Seeing Julia (43 page)

Behind me, I hear the distinct rustle of bed sheets. I smile.

“Julia? Come back to bed, babe. We have a big day ahead of us. Kite-flying, sex, Reid, a marriage license, more sex when Reid’s napping, a barbecue, the inner circle. A
big
day.” Jake laughs.

“I’m just greeting my new life.”

“Well, come greet it over here,” he drawls.

I turn to him and smile.

And, he’s all I see.

≈*≈*≈

The End

With Gratitude

T
his is a special thank you to a group of women who served as my Beta readers for
Seeing Julia
during the fourth of July weekend of 2010. I was on a short deadline to complete the novel and Melissa Schaub, Darla Heitman, Colleen Coady, and Cheryl Oliver took the time out of their busy holiday plans to help me out by reading the final draft of this novel, providing valuable feedback. Additionally, these four have read several versions of
Seeing Julia
and have encouraged me throughout the process with this particular story. This final version may not please them all because I had to cut out some awesome scenes, but their support has been invaluable to my success with this novel.

I’d also like to thank all my teachers and classmates at
The Writer’s Studio
for their invaluable feedback on my writing which also shaped this work. Additionally, I would like to say a special thank you to Lori Zue whose editorial review helped shape this original story. Finally, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have inquired or encouraged me along the way. It helps so much with the writing process.
Thank you, all of you, for your encouragement, support, and love.

A
nd, to all my readers: thank you
so much
for reading my work.

Katherine Owen

Dedication

For Dad, I miss you.

Thank you so much for reading
Seeing Julia
!
I hope you loved reading it as much as I loved writing it.

If you enjoyed
Seeing Julia
, I would love to ask you for a favor. Please go back to wherever you purchased this book (Amazon.com, etc …) and leave an honest review of the novel.

Authors live and die by their reviews. The few extra minutes it takes you to leave a review really helps out!

If you use Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads, it would also really help me out if you let everyone know why you enjoyed
Not To Us
as well!

And,
thank you so much
for reading my work!

Note: There’s a
Book Club Discussion
at my website. Click
here
.

What inspired you to write
Seeing Julia
?

This novel was a long, arduous journey. An early version was 190,000 plus words long and took place in Paris the entire time. It’s in a box hidden away. This final version is the result of various critiques that I received over the past few years.
Seeing Julia
from Chapter Four on is all new to most readers, including the ones that read it early on. As for the story, I think of it as a tribute to my dad. Losing someone you are close to alters your life’s course. I wanted to explore that theme in my writing. The idea of developing a character who loses her parents at the age of sixteen was compelling. The story went from there. Then, the questions began: What if she lost someone else she cares about? How would such tragic events define her?

Can you talk about Evan?

In the early versions, Evan was perfect, almost saintly, however, this made it difficult to get Jake and Julia together in the time frame that I wanted to from a social mores point of view. So, I started thinking: What if Evan wasn’t so perfect? What then? How would it affect Julia if she learned of betrayal after his death?

Can you talk about Savannah Bennett?

Savannah was a late-comer to the novel. I had her as a background character in all the earlier drafts. She was still a complication for Jake, but not so out front and center when she arrives on scene in this final story. Savannah kept coming back to me. I wrote Chapter Nineteen after I thought the novel was completely done. My sister read the update and said, “No one could be that mean.” I disagreed. I think someone who is threatened can act out this way. So, I left the chapter alone, refined it, and weaved it into the plot line. It changes the entire complexion of the story and has the desired effect. It created the necessary tension for all of these characters. She was fun to write. Her goals are clear: to get what she wants, at any cost.

What is your writing process? How do you get the ideas for stories?

