Julia Barrett's World

I asked my friend, Katalina Leon, to write a guest blog.

I was hoping she’d describe in detail the loss of her bathing suit bottom while para sailing but…no such luck!  She surprised me by sending this blog about my book, Captured.

I just finished reading a very usual and wonderful book “Captured” by Julia Rachel Barrett. Julia is not only a blog-mate of mine and a friend is she is also a hardcore Science Fiction fan and that’s makes her a bit unique in a field of romance authors who often look elsewhere for inspiration. I’m a big Sci-fi fan also. Julia and I have a lot of common ground, and shared influences in our lives and that’s why I was so excited to read “Captured” her first of what I’m convinced will be many wonderful Sci-fi novels.

I loved “Captured” because it works on so many levels. Make no mistake about it this book is a very tender romance with a strong sexual attraction and lots of emotional interaction between the human woman Mari and her Attun-ra captor and ultimately her savior—Ekkatt. Both characters are vividly written and we easily understand how they come to feel what they feel for each other.

What’s exceptional is Ms. Barrett’s clever balancing act. All the classic elements of great Sci-fi are here, world-building, controversy, social commentary, visionary elements of a changed society and most of all a working philosophy. After all Science Fiction’s great strength is that it allows us to step outside our culture—even our humanness in order to get a clearer view of it. That definitely happens in Captured. I had lots to think about long after the book was finished and that’s what good Sci-fi does. Captured beautifully deals with a dozen very difficult and certainly controversial social issues and handles the subjects maturely. This same plot, which prophetically appeared to Julia in its completion during a dream last summer, could have gone terribly astray in the wrong hands but it didn’t here. This book works as a romance, it’s erotic and it fulfills its mission as complex entertainment that has many layers to discover and ponder long after you’re done reading it.

I’m happy to announce Julia Rachel Barrett has lots more Sci-fi on the way with the “Daughters of Persephone” series, which is coming next month. I’m really looking forward to reading more.

XXOO Katalina Leon

Katalina Leon is the author of Owned by Rome and Beautiful Stranger.  You can find her here:  http://www.katalinaleon.com/ She’s amazing!

I have to give a shout out to author Stacey Espino who surprised me with an interview yesterday – I’m over at her site talking about science fiction and my upcoming release, Daughters of Persephone:  http://staceyespino.blogspot.com/

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Sake, ponzu sauce, shaved green onions and chili.  Yeah…lots of ‘em help.

Maybe an oyster shooter sounds gross to you, I mean, two months ago I wouldn’t have considered trying one.  Last December, I nearly choked to death on my very first giant raw oyster – but that was precisely because it was a giant raw oyster that still had sand and shell particles clinging to it. Blech.

On my birthday in April, I gave raw oysters a second chance, with Mignonette sauce.  OMG.  OMFG.  I discovered I love them.  These were really good – small, delicate freshy-fresh-fresh oysters and they made me feel so happy!  Last month, my husband, daughter and I went out for oysters and just this past weekend, my eyes all swollen and nasty from crying, I tossed back spicy oyster shooters like they were no big thing.  I can’t say they were the best, but they were alcoholic and the ponzu sauce was tasty.  Hey,you gotta do what you gotta do.

I let my mom and dad take care of me for a couple days.  They came to my book signing to hear me speak about death and dying and to listen to my reading.  Ironic, eh?  I read the funny chapter.

Coming this week:  Stacey Espino and her new book, Saving Grace.

A preview of my four-part science fiction series, Daughters of Persephone.

Katalina Leon may be here too, if we can make the arrangements – to talk about her newest release, Owned By Rome.

Anybody watch True Blood tonight?  The season premier!  I was not in the mood but I’ll watch it On Demand.  I hope this season is as good as it promises!

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I need to take a moment to focus on my fellow authors – enough with the me…my…mine crap.

