That’s right! It’s Writer Wednesday! Time to PAR-TAY!
And by party, I mean read this whole interview, because learning about authors is way cool.
The weather is stunningly gorgeous here in Virginia today – a true spring masterpiece. I hope you can say the same wherever you are. Speaking of Virginia, I’m delighted to have fellow Virginian and romance author Julieann Dove with us today, sharing about her life as a writer, and giving us a glimpse into her newest book, Waking Amy!
Welcome, Julieann! And away we go…
What one piece of advice do you wish you’d had when first starting out?
I would’ve liked to be told that no matter what skill set I thought I had, or how I might’ve thought my imagination was good…go take at least two or three writing workshops before submitting anything to an agent. Let’s face it, you get one chance to make an impression, and although I got my fair share of requests, it always came back to a craft problem that enabled me from getting representation.
What’s your favorite romance novel of all time, and why?
Wuthering Heights. I can feel the love Heathcliff had for Catherine. Right down to my bones. The way he wanted her to haunt him when she died. There was such passion between these two characters. I never tire of reading it!
What inspires you to write?
Music. I can hear a song and write a novel around the lyrics. I wrote my first novel from listening to the song Gravity, by Sara Bareilles. I even titled it “Gravity!” I’ve since changed the title, but I won an award for it, and I have the certificate with the original title. That was neat. 🙂
And now, a bit on Waking Amy:
Amy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.
As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.
When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness… She just needs some help to pull it off. After all, she was voted girl most likely to die a virgin in high school.
Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly…Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too-cute-for-his-own-good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first—Amy or her husband.
Find Waking Amy on Amazon!
A bit about Julieann Dove:
Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!
Thanks so much for joining us, Julieann! Wishing you great success with Waking Amy!
