Julianne MacLean Time Travels Back to 1995

by

Greetings Fillies!  Thanks for having me!  I’m thrilled to be here chatting with you about one of my first western romances, which is where I got my start as a romance writer.

My debut novel, PRAIRIE BRIDE was set in a sod house on the Kansas prairies.  It was a Harlequin Historicals release in the year 2000.  But even before that – back in 1995 – I wrote a time-travel romance where a contemporary heroine gets caught in a lightning storm and is transported back to the Old West.  Not long after she arrives, she falls for the ruggedly handsome gunslinging sheriff, who quickly becomes her hero and protector against a band of dangerous outlaws.

I gave it the title JUNEBUG JESS.  It won some writing contests and garnered a few requests for the complete manuscript from publishers who read the proposal, but by the time I was shopping it around, time travels were no longer considered marketable, so it never sold. And hey, I was a newbie unpublished author, and it was tough to break in.  I didn’t give up, however.  I wrote five novels over a period of six years before I finally sold PRAIRIE BRIDE to Harlequin.

Now here we are, seventeen novels later, and authors have the option of publishing independently.  Last summer I had a short break while my agent was negotiating a new contract with my publisher, so I decided to dig JUNEBUG JESS out of my old rejection pile and take a look at it.  Would it still hold up?  Would the writing be atrocious?  To my utter delight, the plot line was fresh and fun, the characters were interesting, and the writing was… well, not too bad.

I could see that the prose needed some polish, so I began an intensive rewrite to bring it up to speed to match my voice today.  Also, cell phones and laptops were not part of daily life when I originally wrote it, so the technology needed an upgrade.  The heroine’s outfit was more than a little outdated, so all that had to be changed.

I gave it a sexier title, TAKEN BY THE COWBOY, and a splashy cover inspired by the Cowboys and Aliens movie poster (scroll down for a peek at it), and now I’m wildly happy to see it out there at last for readers to enjoy!  This one was a long time coming :). 

Now here’s the good news and the fun part.

For those of you who are reading the blog today Feb 4 – the ebook edition of TAKEN BY THE COWBOY is on sale at Amazon for 99 cents for a limited time. Hurry and grab it for your Kindle and please share the link with your Facebook and Twitter friends!

Lastly – I’m going to give away a $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N (winner’s choice) to one commenter.  All you have to do is tell me the name of your favorite western romance novel of all time (or the top 3 if you can’t narrow it down).

HERO AND PROTECTOR

Former bounty hunter, expert gunslinger, and the toughest sheriff Dodge City has ever known, Truman Wade is a real man from the tip of his black Stetson right down to his spurs and leather boots. He’s never met his match in a gunfight, but he’s never met a gorgeous, gutsy woman from the twenty-first century either…

TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS

Newly single after a rocky breakup with her self-absorbed fiancé, newspaper columnist Jessica Delaney crashes her car in a lightning storm and soon finds herself dodging bullets in the Wild West. Before the night is out, she’s tossed in jail for a murder she didn’t commit, and if things don’t seem complicated enough, the impossibly handsome sheriff in charge of her arrest has danger written all over him – and a sexy swagger to die for. Jessica knows she needs to get home, but when Sheriff Wade’s enticing touch sets her passions on fire, she begins to wonder if fate has other plans for her, and soon she must choose between the life she longs for in the future… and the greatest love she’s ever known.

Guest Blogger
+ posts

92 thoughts on “Julianne MacLean Time Travels Back to 1995”

  1. Hi Julianne, welcome to the P&P. I love reading time travels and haven’t read one for a while. Also love me some cowboys. I down loaded your book Taken By a Cowboy just the other day and its the next book I am going to start reading. Love the title. I opened it up late last night and read a little of it. I believe its really going to be a great read. Thanks so much for sharing your books with us today.

  2. I forgot to answer you question. That is a tough one because I love westerns. I am going to say Kaki Warner’s Blood Rose series and I think Open Country was my favorite in that series. But usually the western I am reading at the time is my favorite. Also right now Taken By a Cowboy is free on Amazon, I just checked but it may not be in a little while you never know about amazon.

  3. Hi Julianne,

    My favorite western is the book FORGIVING by Lavyrle Spencer. It features an independent woman who heads out west to take over her father’s newspaper. She runs into a lot of opposistion from both men and women especially the sheriff. Lot’s of chemistry and friction between these two!! Throw in the temperance ladies vs saloon goers conflict. It was a fun read which introduced me to the western romance genre.

