Blog ~ Julianna Douglas

June 2018 Book of the Month Giveaway

July 14, 2018 03:02 PM Posted by juliannadouglas

My book of the month selection for June is the sixth volume in a phenomenally successful and widely loved epic romantic series that spans decades and even eras of time given its time travel aspect. This particular book – like all the others in the series – is a very lengthy tome. At nearly a thousand pages in hardcover it’s big enough to use as a doorstop, and it took me over three weeks to read it. (Have I mentioned that I’m a slow reader?) Yet it never felt long at all, and I was still sorry to see it come to an end. With kidnappings, rape, two murder mysteries, other mysteries surrounding a missing slave, missing gold, and the identity of who fathered a young woman’s baby, as well as political intrigue as the War for Independence gets under way, there’s never a dull moment. Not to mention there’s lots of character development for our main characters as well as tons of romantic entanglements, as well as the culmination of a plot point that began two books back. There was just so much going on in this book that I was never bored for even a moment, and I loved every minute (despite it being quite a lot of minutes:-)) that I spent reading it.

Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways

Tags: Diana Gabaldon, Outlander

My Introduction to Romance Novels

October 11, 2016 02:52 PM Posted by juliannadouglas

An integral part of my journey to becoming a romance author was my introduction to the romance genre. Throughout my life, even as a child, I was always drawn to fairy tales and other romanticized stories. When it came to movies, many of my favorites were Disney classics like Snow White and Cinderella. And no matter what medium the story came in, the part I liked the best was when characters fell in love and (hopefully) lived happily ever after. So I guess it’s no surprise that when presented with my first romance novels, I eagerly devoured them and immediately begged for more.

The first romances I recall reading were in high school when I was probably about fifteen or sixteen years old. I went to a small, private Christian school that was primarily self-taught. They didn’t have much of a library to speak of, but they did have a bookshelf in the main classroom with a few titles on it. We were welcome to borrow books from it if we finished our classwork. I was a bit of an overachiever and nearly always finished my work before the end of the day, so out came the books with which I happily immersed my imagination for the remainder of my time at school.

Categories: Slices of Life, Writing

Tags: Barbara Cartland, Janette Oke, Julie Garwood, June Masters Bacher, Little House on the Prairie, Outlander

July 2015 Book of the Month & Giveaway

August 24, 2015 06:00 PM Posted by juliannadouglas

My favorite five-star read for the month of July is the fifth novel in a long-running, epic historical fiction series that is filled with romance, adventure, mystery, Scottish Highlanders, details of life in Colonial America, and a touch of science-fiction in its time travel element. Yes, I'm talking about the amazing Outlander series. I just can't get enough of my most beloved romantic hero, Jamie Fraser, and the love of his life, Claire. These two have captured my imagination in a way that few character's do, and I would literally read anything the author chooses to write about them. In the more than two decades since I started reading this series, no one else has been able to supplant them as my favorite romantic couple. Theirs is a love worthy of legendary status. In this volume, though, their daughter, Brianna, and her now husband, Roger, are front and center as well, afforded nearly as many scenes as Jamie and Claire. While theirs perhaps isn't quite as compelling of a romance as Jamie and Claire's, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about them. The narrative of this book seems to ebb and flow between more exciting scenes and quieter moments, but in spite of the slower parts, I still found myself eager for the next book when this one ended. That's why I'm naming Diana Gabaldon's The Fiery Cross as my July Book of the Month. If you enjoy historical fiction, historical romance, or time travel stories, and haven't read this wonderful book yet, you should definitely give it a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.