about JQ
JQ's bookshelf
coming next from JQ

Bonus Features
Quinn-tessential Quotes
Music & Lyrics
Deleted Scenes
JQ in Blogland
Dedications
Bridgertone Couture

JQ recommends
news & events
Community
JQ around the world

JQ home
JQ home pageExclusive E-BooksThe BridgertonsJQ's shopuk readersfrequently asked questionsContest Site
Bonus Features

Avatars

Download any of the following avatars, available in three sizes.
(Medium size is shown)

All Covers
UK covers
small
medium
large
UK Covers
UK covers
small
medium
large
Bridgerton Covers
UK covers
small
medium
large

Screensavers and Wallpapers

Bridgerton Screensaver
Bridgertons screensaver
Download the appropriate zipped file according to your monitor resolution. Unzip the file and set your screensaver to file through the folder of images.

Download the Screensaver:
800 x 600
1024 x 768
1280 x 1024

Stay tuned for wallpapers.

 

It's a three-author extravaganza — and it's FREE! The What Happens in London bookmark is one fourth of a star-studded download. Brand new, and available only on this website and the websites of Eloisa James and Elizabeth Boyle, download the free pdf of four bookmarks. Cut them out or leave the pdf whole, this is a collectors' item. Tell your friends!

The Mr. Cavendish, I Presume version features Kathryn Caskie, Elizabeth Boyle, and Samantha James. Get the free poster of four bookmarks heralding their latest releases.

Don't miss The Lost Duke of Wyndham version, which features Eloisa James, Elizabeth Boyle, and Laura Lee Guhrke.

Three-Author Extravaganza

Four-Author ExtravaganzaFour-Author Extravaganza

 

What Happens in LondonThere is always one line in every book that seems to sum it up. One line (or okay, one paragraph) that captures the essence of the story. Every few months, we will feature a different book. If we pick your Quinn-tessential Quote, you will be entered in a drawing for a free book.*

The current selection is What Happens in London.

Skip to examples of other Quinn-tessential quotes.

*As for any contest, certain rules apply. Few people actually read fine print (but we have posted them, so knock yourselves out), so we will summarize highlights and adjustments here: no purchase necessary (JQ's books are readily available in libraries). And since this isn't entirely a contest of chance, and some subjectivity applies, the fine print differs thusly: all correctly submitted entries will be judged by JQ herself with submitter's names obscured, which is the closest thing to "winner chosen by random" that we can get to in a subjective selective process. If more than one entrant submits the winning quinn-tessential quote, then the prize winner will be selected at random from the pool of winning entries. As for which book will be sent, that is subject to availability, and JQ's whim. She will probably contact the winner with a couple of options, but this is not guaranteed.


E-mail address:
Name:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:
State or Province:
ZIP or Postal Code:
Country:
Quinn-tessential Quote for What Happens in London:
What is 2 plus 3?  Please help us combat spam. This question helps prove that you are a real person and not a spam bot.
 

 

Past Quinn-tessential Quotes:

Minx> From Minx, suggested by Jasmine in Ontario, Catherine in Michigan, and Issa in the Philippines

"You don't always have to kiss a lot of frogs to recognize a prince when you find one."



The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever> From The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever, suggested by Tomoko from Japan, Ellen Grace from the Philippines, Ashley from Ohio, and Desiree from Illinois

Today I fell in love.

> From An Offer from a Gentleman, suggested by Victoria from Ontario, Canada, Giovanna from Puerto Rico, and Elizabeth from New South Wales, Australia

An Offer from a GentlemanIt suddenly made sense. Only twice in his life had he felt this inexplicable, almost mystical attraction to a woman. He’d thought it remarkable, to have found two, when in his heart he’d always believed there was only one perfect woman out there for him.

His heart had been right. There was only one.

> From To Catch an Heiress, suggested by Ashley from WA and Claribel from NV

To Catch an HeiressIt occurred to Blake as he was eating supper later that night that he would very much like to kill Miss Caroline Trent. It also occurred to him that this was not a new emotion. She hadn't just turned his life upside down; she'd flipped it sideways, pulled it inside out, and, at certain unmentionable times, lit a fire under it.



