Julia Barrett's World

*Enjoy Seven Days of Valentines with Siren-Bookstrand Authors*

Get all your romance over at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SirenBookstrand/

You can win ebooks and Strandbucks by reading the following post and answering one simple question…send your answer to: sandys36@yahoo.com

I’m offering a copy of Captured, my sci fi romance with Siren.

So…follow along here…Have your read or seen The Princess Bride? The heroine and hero, Buttercup and Wesley are star-crossed lovers. They dislike each other, fight a growing attraction, and when they finally admit their true feelings, Wesley goes off to earn his fortune so he’ll be worthy of his true love. Unfortunately, he vanishes and Buttercup believes him to be dead, killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts. Apathetic, knowing she will never again experience true love, she agrees to marry the evil Prince Humerdinck. And then Wesley returns and the passion between Wesley and Buttercup reignite.

My husband and I lived through a similar story. We fell in love at a young age, were separated by time and distance, and had no contact whatsoever for six years. In the meantime, I married the evil Prince Humperdinck. The man who is my husband, the new Dread Pirate Roberts, returned and saved me. Our true story is every bit as romantic and harrowing as The Princess Bride. I’ll post it sometime!

For a chance to win a copy of Captured and Strandbucks, answer this question correctly - In what romance does a character say the following: “You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The first is never get involved in a land war in Asia. The second, only slightly less well known, is this: never go up against a Sicilian when death is on the line! Ha ha ha ha ha ha -” Email your answer to Sandy, sandys36@yahoo.com

Captured: Blurb

Mari never expects to find herself caged in a cargo hold on a spaceship. She quickly learns from her captors she’s headed to the meat market. When they try to return her to hypersleep, she resists. After allowing her to stay awake, Mari realizes her survival depends on connecting with the male in charge, Ekkatt. She must make him see her as a sentient being or she will end up as dinner.

Ekkatt has never spoken to any human. They are valued for one thing, the money they bring at auction. The Attun race are vegetarians, but other species prize human flesh and bring in good money. Then the female with red hair speaks to him and forces him to admit she has a name. Mari throws Ekkatt’s entire life into question, the biggest question…can he watch her sold to the highest bidder?

Happy Valentine’s Week!

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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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Today is my interview day on the Logical Lust Blog

http://bit.ly/ZWnZq

Drop by, leave me a comment and you can win a signed hard copy of The Cougar Book!

This is one sizzling read, containing stories from twenty-three amazing authors.

My contribution is - You Might Just Get It. Here’s an excerpt:

Excerpt from You Might Just Get It, by Julia Barrett, The Cougar Book, Logical Lust

Eric lifted his eyes and studied the woman seated across the small table from him. Her damp curls surrounded her head like a halo. The first time he’d seen her, in the window across the courtyard, her hair had been damp, just like this. Sweet. Very appealing. He wondered if she had any idea her kitchen window looked directly into his. Probably not. She’d only moved in ten days ago. Eric assumed she was still busy unpacking. That was one of the reasons he’d invited her to dinner, one reason among many. He wondered briefly how old Kate was. It was hard to tell. She could be anywhere from twenty-nine to forty-five. But he wasn’t about to ask her and he didn’t care. Her age didn’t matter to him. Her laugh did. Her big brown eyes did. Her luscious lips. Her wide white smile.

When he’d arrived home and found her soaked to the skin and shivering on the stoop, he got to play the hero. That was twice in two days. There was no way he’d pass up an opportunity to spend time with her. He’d hoped she’d accept his offer of dinner and he‘d been pleased when she did. It was no big deal, one of his easy meals. Oven toasted rustic bread with melted gruyere, roasted tomatoes, baby arugula and a soft fried egg. Simple and sensuous. The sandwich was messy and it required the use of all your fingers. There was a lot of runny egg yolk and licking involved. Eric hoped he could segue that licking into something else entirely.

