Julia Barrett's World

http://www.pennyromance.com/

She is the nicest person, an author, a book blogger and reviewer.  She’s in the hospital.  I know we’re only friends online, but online friends are great friends.  I’m wishing her a speedy recovery.  Having spent time as a charge nurse in Coronary Care, I know she’s getting all kinds of TLC!

Chris, at Stumbling Over Chaos, posted this link and I found it very interesting.  Most readers said their pet peeve about books is a bad cover.  I’ve had more than my share of those – in the past – not now – it wasn’t my fault!  I didn’t ask for a sucky cover…I swear!  http://lesleywbooknook.blogspot.com/2010/08/book-prejudices.html It’s not as if I said – Gimme the worst POS cover ya got – on my cover request!  Whether we like it or not, we are a visual species.  A cover is the very first thing a reader sees and a cover can make or break a book.  Even though of all people, I should know better, I’ll skip over a book with a silly, stupid or just plain bad cover.

Literary agent, Nathan Bransford, no…he’s not my agent…I have no agent…but he writes a good, informative, participatory blog – oh, that’s what I was going to say…he writes a good, informative, participatory blog – here’s the link:  http://blog.nathanbransford.com/ I’m considering attending the writer’s conference – haven’t been to one in a number of years, not since I got hit on by the published author who was supposed to be mentoring me.  Blech.  He, Nathan, not the lecherous author, has a recent post for all you Lost fans.  My sister is Lost-obsessed.  She watches the DVDs over and over and over again.  I’ve never watched it and I never will.

If you’re reading this, happy Saturday!  My puppy is doing well.  I’m still too sleep-deprived to do much more than stare at my WIP.  My husband promises to sleep with the puppy this weekend so I can spend at least one night in my own heavenly bed.  Sigh…

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Pay it forward!

You want to talk True Blood?  Head over to Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust for the best in discussions and spoilers.  I’m struggling to watch this season as things have taken a turn for the bloody!

http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspot.com/

For some great misadventures in Stock Photography, a giveaway and pumpkin ravioli – head over to Stumbling Over Chaos.

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

Jessica, over at Read React Review has posted some fascinating links, among them a link to Nathan Bransford, Literary Agent, and his excellent and very funny blog post:  Top Ten Myths About Our E-book Future.

http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2010/07/top-10-myths-about-our-e-book-future.html

http://www.readreactreview.com/

If I get a chance, I’ll check out all my friends but I’m off to hike, run errands and then it’s back to the never-ending re-write.  Sigh.

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Recs!  I love reading reviews – sometimes I find a gem in a genre that isn’t exactly my cup of tea, like Steampunk and YA.  I just bought a used copy of Kathleen Givens’ Historical set in 13th century Scotland, Rivals for the Throne.  Historicals aren’t among my usual suspects, but this book was highly recommended by a book blogger and her readers – I bought it before I left and it was waiting for me on my porch when I returned.  I wish I could remember which blogger featured the book…sorry!

Interaction!  Book bloggers like to…well…let me qualify that…many book bloggers like to interact with authors.  They are happy to read and review our books, and feature interviews, guest blogs and givaways.  They make me feel welcome!  It’s a quid pro quo kind of thing – very participatory and I love that!  Susi over at Book Lovers Inc. gave my coming sci fi book, Daughters of Persephone, a plug in her new releases post – I believe she plans to post her interview with me today or tomorrow as the book comes out tomorrow…fingers crossed!  http://book-lovers-inc.blogspot.com/2010/07/new-releases-week-of-july-12-18-2010.html

Hilarity!  Jessica over at Read React Review and her ROTFLMAO review, or rather, nuview, of Passion, by Lisa Valdez.  I just about peed my pants reading her post!  http://www.readreactreview.com/2010/07/06/review-passion-by-lisa-valdez/#comments

Education!  Rebecca, at Dirty Sexy Books, Jessica at Read React Review, Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos, Kelly at Five Agents and a Funeral, and everybody at Dear Author – are all really smart as opposed to snark.  They manage to enlighten without insulting. I’m likely to come away from one of their posts with a new perspective on an author or a genre or the publishing industry in general.  Thanks, ladies!