Well, I don’t do outlines. I’ve tried them in the past, but, for me, an outline just slows down my writing process. I don’t know where the story is going to go when I first start writing it. The characters,
literally
, take me there, on a journey. They visit me at night or when I’m doing the dishes or driving my car. I see scenes in my head and try to write them down when the inspiration comes to me. Sometimes, I talk to my husband and tell him what I’m thinking of. Often, he tells me to put in something with a mystery to it (kidnapping, murder, anything with a spy theme to it) and every time I say
no way
. Regardless, he has helped me tremendously with the plotting of all my novels. He keeps me grounded, especially when my ego starts to soar too high with the praise from others for my work.

Another thing to know about my process is: I take writing classes with
The Writer’s Studio
. I cannot say enough about what I have gained in taking these classes through this amazing program. The prologue of
Seeing Julia
as well as Chapter Four were a direct result of my coursework.

As I’ve noted before, I steal ideas all the time: names, occupations, mannerisms, word choices, scenes, people, places, and things. Watch out! I’m always on the lookout for the unusual circumstance or name for the plot line of my next book.

What’s your favorite scene from
Seeing Julia
?

Just one? Chapter Four was a challenge to write in trying to convey the heartbreak and outline the horror that Julia saw when she came upon the accident and have her describe it to Dr. Bradley Stevenson. Another favorite for me is Chapter Nineteen with Savannah because it was just such a turning point in the story and so unexpected. Also, I enjoyed writing Chapter Twenty-One because I had to write in a way that conveyed her emotional breakdown, yet stay with Julia’s point of view. Finally, there’s Chapter Twenty-Two—the scene between Jake and Julia at LAX. It’s probably my favorite because they are so far apart in terms of mindset, yet so close in their connection in so many other ways.

What’s next?
I’m writing, writing, writing.

What’s the best way to reach you or provide comments about your novels?
Please visit my website:
http://www.katherineowen.net
. I would love to hear from you. I have a lot of extras at the website such as book club discussions, reviews, interviews, and updates about upcoming books. Once again,
thank you
for reading
Seeing Julia
.

**~**~**

Anointed a
female fictionista
by an overzealous Georgia Bulldog fan, I immediately took it for my job description.

I write. I write a lot. And, when I’m not writing, I think about writing
a lot
. You may think we’re having a conversation, but invariably I’m stealing your name, asking how to spell it, or describing the look on your face in five words or less. I write dark, moody stuff with the sometimes funny. I write lyrical, fantastical, amazing stuff. My readers complain they can’t put the book down because just when they think they’ve figured the story out, it changes and becomes something else.

I spend hours on photo sites looking for the right look for my book coverart. I know the models and photographers by name. It’s part of my over-controlling tendencies. I like controlling everything to do with my books.

I am married and have two children and they all like having me home, but complain that I write too much. Add to that the twittering and the facebooking and the wordpressing and google plus-ing and checking Amazon and now, Pinterest; it’s a full-time gig. And, I take classes with The Writers Studio, so I’m “literary” besides.

When I’m not writing, I like to drink good wine or champagne and look at my awesome view which I rarely see from my writing refuge.

Don’t ask.

So. That’s a little about me.

Here’s the standard stuff. I am a graduate of the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a major in Editorial Journalism and a minor in English Literature. My debut novel,
Seeing Julia
, won the Zola Award and First Place with the Pacific Northwest Writers Association in 2010. So far, I’ve written and released three novels:
Seeing Julia, Not To Us
and
When I See You
. I’m busy writing my next novel.

Katherine Owen

If you loved the poignant love story of
Seeing Julia
and the unexpected ways relationships were tested by love, trust, and fate, you should check out my latest novel,
When I See You
.

PRAISE FOR When I See You…

“I just finished reading Ms. Owen’s newest novel--in less than two days. I love this author’s writing style! Her books are well-written and extremely touching. When I start reading one of her books, I can’t seem to put it down until I finish it!”
EmmeCCRN -
Amazon Review

“ … just when you think you know what’s next, The unexpected happens. Just wonderful Katherine Owen you did it again, I have read your Other books which were GREAT, but this one was the best. What a great read. I highly recommend this book you won’t be disappointed. What a great movie this one would be.”
Gail Bedard -
Amazon Review