Julianne MacLean

My featured author today is Julianne MacLean, a USA Today bestselling author and an incredibly talented woman who writes across multiple genres.  I’m so thrilled to host Julianne on the blog – I’m convinced it’s because of her that I’m published in the first place.  Several years ago, Julianne critiqued the proposal of my first as yet unpublished historical romance.  It was a pretty good manuscript, but I just couldn’t seem to bring it up to the next level.  But Julianne’s perceptive critique and fabulous advice gave me the tools I needed revise that manuscript into a winning proposal, which eventually won me my first publishing contract.  To say that the woman is smart, talented, and hardworking (and beautiful, btw!) is an understatement!

Until recently Julianne was primarily known for her passionate historical romances, and her current series about sexy men in kilts, the Highlander Trilogy.  Her latest, Claimed by the Highlander, was on the USA Today bestseller list for three weeks in a row!

But Julianne has branched out into other genres and new ventures, and with stunning success.  You may have heard about her women’s fiction novel, The Color of Heaven, which she indie published under the pen name of E.V. Mitchell.  Not surprising to anyone who’s read Julianne’s books, The Color of Heaven was a smashing success, hitting the Amazon bestseller lists and reaching #1 on the contemporary romance list this month.

And now Julianne is mixing up again!  This week sees the release of another indie published book, The Sexy Girl’s Guide to Cowboys.

I’ll turn the blog over to Julianne now, and let her tell us all about her new book.

THE  SEXY GIRL’S GUIDE TO COWBOYS is a story I wrote in 1995, when I was still an unpublished writer and time travel romances were selling like hotcakes to all the publishers.  When I finished it, however, the trend was on its way out, and no one was buying time travels anymore, so after shopping it around without success, I shelved it and started something new.

I wrote another western romance set in Dodge City called PRAIRIE BRIDE, which sold to Harlequin, and that was my first published novel.  Since then, I have published seventeen romances, but I always had a soft spot in my heart for that quirky time travel I wrote back in the nineties when I was an eager, aspiring author.

So here we are in 2011, and e-book technology has made it possible for me to publish the book on my own.  It took some effort, because I wrote it when I was a very “young” writer, and the prose needed some polish, as well as the characterizations. I had no idea what to expect when I re-read it after all these years, but I was pleased to see that the story had great bones!  It was an absolute joy to work on, and I hope I will hear from some of my long-time readers who know that this is one of my earliest manuscripts.  I wonder if they will recognize how my writing style has evolved.

To be honest, I doubt I would conceive of this story today, because I tend to go for heavier plotlines and darker characterizations – especially with my heroes.  Sheriff Truman Wade does show some signs of this, however (he has a dark past), and when I finally began to rework the book, I could see how certain things have remained the same.  I always loved a tortured hero, and I doubt that will ever change.

Incidentally, the original title for the book was JUNEBUG JESS, and I believe I will always refer to it lovingly as “Junebug.”

Julianne thanks so much for coming on the blog to tell us about your latest book.  It sounds fabulous!

Since Julianne’s latest book is a time travel, let’s talk about that.  Do you read time travel romances?  If so, what are your favourites?  One commenter will win a copy of Julianne’s Western romance, The Marshall and Mrs. O’Malley.