Julia Kelly's Blog, page 15
April 5, 2018
Come Meet Me in Boston!
A quick note for those readers in the Boston area: I’m coming to you guys! I’m going to be teaching a couple workshops at the Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference from NECRWA. My workshops will be:
Sell Your Book in 3 Pages: How to Write Gripping Synopses
How to Maintain a Brand While Writing Across Subgenres… Or Not (with Megan Erikson and Kristen Strassel)
Unfortunately, those sessions are only option to conference registrants, however, I will be supporting my fellow authors at the conference signing which is open to all member of the public. If you come say hi, I’ll have some The Look of Love bookmarks to give away!
Come Meet Me in Boston!
A quick note for those readers in the Boston area: I'm coming to you guys! I'm going to be teaching a couple workshops at the Let Your Imagination Take Flight Conference from NECRWA. My workshops will be:
Sell Your Book in 3 Pages: How to Write Gripping Synopses
How to Maintain a Brand While Writing Across Subgenres… Or Not (with Megan Erikson and Kristen Strassel)
Unfortunately, those sessions are only option to conference registrants, however, I will be supporting my fellow authors at the conference signing which is open to all member of the public. If you come say hi, I'll have some The Look of Love bookmarks to give away!
April 2, 2018
What I Read: January to March 2018
It’s always been easy to tell what sort of mood I’ve been in based on the types of books that are on my completed list.
Lots of romances? High stress time.
Plenty of mystery? I’ve probably been writing to meet a deadline and have been looking for something completely different.
Loads of history? Guess who’s doing research.
January, February, and March (or Q1 for those of your who are business minded) was a mix of all of those things. I read a few standouts across several genres, and they’re definitely worth a shoutout. Keep reading for those recommendations, and be sure to follow me on Goodreads and BookBub for more!
If you like your history glamorous…
The Riviera Set, by Mary S. Lovell
If you like intrigue on the high seas…
Dangerous Crossing, by Rachel Rhys
If you like gritty Western romance…
Cowgirl, Unexpectedly, by Vicki Tharp
If you like dark thrillers…
If you like your female detectives witty…
A Curious Beginning, by Deanna Raybourn
If you want to be swept up in a YA saga…
What I Read: January to March 2018
It's always been easy to tell what sort of mood I've been in based on the types of books that are on my completed list.
Lots of romances? High stress time.
Plenty of mystery? I've probably been writing to meet a deadline and have been looking for something completely different.
Loads of history? Guess who's doing research.
January, February, and March (or Q1 for those of your who are business minded) was a mix of all of those things. I read a few standouts across several genres, and they're definitely worth a shoutout. Keep reading for those recommendations, and be sure to follow me on Goodreads and BookBub for more!
If you like your history glamorous...
The Riviera Set, by Mary S. Lovell
If you like intrigue on the high seas...
Dangerous Crossing, by Rachel Rhys
If you like gritty Western romance...
Cowgirl, Unexpectedly, by Vicki Tharp
If you like dark thrillers...
If you like your female detectives witty...
A Curious Beginning, by Deanna Raybourn
If you want to be swept up in a YA saga...
March 23, 2018
Your First Look at The Light Over London
I’m very happy today to be sharing with you a first look at my first historical women’s fiction, The Light Over London, which will be coming out in paperback and ebook this fall.
Split between present day and World War II, it’s a story of love and loss, secrets and discovery. And there’s a dreamy cover to match this beautiful story.
Available for preorder in print and ebook
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
For Cara Hargraves, burying herself in the past is easier than confronting the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is the perfect salvation. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship; among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform—the same one Cara’s grandmother wore during the war. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara embarks on a journey to untangle the affair, and just maybe uncover her grandmother’s deeply guarded secrets, too.
In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until the wealthy son of her mother’s best friend returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. But their whirlwind romance is cut short when Paul’s unit is deployed.
Desperate for a larger life, Louise defies her parents and joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit. As bombs fall on London, she relishes in her growing friendships with the gunner girls and knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to Paul are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
Your First Look at The Light Over London
I'm very happy today to be sharing with you a first look at my first historical women's fiction, The Light Over London, which will be coming out in paperback and ebook this fall.
Split between present day and World War II, it's a story of love and loss, secrets and discovery. And there's a dreamy cover to match this beautiful story.
Available for preorder in print and ebook
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
For Cara Hargraves, burying herself in the past is easier than confronting the present, which is why working with a gruff but brilliant antiques dealer is the perfect salvation. While clearing out an estate, she pries open an old tin that holds the relics of a lost relationship; among the treasures, a World War II-era diary and a photograph of a young woman in uniform—the same one Cara’s grandmother wore during the war. Eager to find the author of the hauntingly beautiful, unfinished diary, Cara embarks on a journey to untangle the affair, and just maybe uncover her grandmother’s deeply guarded secrets, too.
In 1941, nineteen-year-old Louise Keene’s life had been decided for her—she’ll wait at home in her Cornish village until the wealthy son of her mother’s best friend returns from war to ask for her hand. But when Louise unexpectedly meets Flight Lieutenant Paul Bolton, a dashing RAF pilot stationed at a local base, everything changes. But their whirlwind romance is cut short when Paul’s unit is deployed.