God, there was a lot to like about her. Not only was Kate easy on the eyes, she was intelligent, articulate, mature, and she appreciated his sense of humor. Plus she blushed at the drop of a hat. Eric found that adorable. She wasn’t jaded or flighty, like so many women he’d met recently. He’d bet the farm she hadn’t grown up in California. Probably Iowa or Illinois. Someplace rural. An old-fashioned country girl.

“Where’d you come from? I mean, where are you from originally?” he asked.

“Blair, Nebraska. It’s a little town near the Missouri River. I went to school there. Dana College. You?”

“Minneapolis.”

“You’re kidding? You don’t have a Minnesota accent.”

“Yeah, well, I worked hard getting rid of that. I can do it if you like.”

“You mean like…Minnesooooota, North Dakoooooota, ya think? Like that?”

It was Eric’s turn to laugh. “More or less.” He looked at her plate. “Finished?”

“Oh, yes, thank you. The sandwich was great. I can cook, but I guess it never occurred to me that such simple ingredients could taste so good together.” Kate reached for his empty plate and set it on top of hers. “Let me help clean up. That’s the least I can do.”

He watched as Kate rose from her chair and stretched. He enjoyed watching. Her breasts were pert. Not large, but pert with perky nipples. Two handfuls. That’s all he needed.

“You have a long day today?”

“Not too bad. Really. It would have been better if I hadn’t locked myself out. But…what can you do? I was sort of hoping to curl up in a hot bath with a good book, but I left my book in the car and then the key…well, you know the story.” Kate carried the plates to the sink.

Eric followed with the empty glasses. “You can still have a hot bath,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied, rinsing off the plates.

Eric set the glasses down on the counter and ran a hand lightly through the chestnut locks that hugged the back of her neck. He watched goose bumps rise as he trailed his fingers along her shoulders. He heard Kate’s sharp intake of breath. He waited momentarily to see if she’d move away, but she remained still.

“I mean, if you’re interested, you could have a hot bath…with me.”

***Today begins the Siren-Bookstrand Valentine promotion. Win ebooks and Strandbucks. Contests will run all week on

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

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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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A Guest Blog

http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

Come check my final stop on my virtual tour! You can win a copy of my romance/suspense - full length - Cara!

In other news, we have horizontal rain, wind, darkness…waiting for hail and locusts, possibly rivers running red with blood - and I had to walk my dog because he refuses to set foot in the backyard. Despite my layers, I was soaked to the skin within fifty yards. Oh well…fresh air.

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Susie, over at her site, The Geeky Bookworm,

which is a great name for a site, by the way, posted the cutest review of Captured. Maybe she was disappointed in the ending, but I did leave the door open for a sequel…

Check out her site on my sidebar.

Her site really is worth bookmarking - she’s got an awful lot of fun stuff going on.

Here’s a little of what she says:

The book starts a bit alarmingly. We wake up together with Mari in a room full of naked woman in cages, not only human ones but many different species, and two hunky men watching over them. First thing I thought was: OMG not the Stockholm syndrome again! But after that I thought: isn’t it greedy to have a whole ship of sex-slaves? But as it shows it’s not the way my dirty mind pictured it. The women aren’t kidnapped to being raped, their even worse future is being sold on the meat market. Yep, you read that right! There are species enjoying nothing more than a human steak. So ick!!!! But okay, we need a bad party in this book. Even worse for me was the attitude of the “smugglers”(who are vegetarians by the way- love that part). They think humans are nothing more than animals without any feelings and higher cognitive functions. You feel charmed already?

The Geeky Bookworm is a charming site! Thanks, Susie.

And many thanks to Erotic Romantic Crush Junkies for hosting my guest blog and contest yesterday. It’s not too late to leave a comment!

Announcements: Go check out my friend, Tina. http://www.tinadonahue.com/blog/

Read all about her new book, Deep, Dark and Delicious! Yum!

