Nineteenteen: Like us, you are
fascinated with all things Jane, from Jane Austen to Jane Eyre. What drew you to
early 19th century England and romance in particular?
Julie: Reading books like The
Secret Garden and Jane Eyre at a
young age certainly made quite an impression on me and cemented my love of “all
things England.” But why the early 19th century in particular? It’s
all Colin Firth’s fault. Like many women, I was smitten by him as Mr. Darcy in
the 1995 BBC/A&E adaptation of Pride
& Prejudice. Seeing it led me to re-read Jane Austen’s novels and in
turn, to set my novels in the Regency period.
Nineteenteen: Ah, Colin. Yes, he is known for leading many of us a merry dance. You, however, are known for
your impeccable research, which really came through in The Secret of Pembrooke Park. Did you turn up anything unexpected
or especially exciting as you researched the book?
Julie: Thank you. I try! Most of the research for this novel
revolved around the life of clergymen and Anglican services in the 19th
century, but I’m not sure I’d call that exciting. One fun new topic I
researched was hidden rooms. Secret rooms, passages, and hiding places were not
all that uncommon in ancient manor houses. They came in handy over the
centuries when you found yourself on the wrong side of a monarch and wished to
keep your head. Or if you, say, needed to hide a priest during the reign of
Elizabeth I. One of the places I visited while in England in 2014 was
Chastleton House to see its historic secret room. It saved at least one life,
we know, when a quick-thinking wife hid her husband there, then offered the
search party a lovely meal laced with drugs. While the soldiers slept if off,
she sneaked her husband safely past them. I loved seeing a real secret room in
person, and it helped me better imagine the one in The Secret of Pembrooke Park.
Nineteenteen: Regina loved the
treasure hunting aspect of the story. What inspired you to include that in the
book?
Julie: I was first inspired to write about an abandoned manor, and
decided to give it a secret room because I had come across them in my research,
plus I had a “secret room” behind my closet as a girl growing up (where I kept
my Trixie Belden books and posters of teen heartthrobs Parker Stevenson and
Shaun Cassidy). But what fun is a secret room, I thought, without the hope of
something tantalizing hidden inside? So the idea of rumored treasure was born.
Nineteenteen: And now the really
important question: if you were making your first appearance in Regency
society, what would you wear?
Julie: Goodness. Since I currently own only one Regency era dress—a
pink ball gown with lace at neckline and puffed sleeves—I suppose I would wear
that. Though at my age, I would likely be accused of being “mutton dressed as
lamb.”
[Editorial note: as you can see from this photo, Julie actually looks rather dreamy in her pink gown.]
Nineteenteen: We know you just
turned in a manuscript to your publisher. What's it about, and what's next for
you? A little bird told us you might be
having more books out, with a second publisher.
Julie: Yes, in 2015 I will have two books coming out. Lady Maybe in July with Berkley/Penguin,
which is about a woman whose startling secrets lead her into unexpected danger and
romance in Regency England. And The
Painter’s Daughter in December with Bethany House, which is my first novel
with the often-requested marriage of convenience premise.
Nineteenteen: They both sound great! Thank you so much for joining us.
Julie: Thanks for asking and thanks for having me here!
If you'd like more information about Julie and her award-winning books, you can find her online at her website http://www.julieklassen.com/ or on Facebook.
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