Heroines Are People Too - Julia London

The DANGERS of DECEIVING A VISCOUNT, the third book in my Desperate Debutantes series, is about a twenty-two year-old woman in 1822. Her family’s funds have dwindled, she’s gotten herself into a predicament trying to keep up appearances, and ends up posing as a tradeswoman at the estate of a very handsome and virile viscount. Close quarters lead to a growing, mutual attraction and lots of lusty thoughts. My unmarried, virginal heroine is very tempted to give in to those lusty thoughts.

Who wouldn’t be tempted when presented with a handsome man in a mansion?

Historical romances, if they are true to the times and tone of early nineteenth century literature, usually include virginal heroines who are seduced, duped—or do the duping—into marriage. The typical happy-ever-after in an historical is when the heroine lands the handsome wealthy lord and all the attendant perks that go along with that. That’s why we love the books!

The heroines who succeed are clever, and they know how to give as good as they get. But they are conscious of their virtue at all times, for we have come to understand from nineteenth century literature that a woman who lost her virtue lost everything.

On the other hand, there are some lusty and interesting biographies of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century women—Georgianna; Caroline, Princess of Wales; the sisters of George IV, to name a few. These biographies tell another side of the historical heroine. Those documents suggest that women were human and were sometimes brought down by temptation. Adultery and pre-marital sex were not unheard of, and frankly, in some circles, while it was frowned upon, it seems like it was almost expected.

That got me to thinking—a twenty-one year old woman with no prospects and no beaus might view life a little differently than what we’ve come to believe. She might be sorely tempted when opportunity presents itself, because for all she knows, it might be her only opportunity. I’m not suggesting she would throw her virtue away…but I’m suggesting she might. She might at least consider it…especially if she’d assumed a different identity and knew no one would be the wiser. Especially if she’d fallen in love. And it helps knowing that if she gives into her desires, there are a lot of tricks that would make her at least appear to be a virgin if she should ever marry.

That is the romantic premise of THE DANGERS OF DECEIVING A VISCOUNT. My heroine is an unmarried woman who knows what society expects of her, but also knows what her adult body wants and needs. She is human. She is tempted. She’s in love. She weighs the consequences, but in the end, her heart rules, just as it does for every one.

This book was really interesting to write. I threw off all the characteristics I thought an historical heroine should have and built Phoebe from scratch. I hope you like the result.

Julia London

RETURN TO ME - Julia Templeton

Like many authors, some of my ideas come from movies, television, research books, magazines, art, music, or just normal everyday things.

In the case of RETURN TO ME, I was flipping through the pages of a GQ magazine when I came across a picture of twin brothers standing side by side, both gorgeous, and yet they were as different as night in day in how they dressed, wore their hair, and overall attitude. That picture sparked my muse and twin brothers Darius and Demetri MacLeod were born. From there, I had an interview with them to see who they were, where they came from, and what single event changed their lives forever. That event happens to be when Darius, a Scottish warrior in Robert the Bruce’s army, is cut down at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, and a handsome young man appears offering him immortal life.

It was important for me to write a story about vampires who weren’t necessarily devastated that they were made into creatures of the night. In fact, a few of my characters love their dark gift and wouldn’t trade places with a single mortal being for anything. The only reason my hero struggles with his gift at all, is the single fact that the change in him terrifies his pregnant wife so badly, she ends up dying in a tragic accident while trying to flee from him.

I wanted Darius to find another love, but it couldn’t be just any woman, it had to his wife, reincarnated. When his wife does return, she’s a beautiful woman who resembles his wife in every way, save for now she’s no longer a medieval Scottish woman, but a nineteenth century beauty with the power to read minds, cast spells and heal. Unfortunately, she’s also at her uncle’s mercy, and he basically sells her to an old, lecherous man who has killed each of his previous wives. Knowing this, Gabrielle sets a plan into motion to escape, but that plan is thwarted when she meets the devilishly handsome Darius and feels an attraction and familiarity that confuses her and intrigues her at the same time. No matter how much she yearns to know him, she has no choice but to flee into the night to escape her impending wedding.

Weeks later Darius finds Gabrielle, and swears to protect her from her uncle and betrothed. In the process, Gabrielle falls madly in love with the man who had been her husband centuries before. The fact that he’s a vampire weighs heavy on her mind, but she trusts him completely, even when he whisks her away, back to his home in the Scottish highlands. Unfortunately, trouble follows in the way of her evil betrothed.

As in many of my books, there’s a secondary romance that is played out, and in RETURN TO ME that couple is Demetri, Darius’s twin, and their maker Remont. I remember asking my critique partners and agent just how far I should take the romance with these two men. I received different answers from each, but in the end, I stayed true to my characters and their love for each other. I’ve received great feedback from reviewers and readers about this male/male romance. In fact, I hope to write a sequel, which will delve a bit deeper into their love affair.

Out of all my novels, RETURN TO ME was the most challenging to write, mainly because the characters have lived so many centuries and have unique powers. Despite those challenges, I’m definitely writing more vampire romances, because let’s face it—vampires are just plain sexy.

So that’s how RETURN TO ME was born. Thank you, Heather, for letting me share at The Idea Boutique!

Julia