A mind-bending code spawned from the mind of a madman...or maybe just a jealous ex.
A desperate race through the cathedrals and hotels of New York City...with a teeny bit of time for shopping, it's true.
An astonishing truth concealed for years, unveiled at last...with more than a little help from a supercute new guy.
As if a recent breakup, scrounging for rent money, and lusting after designer shoes weren't enough, Melanie Prescott starts receiving obscure codes and clues from a menacing stranger. She attempts to solve the mysteries -- enlisting the help of a tall, dark, and handsome new friend -- with high hopes for the multimillion-dollar reward guaranteed at the end (handbags, sunglasses, and shoes, oh my!). That is, if she can survive the deadly game.
When Julie was knee-high to a grasshopper (an expression that she would like it known she has never, ever used in real life) she informed her parents that she was going to be a novelist, and proceeded to write Kitty Claws, a bestselling book about a cat as Santa. (The book sold out its entire print-run of one, so lets not split hairs about that "best-selling" thing, okay?)
After that stellar start, Julie continued to dabble in the literary arts, writing short stories on yellow pads that she forced her mother to type, scribbling poems on ruled notebook paper that she forced her mother to type, making up skits and songs that she forced her mother to watch and listen to, and diving head-first into high school journalism, at which point, mom finally got a break.
In college, she continued with the journalism thing, picking that as her major and working at The Daily Texan, the student newspaper for the University of Texas. The idea that she could actually write novels and, oh, buy food too, completely eluded her.
The journalism thing cranked along nicely for about one semester. Then Julie got a job as a production assistant on a movie originally called Splatter, but which was released as Future Kill (and can still be found in Blockbuster and through Netflix), with really great Giger poster art. Julie worked her tail off, appeared as an extra, had a great time, and promptly switched her major to film.
Graduating at the ripe old age of 19, Julie chickened out and didn't move to Los Angeles to become the next Steven Spielberg. Instead, she stayed in Austin and worked as a media assistant until she decided that perhaps law school was the better way to go because, hey, a degree in film slides so seamlessly into law. (Or, more likely, grad school was inevitable and the LSAT seemed doable.) Not one to waste time, Julie took the LSAT in December, and was admitted to Baylor Law School on a full scholarship the following February. Law school and Julie got along great, and after graduation, Julie went to work as a law clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, where she had a fabulous time drafting legal opinions, preparing the judge for court, and taking regular trips to New Orleans on a government per diem. During her two year stint as a clerk, the writing bug bit again, and Julie wrote a stage play that will never, ever see the light of day. Really. So don't even ask.
After her clerkship, Julie decided she could handle moving to the Big City, and she took a job with Skadden, Arps in L.A., where she worked on a variety of cases with some very smart lawyers. After a year, she moved on to smaller and smaller firms (and had a short stint as a production exec at a small film company, thus justifying all those credit hours in college). She continued to work with very smart lawyers, one of whom introduced Julie to Julie Garwood (her books, not the woman herself), and the writing bug bit again.
Though Julie had been dabbling with writing in her limited spare time, she'd lacked focus. Now, she'd found it, and she was determined to write an historical romance. You may, after reviewing Julie's book list, note that there are no historical romances on there. Let's just say that she didn't succeed at that task. Julie did, however, discover that while she has a head for contemporary nuances, the ins-and-outs of historical detail are enough to make her head explode.
The in-progress historical was promptly shelved, and Julie turned her attention to fleshing out a contemporary romance, having decided that category romance was the way to go, since with the demands of a legal job, she'd be much more likely to finish 240 manuscript pages than 400.
Finish them she did, and though she got nice feedback on the voice, the novel didn't sell. One editor, Harlequin's Brenda Chin, returned a rejection letter with a note that the hook wasn't enough of a "sexy premise."
Always up for a challenge, Julie came up with the opening line, "You need a man," which she thought had oodles of sexy premise potential. She just had to find a story to go with the line. Eventually, she did, and Nobody Does It Better, Julie's first published novel, was born. She entered the first few chapters in contests, finaled, and was ultimately judged by that same Brenda Chin, who ended up buying the manuscript. (Which is not the reason Julie thinks Brenda is a really cool person. Truly.)
By that time, Julie had realized that 400 pages were manageable after all, and she'd almost completed a paranormal romance along the lines of The Little Mermaid about a cat who is in love with her master. The Cat's Fancy sold just a few months after the original sale. Both books came out in 2000, along with a second Temptation, and Julie has had at least 3 books hit the shelves annually every since, and now has well over twenty books to her credit, crossing over a multitude of genres, most of which are represented in some way by the clever pictures in the collage at the top of this page.
Praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a "flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations," Julie's books have hit lists as varied as USA Today, Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and Locus Magazine, all of which has made Julie a happy camper. Julie is also a two-time RITA finalist, both times for books about strong women (a superhero and a demon-hunter). There's probably some deep meaning there, and if you know what it is, feel free to drop Julie a line.
Julie was also the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001, the winner of the Reviewers International Organization's award for best romantic suspense of 2004 and best paranormal of 2005, and the winner of the National Readers' Choice Award for best mainstream book of 2005. Not that she's keeping track or anything.
Julie writes a range of stories including quirky romances, sexy contemporaries, young adult novels, suspense, paranormal mommy lit, and (soon!) darker urban fantasy.
Her initial foray into the urban fantasy mommy lit genre--Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom--proved especially successful, resulting in a Booksense pick, a Target break-out book, other accolades and honors, and a movie deal. Specifically, Carpe Demon, is in development as a feature film with Warner Brothers and 1492 Pictures. Julie frequently pounds on her battered wooden desk (Salvation Army, $25, gotta love it) in order to urge the project from development to screen. (In Hollywood, these things are never certain until you're watching the movie and eating popcorn.)
Julie and her husband moved from Southern California back to Texas in 1995, and Julie quit the practice of law to write full time in 2004. Now, she lives and writes in central Texas with her husband, two daughters, and several cats. She is an active supporter of Love Without Boundaries. Click here to learn more about the charities Julie supports.
This review is from: The Givenchy Code (Code, Book 1) (Paperback)
A self-confessed numbers geek and designer shoe aficionado, Mel Prescott suddenly finds herself thrust into a live version of an on-line game of cat and mouse, with her as the prey. Mel, a perennial student (and hopeful NSA operative), has a passion for ciphers and cryptology, so she is up to the challenge, especially since Sydney Bristow is her heroine. She initially ignores the invitation to the game when it proclaims that she has to "play or die", and she wants no part of the sick game.
Matthew Stryker, a former marine is assigned as her "protector." At first she does not believe what he is telling her when he tries to explain the game to her. He knows all too well how serious it is, since a few months ago, he ignored the clues, and as a result, another women who did not play the game was found dead. Together, Mel and Stryker travel all over Manhaten trying to solve a series of clues and puzzles to elude her assassin Lynx and complete the game. But the assassin has raised the stakes by murdering Mel's former lover. Adding complications is the growing attraction between Mel and Stryker as they race the clock to beat Lynx at his own game.
The story is fast-paced and the writing is witty. The only thing that turned me off is that the protagonist was the stereotypical post-Sex in the City single with a designer clothing and shoe fetish. It gets old after awhile that every chicklit heroine seems to have this annoying attribute. Other than that, it is a great story with a punny premise loosely mirroring the infamous "Da Vinci Code" right down to the clever book cover. Defnintely a great way to wile away the afternoon!
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This review is from: The Givenchy Code (Code, Book 1) (Paperback)
Melanie Prescott's day was not starting out well. It's a gloomy and drizzly day, she has to walk six dogs at once, and she runs into her ex-boyfriend. Then a mysterious man hands her an envelope that will change her life. Inside is a message: Play or die. She initially thought it was a joke, a friend playing on her love of codes and ciphers, but soon she knows it's real.
Melanie once played an online game called Play.Survive.Win, and played it well. She eventually lost interest and forgot about it, but now someone has taken that game and modified it for the real world. She must truly play or die. She meets sexy Matthew Stryker, who has been designated her Protector by the game mastermind. He didn't take the message seriously the first time, and a woman died. He won't make the same mistake twice. They need to work together to decipher the clues while playing cat and mouse across Manhattan with an assassin who is equally determined to win.
What can I say about this book? In one word: Wow. From the first page, I was hooked. THE GIVENCHY CODE starts out like an ordinary chick lit novel with designer clothes and ex-boyfriend problems, but it quickly changes into a riveting romantic suspense that is full of action. It even adds in the perfect amount of sexual tension to keep things hot. Melanie handles being forced into the game of her life in what I thought was a very realistic way. She also actually uses her brain rather than completely depending on Stryker's brawn. Stryker and her also work very well together. They make quite the team and their sexual tension is incredible. Stryker is a one hot and capable hero, and it's not just his strength and military training that's needed for their survival. This is one action-packed romance that you won't want to miss. Fresh and irresistible, I hope Julie Kenner plans to write more books such as this one. I highly recommend THE GIVENCHY CODE and can't wait to reread it.
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This review is from: The Givenchy Code (Code, Book 1) (Paperback)
I've never read any Julie Kenner books before so I didn't know what to expect from this book. It was like an adult version of a treasure hunt with a life on the line. It was a fast paced read and I enjoyed it. It's very entertaining. The only thing this book lacked some some thrilling action packed scenes.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one 'The Manolo Matrix', which I hope has more action.
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