I’ve been working with Julien Bradley as her assistant for about two years now. We met after she was referred to me by Wise Ink Publishing, after having worked with two other authors.
At first, Julien did not intend on becoming a writer. She was taking time off from work as a holistic nurse when her daughter who is also an indie author, encouraged her to write her first draft. Eleven hundred pages later, she pitched it to Wise Ink Publishing and the rest as they say is history.
Since then, she’s written two books Beneath the Bedrock and Between Fracture Lines as well as two short stories. And she’s current working on her third book Beyond The Bust which will be coming out this year (2021).
About The Bakken Series
Julien’s story reflects a culmination of real human experiences to create an organic women’s fiction/romance, portraying an honest look into the lives of ordinary people and elevates the under-represented voice of women over 50, breathing new life into the unexpected depth of the “normal” day to day.
Beneath the Bedrock is about newly widowed, Ramona Brady Strong who finds herself grieving doubly when her beloved father dies. After traveling back home to Williston, North Dakota to attend the funeral, she is caught up in a rekindled old romance while having to deal with pressures unique to an oilfield boomtown.
Between Fracture Lines continues with Ramona’s story. Still grieving the disappearance of her estranged business partner and lover Nate Ferguson, she’s also fighting those who want to claim her land. She is also dealing with her feelings for John Finch, a rival attorney looking to take her down in court—and to find a way into her affections.
Interview With Julien Bradley
To kick things off, we’re going to start with this Q&A interview:
How do you select the names of your characters?
Some of my characters are selected based on people I know with a minor variation. Example: Buddy was really my dad’s nickname and he had an army buddy named Kip. Both are great names and it would be a shame not to use them. I love to use non-typical names as well. John Sanford’s character, Lucas Davenport in the Prey series has a wife named Weather. I love that. Those are the sort of names I go after.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I don’t spend a lot of time reading reviews. The good ones of course give me a nice warm fuzzy feeling because I feel I’ve made a connection with that individual. The bad ones, I look at it as my story just wasn’t your cup of tea.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
I love hiding Easter eggs. As readers get to know me, they will find secrets about me as a person.
What was your hardest scene to write?
Transition scenes moving from act I, II and III. Once I get past that, I’m good.
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Developing a book cover. I have an artist that does this for me and I love our collaboration process, but can be overwhelming at times.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Research and my phone!
Do you Google yourself?
On a rare occasion. Usually when I want to make sure my website still pops to the top of a search.
How long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
Research is such an alluring rabbit hold. I spend time researching throughout my writing process. Time wise, I would say I spend almost as much time researching as writing.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
Interestingly, I write from three male characters points of view (POV). What’s difficult about writing from the male POV is I haven’t deviated far from I male figures that are a part of my personal life. It’s limiting to the type of character, but it also is a more genuine character because of the familiarity.
What advice do you have for future writers?
If you are a storyteller like me and you’ve ever considered writing it done, my advice is the same as Nike~ Just do it! You may or may not choose to publish your work, but much like journaling, you will see what your thoughts are in a snapshot of time and you can always use it for personal growth.
Follow Julien On Her Book Tour!
I hope you enjoyed reading this interview. Follow Julien on Facebook and Twitter for updates about her next stop on her virtual book tour!
You can also join her mailing list to stay in the know about book tour stops, updates on her upcoming book and other events.
Special Offer!
Right now Julien is having a BOGO offer for the Bakken Series. When you buy Beneath the Bedrock, you’ll get Between Fracture Lines FREE! Visit her shop to order your soft cover copy today. There is only 100 left in her inventory so hurry!
[…] First up is a Q&A interview I did with Cori Ramos. You can find the interview here. […]