Passionate, vibrant, and unique. Those words best describe the historical romances written by USA Today bestselling author Julie Beard. Critics and readers alike praise Julie for her ability to create living, breathing characters in historical settings so vividly drawn they come alive.

Julie's first medieval novel was published by Berkley in 1994. Her first non-fiction book was released in 2000, the critically acclaimed "how to" book, THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR ROMANCE PUBLISHED. Julie's first Victorian romance, THE DUCHESS' LOVER, is an April 2002 release. It's a sensual tale of sexual and personal awakening, featuring an older noblewoman who falls in love with her young gardener. It's hot, hot, hot! And poignant, as well.

Julie is what you might call a late-bloomer. She spent the first 30 years of her life deciding what she didn't want to be when she grew up. Realizing that life wasn't a dress rehearsal, she then made some choices. Over the course of the next 5 years, she acquired a master's degree in journalism, a job in television reporting, a husband, her first child, her first novel, and her first serious case of exhaustion. Julie's second child was adopted from China as a toddler and is an unending source of delight. Her elementary school kids distract their world-weary mother from writing in the most ingenious and lovable ways.

Julie gladly gave up the hard-bitten world of journalism to dwell in a world of "happily ever afters." And she happily shares excerpts from her books at her website, www.juliebeard.com.

Eliza Ferree took an opportunity to talk with Julie about her career and THE DUCHESS' LOVER.

COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR ROMANCE PUBLISHED
Alpha Books
January 2000
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Writerspace: How long have you been writing?

Julie: I've been writing for about 20 years. I suppose you'd call me a slow learner! It took me ten years to get my first novel published, a medieval titled LADY AND THE WOLF. Since 1996 I've had ten novels and novellas published, as well as the non-fiction "how to" book THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO GETTING YOUR ROMANCE PUBLISHED.

Writerspace: Do you remember your first sell? Please tell us about "The Call."

Julie: I got the call when I was still working as a television reporter in St. Louis at KSDK-TV. I had met Hillary Cige, a senior editor at Berkley, at a St. Louis writers conference. She was eager to see my novel, and I sent it as soon as she requested it. But it apparently got lost in the mail. When I finally got up the courage to follow up and ask what she thought of the book, she wrote back saying she'd never received it and wondered what happened to me. Obviously, I sent it again. By then I had rewritten it one more time! And I think that rewrite really made a difference. So I guess it's good the earlier version got lost.

Writerspace: You were a reporter before you became a romance author, what made you change professions?

Julie: I became a reporter after I turned thirty and realized that I had to make a choice. I wanted to be a writer but knew I couldn't count on that for money. I wasn't married and had to support myself entirely. So I decided to use my acting and writing skills to become a broadcaster. I had acted for ten years before going into journalism. After getting my masters degree in journalism, I worked as a T.V. reporter. But it wasn't until I became a news writer, penning copy for the news anchors, that I really learned how to write concisely. It really improved my fiction. As soon as I started selling novels regularly, I quit working as a professional journalist. I recently took a position teaching journalism at St. Louis Community College. It was a wonderful opportunity I just couldn't pass up. So I'm still keeping my h

Writerspace: Would you tell us a bit about THE DUCHESS' LOVER?

Julie: This is my best book to date. It also garnered a lovely review from Publishers Weekly. It's very much a character novel which focuses on the personal, political, and sexual awakening of a 40-year-old duchess who is widowed and falls in love with her gardener. Since this is the Victorian era, it sounds like happily ever after is impossible, but her growth, combined with the artistic ambitions of the hero, work their magic. There is also a murder mystery in the story.

Writerspace: How much research was needed to write it? What type of researching did you need to do? Does having a history of reporting help when your writing your stories?

Julie: I do as much research as necessary for the story. With the Duchess' Lover, I included some of the social issues of the day, which I tend to do. So it was important for me to understand what those issues were---the epidemic of syphilis, the repression of factory workers, and prostitution were all big problems. But this story is really about evolution of a sexually repressed woman. And so I let her dominate he story, rather than the history.

Writerspace: A 25 year old gardener/artist and a 40 year old Duchess, what inspired you to write this story?

Julie: Perhaps my pre-menopausal hormone surges. (ba-dum-bum!) But seriously folks... I was sitting at my computer one day and the idea just popped in my head. I've never been fond of reading or writing about young virginal heroines. And as I age, I suppose my heroines are aging with me.

Writerspace: Which part of the story did you enjoy writing the most?

Julie: I really liked the secondary character named Peregrine Moore. He is a writer, very erudite, and I liked him a lot. I enjoyed writing this story immensely. It sort of wrote itself. And BELIEVE ME, I don't say that about many books.

Writerspace: I can tell you like to lead your readers through twists and turns, catching them off-guard. Did the characters do the same to you? What surprised you?

Julie: I don't think much surprised me about this book. It was a story waiting to be written. A character waiting to come alive. This was a very organic process for me. In the past, I've plotted carefully. This time I just let my character unfold. So I guess I was surprised when I kept getting about a third of the way through the book and realizing I had to add more scenes earlier in the book to set up what was happening. The story kept deepening, and not in a linear fashion.

Writerspace: There are many different types of characters in this story, do any of them resemble you? If so which one?

Julie: I think a lot of them resemble me. One of the nicest compliments and reviews I've ever received was from Kathe Robin at Romantic Times. She said a hallmark of my fiction is compassion. At this point in my life, I've come to embrace that song lyric, "In the end, only kindness matters." That's my life now. And I am happy when my characters experience love in every sense of the word.

Writerspace: Will any of these characters in the story have developing books of their own? Neville? Clara? Andrew (seems to be a bit of a mystery there)?

Julie: Clara and Todd, the secondary love interest, appear in the book I'm working on now, called MIDNIGHT ANGEL. It's sort of a romantic suspense set a few years later, around 1880.

Writerspace: Should we be expecting another page turner from you soon? Would you like to tell us about it?

Julie: I'm working on the above mentioned novel. It should be out sometime late next year.

Writerspace: Would you like to say anything at this time?

Julie: I'd like to thank my readers for their loyalty and interest. I'm grateful.

Writerspace: How may fans reach you?

Julie: You can read excerpts and other tidbits at www.juliebeard.com.