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Beauty and the Feast is hot on Fictionwise and All Romance Ebooks.  That scares me.  Yeah, I guess I’ve paid my dues in a sense, but the way we see things in my family, any success whatsoever attracts the evil eye.   Wooooooooo.  It’s like when my husband says – Gee, my car is running great! – and I slap my hand over his mouth and knock on wood – I remind him that speaking of good things is a surefire way to guarantee an immediate blown head gasket!

To make a long story short…thank you for buying my books and please keep buying them.  Maybe one of these days I’ll be PAN Eligible.  I don’t want to talk dollars and cents so if you are wondering what that is, feel free to look it up.

I think my newsletter will be out today or tomorrow – for those of you who don’t receive the newsletter, I have a new contract with Siren for my very first menage – All Four One.  This is a futuristic work of science fiction – the story takes place maybe 150 years from now in the Pacific Northwest.  I do love sci fi.  My husband says that erotic sci fi is a bit of a contradiction in terms but I find it heavenly to write.

Many thanks to Chris from Stumbling Over Chaos for her sci fi recommendation, Babel-17, by Samuel R. Delany, an unknown-to-me author and work published back in 1966.  I told her the story is like a cross between Ringworld, Albert Einstein and The Left Hand of Darkness.  The premise of the book is that language influences thought and perceived reality – not the meaning, but the words themselves.  Deep stuff!  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/

Many thanks to Susi over at The Geeky Bookworm who asked me to guest post this past week.  If you want to win one of my books, leave a comment – she’s extended her contest for a couple days due to her school schedule.  http://thegeekybookworm.blogspot.com/

Today is Memorial Day – my dad and all my uncles served in various branches of the Armed Forces so thank you, men and women, who put your lives on the line for us everyday!  You are never forgotten.

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These spam comments I get are meshugah!  (Yeah, I know, mixing my metaphoric languages.)

“This is my first time i stop in here. I create so innumerable absorbing stuff in your blog especially its discussion. From the tons of comments on your articles, I imagine I am not the just individual having all the joy here! keep up the good work.”

Honey, I hope you are not the just individual having all the joy here!

Nope, the truth is, I have all the joy here! My best friends are my fellow authors, to know you is to love you – and then there’s Chris from Stumbling Over Chaos, who joins in when she can and posts the most delightful pictures of her hilarious cats over at her site.  Hey Chris – when I pull my cat Yoshi’s ears back, he’s the spitting image of King Tut!  I swear King Tut has been reincarnated as my cat!

Last night hubby came to bed, where I was all snuggled up with our German shepherd, and he asked me a loaded question – Who do you like better, me or the dog?

What could I say?  I told him the truth.  I like you both the same…I love all my family and that includes my pets.  I know, right?  Yo estoy muy loca.  Fortunately, hubby has known me since I was fourteen and he understands me better than anyone.

I’ve always preferred animals to people.  Animals don’t disappoint in the same way people do.  I’m also not afraid of wild animals except for sharks and grizzly bears.  When I hike in isolated areas, it’s not mountain lions I’m concerned about.  It’s the occasional creepy guy I run into.  Thus the amazingly powerful dog by my side.

Continuing this rambling post, here’s what I think.  Once upon a time, I got my daughter a little brown pet mouse and she named him Chocolate.  She carried Chocolate everywhere – in a pocket.  He was a really smart guy who never pooped in her pocket and acted remarkably human.  He was a sweet, kind, gentle mouse.  After Chocolate died, we found Kitty, a young cat who gave birth to kittens in the same daughter’s closet.  From the moment Norman was born, we knew he was Chocolate reincarnated.  Chocolate got to move up the karmic ladder!  Norman lived for fourteen years and after he died, I wondered if he’d come back as a dog, but no, he decided to return to us in cat form – you know, cats are a very highly developed life form – Rico, one of our twin black kitties, is Norman.  When we look into his eyes, it’s Norman looking back.  Rico’s brother Yoshi, on the other hand, is King Tut.

