Welcome to New Faces, where you'll meet brand-new authors in the romance arena! We're pleased to introduce Julie Kenner, whose category romance Nobody Does It Better is a Harlequin Temptation release. Julie talks about her background and getting that first book published.

Hello, Julie! Tell us about yourself.

Although I was born in California (in Mountainview, near San Jose), I'm a Texas girl. Both my parents are from Texas, but they were living in California while working at NASA. They moved back to Austin when I was 18 months old. I guess some California got in my blood, though, because I lived in Southern California for 6 years, and loved it! But I'm getting ahead of myself ...

As I said, I was raised in Austin, Texas, and went to the University of Texas when I graduated from high school. I graduated mid-way through my senior year, and it just seemed convenient to stay in Austin, especially since I was starting mid-year. Plus, the University is a very good school with an excellent communications department. At the time, my major was journalism (I'd edited my high school paper for 3 years). During my first semester, I auditioned for a role in a film being produced locally. I didn't get the part, but I did get hired as a Production Assistant.

For those of you who don't know, that means I pretty much did a little bit of everything. That summer was exhausting! I went to classes during the day, did work-study in the afternoon, and went to the set and filmed from about 7 pm to 7 am. I also caught the film bug, and changed my major to radio-television-film. (FYI, the movie is called Future Kill, you can still get it at Blockbuster. I have a tiny role where I sit on a door stoop holding a beer and the characters climb over me to get into the punk rock club. I don't look .... um .... my best in that shot!)

While in school, I tended to concentrate on screenwriting, but I graduated at 19, and didn't have the nerve to move to Los Angeles. So I worked in the media department of a local community college for six months until deciding to take the LSAT. I ended up at Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas, and I was fortunate to have done well enough that I had a lot of options when I graduated. My first position was as a briefing attorney on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (frequent trips to New Orleans!) and then I went to a very large firm in Los Angeles. I ended up, after time, in a smaller firm that specialized in First Amendment and Entertainment law, and also worked as a production executive/staff counsel at a production company. Now that my husband and I are back in Austin, I have a general business litigation practice.

Are you coming to romance writing from another job?

I still practice law full-time. I love the interaction with other people and the intellectual stimulation, though I confess that my schedule -- with writing and law -- can be overwhelming!

What led you to write romance?

I'm a long time reader -- of everything!! As a child, if I didn't have a book, I'd read whatever was around, including the sides of cereal boxes (you really don't want to know what's in that stuff ) and my dad's aeronautical magazines, which made no sense to me whatsoever! To romance, however, I'm a late-bloomer (which, frankly, is odd because romantic movies have always been my favorite). A very good friend of mine used to read historical romances in the break room during lunch. She'd be huddled over, totally absorbed, while the rest of us were chatting. I finally asked her what she was reading, and she introduced me to Julie Garwood. I'm ashamed to say I can't remember which one I read first, but I remember being hooked! I still love historicals (particularly medievals), but I soon discovered and was hooked by contemporaries, category and single title.

Tell us about your road to publication.

I've always wanted to write, though I took a circuitous route getting here! My earliest memories are of telling stories, and I recently came across a "novel" I wrote for Christmas when I was about seven called Kitty Claws. It was the story of the Santa for cats.

While I was in Los Angeles (around 1992) I wrote a couple of screenplays with a partner, but didn't focus on novels. I discovered Julie Garwood's historical romances soon after and went on a romance reading binge. It was like chocolate, only not fattening. I was hooked! When we moved back to Texas, I wasn't as interested in writing screenplays. I wanted a longer format, with more potential for internal development of the characters. My husband suggested romance novels, probably because I was so clearly absorbed. He saw a notice about a Desire author (Pamela Ingrahm) speaking at Borders, and I went to hear her. She told me about RWA, and I joined in January of 1997.

My first manuscript didn't sell (I did no real market research, not a smooth move).

I also sold to Leisure/Love Spell through a contest. Essentially the same process. I had been writing a single title (with Love Spell in mind this time!) and I entered it in a contest that I knew had a Leisure editor as a final judge. It placed first, and he ended up signing me to a two book contract based on a seven-chapter proposal. The title of that book is THE CAT'S FANCY. Its release date just got bumped up, so right now it's scheduled for release in August of 2000.