> From To Sir Phillip, With Love, suggested by JQ herself!
To Sir Phillip, With Love
Eloise just stared at him. As long as she lived, she’d never understand men. She had four brothers, and quite frankly should have understood them better than most women, and maybe it had taken all of her twenty-eight years to come to this realization, but men were, quite simply, freaks.

top

 

 

Music that inspired my writing, music that reminds me of my books. I didn't always realize it when I was writing them, but each of my books has a soundtrack.

If you'd like to hear thirty-second samples of the songs, please visit my iMixes at iTunes:

Julia Quinn Soundtrack, Part 1icon
Julia Quinn Soundtrack, Part 2icon
Julia Quinn Soundtrack, Part 3icon

Please note that my iMixes contain only the songs that are available at iTunes (which means no Beatles).

Enjoy! ~ JQ

 

Ten Things I Love About YouTen Things I Love About You

"Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti & Spearhead (featuring Cherine Anderson)
"I don't want to write a love song for the world, I just want to write a song about a boy and a girl." Everything about this song makes me think of Sebastian—the melody, the beat, the sheer fun of it. If he were going to write a pop song, this would be it.

"Sunrise" by Norah Jones
The light really is different in the morning.  I never meant for this to become a theme in the book, but I love the way it turned out.

"Is She Really Going Out With Him?" by Joe Jackson
I have loved this song since I was a little kid, and I can totally hear Sebastian muttering the lyrics when he finds out his uncle wants to marry Annabel.

"Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira
No, I'm not kidding. Read the book.

 

What Happens in LondonWhat Happens in London

"Viva La Vida" by Coldplay
I just love this song, and (according to iTunes) I listened to it 32 times while I was revising What Happens in London. Plus, it's about Napoleon (or so I'm told), so it's historically appropriate.

"Nonagon" by They Might be Giants
Harry would so totally know what a nonagon was. And he'd be able to identify it without having to count the sides.

"Two Princes" by Spin Doctors
Irresistibly catchy, and the lyrics do seem to fit the song.

"Single Ladies" by Beyonce
Because I LOVE the song. (And I wanna learn the dance...)

Mr. Cavendish, I PresumeMr. Cavendish, I Presume

"The Waiting is the Hardest Part" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The perfect song for this book. Everyone is waiting to see who is the real Duke of Wyndham, but we all know that Thomas is the one who has it the worst...

"Steady as She Goes" by the Raconteurs
Could this song be any cooler? I love how the lyrics make me thing of Thomas before he falls in love, when Amelia is still his convenient (and ignored) fiancée.

"I Feel it All" by Feist
I do a lot of my writing at Starbucks, and Feist's album The Reminder came into rotation on their playlist while I was writing The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. This song in particular caught my interest, and I eventually downloaded the whole album. I really like how "I Feel it All" seems to capture the emotions of Thomas and Amelia.

"Anchorage" by Michelle Shocked
Mostly because I found myself rather unexpectedly in Anchorage, Alaska when I was finishing this book up. Then (because what the heck? I was already in Alaska in the winter) I took the train to Fairbanks, where I saw the Northern Lights. Which is apropos of nothing, except that it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen, and everyone should see them before they die.

The Lost Duke of WyndhamThe Lost Duke of Wyndham

"Industrial Disease" by Dire Straits
This song came out when I was in high school, and I always loved the irony in the line: "Two men say they're Jesus. One of them must be wrong." From there it was only a quick hop to: "Two men say they're the Duke of Something. One of them must be wrong." The book proposal was actually called, "The Two Dukes of Something." Eventually we came up with Wyndham as a good name.

"Save Tonight" by Eagle-Eye Cherry
I loved this song when it came out. It's so catchy and fun without being bubble-gum. And it really seems to fit the scene at the inn with Jack and Grace.

