Ladies and Gents! I have the fabulous Julie Doherty on my blog today talking about her latest historical romance, SCENT OF THE SOUL. She has quite the story (both real and fictional) to tell so I suggest you gobble this entire post with your eyeballs.

Also, both Julie and I will be part of Shehanne Moore’s release party on Facebook today! Come on by and check it out if you are so inclined. 😉 

Welcome, Julie! Tell us about your latest release.

SCENT OF THE SOUL features Somerled of Argyll, the 12th century progenitor of many Highland clans and the world’s second most common ancestor. Once an exile, Somerled is making alliances, expanding his territory, and proposing marriage to the Manx princess. It’s a bad time to fall for Breagha, a torc-wearing slave with a supernatural sense of smell and a demon hot on her heels.

Whoa, sounds intense! What was the hardest thing about writing this book? The easiest?

The hardest part was staying motivated during a period of great emotional pain. When my Irish husband filed an application for a visa to join me in the USA, we prepared ourselves for a six to nine month separation while the government considered our request. How could we know six months would turn into almost four years?

During that awful time, we endured not only the pain of separation, but less than ideal living conditions. Ireland’s economy had tanked, and my husband could find no work. He existed in a house with no electricity and no real facilities, other than a toilet and a bathtub propped up on boards in the “bathroom.” I was three thousand miles away, alone in a drafty old Victorian I couldn’t afford to heat. Nearly all of my salary went to immigration costs, keeping us alive, and paying for flights to Ireland. I saved all seventeen of my sick/vacation days each year to spend with my husband, which meant I, too, learned how to cook one-pot meals over an open flame.

Someone stole my heating oil. Then, I suffered a home invasion. Life felt hopeless and frightening. It was tough writing a love story when I couldn’t find my own happy ending.

Although I will never be grateful for those hard times, I can see how they enriched my writing. After all, SCENT OF THE SOUL is about soul mates forced apart by a third party. I know a little bit about how that feels. 😉

The easiest? Oh, man. Nothing about this book was easy.

Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that, Julie. *cyber hugs* Sounds like you had a rough time, I can’t even imagine! 😦 I’m glad things have improved at least a little and you’re together with your hubby now. I can definitely see how experiences like these can fuel your writing with some serious realism. 

Speaking of realism, If you could bring one of your characters (villain or hero) to life, who would you chose? Why?

I would choose Somerled, of course, so I could flaunt him at clan gatherings!

Haha, yes! Arm candy is a huge plus at clan gatherings. 😉 So, Paramount Pictures wants to make a movie about your latest novel. Who plays the main characters?

Heath Ledger would have been so perfect for the part of Somerled, and I’m still heartbroken over his death. He had that glorious wide forehead and the eyes that I describe in SCENT as:

“deeply set—sailing eyes, the kind made for scanning horizons and seeking out the world’s edge. She saw intelligence in them, and experience beyond his years. She saw, too, infinite responsibility and conflict. His eyes were like doors, locked doors, to a chamber never visited.”

For Breagha, the actress Elena Satine comes to mind.

“Her eyes were frightened and searching. They were green—vivid green—like Islay’s fields in mid-summer. Above them, her hair gleamed like a polished hazelnut.”

If Steve Buscemi shaved his head, he would make a great Semjaza.

“Gone also were his hazel eyes, replaced by glowing slits of yellow fury. . . . a head, a hairless one, as cold and bumpy as an oyster shell.”

Great cast! Love the descriptions. I’d certainly watch that movie! Tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in south central Pennsylvania, about ten minutes away from my ancestors’ eighteenth century farm. This is a rural area, with fertile valleys wedged between the northern Appalachian ridges.

I have a day job thirty-five miles from home, so in order to add to my word count, I have to wake two hours early, write in my car during lunch (while stuffing a sandwich down my throat), and spend every evening and weekend at the keyboard. I know that doesn’t sound pleasant or glamorous, but there is peace in creating something beautiful, and the sacrifice is worth it when I type my two favorite words: THE END.

I can completely relate to that! Sounds very similar to my schedule, but I’m a hardcore weekend warrior. Tell us one thing about yourself your readers may not know about you.

I can’t imagine there’s anything left. I’m an open book, and very active on social media. My friends and followers know I love to interact.

As a friend and follower, I can attest to that! 🙂 What are you working on now?

I am three-quarters of the way through a contemporary, which sees the characters of SCENT reunite in 2013. My main character, born one of Somerled’s descendants, unearths a gold torc on the family farm. Curious about its origins, she travels to Scotland, where she finds more than she bargained for. I tackle the heavy topic of infertility in this one, something else I know a bit about.

Sounds like a must-read to me! Please keep us posted on the release date. 😀 Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your story with us (both real and fictional). You are awesome, Julie! Before you go, let us know where we can find you.

Stop by and say hello. I love to chat.

SITE: www.juliedoherty.com

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/juliedohertywrites

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SquareSails

GOODREADS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/532434.Julie_Doherty 

A little more about Julie:

Julie is a member of Romance Writers of America and Central PA Romance Writers. When not writing, she enjoys antiquing, shooting longbow, traveling, and cooking over an open fire at her cabin. She lives in Pennsylvania with her Glasgow-born Irish husband, who sounds a lot like her characters.

And now for SCENT OF THE SOUL!

In twelfth century Scotland, it took a half-Gael with a Viking name to restore the clans to their rightful lands. Once an exile, Somerled the Mighty now dominates the west. He’s making alliances, expanding his territory, and proposing marriage to the Manx princess.

It’s a bad time to fall for Breagha, a torc-wearing slave with a supernatural sense of smell.

Somerled resists the intense attraction to a woman who offers no political gain, and he won’t have a mistress making demands on him while he’s negotiating a marriage his people need. Besides, Breagha belongs to a rival king, one whose fresh alliance Somerled can’t afford to lose.

It’s when Breagha vanishes that Somerled realizes just how much he needs her. He abandons his marriage plans to search for her, unprepared for the evil lurking in the shadowy recesses of Ireland—a lustful demon who will stop at nothing to keep Breagha for himself.

BOOK TRAILER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBuB3WC3FGU

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Scent-Soul-Julie-Doherty-ebook/dp/B00SZ0SKUE

AMAZON UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Scent-Soul-Julie-Doherty-ebook/dp/B00SZ0SKUE

AMAZON CANADA: http://www.amazon.ca/Scent-Soul-Julie-Doherty-ebook/dp/B00SZ0SKUE

AMAZON AUSTRALIA: www.amazon.com.au/Scent-Soul-Julie-Doherty-ebook/dp/B00SZ0SKUE

Hope you enjoyed today’s post, dear reader! Thanks for stopping by! 😀