great recipe for Lemon Cheesecake from Craftydana – check out her link on my interesting sites list.  Yummy cheesecake!  Remember, you can win a copy of my upcoming Contemporary, Beauty and the Feast, by submitting a sexy recipe – the contests will last until April 1.  Project Bacon, also on my links, suggested a great sandwich yesterday so we tried it with phacon instead of bacon, being the devoted lacto-ovo vegetarians that we are.  Honey, that sandwich was one of the high points of my culinary life.  It is hellaciously good!

Larissa gave me a wonderful review of Captured and she hasn’t read much science fiction – here’s the link:  lala’s book corner – http://www.larissaslife.com/

She says, “I loved the growth both characters go through and how much they teach each other and come to rely in one another. It’s a beautiful love story and both Ekkatt and Mari are great leading characters and sooooo hot together.”

I better gear up to write a sequel because that’s what everyone is asking for, including Larissa.  C’mon brain, dream!  Dream!

Ooh!  In other news, Captured received a Recommended Read from Dark Diva Reviews.  I am thrilled.  Thanks, Stacey!

Stacey’s Review: Julia Barrett created a unique, new world and plot with Captured. The characters were so well fleshed that I became a part of their lives and never wanted the book to end.

Mari is a strong female lead. Despite the tragedies of her past and being forcibly taken to a new planet as human meat, she remains upbeat and in control. I could relate to her: from her feelings after waking up naked in a cage, to wanting a seemingly impossible future with her alien lover. She’s a rough-around-the-edges woman that you have to root for!

Ekkatt is conservative and traditional with a heart of gold. His life progresses smoothly until he captures Mari. With her flaming red hair and large dragon tattoo, he is drawn to her. She questions everything happening to her on the voyage to his planet and forces him to acknowledge that humans are not mindless animals. He risks everything to help the little earthling and soon becomes enchanted by her feisty personality.

The sex is hot, and Ekkatt is certainly one alien to be desired! Nothing is rushed between the two, but progresses naturally and believably. I’m skeptical to even call this an erotic read because the book doesn’t use sex as a crutch at all. The plot is strong and stands alone. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud funny, at times, and always true to the characters.

Even after finishing the book, I had a smile on my face and kept imagining Mari and Ekkatt’s future together. Sigh. I was rooting for a HEA and was not disappointed. There is even the potential for a sequel.

My only complaint is the hours of lost sleep because I couldn’t stop reading! Bravo to Ms. Barrett. I will definitely be picking up her future novels and highly recommend, Captured.

Rated 5 Delightful Divas and a Recommended Read by Stacey!

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Project Bacon has some major sexy food-related stuff going on right now and this month is all about food – remember?  Beauty and the Feast!!!

http://projectbacon.wordpress.com/

Wait!  I take it back!  Project Bacon has an even more decadent post today!  I am a vegetarian, but I am so obsessed with this site!

Still waiting for those recipes.  I have three copies of Beauty and the Feast to give away.  Leave them in a comment or email them to me at Julia@JuliaRachelBarrett.net

I’m on the Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/x-5288-Salt-Lake-City-Romance-Novels-Examiner~y2010m3d5-Help-me-welcome-Erotic-Romance-author-Julia-Barrett

Check out the interview, I love to read your comments!

Let’s see if Mia Watts, Fran Lee, Katalina Leon, Stacey Espino and C.J. Black are playing tag!  You can find their links on the right side of my website.

Many thanks to Sandy M. and the Duck Pond for the surprise book promo and fun interview earlier this week.

http://goodbadandunread.com/

Announcements!

Coming from Resplendence on March 9th, The Devil to Pay by Pamela Labud!

http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/

My Fair Lady meets The Devil and Daniel Webster – a regency paranormal romance – Could a book sound any more delicious?

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So Cindy Spencer Pape tagged me and now I have to figure out how to do this boyfriend blog!  Like Cindy, it’s tough because I am so stuck on my one and only, but…that doesn’t mean I can’t fantasize!

We all have our favorite book boyfriends and now you have the chance to create one just for yourself and your fantasies! How do you play? Fill out the quiz bellow, post a picture of sexy man and tag five (5) other book addicts to do the same. Don’t forget to pop to their blogs as let them know they have been tagged!
Once tagged… you have to do the same, grab the button, answer the questions, and keep it rolling! But don’t forget the picture of the sexy man! It doesn’t have to match your fantasy man, just a little eye candy for the rest of us… heheheee!