*A word about Haiti - relief supplies are arriving. The problem, as always in poor nations, is distribution. Don’t be fooled by fake charities asking for donations. Give to a well-established charity like the Red Cross that knows how to reach the people who need help. Thanks. Julia

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My virtual tour continues at Erotic Crush Junkies - January 15th.

http://erjunkiesreviews.blogspot.com

Leave a comment and have a chance to win a book. I’d love to hear from you!

New Release!!!

My friend, Tina, has a new release. Enjoy!

Buy Link:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8080-deep-dark-delicious.aspx

A wickedly sensual feast… Eden DeCarlo may have narrowly lost Miami’s best chef competition and the prize money she desperately needs, but she has caught the eye of dangerously virile Rafael Zayas, one of the judges and a wealthy restaurateur. Despite her vow not to let any man derail her life, Eden’s captivated by Rafe’s imposing masculinity, then challenged by the business deal he offers. He’ll invest in her new venture if, for one month, she can satisfy his culinary expectations and the sexual attraction they both feel.

Dominant and unashamed, Rafe knows what he wants when it comes to carnal pleasure and will spare no seduction to have Eden in all the ways he demands—naked, wanting, submissive.

Within thirty days, he will teach her the delights of yielding to passion, relinquishing all control to him and fulfilling her deepest, darkest and most delicious desires.

Sounds yummy! Head over to the site to read an amazing, generous excerpt! Good luck, Tina!

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Heirs to Darkisle - Darkisle Book One

by Cassandra Pierce

When Sebastian arrives in the seaside town of Darkisle, Briana wonders who and what he really is. His icy skin and hypnotic eyes ignite a strange desire she cannot extinguish. When a murder occurs, Briana must decide if the lover of her dreams is also the architect of her nightmares.

Buy Link: http://www.sirenpublishing.com/cassandrapierce/

Awakening Augusta

by Cindy Spencer Pape

Regency Scotland can be a lonely place, but Augusta MacLeish has four mischievous younger siblings for company—now if she only had money to feed them! Colin Fordyce has recently inherited an earldom, along with five wards in a remote Scottish castle. When he travels to meet them, he discovers his predecessor was skimming their funds. He also learns the oldest Miss MacLeish is absolutely stunning. A knock to his head leaves him seeing two of the buxom beauty, just as one kiss from her tempting lips leaves him longing for more. A night spent together forces Colin and Augusta to marry, leaving them all the opportunity in the world to explore the sexual hunger between them. Colin delights in teaching Augusta all the pleasures of the flesh, awakening the wanton lover beneath her ladylike veneer. From Scotland to London, the flames burning between them refuse to be doused, and oh how they will set the Ton on fire.

Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8076-50-awakening-augusta.aspx

Jaguar Hunger

by Regina Carlysle

Noah Littlehawk and Aaron O’Malley have searched long years for the mate they will share, a jaguar female to fulfill their lives and ease their loneliness. What begins as a job soon becomes much more when they meet Violet. Her quiet intensity calls to them. Her body makes them yearn to claim her with the savage hunger of their species.
Death comes for Violet Carson like a speeding train. She knows the shift from woman to beast will rip her apart without the help of jaguar mates. As heat and lust overwhelm her, two men step from the shadows to claim her body and soothe the fire that consumes her. But a human predator waits and he won’t rest until he possesses her, body and soul.

Buy Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8049-jaguar-hunger.aspx

Double Your Pleasure

by Fran Lee

Coming January 13th from Ellora’s Cave

Ever Dreamed About Having TWO Hot Men Loving You?

Helen Turner never even imagined such a thing…but she sure wants a nice apartment and a secure job…

So what’s a girl to do when her wishes come true…and in spades?

How would you like to have this hot and sexy pair of identical twins chasing you?

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Server issues - what a pain in the arse!

