Hi, Juli, and thanks for being my guest today! Tell us a little about your current release.
The Artist’s Inheritance was inspired by a dare. My best friend and I were talking about what we were going to do about Christmas presents that year and she suggested writing stories. Writing is something I’d always loved to do but I’d never thought of giving stories as gifts. The story blossomed from a reading of the Mabinogion and when it came time to give it away, the story wouldn’t let go. So, I kept working on it and expanded it into the book it is today.
Blurb: Trouble only a witch can solve…
Settling into a new home, Caitlin notices changes coming over her husband. When nightmares deepen and ghosts begin lurking–Caitlin knows something’s not right, and not just her newfound precognitive abilities. It’s the damned chair her husband’s carving, she’s sure. Could it be just what it seems: a mundane piece of furniture? If so, why is it attracting dark forces–the forces she suspects drove Trevor’s siblings to insanity and suicide?
Armed with a handful of allies–a coven of helpful witches–she must proceed with caution against the hellish forces besieging her family. If she fails, she may lose forever the one thing she cares about most: her beloved Trevor.
I also recently released a story called House of Cards. That was inspired. . . you know, this is embarrassing but I can’t recall what inspired that one. It’s about a young man fleeing the French Reign of Terror. I think I just saw him (Sinjon) in his carriage flipping through his tarot cards in a vain attempt to take his mind off worrying whether or not he would survive the night, but the hag, now she was influenced by a vague memory of the Clive Barker movie Night Breed. You’ll have to read it to see what I did there.
What are you working on now? Do you have any releases scheduled for this year?
I’ve finished the first draft of the follow up to The Artist’s Inheritance and hope to get it out this spring. I also have a little “Extra” for the Antique Magic series that I hope to have out on Amazon/Smashwords/B&N before Christmas. Meanwhile, I have a paranormal romance that I hope to have out with The Wild Rose Press sometime this year J and possibly-maybe-I’m not sure yet, a follow-up to House of Cards in late 2013 or early 2014, depending. (Gosh, 2014 sounds so futuristic, doesn’t it?)
Can you share with us “the call” story?
There was really nothing to it. I finished the edits and formatted it for Smashwords and Kindle and hit upload. For the PNR for The Wild Rose Press that’s forthcoming I sent the manuscript in and the editor emailed me back with a request for revisions and then, finally, the contract. We had a little snafu with differences in computer versions, but it all worked out in the end.
Where do you start when writing? Research, plotting, character, or…?
Character always. The characters almost always walk in first and start chattering. The research and everything else comes with them, and whatever needs to be added to their initial hello I’ll hit the library or the internet for.
What is the best thing about being an author?
Being able to tell a story the way I want to tell it and taking risks on the stories, just to see, if I can pull them off. It’s probably the only thing with which I’m a risk-taker!
What did you learn from writing your first book or what do you wish you’d known before becoming published?
How to format for ebooks, so I wouldn’t’ve had to waste so much time trying to fix the formatting mistakes before saving the final draft.
Do you have a favorite time of day for writing?
Usually after about lunch time to eight pm.
Do you have a favorite hero and/or heroine in your books and why?
Yes, the heroines of The Artist’s Inheritance—Caitlin and her three witch friends Beryl, Sealya and Heather. Caitlin’s just a tough girl who won’t brook no guff no matter what harries her, Beryl is knowledgeable in the mythology I love, Sealya has a magic touch with plants (while my thumb’s sort of Grayish green ;)) and Heather Knows Everyone necessary to get jobs done. *laughs* Together they’re a perfect set of friends.
What is your favorite scene from this story and why?
In The Artist’s Inheritance I think my favorite is the scene where Beryl, Sealya, and Heather point out what Cait’s really growing in her garden because it shows how intuitive she is, and points it out to her that she’s more than she thinks she is. 😉 In House of Cards? Herm… I think the scene on the hilltop where Sinjon’s trying to figure out the Hag’s riddle.
What do you like to read?
That’s a tough question as I read just about everything. My favorites are the Elric novels and Von Bek novels by Michael Moorcock, but I also enjoy Poe, Virginia Woolf, Tolkien, Lisa Gardner. I read rather widely.
Do you have any good news you’d like to share?
I’ve just sold a paranormal romance novel to The Wild Rose Press. J
These are few of my favorite things:
1. Fantasy and science fiction novels, especially the works of Michael Moorcock
2. Mythology and music—Celtic for both but I also love rock, classical, and various alternative bands.
3. I love various movies; it’s hard to choose which is my favorite: Excalibur, the Aliens movies, The Pirates of the Carribbean movies, The Bourne Identity. I could go on and on. There are so many, so little time to watch them all!
Excerpt From The Artist’s Inheritance:
Beryl tsked, shaking her head. “Caitie, my dear, we need to get you in our circle. Come to our full moon meeting.”
Caitlin raised a hand as if warding something off. “Oh, no. No thanks. Trevor already thinks something’s wrong with me.”
“Is there?”
The words stalled hers. Beryl crossed her arms. “Do you want to help him? I can’t help you if I don’t know what you can do.”
“I don’t do anything but faint.”
“And dream of dead soldiers, and speak of their memories—and carry their talismans. That’s powerful medicine. You need to know how to use it.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Beryl took her arm. “Good girl. Now, show me this garden you told me about.”
The late afternoon remained warm, but frosty fear spread through her as the witches circled her home. She shaded her eyes from the sun, wondering what they did.
A glance to the attic’s window showed her the top of Trevor’s chair, and she looked away.
The witches convened together before the garden plot and she watched them converse quietly. “Marjoram, roses, Greek sage. These should be good enough. Echinacea. Good choice.” Beryl ran her fingers over the rosemary leaves and looked over at Sealya. “She knows something of herbal magick.”
The opportunity felt too important to pass up. “What are you talking about?”
“Your garden, dear. Why didn’t you tell me you practice herbal magick?”
“Magick?” Me? Caitlin studied her garden, wondering.
“Those are cooking herbs and . . . pretty flowers.”
“Are they?”
Bio: Juli D. Revezzo is a Florida girl, with a love of fantasy, science fiction, and Arthurian legend, so much so she gained a B.A. in English and American Literature. She loves writing stories with fantastical elements whether it be a full-on fantasy, or a story set in this world–slightly askew. She has been published in short form in Eternal Haunted Summer, Dark Things II: Cat Crimes (a charity anthology for cat related charities), Luna Station Quarterly, The Scribing Ibis: An Anthology of Pagan Fiction in Honor of Thoth, and Twisted Dreams Magazine. She recently released her debut novel, The Artist’s Inheritance.
She also has an article and book review or two out there. But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of the Independent Author Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.
Juli’s books are available at:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/c8msbyb
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/juli-d.-revezzo
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jdrevezzo
And in paperback from Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/3976218
You can find Juli at:
Website: http://julidrevezzo.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Juli-D-Revezzo/233193150037011
Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5782712.Juli_D_Revezzo
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts
Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/JuliDRevezzo/
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/authors/a1002694572/Juli-D-Revezzo/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/julidrevezzo
babettejames.com 
I am always looking for new authors to read. Glad for the tour so I get introduced to authors I never heard of.
Thank you, Joyce! 🙂 I hope you enjoy the book. Babette, sorry it took me so long to get in here and comment. I hope you all had a great week, and have a Merry Christmas.