Desperate for a larger life, Louise defies her parents and joins the women’s branch of the British Army in the anti-aircraft gun unit. As bombs fall on London, she relishes in her growing friendships with the gunner girls and knowing she and Paul will be together when the war is over. But when a bundle of her letters to Paul are returned unanswered, she learns that wartime romance can have a much darker side.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
March 6, 2018
Lady in a Blue Dress — The Allure of Attraction’s Got a Cover!
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like when an author gets a book cover from a publisher, it goes something like this:
*email from editor dings to phone*
Me: Oh my god, please be good. Please be good. Please be good.
*opens email inbox on laptop for higher image resolution/because I’m terrified that I’m going to hate the cover and this delays the reveal for a moment*
Me: Just don’t suck. That’s all I want. I can handle mediocre. Totally. No problem. Oh, please, please, please don’t suck.
*clicks on email and downloads image*
Me: OH THANK GOD.
That is an exact play-by-play of what happened when I opened the email from my editor for The Allure of Attraction’s cover. And you know what, it didn’t just not suck. I loved it.
Am
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
Not only was I blown away by how striking that vibrant blue is, the cover model is smiling. Smiling! I’ve never had a smiling heroine on the cover of my historical books, and something about it makes me so incredibly happy.
In this book, you’re going to meet Lavinia, our heroine. She’d be the first to tell you that a lot of bad things have happened in her life, but she’s made the most of it. She’s a successful dressmaker in Edinburgh, and between her shop, her friends, and her somewhat irresponsible but charming brother she has a full life. Everything is going well until the childhood sweetheart she was supposed to marry years ago walks back into her life.
Andrew’s life sailing merchant ships has taken him across the globe—convenient given that he’s also a spy for Her Majesty’s government. He’s all set to retire until his handlers give him one last job: go back home to Scotland and recruit Lavinia, the woman who broke his heart, to help him infiltrate a group at the center of a dastardly plot.
So yes, dear readers, in the summer you’re going to get this beautiful book and all the second chance romance/enemies-to-lovers/espionage romance goodness inside. I hope you enjoy it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it!
The Allure of Attraction releases this summer, but you can preorder it now from all major ebook retailers!
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
Lady in a Blue Dress — The Allure of Attraction's Got a Cover!
If you've ever wondered what it's like when an author gets a book cover from a publisher, it goes something like this:
*email from editor dings to phone*
Me: Oh my god, please be good. Please be good. Please be good.
*opens email inbox on laptop for higher image resolution/because I'm terrified that I'm going to hate the cover and this delays the reveal for a moment*
Me: Just don't suck. That's all I want. I can handle mediocre. Totally. No problem. Oh, please, please, please don't suck.
*clicks on email and downloads image*
Me: OH THANK GOD.
That is an exact play-by-play of what happened when I opened the email from my editor for The Allure of Attraction's cover. And you know what, it didn't just not suck. I loved it.
Am
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
Not only was I blown away by how striking that vibrant blue is, the cover model is smiling. Smiling! I've never had a smiling heroine on the cover of my historical books, and something about it makes me so incredibly happy.
In this book, you're going to meet Lavinia, our heroine. She'd be the first to tell you that a lot of bad things have happened in her life, but she's made the most of it. She's a successful dressmaker in Edinburgh, and between her shop, her friends, and her somewhat irresponsible but charming brother she has a full life. Everything is going well until the childhood sweetheart she was supposed to marry years ago walks back into her life.
Andrew's life sailing merchant ships has taken him across the globe—convenient given that he's also a spy for Her Majesty's government. He's all set to retire until his handlers give him one last job: go back home to Scotland and recruit Lavinia, the woman who broke his heart, to help him infiltrate a group at the center of a dastardly plot.
So yes, dear readers, in the summer you're going to get this beautiful book and all the second chance romance/enemies-to-lovers/espionage romance goodness inside. I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it!
The Allure of Attraction releases this summer, but you can preorder it now from all major ebook retailers!
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Google Play
February 14, 2018
Explore the Romance of Historic Edinburgh
It’s no surprise that Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities. It has it all, from the elegance of the New Town to the historic mystery of the Old Town. It’s also a great walking city—if you don’t mind some hills—with plenty to discover.
When I started to write my The Matchmaker of Edinburgh books, I wanted to make sure readers felt transported to 1870s Edinburgh. For Caroline and Moray, the heroine and hero of The Taste of Temptation, that meant sending them gallivanting all across the city on their journey to love. Whether it’s bickering amid the dramatic beauty of Holyrood Park or dancing for the first time in the grand, Georgian Assembly Rooms, I hope readers will fall in love with this incredible place as much as they do my characters!
Click through this interactive map to read excerpts from the book, images and drawings, and little tidbits about the settings you’ll see throughout the book.
A previous version of this article appeared on XOXOafterdark.com.
Explore the Romance of Historic Edinburgh
It's no surprise that Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities. It has it all, from the elegance of the New Town to the historic mystery of the Old Town. It's also a great walking city—if you don't mind some hills—with plenty to discover.
When I started to write my The Matchmaker of Edinburgh books, I wanted to make sure readers felt transported to 1870s Edinburgh. For Caroline and Moray, the heroine and hero of The Taste of Temptation, that meant sending them gallivanting all across the city on their journey to love. Whether it's bickering amid the dramatic beauty of Holyrood Park or dancing for the first time in the grand, Georgian Assembly Rooms, I hope readers will fall in love with this incredible place as much as they do my characters!
Click through this interactive map to read excerpts from the book, images and drawings, and little tidbits about the settings you'll see throughout the book.
A previous version of this article appeared on XOXOafterdark.com.