1.  Hair style and color:

I likes ‘em dark and handsome!  Gerard Butler is one who does it for me despite his short hair – love long hair on a guy too.  Anything I can thread my fingers through is okay with me!

2.  Eye color and facial features:

Oh…be still my heart!  Daniel Craig, a manly man!  ‘Nuff said!

3.  Height and body type:

Sean Connery.  Long, lean and athletic.  The perfect man.

4.  Visible age:

Gorgeous at any age!  Thank you Mr. Pitt.

5.  Bangability:  OMG!  My husband might have a fit!  Any of the above plus:

Clive Owen.  Yummo!

6.  Human or other:

Go Wesley Snipes!  Too hot to handle.  Blade….

7.  Paranormal skills:

Take me…take me now, Wolverine!

8.  Interests:

Love horses, love men on horses, love Tom Selleck.

9.  Habitat:

Sorry, Angelina.  Here we go again – Brad, in A River Runs Through It.  Montana, fly fishing, wilderness, love and loss.

10.  Special skills:

Must look good in a kilt!

And because I’m a sucker for him, I’ll add one more man just for the hell of it:

Oh Eric…

So, I’m tagging Fran Lee, Mia Watts, Stacy Espino, Katalina Leon, and C.J. Black.

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A quick note and I’ll stop by later!

Captured is up on Amazon and available for download on your Kindle.  Go for it!  My hubby did!

http://www.amazon.com/Captured-Siren-Publishing-Classic-ebook/dp/B00371V7WO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267807147&sr=8-1

Remember the contest – I want your sexiest recipes!  Oh…and I received my hard copies of The Cougar Book yesterday.  It’s fabulous!  Anyone want a signed copy?  Leave me a recipe and you could win one of those too!  This book is hot!  My story, of course, is hot and sweet, ‘cuz, you know, it’s kinda like me.

Releases:  Out of the Shadows, by Cammie Eicher, the first in the Shadow Ancient series,  Resplendence Publishing. This vampire romantic suspense creates a new mythology of vampires, and features a dark and sexy vampire hunter forced to protect the Ancients’ child of prophecy — and the woman who eventually must choose between her love for him and her promise to protect the newborn.

Buy Link: http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/

Check out Cindy Spencer Pape, she tagged me!  http://cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com/

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Beauty and the Feast

releases with Resplendence on March 16th.

The contemporary romance includes Eva’s recipes – you can find them at the end of the story.

To celebrate, I’m hosting a recipe contest.

Send me your sexiest, your most sensual recipe sometime over the next month, and I will choose three winners!  I’ll feature your recipes and your fake names (real names if you like) on my blog and send each of you a copy of Beauty and the Feast.

Feel free to leave your recipe as a comment here or email your recipe to me at Julia@JuliaRachelBarrett.net

I’ll announce the winner on April 1st, along with the winning recipes.

I’ll start!  Here’s one of Eva’s favorites!

Eva’s Wet Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

½ cup dark balsamic vinegar

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tsp. Tabasco

Whisk together and store in fridge.  Use as a marinade or dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

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Sandy M. and I worked on interview questions.

It was crazy, last minute and lots of fun.  We talked about writing, my releases, covers, life in general.  I’d love to hear you comments – here and over there!!!  The interview will be posted at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

http://goodbadandunread.com/

Tomorrow – if I can get my act together today, begins a month-long, very delicious contest for a copy of Beauty and the Feast, my upcoming contemporary with Resplendence.  Stop by and check it out.  Thanks!  Julia

P.S.  It’s up!  Go check it out!

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Stay Tuned

I’ll post later and update you with everything.  OMG.  I have an interview to do today for The Good, The Bad, and the Unread – going up tomorrow!

A giveaway of Beauty and the Feast – my upcoming release with Resplendence – on Stumbling Over Chaos.

A contest on my own blog.

A newsletter to get out…

See the above picture?  That’s me!  Talk to you later!

Oh…in the meantime, check out Project Bacon – that recipe may make a convert out of me!

http://projectbacon.wordpress.com/

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Three solid days

of death and dying and grieving, stressed family members all up in my face and giant guard dogs trying to rip my throat out…I am so crashing.  Hospice work sometimes makes you want to…oh, I don’t know…Damn, it can take a lot out of you!

Can barely think straight let alone spell…talk to you tomorrow.  julia

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You like me!  You really, really like me!