"Your Hands are Cold" by Jean-Yves Thibaudet, from the Pride and Prejudice (2005) Soundtrack
I listened to the soundtrack to Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley/Matthew MacFadyen version) endlessly while writing The Lost Duke of Wyndham and Mr. Cavendish, I Presume. I'm not sure why I picked this song for the soundrack, except that I had to pick something, and this scene in the movie (Dawn; Darcy walks out of the mist) is soooo romantic.

"Running up that Hill" by Kate Bush
I go through Kate Bush phases. I'll go years without listening to her music, and then all of a sudden I can't turn it off. I started in on The Hounds of Love album again while I was writing this book, and I was stunned by how much the lyrics of the song fit Jack, especially the big scene at the end of the book.

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

"Hung Up" by Madonna
Might as well have been written for the book.  Plus, I have listened to Confessions on the Dance Floor about three thousand times since my best friend and I hopped a plane and went to see Madonna when she played in LA.  (We felt so decadent!)

"Last Year’s Troubles" by Suzanne Vega
I always have to stop and listen to these lyrics.  They seem to almost define historical romance!

"Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab for Cutie
One of my favorite songs to listen to while writing this book.  Plus I love that they celebrate brown eyes.

"Everyday I Write the Book" by Elvis Costello & the Attractions
It’s what I keep telling myself.  Now if I could only stick to my schedule...

On the Way to the Wedding

"Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes
Okay, so only two of Gregory’s seven sibs were present at the ill-fated wedding, but every time I hear the line: "A seven nation army couldn’t hold me back," I picture Gregory fighting his way to the altar.

"Belleville Rendez-Vous" from The Triplets of Belleville
I listened to the soundtrack to this movie constantly while I was writing this book.  I’m still aghast that it lost out best song at the Oscars to that boring Lord of The Rings thing. 

"They" by Jem
I was listening to Jem’s debut album Finally Woken pretty much whenever I wasn’t listening to The Triplets of Belleville soundtrack.  I picked the first track because it reminds me a lot of the end of the On the Way to the Wedding, but the whole album is fabulous.

"The Impression that I Get" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"I’m not a coward, I’ve just never been tested.  I’d like to think if I was, I would pass."  This line just always makes me think of Gregory (who did get tested, and I think he passed!)

top

It’s in His Kiss

"History Repeating" by Propellerheads and Miss Shirley Bassey
I couldn’t begin to tell you why, except it seems like a song Hyacinth would like, and it was the theme song for So Graham Norton (which Americans can watch on BBC America, even though it was an ITV show) and I know that Hyacinth would love that show.

"Here it Goes Again" by Ok Go
I just think that anyone married to Hyacinth would be heard uttering, "Here it Goes Again," a lot.

"Sitting Still" by R.E.M.
Does anybody know the words to this song? Seriously. Anyone? I can only figure out about 15%, but I am fairly certain Michael Stipe sings "waste your time sitting still" a number of times, and if anyone would find sitting still a waste of time, it would be Hyacinth.

"It’s in His Kiss" by Betty Everett
But of course! Plus if you do an iTunes search for "It's in His Kiss," I come up!  (for the audiobook.)

When He Was Wicked

"Tell Her This" by Del Amitri
Such a beautiful, sad (and yet hopeful) song.  I listened to this one a lot while I was writing this book, and it always put me in the right mood.

"SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake
Okay, I know this song wasn’t remotely out while I was writing this book, but When He Was Wicked is unquestionably my sexiest book, and even though I kind of don’t get the whole Justin Timberlake thing, I LOVE this song.

"Cut Me Down" by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Such an underappreciated band. This song feels like Michael to me.

"Don’t Tell Me" by Madonna
And this song feels like Francesca, especially: "Tell me love isn’t true. It’s just something that we do."

top

To Sir Phillip, with Love

"For Emily Wherever I May Find Her" by Simon & Garfunkel
I think this might be the most romantic song ever recorded.  And I sometimes thought of this book in my head as For Eloise, Wherever I May Find Her.

