Julie James is the author of Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect. Her third book, Something About You, comes out in March 2010.

The other day, someone posed an interesting question to me:  which five fictional characters would I invite to a dinner party, and why?  This question intrigued me so much, I thought it merited further consideration.

I enjoy throwing dinner parties.  Sure, it’s a lot of work, and sometimes going to a restaurant is more convenient, but I like the cozy, relaxed feel of entertaining in my own home.  (And I get to pick the wine.)  When planning such an event, I give some thought to the guest list—who will mix well together (and more important, who won’t), and what interesting things they bring to the table, so…

I’m often asked about research; People ask how much I do, where I find my information, if it’s hard, and if I ever find it boring. The truth is it can be a grind at times, particularly when writing about a period that’s new to me. Every genre and every book requires research. As an historical writer I may have to stop and look up minutia such as children’s games, furniture, meals, vernacular and slang, as well as the larger historical events of the day. There are times I might spend an entire afternoon researching a geographical area I end up describing in one paragraph or even one line!

I don’t think I could ever write a science fiction. While I enjoy reading it and love watching documentaries on Discovery Channel; physics,…

Hello, everyone! A big wave to you all and a bigger thank you to the fabulous ladies at RNTV for having me back today. I know what you’re thinking: Uh-oh. If Jo’s here the topic is probably just south of naughty. By now, there’s little doubt in your mind that vanilla has never been my flavor of choice—I’m more of a caramel turtle fudge kind of gal. I love mixing it up for that perfect explosion on the taste buds.

You know me so well, it’s scary.

Okay, so let’s start with a bit of role play. Not that kind, my kinky friends, at least not yet! Imagine this: You’re a confident, successful person who feels good about yourself—for the most part. Your success, however, has come at a price, and the victim of…

One of the most common questions asked of a writer is: Where do you get your ideas from? Authors might reply with answers such as: everywhere—the news, overheard conversations, dreams, real life experiences. Creative ideas for stories arise from both within and without, blend together with the author’s unique life experiences and way of viewing the world. When she puts her words to the page, plot and characterization fuse with the writer’s voice to create a symphony unique to each author.

Have you ever wondered where an author got an idea for a favorite story? I asked five talented authors that very question—what was your inspiration for this story? For most, the end product of the book was the author’s unique creativity applied to a core real life experience. Interestingly, a…

A friend in high school introduced me to my first romance novel:  Georgette Heyer’s Devil’s Cub.  To an innocent seventeen-year-old, I was intrigued, titillated, and hooked.  But I couldn’t feed my hunger for more of those kinds of books until I got to college.  So while other students partied, I was holed up in my dorm room devouring endless romance novels.

It wasn’t long before I stumbled upon Janelle Taylor’s Moondust and Madness.  It was my first sci-fi romance novel, and I fell totally in love.  Unfortunately, there weren’t that many such romances that I could find, and I was left to satisfy my craving via movies, TV, and the rare novel.

Not long after I began teaching, a different friend loaned me her fanzine for a television series I enjoyed.  Fanzines.  Sci-fi…

Wow! It’s so cool to be here at RomanceNovel.TV!  This month my new book from St. Martin’s Press, EVERYWHERE SHE TURNS, is on the shelves!  This story really hits close to home for me.  The setting for the story is in Huntsville, Alabama, in the village where I live.  I, of course, changed the name so as not to offend any of my neighbors.

The seed of an idea for this story germinated last spring as my family and I moved into an old mill house (110 years old!) and started the necessary renovations.  Trust me, it was not pretty.  Many of the proud old homes had fallen into disrepair and had for years been owned by absentee landlords.  When the mill closed and was torn down more than two decades…