I have barely had internet service since Tuesday night - yeah, the night right before my new release from Siren, Captured, my first release of 2010 - after a year of unpleasant issues related to writing and publishing stuff. Internet glitches were the last thing I expected!

It was kind of like someone stuck a pin in a voodoo doll or sneaked a demon into the system!

*Note to self, title next book, Demon in the System…

Many thanks to the two Erics, both techs who helped me cope and to my web designer, Tracy of Bootstrap Marketing, who listened to my bitching - believe me - I can make a shitload of noise when I need to. It’s either that or tear my hair out.

It is with humble gratitude I thank all you readers who headed over to Siren and picked up a copy of Captured - you pushed me up to number nine on the bestselling list! Give yourselves a big hug from me!

Until tomorrow, if you need me, I’ll be at Starbucks, using their wifi. Tomorrow I get a new server. Come back and see me then because I’ll post my virtual tour schedule for the next two weeks and you can learn what kind of a geek I truly am. With love, julia

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Might break out the Talisker tonight!

If you head over to Siren-Bookstrand, you can buy yourself a copy of my oh-so-sexy sci fi tale, Captured. Ah, the link: http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/

First of all, you gotta admit Jinger Heaston made me a great cover - she really captured the spirit of the book and she got the dragon tattoo exactly right!

This is my first work of science fiction…and I am a science fiction freak! A total BSG/Firefly/Star Trek/The Big Bang Theory geek! Guess I’ve been saving up all that good stuff!

Captured is based upon a true story and what might be a true story. You see…it’s like this…Once upon a time, I lost an hour of my life. Lost it. Vanished. No memory whatsoever of one entire hour. And I knew when I lost it that I’d lost it. Somehow, during that lost hour, I managed to collect the eggs from twelve chicken coops - an impossible feat, I kid you not. My act came to be known on the chicken farm as the Miracle of the Eggs. If you want to hear more, head over to Seven Sexy Scribes and read the interview I gave Katalina Leon. http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com/

Mari’s story in Captured is, perhaps, what happened during that lost hour. You know you want to find out!

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First the bad - there’s a sick stray/feral cat in my backyard and animal control was unable to catch it. It went after my huge dog and my two kittens. Now I have to try and trap it or shoot it and I’m not into shooting animals - but it appears to be suffering so I’ll do the best I can, besides, I don’t want my own animals injured. God, this makes me feel awful!

The good - Captured, my first erotic work of science fiction, starring a redhead, will be released by Siren this Wednesday. Yay!

http://www.sirenbookstrand.com/ Look for my name and you’ll find my book!

Katalina Leon will be featuring Captured and an interview with me over at the Seven Sexy Scribes site on Wednesday - please drop by and check out the inspiration for this totally fun, sexy work!

http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com/

I’ll be chatting, along with Siren author Karenna Colcroft, on January 7th, with Beth Wylde. You can join the fun and win a book if you sign up - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/

Please come and share this exciting day with me. Oh…and I’ll be giving you a taste with an adult excerpt on Seven Sexy Scribes on January 8th. Don’t miss it! http://sevensexyscribes.blogspot.com/

Okay, ya’ll, wishing you good things in this new year. Julia

*Postscript: Still feeling sick over the cat which seems to be fixin’ to die in my backyard. Trying to keep my own black cats indoors and my dog from going after this poor sick thing - animal control can’t get under the deck to get it.

Steve Haber has written an amazing article about the future of the publishing industry in the Huffington Post. You really should check this out - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-haber/the-death-of-print-doesnt_b_394476.html

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I laugh every single time I hear Alec Baldwin’s character say that.

It’s his inflection and expression - he infuses the simple letters, OMFG, with such meaning - surprise, exultation, joy, lust, passion, humor, intrigue, anticipation. He has morphed into a great comedic actor. To think, I actually remember when he was a murderous stalker on Knot’s Landing!

Alec has given me permission to use OMFG without fear of censure - whenever I’m excited, thrilled, extraordinarily happy.

