Julie Ann James lives in
Sarasota, Florida. Her passion for words came at an early age and has inspired
her to literally plant seeds all over the globe. She is the founder of the
Peppertree Press book publishing company and The Pepper Tree Literary Magazine, an avid public speaker, a
published children’s author and novelist.
Interview:
Tell us about your book! What is it about and what
inspired you to write it?
Irish Jewel is about a young executive
woman who meets the love of her life on a business trip. Amy Reid, about to turn 29 falls in love with
her soul mate, Michael Cambridge. He is handsome, charming and extremely
wealthy and well known by all that live in the heart of the antiquated and
historical Dublin, Ireland. He sits in
the power chair as the CEO of a jewelry store chain called Irish Jewel passed
down from his father and his father before him.
She says yes to his proposal and then they plan a destination wedding in
Dublin.
It doesn’t take long before
her dreams of becoming Mrs. Michael Cambridge take a turn for the worst and the
deep dark family secrets that were once buried in the Ireland dirt come to the
surface for all to see. The intrigue,
the mystery and the danger Amy will find herself in will captivate the readers
and leave them with an unforgettable ending right down to the last word.
I had an opportunity to
travel to Dublin Ireland and even though I was writing another novel at the
time, I was truly inspired by this beautiful country and the idea simple popped
in my head. The antiquated cemeteries, the architecture and the overall history
in Ireland was breathtaking. I ended up
putting away the novel I was working on and writing the premise to Irish Jewel
while on the plane. It is interesting as
I typically come up with the title first and then the idea and that seems to
work for me best.
Tell us about your publishing process. What was it
like? Did you go indie or the traditional way?
I have always wanted to be a writer
since I was ten years old. I didn’t actually start writing seriously until
after my children were in middle school. All I really wanted is to get a byline
and not necessarily be paid for it. I submitted many short stories for
parenting magazines and then switched gears and started writing children’s
books. I can recall my first published
piece which means that was my first byline. I received a check for $25.00 and
because I was so excited, never cashed it.
I later submitted many children’s stories to what I refer to as the “Big
Houses” most of their offices are in New York, and they filled my mailbox with
those dreaded rejection letters. I later
found a self-publishing company online and published two books with them.
I have learned so much over the
years, especially after self-publishing.
With that said, during this process I decided to start my own publishing
company and offer the personal touch that writers so deserve. I have learned
that you don’t have to be traditionally published to become a successful author
as long as you love writing, work hard and get the word out, literally. It is important to keep yourself grounded and
keep your expectations in check at all times.
How did you choose the title for your book? Did it
come to you right away, before you started writing the story, or did it come
later?
I would have to
say that titles are my thing and with every book idea I come up with, the title
always comes first. Irish Jewel made sense to me since the setting
takes place in Dublin, Ireland and one of the main characters is the mogul of
an extremely well known jewelry company.
Tell us about the cover design process. Did you have
a basic idea of what your book cover would be like?
This is such a
great question and I am so excited to share the story. I had a great idea for the cover even before
I finished writing the story. I decided to hire an illustrator and gave him the
key points of what I wanted to see on my cover and he happily delivered the
exact idea I had floating around in my head. There was an antiquated building in the
background sort of castle like, a wrought iron gate, a green cinched bag lying
on the ground at the front gate filled with loose gems that were spilling out
onto the ground. He did a remarkable job with the cover portraying exactly what
I wanted. I published my book, scheduled a very successful book signing and
then I decided to send my book to an online publicist for her review. She sent my book cover along with the very
gritty about the book to a few book reviewers.
The book reviewers came back with great reviews about my book, however
not such a great opinion about my cover. They indicated that my cover did not
match my description and did not have a danger element incorporated in the
design. The sky was blue and it looked juvenile.
I learn
something new every day as a writer and a publisher and I took their comments
very seriously and asked my designer to read my book again and come up with a
graphic design. She did such a remarkable job that it literally blew me
away. There was no question about the
change and I am so grateful that the book reviewers were honest and straight
forward. I sent the new design back to
the reviewers and they had two words for me…“Love It.”
Who is your cover designer and how did you find
him/her?
Becky Barbier is
my designer for my book as well 800 other book titles published by my company,
the Peppertree Press. I have to say when
she walked into my office back in 2006, it was one of the luckiest days of my
life. She is a gem of a designer the best of the best and we are fortunate to
have worked with her all these years.
How was your experience working with the designer?
Excellent!
What has been the readers’ response to your cover?
I often hear
that my book cover is intriguing and draws the reader in so they want to know
what the book is about. It’s gritty,
mesmerizing, and has the elements and intrigue of a mystery, romance and
suspense novel. I often hear if you can
see your book cover from at least 10 feet away, then it’s a great cover and a
great read.
What tips would you give to authors who are looking
for a cover designer?
To make certain
that the cover represents the genre and compliments your description of your
manuscript and characters you are portraying.
To go with your gut is a good thing, however to listen to others in the
business is most definitely suggested.
Anything else you’d like to say about your book?
It is my hope
that you purchase a copy of Irish Jewel and perhaps write a review or send me a
note to let me know what you thought. I enjoyed writing it and absolutely loved
the characters and the setting. I know
you will not be disappointed in the storyline and the ending will shock you,
the suspense is riveting.
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