It is very nice to find this after the kinda day I had yesterday and today is shaping up to be a repeat!  Gotta go, but enjoy this review with me!

http://fallenangelreviews.com/2010/February/merrylee-captured.htm

Captured

Waking up naked in a cargo hold, caged with scores of women and guarded by two huge feline-looking men, convinced Mari Damon of one thing. She’d been kidnapped! By aliens!Ekkatt had harvested countless “Earther” females over the years. His people didn’t eat them, but that didn’t mean they weren’t above supplying them to other species who did. Since they are akin to animals, Ekkatt felt little guilt over his role in their imminent deaths. Until one uppity redhead mysteriously awoke from stasis, demanding to be heard.

Surprised by Mari’s cognitive abilities, he allowed her to remain awake, listening and watching as she set about proving herself sentient and therefore deserving of life. By the time they reached his home world, she’d begun to learn his language. But when his attempt to persuade his superior to spare Mari results in her being deemed a worthy subject for dissection and study, Ekkatt risks execution to whisk her away to his mountain cabin. There, as their love blooms amidst the wild untamed grandeur of Ekkatt’s world, they battle hardship, wild animals and the treachery of a friend. Ultimately, they realize that only one option remains open to them. Setting out across rugged restricted territory, they make for the safety of a secret compound, knowing that the grueling trek could easily cost them their lives. But at least they’d die fighting for happiness and the new life Mari carried within her womb.

This beautiful, compelling story came about through a dream. In putting it down in writing, author Julia Rachel Barrett has produced an absorbing, well-written story that had me so caught up I read every last word of it in one evening. A day later, I’m still marveling at her gift for world-building. I can still close my eyes and envision Ekkat’s majestic home world – the giant durra Mari encountered, the imposing snow-clad mountains and thickly forested valleys, the roaring rivers and emerald lakes, even the grossly disgusting sepatha that almost killed Ekkatt.

Both main characters are strong, appealing individuals who alternately tugged tears and then laughter from me. I loved Ekkatt’s yellow cat eyes and long blue-black hair, not to mention the hard muscles beneath his bronzed skin. I loved Mari’s ability to explain the human condition to Ekkatt, his fondness for potty-mouth English and her enjoyment in teaching him how to kiss. I loved the tender loving care he took of Mari, a woman so much smaller than himself that he thought of as delicate and breakable when she was far from it. Most of all, I loved Mari’s witty, wise-cracking personality, her fortitude and soft heart. Her rapport with Ekkatt is so amazingly beautiful it took my breath away.

Captured is one of the best books I’ve ever read. And with the ending leaving a couple of dangling threads, I’m hoping Ms. Barrett has sequels planned for the brothers I won’t drop any spoilers to name. Beyond that, what more can I say, other than keep dreaming, Julia! Keep dreaming…

Reviewed by: Merrylee

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Witch’s Butter

And it’s edible!

I guess in the old days if this was found growing on the threshold of a home, it was believed that the occupants had been targeted by a witch.

However, in Asia they use this stuff in many stir fry dishes to provide a pop!  It’s sort of a tree-ear-fungus.  Like my dad always says, “There’s a fungus amongus!”

Totally cool.  One of these days, I’ll upload all the photos of mushrooms I’ve hunted on my hikes – I only eat the ones I’m one-hundred percent certain of.  Don’t go out and eat the mushrooms growing in your yard!

People die around here on occasion from eating the totally deadly amanitas and agarics.  I guess the Death Cap resembles a mushroom that is commonly used in Asian cooking.

Just got home from work and I have to head back there tomorrow.  Had a major creepy guy get all up in my face today in a nasty neighborhood when I visited a patient.  Ran into a killer guard dog entering a home.  Got puked on and bled on.  Sometimes I feel like I’m in the middle of a bad movie.  Ah well…

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Today has been the day from hell

and when I experience the day from hell, especially when I haven’t time to eat a single thing, I must have potato chips.  Fortunately hell days don’t come around all that often, but lately, work IRL has been the essence of HELL.  I’ve managed to avoid the potato chip trip until today.

I bought two bags because, you know, you gotta have two flavors – Balsamic Sweet Onion and Jalapeno – a handful from each bag and I feel so much better.  It’s like – eat two handfuls of potato chips and call me in the morning – ‘cuz tomorrow and Sunday are shaping up to be an instant replay.

Here’s the caveat:

Dirty Sexy Books reviewed Captured!  Yee-hah!  Thank you thank you thank you!

http://www.dirtysexybooks.com/Dirty_Sexy_Books/Reviews/Reviews.html

Here it is – made me weep!