  6. My all time favorite Western Romance novel is also my favorite book of all: LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry. It’s not typically categorized as a romance, but Lorena is one of the most wonderful heroines I have ever read. Such a capacity for love & of course she has cowboys & Texas Rangers coming out of the woodwork falling hard in love with her. An epic that I read at least once every year.

  7. My favorite western romance of all time? Hmmmm, that’s a tough one since I’m a voracious bookworm. (Is there any other way to be?) I’ll have to pick Teresa Medeiros’ NOBODY’S DARLING. Teresa always touches all my emotions, and this novel is no exception. By the way, thanks for the free e-book. Can’t wait to read TAKEN BY THE COWBOY.

  8. For me this is a hard thing to pick my favorite western. But I think it would have to be Joan Johnston’s Bitter Creek series.. There are so many wonderful writers of western themed books I love. hard to choose just one.
    Thanks for letting us know about the eBook. I will download it right now.. and for the giveaway.. You are always on my auto buy list Julianne…

  10. Hi, Julianne! Take by the Cowboy was one of my favourite reads of 2011! So I’m hoping to see some more time travels from you in the future. As for my favourite western…I really don’t read many, and even if I did, Taken would probably be right up there.

  11. Hi Julianne! Welcome to Petticoats & Pistols. With epublishing, time travels are finding new readers. Definitely a cool thing!

    My all-time favorite western is still “The Outsider” by Penelope Williamson. It’s so beautifully written … and the characters! I love them all.

  12. I would have to say my favorite is High Country Bride by Linda Lael Miller. It’s been a while since I read it, but I still remember how much I enjoyed it, and all of her books I’ve read.I just downloaded Taken By the Cowboy so I’ll be reading it soon. I enjoy time travel stories.

  13. Wow,hard question,,,,I too love LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry an loved the made for TV movie too,,was worth reading an watching,,you made me do some hard thinking,,also love the Blue an the Grey both book an movie,its always interesting to see what they leave out or add in the Movies

  14. Hi Julianne,

    Love your historicals…have several waiting to be read and have read several. It’s been years since I’ve read westerns and/or time travels but they used to be the mainstay of my reading diet. Just downloaded Taken by the Cowboy and looking forward to reading it….a combination of my 2 oldtime favorite genres…gotta love it!

    I think my favorite western was ‘And One Rode West’ by Heather Graham, the last book in her Cameron Family series. A Virginia family caught up in the civil war with one brother fighting for the south and the other fighting for the north. This book starts in June, 1865 and is the story of Christa, the Cameron daughter whose fiance, a confederate officer, died in the war. Very good series, I highly recommend it.

  15. One of my favorites was Taken By The Cowboy! I read it earlier this year and loved it! Congratulations!

  16. I can’t think of an all time favorite off hand, but I think that one I really liked was The Next Mrs. Blackthorne by Joan Johnston. It was one of a series, they were very good. Thanks for the contest!

  17. Julianne, thank you for the ebook. My favorite Western Romance Novel is Cowboys Make Better Lovers by Kelly Wallace. Sarah & Raif are meant to be together.

  18. Hi Julianne have already enjoy your book Taken by the cowboy a while back, I admit the cover did draw my attention. Top favorite western, romance, would be either To kiss a Texan by Jodi Thomas or Promises Linger by Sarah McCarty depend on the day(out of over 500+) Have a great day. Cheers Rosheen

  19. I really love Westerns. ONE of my favorites is Tall,Dark,and Texan by Jodi Thomas.

    I am going to Amazon right now to check out Taken by the Cowboy!

  20. Hi Julianne,
    I don’t do westerns, can’t stand country music. I’m more a paranormal, urban fiction, Scottish romance, even historical reader, but I loved Taken by the Cowboy! I have some of your other books and saw Taken while I was shopping. So that’s my pick.
    Thank you for providing me countless hours of pleasure with your books.

  21. Hi Julianne,
    I’m over from Facebook. I have TAKEN on my Kindle. YAY!
    A few of my favorite western novels were written by Karen Kay, Linda Broday, and Cheryl St. John. All of their books are excellent! All the ladies on this blog write fantastic books!
    Happy Trails…..

  23. I don’t read many western novels and I don’t really have a favorite book, but I love the ones written by Joan Johnston and Lina Lael Miller.