"Your Mother Should Know" by The Beatles
Violet turned out to be the greatest surprise in the Bridgerton series. I had no idea when I began that she would emerge as such a wonderful and fully-realized character. I think it was in this book, however, that we first saw just how wise and perceptive she could be.

"Life on a Chain" by Pete Yorn
"I was waiting over here for life to begin." Doesn’t that sound like Phillip?

"Someday Someway" by Marshall Crenshaw
One of my favorite parts of this book was how Phillip is such a guy. He doesn’t want to talk about things over and over (like Eloise), and the truth is, women just baffle him. Which makes the refrain "Someday, someway, maybe I’ll understand you" totally apt.

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

"Heavy Things" by Phish
Whenever I hear the line: "When I tried/to step aside/I moved to where they hoped I’d be," it makes me think of Penelope. And Colin, for that matter. They were both trying to carve out their own places in the world and kept finding themselves pigeonholed by society.  Plus, I think that if Colin were a modern guy, he’d be a bit of a Deadhead (and by extension, a Phish fan).

"Legend of a Cowgirl" by Imani Coppola
I love this song!  It just screams Girl Power to me.  I can totally see a modern-day Penelope singing it at the top of her lungs if she didn’t think anyone was home.

"Virginia Woolf" by Indigo Girls
A wonderful song about the power of the pen, especially in the hand of a woman.

"Babylon" by David Gray
I listened to this song so often while I was conceiving and writing this book. We were living in London while my husband was studying at the School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and we only brought about ten CDs with us. White Ladder was one of them, and amazingly, I never grew sick of it.

top

An Offer from a Gentleman

"A Sorta Fairytale" by Tori Amos
Well, it is, isn’t it?

"Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in my Hand" by Primitive Radio Gods
For the life of me, I can’t remember why I put this song in this list.  But I love the song, and there’s something about the melody that makes me think of this book.

"Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira
Lovers who never can manage to be in the same place. Plus, I never get sick of this song.

"The Mummer’s Dance" by Loreena McKennitt
Such a gorgeous song, and so atmospheric. Wonderful background music for writing.

The Viscount Who Loved Me

"Cynical Girl" by Marshall Crenshaw
Cynical girls unite! Love love love this song! It’s impossible to listen without grinning.

"When Heroes Go Down" by Suzanne Vega
This song always feels Vega is narrating a fabulous battle of wills.

"The Mind of Love" by K.D. Lang
She doesn’t spell Katharine right (she uses Kathryn) but I love how the song is about a Kathryn fighting falling in love.

"Nobody Does it Better" by Carly Simon
Oh, come on! How could I not?

top

The Duke and I

"Take My Hand" by Dido
I love this song. There is something about the relentless beat under the soaring melody that seems so urgent. It's a surprisingly good song to exercise to! And I love the image of Simon taking Daphne's hand and letting her help him heal.

"Mouth" by Merril Bainbridge
This song fits for so many reasons! Sometimes I feel it is Daphne (minus the part about being famous on TV.)

"God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys
This song makes me tingle.  Somehow the emotion really fits the book.

"Pretty in Pink" by Psychedelic Furs
I don’t care how many pink covers I get for my books--The Duke and I will always be my Pink Book!

How to Marry a Marquis

"Rich Girl" by Gwen Stefani & Eve
Of course, if Elizabeth had been a rich girl, it would have been an entirely different book.

"Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe
Surely Lady Danbury’s personal credo.

"Steal My Kisses" by Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
Fun and mischievous.  This one just feels like the book.

"Good Things" by BoDeans
This song came out in the early 90s, but I only discovered it around the time I was writing this book.

top

To Catch an Heiress

"Nightswimming"  by R.E.M.
I know Michael Stipe says he doesn’t write love songs, but R.E.M. certainly writes love melodies.  It’s beautiful and romantic, and so much of this book takes place at night on the beach.

"Caroline" by David Gray
Self-explanatory.  A great song!

"Games Without Frontiers" by Peter Gabriel (with Kate Bush)
I’ve always loved this song.  It’s so sly and slinky, and it is perfect for my only espionage book.