What kind of research was involved for your first book?

Not too much, actually. The heroine is an attorney (that part was easy) who is secretly writing a series of popular, very testosterone-heavy spy thrillers under a pseudonym. I did some research on Ian Fleming and perused some of the Bond books to get a feel for the kind of books Paris (my heroine) writes, and talked to authors and read stuff on the Internet (which, frankly, is the single-best starting-point resource out there, in my opinion) about book tours and the process so that I'd have a general impression of what goes on.

The hero was trickier, as he is a former con artist. I did some research on cons and gambling over the Internet, and I also watched some movies (an excuse, yes, but also research!). He also owns a pub, and for that I relied on my husband -- who knows a lot about pubs, and has taken me to quite a few in Texas, California, Britain and Ireland -- and past waitressing experience.

Who are your influences as a writer?

Oh, my! This is such a hard question, because I'll forget someone, and because I think you learn a little something as a writer from every book you read. Well, I'm not even going to try to name everybody!! I will say that for any sort of deep-seated influence, you'd probably have to dig back to my childhood, with authors like Judy Blume, Paula Danziger (The Cat Ate My Gymsuit), Paul Zindel (The Undertaker's Gone Bananas), Madeleine L'Engle (A Wrinkle in Time and all the sequels), C.S. Lewis, and Tolkien.

More recently, with regard to romance, Julie Garwood is way up there on my list. Her heroine's always have such spunk! And I think there's a wealth of talent writing for Temptation. I love sexy, fun books, and hope that's the way my books are perceived, too. Vicki Lewis Thompson is just fabulous. I love Stephanie Bond (her Temptations and her Love & Laughters) and the newer Blaze authors like Julie Elizabeth Leto and Carly Phillips. Very hot!! And, of course, Lori Foster, who is an so supportive of new and unpublished authors, and has more energy you'd believe. All the Temptation authors are great; I'm so thrilled to be among such a talented and supportive group!

I also enjoy Kimberly Raye (aka Rangel) and Dara Joy and Evelyn Rogers. In my chapter, Peggy Moreland, Jean Brashear and Susan Plunkett are wonderful role models -- such wonderful writers and also incredibly giving and supportive. I'm a big Jennifer Crusie fan, though I discovered her late and had to glom her backlist off my friends . I've recently discovered Janet Evanovich (what can I say...I'm way behind in my TBR pile), and she's amazing. I'm a huge fan of both Anne Perry's Inspector Pitt series (Victorian era mysteries) and Jill Churchill (cozy mysteries) and Patricia Cornwell. I also really enjoy Stephen King (he has an amazing ability to make ordinary folks and ordinary situations absolutely terrifying!) and Ken Follett (Pillars of the Earth is an amazing book). I could go on and on (actually, I think I sort of have) ...

What does your family think of having a romance author in their midst?

They think it's great! My mother reads all of my stuff (sort of like a beta tester) and my husband gets a huge kick out of it.

Tell us about plans for future books.

Right now, I have 5 more books in the works. My first single title, THE CAT'S FANCY, is an August release from Dorchester (Love Spell), and the second book with Love Spell is scheduled to be released in March of 2001. (Right now I'm calling it ZOE'S HERO, but that's a working title). In addition, I have 3 more books contracted with Harlequin -- another Temptation (which follows Rachel from NOBODY DOES IT BETTER) that is probably going to be released in winter 2000/2001, a Blaze tentatively titled SENSUOUS PLEASURES (April or May 2001) and a Duets. Needless to say, I'm very excited and I have information about all the books -- blurbs, some excerpts, and even "name that book" contests -- on my website, www.juliekenner.com

How can readers get in touch with you?

I'd love to hear from readers!! You can email me at julie@juliekenner.com. I'd also like to invite everyone to check out my website at www.juliekenner.com, and to enter my contest (I almost always have one going). Snail mail is always an option, too. My address is PO Box 151417, Austin, TX 78715-1417.

Thanks for this interview...I really appreciate the support, and know other new authors do, too!

Julie, thanks for joining us! Readers, we have a review of Nobody Does It Better on our Category page.

Feb. 25, 2000