“It’s not often that I agree to review romantic erotica, not because I don’t like it, but because I view it like dessert. It’s a rare treat, and I don’t like to overindulge. What persuaded me to try Captured is that it’s also a science fiction story, and it’s getting harder and harder for me to pass those up.
Captured was presented to me as an erotic romance, but I will respectfully disagree. I am more inclined to call it a science fiction romance novella because the romance was the focus of the story all the way. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes were good, but they were on par with a SFR novel. For an erotica they’d probably be considered mild.
The way the relationship between Mari and Ekkatt developed was surprisingly robust. So were the sci-fi world-building elements. Personally, I think this story would make a great addition to a SFR anthology.”

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I’m throwing my hat in the ring and trying my hand at menage.  My philosophy is this – there can be no slut factor and no positions that necessitate unrealistic contortions.  There will be a reason for one woman and her three men…a damn good one.  This is so scary and I wouldn’t do it if I hadn’t A.  dreamed a menage and B.  hubby hadn’t given me an out of this world idea for a second book – m/f/m.  Is that how you describe it?  I actually don’t know the difference between m/m/f and m/f/m.  Anybody?

Oh yeah – I’m off to work today, but Susi over at The Geeky Bookworm is hosting me today – guest blog – how Barry White influenced my romance-suspense, My Everything!

http://thegeekybookworm.blogspot.com/

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Happened one morning…

I woke up and realized it had happened…I been Californicated!  Holy fuckin’ shit!

Twenty years ago, my husband dragged me out here kicking and screaming.  I literally held onto a tree in our backyard up in the mountains of Utah (no…not LDS, so don’t ask that question), and he had to pry me away.

Why did we move?  Lots of reasons, but of primary importance was that he had a great job waiting for him out here.  So,  off we rolled in two old vehicles, three little kids, a dog and a cat in tow – had to leave the fish behind, but we sneaked our two pet mice – Chocolate and Skunky – past the border patrol.

We moved into a rental that had more spiders per square inch than an Indiana Jones movie in a neighborhood populated by cranky retired people who hated the dog and the kids and my hippie Toyota van.  My husband had to turn around and head back to Utah for two months to finish up a project there.  I swear, I didn’t speak to another adult for six weeks.  To make matters worse, my kids got sick with slap-cheek fever, I caught it and miscarried, and the landlord kicked us to the curb with two-weeks notice, claiming he didn’t know we had a dog – he knew, believe me, he knew.  My husband was out in Utah having a nervous breakdown, and yadda…yadda…yadda.  Finally, when I had the kids in a nearby park one day – which was usually abandoned because of the age of the neighborhood, another mom showed up with her little girl and she spoke to me.  I burst into tears!  I sobbed…”I haven’t – sob – sob – spoken to – sob – sob – another adult – hiccup – hiccup – in over a month….waaaaaaa!”  She was so sweet and we’ve stayed friends since that day.

So for nine years, I hated it here.  I woke up every single morning, looked out the window and wanted the hell out of this place.  I hated the traffic, the homeless people in San Francisco who pulled my hair and shoved cups in my face, the fog, the gray skies and rain in the winter, the lack of any sort of culture in the small town we’d moved to, the pathetic selection of books in the local library, the closed-minded small-town people.  It’s not like we lived in Silicon Valley or Marin County.

On the other hand,  my kids thrived here.  Only my oldest remembered living anywhere else.  They felt accepted and each found their social niche.

I don’t know how it happened, but one morning I woke up and something had shifted.  I opened the curtains, looked at the fog lying thick as a blanket over the world outside, and I said to myself – I can’t wait to get out for a hike in this!  I began to drive or take mass transit into San Francisco to attend concerts, book signings, to go shopping.  I found new and interesting places in my valley and surrounding my valley to hike and climb and I got into the culture of food and wine around here in a non-elitist way.

I’ve come to love the fact that while the rest of the nation suffers dreary cold, snow, gray skies, dead grass and bare trees, I’m walking on hills carpeted with the most luxuriously green grass imaginable.  I got songbirds, cougars, black bears, coyotes, bobcats, owls, hawks – all around me.  I love the intensity with which Californians live their lives – the energy here is young, invigorating, hopeful, accepting, tolerant.  Hooray for tolerance – which is in short supply in some areas of our country.  Plus the fresh fruits and vegetables, the breads, the cheeses, the wines – the farmer’s markets – OMG, they are to die for!

Yup, Californicated through and through.  I can no longer imagine living anywhere else.

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