  24. I can’t narrow it down to just three! Maybe three different authors 🙂

    For contemporary I love Lorelei James’ cowboys.

    Last year I also read Ruthless Heart by Beth Williamson and I’ve been slowly reading through her back list as both Beth Williamson and Emma Lang.

    Kat Martin’s Midnight Rider is one I have fond memories of.

    And lately I’ve also been reading a lot of Sarah McCarty’s Hell’s Eight series, and her earlier Promises series. All have been very good.

    Can’t wait to read Taken by the Cowboy. I’ve downloaded it and queued it up on the ereader 🙂

  27. I love westerns but haven’t really read one recentely and I have a terrible memory. I love Rosemary Rogers westerns, Betty Zane by Zane Grey, and Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell.

  30. I love time travel novels and that cover is certainly an eye catcher. I love it!
    As for my favorite western romance novel it’s hard to say. I really enjoyed For The Roses by Julie Garwood.

  32. Hey Julianne, I think it’s wonderful when ‘problem’ manuscripts find a home. How many do we have hidden in shoeboxes, eh?

    I have a lot of respect for you to go through the editing process to update your manuscript not only for the technological changes, but for your personal writing improvements as well. Kudos.

  33. Prairie Bride was the first book of yours I read (and reviewed way back when) and loved!!! I’ve loved everything of yours I’ve read so far! Western historicals are my favorite, with all historicals and comedy romances following. Keep up the good, scratch that, great work. And thank you for it.

  35. I like reading Westerns. My favorite is Lonesome Dove and those written by Louis l’ Amour.
    Your book sounds really good too.

  37. Hi Julianne,

    Just got TAKEN BY THE COWBOY! Can’t wait to start reading it later today.

    My favorite Westerns I’d have to say it’s a tie between THE OUTSIDER by Penelope Williamson, and HONDO by Louis L’Amour.

    –Kirsten

  38. Sorry, but somehow my comment was sent before I finished it. I plan to download TAKEN BY THE COWBOY later today. Look forward to reading it. My favorite western book is FOR THE ROSES by Julie Garwood. Every few years I go back and read it again.

  39. Julianne, a big welcome to the Junction! We’re so happy to have you here today. Thank you for the free download of “Taken By the Cowboy.” I just put it on my Kindle and can’t wait to start reading it. I love western time-travel. Last year Elizabeth Lane released “Christmas Moon” and it was a time-travel. I devoured that book. It was so good.

    Being asked to come up with a favorite western romance is being asked what my favorite candy is. There are so many favorites. I love Kaki Warner’s PIECES OF SKY and Jodi Thomas’s TO TAME A TEXAN’S HEART. And then there’s Linda Lael Miller’s McKettrick series. I loved THE MAN FROM STONE CREEK and A WANTED MAN. And who can forget ONE WISH.

    Wishing you much success with TAKEN BY THE COWBOY!

  41. I cant think of a single western romance read. I am sure I must have. But they arent my go to category. I am historical, contemporary. So no, westerns arent my ”thing”. But I just this week got the final book for the highlander series and started Captured by the Highlander yesterday!! 🙂

  42. Hi Jullianne,
    I have to say my favourite is Digging Holes in Paradise by Karen Mihaljevich. Love the humour as well as the story line. Any book by Zane Grey. And, of course, I love all your books! Thanks.

  43. Hi everyone! I have been reading all your comments and want to thank you all for stopping by and joining me here today.

    Special shout out to Teresa Henson – one of my very first reviewers. Nice to hear from you! It’s been a while!

    Thank you for having me lovely Fillies of Petticoats and Pistols 🙂

  44. I haven’t read many western romances but one I really liked was written by Linda Lael Miller called McKettrick’s Choice.

  45. Wow, Julianne! The story line for “Taken by the Cowboy” sounds as appealing and compelling as the gorgeous book cover itself! Electrifying : )

    Historical Western Romance is my all-time favorite genre. It’s where I feel at home, and where my heart’s yearnings are fulfilled by wonderful word imagery. It’s really hard for me to choos only three, because I have so many favorite titles and authors from this genre, including the ladies of Petticoats and Pistols and their guests. Here are three of my favorites:

    “The Frontiersman’s Daughter” by Laura Frantz

    “Conagher” by Louis L’Amour

    “Wait for the Sunrise” Cassandra Austin

  46. Hi Julianne,

    I first started reading historical romances in the late 70’s when my first son was born. A favorite western that I read during that time was “The Enchanted Land” by a new author, ‘Jude Deveraux.’

