My Journey So Far... By Stephanie Julian

I've been a writer all my professional life. I started writing in high school, took creative writing classes at a local arts institute after school, and knew from an early age that I'd go to college to get an English degree. Of course, I had no idea what I'd do with it.

Luckily, just before I graduated, my dad told me to apply for a job at the local newspaper. Journalism had never been a career I'd considered but I needed a real job because I knew I couldn't work at the movie theater all my life. I actually loved working at the theater because it fed my two-film a week habit for many years.

I started freelancing for the paper, mainly because I wasn't very good at traditional journalism. But I had a gift for writing features. It took almost a year but I was finally hired full-time and given my own municipal beat. Which I absolutely hated. I wanted to be back in features. More specifically, I wanted to be in the entertainment department.

It took a few years, but I got there. I got to do movie, theater and music reviews and any and all entertainment features. I've interviewed blues legend James Cotton, the original Steve from "Blues Clues" and, just after the release of her first album, Taylor Swift. I've interviewed book cover artist extraordinaire Chip Kidd several times and I reviewed Broadway stage star and "Glee" guest Jonathon Groff before he became a Broadway star.

When I had my first child, my husband and I decided I would quit full time and go freelance. Again. It was a struggle to work at home with a baby but it was also a blessing because after I had my second son, I decided I was going back to my first love. Writing romance.

My husband, a born and bred newspaper man, was working nights at this time and I can remember writing my first novel at night after putting my 2-year-old to bed while I rocked the 3-month-old in his carrier with my foot. I spent my days writing for money but my nights were spent dreaming.

It took a few years to sell my first and second book. Then it took another four years to sell the third in a completely different genre. Next week, MOONLIGHT TEMPTATION, the fourth book in the Lucani Lovers series, will release. It's my 12th release from Ellora's Cave in the past 36 months.

I've been lucky to be able to write exactly what I love to write, whether it's a theater review or story about Etruscan werewolves and witches.

It's been an exciting journey to get to this point and it's a journey I hope continues for a good long time.