Long, Julie Anne

PERSONAL:

Education: Attended college. Hobbies and other interests: Museums, the ballet, the symphony, history.

ADDRESSES:

Home— San Francisco, CA. E-mail— [email protected].

CAREER:

Writer. Worked as a musician for eight years.

WRITINGS:

The Runaway Duke, Warner Forever (New York, NY), 2004.

To Love a Thief, Warner Forever (New York, NY), 2005.

The Perils of Pleasure, Avon Books (New York, NY), 2008.

"HOLT SISTERS" TRILOGY

Beauty and the Spy, Warner Forever (New York, NY), 2006.

Ways to Be Wicked, Warner Forever (New York, NY), 2006.

The Secret to Seduction, Warner Forever (New York, NY), 2007.

Also author of the blog Julie Chronicles.

SIDELIGHTS:

Historical romance writer Julie Anne Long discovered her love for romance after sneaking a romance novel by Rosemary Rogers from her mother's nightstand. She also loved history as a child, and she and her sister would act out scenes from Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Praire" memoirs. Despite Long's affection for literature, she decided to pursue a career in music as a guitarist after graduating from college. After close to a decade of writing and performing music in the San Francisco Bay area of California, Long decided to merge her passions of drama, romance, and history into novel writing.

The Runaway Duke, Long's debut novel, is set after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. It tells the story of Roarke Blackburn, a duke who changes his identity and begins a new life after the battle, and Rebecca Tremaine, a tomboyish lady who ends up in an uncomfortable situation and turns to the former duke for help. Kathe Robin, writing for the Romantic Times Online, commented: "This impossible-to-put-down tale is peopled with unforgettable characters that make it a must-read." Cathy Sova, writing for the Romance Reader Web site, observed that "the climax felt just a hair forced, but the ending was wonderful, and not what the reader may expect. Every character gets just what they deserve." She added: " The Runaway Duke is a terrific debut—fresh, funny, full of unexpected twists, with a fabulous romance that's as captivating as it is tender."

Long's second book,To Love a Thief, centers around a game that London lawyer Gideon Cole plays with the lives of pickpocket Lily Masters and her young sister in order to secure a marriage between himself and Lady Constance Clary, a union which will benefit his career. Reviewing the book for the Romantic Times Online, Robin concluded that it "is a must for anyone who loves laughter wrapped in tears."

Beauty and the Spy is the first book in a trilogy about Susannah, Sylvie, and Sabrina Holt, the orphaned and separated daughters of an accused murderess. In the first novel, Susannah is captivated by Kit Whitelaw, a spy who has been banished from society, and she captures his image in ink when she encounters him swimming nude. When accidents begin to surround Susannah, the two unravel a mystery that involves murder and blackmail. Robin, again writing for the Romantic Times Online, remarked: "There's enough action, romance, passion, wit and historical details … to have readers sighing with delight."

Romance Reader at Heart Web site contributor Nancy Davis called Ways to Be Wicked, the second book in the trilogy, "original, sensual, at times dramatic, and sparkling with wit and humor, … a definite must read." In this installment, Sylvie finds a letter hidden by her guardian that informs her she may have a sister. She then begins a journey in search of her lost sibling while simualtaneously embarking on a journey of another sort with the handsome Tom Shaughnessy, owner of a famous theatre.

The Secret to Seduction follows Sabrina, a clegyman's adopted daughter, and Rhys Gillray, a nobleman who holds the key to connecting the Holt sisters. Armchair Interviews Web site contributor Amanda Collins called the novel a "charmingly sexy, and at times quite poignant story of two people who never intended to like one another, let alone fall in love." A contributor to the Read for Pleasure Web site took issue with the book's subplots and pace, commenting: " The Secret to Seduction read like a great novella unwisely expanded to book length." However,Romantic Times Online contributor Kathe Robin felt that "the final volume in Long's Holt Sisters trilogy fulfills readers' desires for a passion-filled, lively romance brimming over with wit and wisdom."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, February 15, 2006, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Beauty and the Spy, p. 104.

MBR Bookwatch, March, 2005, Harriet Klausner, review of To Love a Thief.

Publishers Weekly, March 19, 2007, review of The Secret to Seduction, p. 49.

ONLINE

Armchair Interviews,http://reviews.armchairinterviews.com/ (December 28, 2007), Amanda Collins, review of The Secret to Seduction.

Dear Author,http://dearauthor.com/ (May 14, 2007), Jayne, review of The Secret to Seduction.

Julie Anne Long Home Page,http://www.julieannelong.com (December 28, 2007).

Read for Pleasure,http://www.readforpleasure.com/ (August 13, 2007), review of The Secret to Seduction.

Road to Romance,http://www.roadtoromance.ca/ (July 13, 2004), Tina Burns, review of The Runaway Duke.

Romance Reader,http://www.theromancereader.com/ (December 28, 2007), Cathy Sova, review of The Runaway Duke.

Romance Reader at Heart,http://romancereaderatheart.com/ (December 28, 2007), interview with author; Nancy Davis, review of Ways to Be Wicked.

Romantic Times Online,http://romantictimes.com/ (December 28, 2007), Kathe Robin, reviews of The Runaway Duke, To Love a Thief, Ways to Be Wicked, and The Secret to Seduction.