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Frequently Asked Questions





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In 2008 I will release a two-book set titled The Two Dukes of Wyndham.  These two books are heavily intertwined, and in fact, I'm writing them simultaneously.  Currently scheduled for July 2008 and October 2008, the books feature all-new characters, including two devilishly handsome heroes, each of whom may or may not be the true Duke of Wyndham!

Click on the buttons below for answers to:
 

JQ does answer all her fan mail, but it usually takes several months, sometimes even longer when she is under deadline. Check this page first. Chances are that the answer to your question is here. And then you won't have to wait.


 

 

What is the order of the Bridgerton books?
tree

Will you write books for all eight Bridgerton siblings?

I already have!
See above for links to all eight books.

Will you write books about their children?

I don't know.
If I do, it won't be anytime soon. It's time for me to try something new.

What is a "2nd Epilogue," and how do I read one?


A 2nd Epilogue is exactly what it sounds like--an extra epilogue. Readers have asked me so many questions about the Bridgertons and what happened to them later in their lives that I decided to give all of the main characters an update.

Because each 2nd Epilogue is approximately thirty pages long, it did not makesense to print and bind them, so for the time being they are only available in an electronic format.

Right now you can read 2nd Epilogues for The Viscount Who Loved Me, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, When He Was Wicked, and It's in His Kiss. I plan to release two more in 2008 and the final ones in 2009.

I hope you enjoy them--I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I've had writing them.

For more information, along with links for downloads, please visit the juliaquinn.com 2nd epilogue page.

What is the deal with the ending of It's In His Kiss? Why did Isabella do what she did?

I'm being deliberately vague here, as I don't want to spoil the story for anyone who hasn't yet read it, but Isabella did what she did because it just seemed to me that that was what she'd do. Seriously, isn't it sweet revenge for Violet that Hyacinth had a daughter exactly like her?

I couldn't leave Hyacinth hanging forever, though, so I've wrapped up that little hanging plot thread in It's in His Kiss: The 2nd Epilogue. Hope you enjoy!

Why are Colin and Eloise unmarried during so much of When He Was Wicked?

Part II of 
When He Was Wicked (Book 6 in the Bridgerton series) takes place concurrently with Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Book 4) and To Sir Phillip, With Love (Book 5).  Therefore, even though When He Was Wicked comes later in the series, it jumps back a little in time at the beginning.

Why was there no mention of Lady Whistledown in To Sir Phillip, With Love? I thought for sure there would be a scene where Eloise learned the truth!

 

 


Because Lady Whistledown had nothing to do with the plot for To Sir Phillip, With Love. The introduction of Lady Whistledown and "the big secret" would have been irrelevant, not to mention confusing for readers who have not read the previous Bridgerton books.

I do like to refer to items from previous books (Anthony's fear of bees, for example, or Colin's ravenous appetite) but only when they make sense within the framework of the story I'm currently telling. While the Bridgerton books are a loosely connected series, each title, first and foremost, must stand on its own as an individual novel.

Readers wanted to see Eloise's reaction so much, however, that I nded up writing a 2nd Epilogue about it. So if you've been dying to see Eloise completely flummoxed, check out Romancing Mr. Bridgerton: The 2nd Epilogue.

What about Francesca Bridgerton? She was a widow in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. What happened to her?


Read When He Was Wicked and see how she finds love with her second husband.

Do Francesca and Michael ever have children?


Read When He Was Wicked: The 2nd Epilogue for your answer! And as an aside, I have to say that this short piece might be my favorite thing I've ever written.

Why does Hyacinth's story come before Gregory's?

Gregory is older, but because Hyacinth is female, it makes sense that she'd marry sooner.

Will you ever write a story for Violet Bridgerton?


I can't even begin to say how touched I am that so many readers want Violet to get her own (second) happy ending, but I'm afraid I just don't see writing her story. I used to think it was because she was so devoted to Edmund, but after exploring the issue of second loves in
When He Was Wicked, I realized that really wasn't the reason. I've thought about it a while, and in all honesty, I don't think I could come up with anyone good enough for her. Seriously. I just adore her.

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Will you ever write a story for the Smythe-Smith girls?


Maybe. The Smythe-Smith girls (and their infamous annual musicale) actually made their debut in the non-Bridgerton novel
Minx (or possibly Dancing at Midnight. Please bear with the memory lapse. It was over a decade ago.)

At the time, I had every intention of writing a story for the one girl who seemed to understand how dreadful the music was. I was sidetracked by other projects, however, and we didn't see them again until they reappeared in Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. (Many years had passed, but I'd always figured that as soon as one Smythe-Smith cousin grew up and married, there was another one ready to step in to complete the quartet.) Right now I have too much on my plate to develop a story for one of the Smythe-Smith girls, but I do hold them in great affection, and I hope to write something for one of them sometime in the future.

