|
The Romance Readers Connection would like to
welcome April’s Author of the Month, Julie Ortolon.
Julie’s third book, FALLING FOR YOU, is
being released this month and it has the same delightful humor
and wonderfully drawn characters that drew readers to her first
two novels, DRIVE ME WILD and DEAR CUPID. Thank you Julie for
taking time to answer questions for TRRC!
Thea Candee: When you start to write, do
you deliberately take the humorous route or does your humor
sneak into the story?
Julie Ortolon: At first it was accidental,
and I didn't even realize I was funny until people started
telling me. I was just trying to write stories about real people
falling in love. Of course, when you think about how clueless
men are when it comes to understanding women, and vica versa,
how can a man and woman falling in love not be hilarious to an
outside observer? To them, it's traumatic, but to me, watching
them blunder their way along, it's hysterical.
TC: All of your stories revolve around
opposites, or mismatched, lead characters. Were those the types
of stories you enjoyed reading before you started writing? Who
are your favorite authors?
JO: Actually, when I first started reading,
I liked big adventurous historicals with lots of swashbuckling
action or medieval pageantry, so my first three unpublished
manuscripts were historicals or paranormals. The more I read and
wrote, though, the more I just wanted the story to concentrate
on the relationship and the sexual attraction. I devoured
everything by Jude Deveraux and Judith McNaught because in their
books, the people are the story. Then I discovered Nora
Roberts and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and realized a
contemporary setting would give me even more freedom to
concentrate on the characters' quirks and the sexual sparks.
That was when I wrote DRIVE ME WILD – and I've been hooked on
writing contemporaries ever since.
TC: Your characters are emotional, funny
and a common thread they share is that they seem to want to
break out of a stereotypical mold. Do you find any of your
characters resembling you or anyone you know? Also, what kind of
man do you think would be the "perfect" man?
JO: To me, emotional growth is what
romances are all about. I take two people who have flaws or
insecurities––some are my own, others come from years of
people-watching—and I make them earn that happy ending,
by God, because if they don't grow and learn, they don't deserve
it. People do amazingly stupid things in real life, which is why
my books always have a tiny bit of what my friends call
"Julie's little lessons."
Like in FALLING FOR YOU, Rory's biggest
fear is making mistakes, so I had her make a big one that she
believes is going to ruin Chance's perfect life. And Chance is
such a good son and upstanding guy, he would never dream of
doing anything to disappoint his family and he certainly would
never make a public spectacle of himself over a woman. Well,
think again. Life is filled with choices. Make the right choice,
and you get the happy ending. But it's my job, as the author, to
force the character into a corner, where the right choice takes
either personal growth or sacrifice. I can't just hand it to
them on a silver platter. What fun would that be?
As for the "perfect" man, that
would be Mike in DEAR CUPID. No doubt. He had no flaws or
insecurities, because that's what worked for that particular
story. And I happen to know there are men out there who are
genuine all-round good guys. In fact, I married one.
Unfortunately, that sort of hero won't work for most fictional
romances, so I create couples whose strengths and weaknesses
complement the other's. That way, they are perfect for each
other, and they become better people through the relationship.
TC: You’re able to draw readers in with
your descriptive settings and places. Do you look out at your
own "backyard" to gain such insightful settings or do
the details come from your imagination?
JO: Since I've never thought the truth
should get in the way of a good story, I do a little of both. I
visit as many of the locations as possible, but then I change it
at will to fit my needs. I've had some truly wild experiences
where I describe something in the rough draft, like the inside
of Mike's house, then see it later – and it is dead on,
exactly how I described it. Down to the fact that the people who
own the real house tore out a wall and were remodeling the
kitchen...while I was writing that book. I kid you not!
For FALLING FOR YOU, my husband and I went
to Galveston and stayed in a bed and breakfast so I could soak
up the atmosphere. Before I finish this trilogy, we plan to
learn how to sail tall ships, since the heroine in the last book
owns a restored Baltimore schooner that she charters to
tourists.
TC: Your secondary characters are so well
drawn out that readers consistently ask for their stories to be
told. Are there future plans to give secondary characters their
own stories? What will be your next release?
JO: In FALLING FOR YOU, Rory's sister,
Allison, and her sexy brother, Adrian, will each have their
stories. Allison's story, LEAD ME ON, is scheduled for January
2003. Adrian's story will come after that. Then, I'm toying with
the idea of writing about the stunt riders, Jessie and Trey,
from DEAR CUPID.
TC: Finally, do you have a web site where
readers can get more information about you and your work?
JO: http://www.ortolon.com
Thanks again, Julie! I appreciate the time
that you’ve taken to answer my questions.
(Click here for a review of
FALLING FOR YOU)
(Click here for a review of
DEAR CUPID)
|