I’m not close to many people outside of my family – my family by definition includes humans and animals.  The most remarkable thing about writing romance and blogging about it, is that I’ve made so many friends online.  I have met great people, authors and readers and bloggers.  When I meet them in real life, as I met Anny Cook, it’s amazing.

According to Dan Buettner in his book, The Blue Zones, a sense of community contributes to good health and long life.  I’m not much into the community where I live, nor am I into any of the communities where I previously lived, but I do feel a sense of community and kinship with you.

Yup.  I am not the just individual having joy here!

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Well yeah, of course.  We all wish we could rewrite history – I guess that’s what regrets are for.  But what I mean is, every single time I read a nonfiction book about Henry VIII and his wives, I want to go back and return Anne’s head to her shoulders.  I hate the fact that she was accused of infidelity, treason and incest and beheaded – when you come right down to it – because she didn’t give Henry his promised son.  Yeah…yeah…yeah…succession and all that.  No female rulers since Matilda versus Stephen and blah blah blah.  Everyone hated her for supplanting Katherine, the acknowledged queen…

If Anne and Henry had not been forced to wait so long to consummate their relationship perhaps Anne would have born him a son and she would have remained forever the Queen of the King’s heart.  If she’d given Henry a son, he would have felt utterly and completely justified in his treatment of his first and well, pretty much legal wife, Katherine, who also had to be gotten rid of because she didn’t give him a son.

Good God I’m glad I didn’t live back then…oh wait, since I believe in reincarnation and that period of history fascinates me, I probably did.

I guess when you come right down to it, if Anne had given birth to a male child, then England would never have been ruled by Anne’s daughter, Elizabeth, quite arguably the most successful British monarch of all time.

Anne was both brilliant and impolitic and was, unfortunately, much maligned in her time.  She is by far my favorite historical figure, as opposed to that simpering Jane Seymour who learned well from her mistress, Anne, and played the same game to catch a king, not that it did her much good in the short or long run.

Just like Queen Mary was her mother’s very scary revenge, Elizabeth – although she always referred to herself as her father’s daughter, was her mother’s revenge and her greatest achievement.

Sorry – don’t mean to preach, it’s just that I’m reading The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir and the book is fascinating from word one!  But I must say that while I agree with the author’s well-researched theory as to who was the mover and shaker behind the plot to remove the queen, a son and heir or an heir and a spare would have made it all moot.  Besides, as the King, Henry could have set aside the verdict and pardoned his wife or he could have made certain charges were never brought against her in the first place.  I believe in Henry’s heart, he wanted to be rid of Anne and the international scandal his own pursuit of her had caused.

In other news – You can still win a copy of Beauty and the Feast by leaving a recipe for me.

Congrats Stacey Espino on your St. Patrick’s Day release:  Fearless Desires, Siren Bookstrand.

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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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I’d rather be in Paris

or working on my current and/or next project (cuz it’s gonna be fuckin’ great)…but…

I’m one of the lucky ones on my block who has a job, so by God, I’m there.

At least my kitty is home and on the mend and my dog and I got out for a hike early this morning on muddy trails loaded with deer tracks.  Big deer, little deer, medium deer.  Yesterday I watched the mating ritual of two gorgeous, huge red-tailed hawks.

The female, at least I assume it was the female, landed on one of the highest branches of a tall, bare oak tree.  The male followed with a low, raspy cry.  As I watched, he handed her something that got her all excited.  She kept bobbing her head and adjusting it in her claws, poking at it, plucking at it, while he stood on a branch facing her looking like he was all that.  Since my dog and I were the only other large creatures around, I stood and watched for about twenty minutes without interruption.  The female would spread her wings and flutter them gently, bob her head up and down.  She repeatedly touched the male with her wing tips.  It was so dang sweet.  Now that’s love.  Hope they build a nice big nest and raise a couple of beautiful chicks.

So…working the next four days.  My Everything comes out tomorrow – hope I have time to celebrate, but I doubt it…maybe Monday.  See ya!  Julia

***New link for the contest at Stumbling Over Chaos – to win a copy of My Everything!

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/archives/5864

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My Everything

release date:  2/12/10

Cobblestone Press

http://www.cobblestone-press.com/

Contest – win a copy at Stumbling Over Chaos

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http://

The contest runs through February 11th.