What happened to Posy Reiling (from An Offer From A Gentleman)?

Posy married a vicar and now lives a few miles away from Benedict and Sophie in Wiltshire. Check out To Sir Phillip, With Love for a little update on her.

In Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, you thank Lisa Kleypas and Stephanie Laurens for the gracious use of their characters. Which characters were those?

I thought it would be fun to pay a little homage to my friends and colleagues, so in chapter one of Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, Penelope is reading a book called Mathilda by S.R. Fielding. This book played a big role in Dreaming Of You by Lisa Kleypas (S.R. is actually Sara, the heroine). And in the Lady Whistledown column opening chapter nine, I mention Michael Anstruther-Wetherby, who is the brother of Honoria Anstruther-Wetherby, heroine of Devil's Bride, the first book of Stephanie Laurens's Cynster series.

Are The Further Observations Of Lady Whistledown and Lady Whistedown Strikes Back Bridgerton books?

Not really. The Bridgertons don’t play a role in the anthology, but since Lady Whistledown was such a part of the first four Bridgerton novels, I consider them honorary Bridgerton books.

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How are your books connected and do I need to read them in any particular order?


I'm careful to write all my books so that they can be read in any order, but I do enjoy revisiting secondary characters, so some books do "go together." Here is how I would group them:

Splendid
Dancing At Midnight
Minx

"A Tale of Two Sisters" (from the Where's My Hero? anthology)

Everything And The Moon
Brighter Than The Sun

To Catch An Heiress
How To Marry A Marquis

The Duke and I
The Viscount Who Loved Me
An Offer From A Gentleman
Romancing Mr. Bridgerton
To Sir Phillip, With Love
When He Was Wicked
It's In His Kiss
On the Way to the Wedding

The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

There are a few instances where characters cross into series other than their own, but that doesn't mean you need to read those books in any specific order. For example, in How To Marry A Marquis, I wrote Dunford (the hero from Minx) into a scene, but I would not say that Minx and How To Marry A Marquis are a part of a series. Similarly, Charles (the hero of Brighter Than The Sun) was a very minor character in Minx. But Brighter Than The Sun is more truly a spin-off of Everything And The Moon than of Minx. In general, if you see me bringing back old characters in a very minor way, it's probably just me having fun at my computer rather than any attempt to consciously connect the books.

Is Ned Blydon ever going to get his own story?

Yes! His story was unveiled in a novella titled "A Tale of Two Sisters," which you can find in the Where's My Hero? anthology. For those of you unfamiliar with Ned, he appeared in my first three books: Splendid, Dancing At Midnight, and Minx.

Why didn't Robert and Victoria (from Everything And The Moon) appear in Brighter Than The Sun?

The plot wouldn't allow it. If Victoria had been anywhere in the vicinity, her sister Ellie would have had the option of moving in with her, and thus would never have entered a marriage of convenience with Charles. It would have been a very short book.

In Minx (published 1996), William Dunford falls in love with Henrietta Barrett and marries her, but in How To Marry A Marquis (published 1999) he's a bachelor again. What gives?

Even though How To Marry A Marquis was written and published after Minx, it's actually set earlier.
Minx takes place 1816/7, and How To Marry A Marquis takes place in 1815. As I was writing How To Marry A Marquis, I needed a dashing, handsome bachelor for one of the scenes. When it occurred to me that Dunford was still single, I thought to myself, "Why not?" It was a lot of fun to revisit him.

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What is an e-book?

 

 

An e-book is an electronic file that you can download to your computer and read through an e-book reader application.  For far better explanations, visit the help desks at the following e-book stores:

HarperCollins e-books
Fictionwise
eReader.com

These help desks offer lots of assistance with all aspects of the e-book process, and can be of great help if you experience difficulties with your downloads.

Why did you decide to release the 2nd Epilogues as e-books and not in print?

The original plan was to release all eight 2nd Epilogues together in a print anthology. But this meant I would have to get all eight done before we could go to press. With the e-books, I can release the 2nd Epilogues as I write them. Which means readers get them faster. A lot faster.

It's fun for me, too. With a print novel, almost a year passes between the time I finish writing and when it appears in stores. With the e-books, the 2nd epilogues go from my computer to yours within weeks.

Will the 2nd Epilogues ever be available in print?

It is my hope that they will, but at this point I don’t know for sure.


How do I download an e-book? And which platform should I select?

 

 

It depends on which store you choose. The HarperCollins store offers downloads for Adobe Reader, Microsoft Reader, and Mobipocket Reader. Fictionwise offers those three plus Palm/ereader. Amazon will be offering Adobe Reader and Microsoft Reader. And eReader.com offers files for the eReader application.

