Thank you for joining us this morning. I have recently had the pleasure of reading your final installment of the Pembroke Palace series, Married by Midnight, and I must say it was absolutely delightful. It is a short novel, but it was all pure, sweet romance.
I am embarrassed to say that this was my first story by you, but I am happy to see that you have a vast collection of stories, so I have my choice of where to start (and I see all your titles are available at both B&N and Amazon).
I think I will start with the rest of the Pembroke Palace series. Can you tell us a little bit about the Sinclair brothers and why there was such a wait for Garrett’s story?
Hi Lucy! Thanks so much for having me, and I’m so happy you enjoyed Married by Midnight. The Pembroke Palace series is about four brothers who must all marry by Christmas in order to thwart a family curse. If they do not all comply, their father the duke will cut them off from their inheritances. The eldest three have already taken the plunge into matrimony, but Garrett is the youngest, and for reasons that are revealed in the story, he has refused to return home and do his duty. (He’s been sailing around the Mediterranean all this time.) Finally, three weeks before Christmas when time is getting short, he surrenders to his father’s demands, but on his own terms.
You asked why there was such a wait for this story.… I had originally written the first three books in the series when I was with Avon Books, but in 2009 I moved to St. Martin’s Press to write a Highlander trilogy, and the Pembroke Palace series was left unfinished. I didn’t have a publisher for it at the time, but because of new developments in independent publishing, this year I could finally bring it out on my own.
I have to credit my readers for keeping me motivated by sending me letters continuously over the past three years, asking about Garrett’s story. I appreciated knowing that they hadn’t forgotten about those handsome heroes of Pembroke. 🙂
You will be releasing Book #2 of your new series, the Royal Trilogy, very soon. It’s titled Princess in Love. What can you tell us about Princess in Love and this new trilogy?
The Trilogy began with Be My Prince in May of this year, and is set during the Regency period. It revolves around three children of a king in a fictional European country called Petersbourg. It has plenty of romance and sexual tension, but also a fair bit of adventure, suspense and intrigue. Readers who enjoyed The Tudors on television will probably enjoy this series.
Book 2, Princess in Love, begins with a secret forbidden love affair for the daughter of the king, and takes readers all the way to the Battle of Waterloo, where the characters are thrown into incredible adventure and are faced with very difficult choices. I won’t say any more than that because I don’t want to spoil the plot, but readers can learn more and read an excerpt on my website here. I LOVED writing this book.
A review of your published books shows that you have jumped around the genres, including the American West, Regencies, Highlanders and even a contemporary (you are only missing paranormals). Do you have a favorite period to write or is your focus more the romance of a story?
You hit the nail on the head, Lucy! My focus is always on the romance, but I do enjoy diving into new time periods because I like to do research. It helps me to keep every story fresh, because I don’t want to write the same thing over and over. It’s always been important to me to never become stale or predictable.
As far as my favorite time period goes, that’s tough because I have enjoyed them all. But something about those rugged, savage Highlanders really lit my fire. 🙂 I will likely write more Highlanders in the future.
I did notice while checking out the available eBooks, that you have another short story, a Highlander story, available for free download at both Amazon Kindle
Sure! I love talking about my Highlanders. There are three books in the trilogy, and here they are in order (it’s best to read them in order if possible): Captured by the Highlander, Claimed by the Highlander, and Seduced by the Highlander. They revolve around the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, so there’s lots of action and intrigue – swashbuckling sword fights, kidnappings, battles, and romance of course. And a few unexpected twists to keep readers on their toes.
Because the series did so well last year, St. Martin’s is reissuing the entire trilogy in both print and ebook formats on September 1 for a special promotional price of $4.99.
You have also started writing under the name of E.V. Mitchell. Why the pseudonym?
I recently wrote a contemporary women’s fiction novel called The Color of Heaven, and because it was very different from my romances, I didn’t want my readers to be blindsided by the style of writing and what happens in the book. I chose a pen name to make it clear that it was something completely different. The book did really well and I definitely plan to write more E.V. Mitchell books as soon as I finish my Royal Trilogy.
Thank you so much for talking with us today. I am looking forward to reading more and can’t wait to read your soon to be released Princess in Love.
USA Today Bestselling author, Julianne MacLean (who also writes under the pseudonym E.V. Mitchell), came to the romance genre after completing a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia. She fell in love with some of the classic romances – Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice – and after a brief stint as a federal government auditor, decided to try her hand at becoming a modern day romance writer.
She is a three time Rita Finalist and winner of numerous awards, including the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers Choice Award, the Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the Greater Detroit Romance Writers Booksellers’ Best Award.
She is a devoted wife and mother, and loves to travel. She has lived in New Zealand and Ottawa, and is now settled happily in Nova Scotia, while working on her latest historical romance.
See more about Julianne at her website: www.JulianneMacLean.com
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