Siren is releasing my science fiction romance, Captured, early, way early…like three months early. O.M.F.G.!!! The new release date is January 6th, 2010. Check this book out. It was the most fun to write, the most fun to edit and the most very fun to read. Besides, it’s hellaciously sexy!

http://www.sirenpublishing.com/juliarachelbarrett/

Plus, I have to give a big shout out to Jinger Heaston who created the most amazing cover! I can’t stop staring at it! Wow.

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What’s between the covers?

You can’t judge a book by its cover. So says conventional wisdom. Hmm. I’m not entirely certain of that because the way I see it, readers judge a book by it’s cover all the time. Let’s face it, right or wrong, we judge pretty much everything by its appearance.

It’s best not to make assumptions. For example, yesterday I took a break from work and headed over to the local Starbucks to catch up on edits. A guy, who for all intents and purposes, appeared homeless - judging by his dress, the unkempt state of his hair and beard, and his smell, sat at a table next to mine. He carried with him a black case and a plastic grocery bag. After setting down the black case, he pulled a bag of potato chips out of the grocery bag, popped them open and began to crunch away. I assumed he wasn’t there to buy coffee, rather, he just wanted a warm place to hole up out of the rain. A few minutes later, he turned to me -

“Would you mind plugging this in for me?” he asked as he handed me the cord to his laptop. I plugged it in. “Thanks,” he said.

Over the next hour, we chatted. Who was he? A former investment banker who had lost his job, that’s who he was. He was bright, articulate, and beneath the filthy exterior, a nice man. I bought him a cup of coffee and another patron recognized him and bought him a pastry.

See?

So here’s what I think. My first impression was right and wrong. I was right in that the man was indeed homeless, but if I’d had the time to make any further assumptions, I would have been dead wrong about him. He had a whole lot more going on between his covers than I assumed.

Books are the same. I recently bought and read a book with a fabulous cover - sucker that I am - and found that I had wasted my money. But why did I buy the book? Because the cover caught my eye. Once again, my impression that the book would be great because the cover said so, was wrong.

I’m feeling lucky these days - Resplendence has given me a magnificent cover for Daughters of Persephone and I’m impatient to see the covers for my other books coming with them, not to mention my covers from Siren and Cobblestone. I hope my readers find that what’s between the covers will be every bit as good as what’s on the cover.

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To all who participated in my first contest!

Anna, Gayle, Fran, Amber, Jenn, and Mortal Sinn…great name!

My right hand is raised in solemn promise that I will not inundate you with never-ending emails and spamish-type stuff!

Each of you has earned a copy of Captured upon it’s release from Siren - As you can tell, I am super excited about this book!

Announcement - when I was a kid, at camp we used to sing: Announcements…announcements…announcements…what a horrible way to die!

Anywho…Cobblestone Press just offered me a contract on a previously released work of romance/suspense My Everything. I am walking on a cloud today because this is one fun book that earned great reviews and I can’t wait to see it back out there in the ethernet!

*Note - anyone who tried unsuccessfully to sign up - even though it may say error, you are still signed up provided you received an email asking you to confirm. Please confirm and you will be added to the newsletter list.*

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Captured

There is nothing like a great title, a title that captures your book perfectly. Siren and I have gone back and forth, working on a title for my upcoming science fiction romance and we’ve finally, and very satisfactorily, settled upon Captured. That one word sums up the book - a woman is not only captured by an alien trapper, she finds herself captured by her own reluctant respect and growing love for the man himself.

Usually I have no problem with titles, but the name for this work escaped me. It was kind of weird. Siren and I went back and forth - I sent a list of ten suggestions, they took my suggestions and sent a list of additional suggestions back. We decided upon Beloved Captor, but like I said, that didn’t quite capture the spirit of the story.

Captured is perfect! I cannot wait to introduce you to Mari and Ekkatt and the world of the Attun-Ra!

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