If you are not planning to use a handheld device, we recommend Adobe Reader, Microsoft Reader, or eReader.

Can I use a Mac?

 

 

Yes, but you must use Adobe Reader or eReader.

Can I print out my e-book?

 

 

Unfortunately, no.With Adobe reader you can print out 10% of the book per week, but even with that, it would take you ten weeks to print the whole thing. I wish this were not the case, but the printing restriction was put in place to prevent people from making multiple copies of books and distributing them illegally.

Can I buy the 2nd Epilogue e-books without a credit card?

 

 

Yes. Fictionwise.com offers micropay accounts, which do not require credit cards. You can mail them a check or deposit money into your micropay account through paypal, then you use this money to make your purchases. The nice thing about micropay accounts is that fictionwise often offers rebates on purchases. The rebate goes into your micropay account, on top of whatever you already had in there, and you can use this money to purchase more ebooks.

Which 2nd Epilogues will be next?

 

 

I'm not sure. I'm writing them as the ideas come to me. If I had to guess, I'd say An Offer from a Gentleman and To Sir Phillip, With Love in 2008, and The Duke and I and On the Way to the Wedding in 2009. But I reserve the right to change my mind at any time!

Will you do 2nd Epilogues for your non-Bridgerton novels?

 

 

Let's see how it works out with the Bridgertons first!

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Some of your books have new covers. Have the stories changed?

No. There is no need to buy new copies unless you adore the new art and must have it for your home.

Do you design your own cover art?

No. My covers are designed by the talented people in the Avon Books Art Department. I do get some input, but trust me, this sort of thing is best left to professionals.

Did you do your own website?
 


To quote myself (see above), this sort of thing is best left to professionals. In this case, however, I’m pretty lucky in that my sister Emily runs a design studio, so I hired her. Emily has designed quite a few websites, including several for other romance authors. To see more of her work, visit her site at www.waxcreative.com.

How can I get your books in hardcover?

treeThere aren't any plans just now to move me into hardcover for the generalmarket, but special limited edition hardcovers of all of the Bridgerton books have been issued by the Rhapsody Bookclub.

Are any of your works available as e-books?


Yes, all of them. I recommend purchasing from the HarperCollins E-Bookstore. You can also get them at Fictionwise and eReader.com.

The Bridgerton 2nd Epilogues. are available exclusively as e-books.  

Are any of your works available in large print?

Are any of your novels available as audio books?


Yes.
When He Was Wicked and It's in His Kiss are currently available in unabridged audio format from Recorded Books, and I hope that the rest of my titles will soon follow.

Where do you get your ideas?

I really don't know where I get my story ideas. The books tend to start in different ways. Sometimes it starts with a cool title (How To Marry A Marquis) and sometimes with an opening sentence (To Catch An Heiress). Other times I have a character before I have a book idea (Simon in the The Duke And I.)
To be honest, I don't really care where I get my ideas--as long as they keep coming!

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I'm interested in writing my own romance novel and getting it published. How do I get started?


Unfortunately, the only way to get started is to stick your butt in the chair and do it. Nora Roberts once said that she can fix a bad page, but she can't fix a blank one. So just do it and get some words on the screen. If it's terrible, you can fix it later.

My second piece of advice is to join Romance Writers of America! RWA is a wonderful organization---you'll get a fabulous monthly magazine and access to local chapters and online support networks. Plus there is an annual convention that is loads of fun. I can't praise RWA highly enough and recommend it unreservedly for anyone considering a career in romance writing.

How can readers chat with you online?


I don't generally participate in chatrooms or instant messages, but I've partnered up with one of my favorite authors, Eloisa James, on our very own bulletin board. I check it almost every day, so come on by!

Also, I do visit the Avon Authors Bulletin Board often.

Speaking of favorite authors, who are they?

Too many to mention, but be sure to visit the JQ Recommends page here at juliaquinn.com. I always have a good romance novel to recommend. Plus, about once per year, I sponsor a “JQ Wants You to Try a New Author” contest in which entrants are directed to another author’s website to look for clues.

How old were you when you sold your first book?


24. It takes about a year for a book to go through the publishing process, so I was 25 when Splendid (with the cover you see on the left) first appeared in bookstores. The new cover was unveiled in 2003.

Have you ever written category romances for Silhouette?

No. Wade Connor's Revenge (1992) and Birthright (1993), both by Silhouette Intimate Moments, were written by another author writing as Julia Quinn. All books currently being released under the name Julia Quinn, however, are by me.

Are you ever going to write a contemporary romance?

Perhaps, but not at the expense of writing historicals!

  My new favorite band of college students. These UC Davis students took two buses and a train to see me in Sacramento! I don't think my own mother would take two buses and a train...  

 

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