So, the good.  Author Brynn Paulin has a sweet, hot little number on the Amazon Kindle bestseller list – way to go, Brynn!  As of 5/25, she’s rated at number 69 – a good erotic romance position!  Here’s wishing Brynn much well-deserved success.  Hey Brynn – Beauty and the Feast just got listed in Amazon’s Kindle store!  Yay!  Now back to you…

http://www.amazon.com/Punished-Taboo-Wishes-ebook/dp/B003BEEAFS/ref=pd_ts_kinc_69?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text

Another good.  My secret on-line lover, Mia Watts, has written a dynamic post about do’s and don’t's for aspiring authors.  I think a whole lot of us who try to make writing our livelihood consider her words to be pretty much spot on.  The post is entitled, Tips and Tricks, and she posted it on 5/25.  Thanks, Mia.

http://www.writersevolution.blogspot.com/

These two tips are my faves:

4. “Don’t Diva. No, seriously, don’t. You aren’t all that. None of us is. Just because someone asked you to submit, or had you sign a contract, there is ALWAYS someone who knows more than you. Acting like there isn’t just makes you a huge ass. If you didn’t realize it before, figure it out quickly… WE ALL TALK. No shit. The editors from multiple houses chat with each other and know the authors who pull power-plays. The authors writing for multiple houses and discover your assiness won’t play nice if you’re going to shit on them. The publishers chat amongst themselves, too.
It is rare indeed where I lay out my cards and piss off a publisher. I’ve done it. Just makes sure it’s deserved.
Readers know when you’re self-absorbed. Keep it in mind. I don’t want to hear any of you say, “Do you KNOW who I AM?” or I’ll smack you. It’s for your own good, so say thank you and move on.

5. Never stop learning. You are not the all-knowing grand poobah of authorhood. Learn from your peers even if you think you’re better than them. New authors tend to have a temporary superiority complex. That’s okay so long as you get over it and realize that every person in the industry and out of it has something valid to offer. Learn from it and use it in your writing. It makes you a better person and a better author.”

The good.  Author Katalina Leon and I agree that romance and erotic romance writers are not stupid.  We may come from a variety of backgrounds and educational experiences but generally speaking, we are a well-read bunch of folk.  Check out the comments from yesterday’s post on philosophy.

The bad.  I got dog poo on my hand yesterday when I was walking my dog.  He stepped in another dog’s poo and I had to clean it off with piles of grass and leaves because my dog was so totally grossed out he refused to take one more step with that poo on his foot.  So as a result, we were both grossed out.

The badder bad.  My author friend, Regina Carlysle, is going through a very challenging time and needs good thoughts, prayers if you got ‘em and just general positive vibes sent her way.  Regina is another one of those big-hearted, generous, supportive authors who has held my hand many times over the past three years.  All the power that is given to me is sent to you, Regina.  Hang in there.  You are loved.

Tomorrow:  Mythology.

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Do you write to music?

Many of my author friends do.  Katalina Leon, a writer with Ellora’s Cave, mentioned in her blog over at Seven Sexy Scribes that she likes to put on a song and loop it so that it plays over and over again.  I’ll do that on occasion, but only when I’m alone in the car and I can sing at the top of my lungs.  And only with certain songs.  I pity the poor fool driving behind me on the freeway watching me dance in my seat at 75 mph!

I found myself wondering just the other day, the Allman Brothers blasting on my car stereo, why do we sing?  Birds sing.  Some insects sing…sort of.  What  evolutionary advantage does singing confer?  I came to the conclusion that it provides none – I guess I think of singing and music as a gift – oh…I don’t know…as in a gift from the gods?  I suppose one could surmise that a person who could sing the best got the pick of the litter, attracted more mates, because most of us do love to listen to a beautiful voice, but somehow that doesn’t seem right.  Men and women are attracted to each other for more reasons than I can count, the ability to make music is merely one.

I think we sing for the sheer joy of it.  Or maybe out of sorrow – poetry and weeping put to music.  Yes, to sing is to be one with the heavens.  Music is sublime…well, aside from maybe William Hung.

So.  My favorites?  Too many to mention but I am partial to rock and roll and Motown.  In my contemporary romance, Beauty and the Feast, coming out in March – Resplendence Publishing – my heroine, Eva Raines, likes Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George of Little Feat.  Grace Raphael, in My Everything, coming with Cobblestone Press, is a big Barry White fan.  Both women love to sing.  Me too!

Little Feat – Dixie Chicken

The Allman Brothers, Whippin’ Post

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