  47. I have enjoyed Linda Lael Miller for some time now, but there are so many other wonderful western romances and just stories about the western frontier. Centennial by Michener was one of my favorites that wasn’t a romance..

  49. Hi Julianne,
    My comment disappeared. 🙁 I’ll try again.

    My favorite was an early Lorraine Heath -“The Outlaw and the Lady”. I really liked another story which was very touching and romantic, but I’m not sure it was called a romance – Louis L’Amour’s “Conagher”.

    You’ve written in so many genres and I’ve liked them all. I hope to read your western one day soon.

  50. This is not an easy question to answer!
    There are so many wonderful romantic
    Western stories I have loved…
    I will say that one of my favorites is
    “Simply Love” by Catherine Anderson…
    Many thanks, Cindi

  52. I can’t think that I have ONE or TWO or THREE favorites because I love all things prairie, cowboy, and Indian!!! There are just so many wonderful stories…and so many great authors!
    Also, thanks for the free kindle download!

  53. Oh I can not think of a fav… I have enjoyed so many cowboys from so many great authors… but I do have a grand amount of Diana Palmer books on my shelves…

  54. I’ve been reading a lot of Western romances lately and really enjoying it. I love the characters and the wild settings they are exposed to. There is danger and a sense of adventure with settling somewhere new and I find this especially true in historical Western romances. The modern ones are fun too and cowboys can make for some ideal heroes: strong, hardworking and loyal! One of my favorite Western romances is The Outsider by Penelope Williamson.

  55. I’m looking forward to reading Taken by the Cowboy Thanks! As for favorite western romance, I’m not sure that I have one or even three, I haven’t read one I haven’t liked but I’ve mostly read the newer modern ones like Lorelci James and Carolyn Brown.

  56. Hi Julianne and welcome to Wildflower Junction today! This book looks fabulous–what could be better than time travel and western all at once? LOL

    As for a favorite western romance–I think I would pick GOLDEN NIGHTS by Christine Monson–it’s really got a twist to it and those characters are so real it’s unbelievable. But there are so many, many good westerns and western romances out there, it’s hard to choose. LOL I definitely will be getting myself a copy of TAKEN BY THE COWBOY.

    Cheryl P.

  57. Julianne, I am glad you were finally able to get JUNEBUG JESSE out for the public to enjoy. The newer title is a bit better and the cover certainly is one to catch everyone’s attention. It is nice that authors can now go with their hearts and publish books they feel will be well received when publishing houses aren’t ready to deal with them. There have been time travel books over the years, but it seems, they are a bit more plentiful now. I enjoy them and am glad to see more on the market. I have already ordered TAKEN BY THE COWBOY. Hopefully I will soon have an e-reader to download it on. I really don’t like reading books on my computer.

    I recognize the cover of PRAIRIE BRIDE. Either I have read it or it is hiding in my great TBR Mountain. I know your next book is not a Western, but the story sounds good and the cover of BE MY PRINCE is lovely. Best of luck with the release of both TAKEN BY THE COWBOY and BE MY PRINCE.

  58. I think that I can name my favorite candy easier than I can my favorite western……nope can’t do that either. I Love everything written by Cheryl St. John and Mary Conneally. And I read everything I can get my hands on by the rest of the Fillies or their guests but if I have to name one I guess it would be the novel ‘Prairie’.
    Just put

  59. Sorry don’t know what happened but I wasn’t finished when it told me I had already submitted my comment so will finish now.

    I just put TAKEN BY THE COWBOY onto my Kindle. Will be looking for your other books, too.

  60. I forgot to get on the topic of a favorite western romance. I have read so many good ones, I am hard pressed to come up with a favorite. Fickle person that I am, I guess I love the one I’m with. I am currently reading the BE MY TEXAS VALENTINE anthology with 2 of the stories contributed by Fillies Linda Broday and Phyliss Miranda. I have finished the first 2 stories and am really enjoying it. You do have me thinking, though. I’ll probably spend the day thinking back over the many years I have been reading trying to find a favorite.

  61. Choosing just one romance is not easy, but I’d have to say, still, after all these years, Linda Howard’s The Touch of Fire.

  63. There really are so many great ones out there but I am going to say Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. There are times when I love nice long sagas. And amazingly enough I enjoyed the movie too. I really like your cover – it definitely would make me want to pick up the book.