Mia Watt’s F.U. is up on that site also.

Otherwise, I am too pooped to pop!  I think my kitty may be able to come home today or tomorrow but now the other two are acting a bit sick.  Keeping my fingers crossed that they are tougher than Rico and can hang on without any near death experiences.  With love, Julia

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Siren-Bookstrand authors are running an amazing week-long Valentine’s contest.  You can win ebooks and Strandbucks to buy books from Siren.  Sign into the Siren Reader’s Group for links to the blogs and contest give-aways.  My day is tomorrow, so check back here and find out how to win a copy of my science fiction romance, Captured.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SirenBookstrand/

You can find my interview over at the Logical Lust blog.  Leave me a comment and on Valentine’s Day, I’ll draw a name for a signed hard copy of The Cougar Book.  Link:  http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Stumbling Over Chaos is running a contest for a copy of My Everything – my suspense romance coming out with Cobblestone Press on February 12th.  The contest runs through the 11th.  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http:// Head over and leave a comment.  The book makes for a fun, sexy afternoon read.

There’s a contest running over at Romance Junkies too!  I just don’t know exactly where it is – but I think there are lots and lots of freebies over there!

In other news, my kitty will recover from his life-threatening illness – it was touch and go all weekend and he finally turned the corner.  The vet called to give me the good news.

The winner of Mia Watt’s F.U.?  Linda!  Here ya go!  Mia will contact you.  Congratulations!

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It never rains but it pours!

Let me try to pull my thoughts together:

The contest for F.U., by Mia Watts, is still alive!!!  Write the words – Enter me!  Enter me now! – and you’ll be entered in the contest for a free copy of F.U.  I’ll draw the winner at random on Monday and announce right here.

My own contest, hosted by Stumbling Over Chaos, runs through February 11th.  Stop by the site and leave a comment and you could win a copy of my Romance/Suspense, My Everything, from Cobblestone Press.  Damn, that cover is hot!  The book comes out February 12.  The link:  http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864http://

You can find My Everything over at Cobblestone:  http://www.cobblestone-press.com/

Other news – The Cougar Book, with Logical Lust comes out on Valentine’s Day.  My short story, You Might Just Get It, is one of twenty-three fun, sexy, hot reads.  The book is available for pre-order in both ebook and print and I think if you order early, you can get a copy of Swing!, another sizzling anthology.  Here’s the link:  http://www.logical-lust.com/cougar.html

Every day in February, a contributing author from The Cougar Book is being interviewed on the Logical Lust blog.  My day is Sunday, February 7th.  Please drop by and leave a comment.  If you do, you’ll be eligible to win a copy of any book from my backlist, including Captured, my new sci fi with Siren.  Link:  http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Katie Couric is officially a Cougar – dating a man 17 years her junior.  Go Katie!

Last but not least, the authors over at Siren-Bookstrand are running a seven-day event, beginning tomorrow.  You can win Strandbucks by visiting blogs all week.  There will be lots of contests.  Head over to Siren-Bookstrand and join the Siren Readers Group.  It’s a great opportunity to get to know some fabulous authors in all genres and pick up some Strandbucks to buy a few books!  http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/

Paranormal and Sci Fi Day is Tuesday, so stay tuned for my blog and my contest!  You can win a copy of Captured!

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I have a contest going on at Stumbling Over Chaos:

http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/?p=5864

The link will go live after midnight tonight, Pacific Time.

Drop by.  Leave a comment, and you might win yourself a copy of my new romance/suspense with Cobblestone Press – My Everything.  The contest will run through February 11th and the book releases on the 12th.

In other contest news – check the post below regarding Mia Watt’s menage/multiple, F.U.

Leave a comment with the words – Enter me!  Enter me now! and put yourself in the running for a copy of her fantabulous book.  I’ll choose a winner, at random, on Monday and announce it right here.

In the meantime, enjoy the cover and stay tuned for exciting announcements over the weekend and next week.  Interviews!  Contests!  A week of Valentine’s fun and prizes from Siren-Bookstrand authors!

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