For author Paris Sommers, truth has become stranger than fiction. she's fallen in love with a man who exists only in her mind—a man she invented as a pseudonym for the fast-paced, testosterone-laden spy novels she writes. Now the man of her dreams is standing beside her, touching her, loving her.— But who is he?
Bar owner Devin O'Malley wanted Paris the first moment he saw her. And he was willing to do just about anything to get her—including becoming novelist Montgomery Alexander, but his deception worked too well. Before long, he'd stolen his way into Paris's bed and into her heart. Was she in love with Devin—or the fantasy he portrayed?
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.
Julie Kenner's NOBODY DOES IT BETTER provides a sexy read that includes the outrageous and the humorous. This light and quick novel will leave the reader hungering for more from this author's pen.
Within twenty-four hours, Paris Sommer's plan goes right down the drain. She had it all figured out. Write a couple more testosterone-laden adventures under her pen name, pad her bank account, and then write the great American novel that academia and her father would be proud of. Somewhere in the mix she would find a nice husband, have a couple of kids and live in a house in the suburbs. And it looked like her plan was going to work; that is, until the hero of her fiction walked through the door.
Devin O'Malley, owner of a local pub and son of a con artist, couldn't help overhearing Paris and Rachel's conversation. If Paris needed Montgomery Alexander to walk into a party thrown in his honor, then that's what would happen. A little hair dye, a change of clothes and a quick study of her previous novels, and Devin transforms himself into the supposed author. But he hadn't counted on a three-week stint of imitating the fictional author, nor had he figured out where he's going to get $20,000 to keep the mob from doing horrible things to his father. But what's the mob compared to his wild attraction and desperate longing for Paris?
This sexy, funny tale will leave the reader in stitches. Julie Kenner is a rising star with romance, and bears watching. Her indomitable style, mischievous romantic streak, and quick moving plots are wonderful entertainment. As a reviewer, I've already had a sneak peak at her next book THE CAT'S FANCY, due out in August. Both NOBODY DOES IT BETTER and THE CAT'S FANCY are not to be missed!
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I picked this book up after reading an online review, and totally loved it. Read it in one sitting and am dying for more! I surfed over here hoping Ms. Kenner had more books, but I guess I have to wait until August. This is one HOT book; fast-paced and fun. Check it out...you won't be sorry! Ms. Kenner ... great debut!
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This review is from: Nobody Does It Better (Mass Market Paperback)
Well, I'm sorry to break the lucky 5-star streak that the book's had so far, but God the book was really bad. Boring doesn't cut it. If you want to read a good sexy book, go to Karen Kendall. Julie Kenner was a big disappointment. I did enjoy her book on the Bridesmaid Chronicles (but enjoyed K.K.'s much better). Read one of her books and compare... the $5.00 I spent on this book were the worst $5 I've spent on a book - EVER.
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