"I Got Six" from Schoolhouse Rock
I am a huge Schoolhouse Rock fan, and it seems appropriate to celebrate my sixth book with this jazzy number.

Brighter than the Sun

"A Girl in Trouble (Is a Temporary Thing)" by Romeo Void
You gotta love Ellie for solving her own problems! 

"Friday I’m in Love" by The Cure
I read somewhere that The Cure recorded this song because everyone was accusing them of being dark and gloomy all the time.  I kind of think of Brighter than the Sun as my fun book, so it makes sense to pair it with a fun song.

"Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles
An obvious choice, I know, but I can’t resist.

"Whenever You’re on My Mind" by Marshall Crenshaw
There is something utterly irresistible about this song.  It’s catchy, and it’s fun, and it’s so romantic!

top

Everything and the Moon

"You Are the Everything" by R.E.M.
An achingly beautiful song.  I stole a line about the stars and put it in the book.

"Romeo and Juliet" by The Dire Straits, also Indigo Girls
Confession time. I’m a HUGE Dire Straits fan, and maybe even a bigger Mark Knopfler fan (his solo albums are brilliant), but I like the Indigo Girls version of this song better.  It’s raw and painful, and I think you feel the longing in a way that you don’t in the original version. Everything and the Moon is my Romeo and Juliet story, so naturally this song has to be on the playlist.

"You Won’t See Me" by The Beatles
Probably no explanation needed. The only thing that would make this song echo the book more would be if Robert could have called Victoria on the phone.

"E=MC2" by Big Audio Dynamite
Well, Robert is such a science geek.

Minx

"Coming Around Again" by Carly Simon
The image of the family at the breakfast table, completely unable to communicate, makes me think of the end of Minx, where Henry and Dunford have so much to say but don’t know how. My favorite version of this song is on her live album (recorded on Martha’s Vineyard) when she segues into "Itsy Bitsy Spider."

"Hammer and a Nail" by Indigo Girls
I adore the Indigo Girls. ("Galileo" is a personal favorite, but I couldn’t figure out how reincarnation worked with any of my books.) This song is all about the satisfaction or working with one’s hands and it always makes me think about the beginning of Minx, when Henry puts Dunford through the paces at the farm.

"One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
One of my favorite from the 80s, this song always reminds me of this book.

"In My Life" by the Beatles
Such a sweetly romantic (and nostalgic) song. It’s almost a lullaby.

top

Dancing at Midnight

"Hurt" by  Nine Inch Nails, also Johnny Cash
No one ever believes me when I say that one of my books was inspired (at least in part) by a Nine Inch Nails song, but when I wrote Dancing at Midnight, I really wanted to explore John’s feelings of self-loathing and guilt, and this song seemed to capture this perfectly.  The emotion is so raw.  I heard it on the radio and thought, "That’s him."  Nowadays, I like to listen to the Johnny Cash cover.  It literally makes me shiver.

"Bad Reputation" by Freedy Johnston
Another song I listened to when I wanted to get John’s character just right.   

"No Myth" by Michael Penn
I had to put this song somewhere.  I mean, please---"What if I was Romeo in black jeans?  What if I was Heathcliff, it’s no myth?"  It’s gotta go in my tortured hero song collection.

"This Poem Sucks" by Mike Myers
From the soundtrack to So I Married an Axe Murderer. It’s just too funny.

Splendid

"Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants
This probably seems like an odd choice, but I have vivid memories of listening to this song (actually the entire album) over and over again in college while I lay on my bed reading Julie Garwood novels.  And it was that year (the year I rediscovered romance with Garwood and McNaught) that most led to my deciding to try my hand at writing.

"Perfect Kiss" by New Order
Another song I listened to like crazy in college.  And really, isn’t it all about that perfect kiss?

"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" by the Beatles
I seem to recall a lot of climbing through windows in this book...

"Paperback Writer" by The Beatles
My theme song!

top

 

JQ's Newest

Ten Things I Love About You

 




JQ home