  64. My favorite westerns were written by Linda Lael Miller and it was The McKettricks of Texas and it was the individual books Austin, Garrett and Tate there were other books about this family that were so grasping and just so that you wanted to jump on the back of the horse and ride with them and all of their situations,,,Love westerns due to my dad I remember him picking me up from the foster home and we would walk to the library and he would return a western to get another I got to look around while he looked such a wonderful outing and that was 49 years ago,,,,

  65. I have read so many it is hard to pick three even. So I will list three of my many favorites: Adam’s Promise, Love Find You in Golden, New Mexico and No Distance Too Far

  67. Honestly, Taken by the Cowboy is the first book that I have ever read that is set in the old west. I always thought before now that I wouldn’t like western romance, because I don’t like western movies or tv shows

  68. Hi Julianne! I’m so glad this story has been able to come out and play – I love it! I’ve always been a fan of time travels, in particular movies like Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve, Time After Time with Malcolm McDowell, and Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox. SO thrilling that you’ve now added to that body of work.

  69. Hi Julianne! I love all westerns. Two of my favorite are Winter Woman and Emma and the Outlaw. I am anxious to read Taken By The Cowboy.

  70. I read so many books I cannot select just one. I love westerns, cowboys, time-travel and on and on and on, The book I like most is the one I am reading at any time. So glad you are writing at Petticoats & Pistols! So much fun!!!!

  72. Hi Julianne! Love cowboy/western romance! There are so many good ones, and I’m really anxious to read yours when it comes out in paperback. I don’t have an ereader to take advantage of downloading Taken By The Cowboy. I have many favorites, but I’d have to choose, Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown and Pieces of Sky by Kaki Warner. I really love your cover art for this book…all I can say, is WOW!

  73. Lonesome Dove,McMurty is a good one. I did’t know that time travel ever went out of style. Glad you were able to bring your book back from the first writing.

  74. I love time travel books, along with cowboys and westerns. I really enjoy Carolyn Brown’s Honky Tonk series, Katie Lane’s Going Cowboy Crazy, and Diana Palmer’s Long, Tall Texans series. Can’t wait to read Taken By the Cowboy.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

  76. I have Taken By the Cowboy, but have not had a chance to read it yet. My favorite western romance is Joe’s Wife by Cheryl St. John.

  78. Welcome to wildflower junction today,
    Julianne, I just downloaded Taken into the iPad …I’m laid up for a bit with foot surgery so look forward to some good reads! Hard to pick favorite …maybe Linda Lael’s Man from Stone Creek.

  79. Julianne,

    Love the cover of your books….Have to put on my must read list….

    My favorite western romance novels are by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday,Phyliss Miranda, and Dewanna Pace…titled “Give me a Texas Outlaw”

    Thanks for the post and sharing your journey in writing…

    Melinda

  80. Hi Julianne , wowww love the title already taken by the cowboy, cool ;D. My favourite western novel is Keegan lady by Catherine Anderson . Love the hero so much because he is so protective toward the heroine and he us also a good big brother. Thank you to share with us your experience:)

  81. Hm hard to pick just one! Here’s my top 3: The Texan’s Wager by Jodi Thomas, Only His by Elizabeth Lowell and Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner.

  83. My favorite Western title is an old one: Silver Linings by Maggie Osborne. Runner-ups would be the Texan series by Jodi Thomas.

  84. Julianne! Put it together in your spare time, did you? lol The rest of us slackers should be ashamed.

    This looks so much fun and sounds wonderful.
    I’m on my way to get a copy!
    Congrats on the indie book.

    Smooches!

  86. I would have to say anything by Jodi Thomas. Love her books. Downloaded Taken and can’t wait to read it. Have read a couple of your other books and loved them, especially the Pembroke series. Thanks for the chance to win.

  87. I’m not a huge Western fan, though I have read quite a few. I’ll go back to two of my early–read old–Western reads that may not be known to most of the present readers. I’d probably consider them more Western historicals rather than romances as such. The first one is RAMONA (1884) by historian Helen Hunt Jackson. Paul Iselin Wellman also wrote several U.S. historicals set, amongst other places, in the South. One is RIDE THE RED EARTH (1959).
    I’ve got Juliane’s Harlequin Westerns, but haven’t read those yet.

  91. Hi! One of my favorites is Heartbreak Creek (and Colorado Dawn) by Kaki Warner. She brought me back into historical/western fiction. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Janette Oke’s Canadian West Series.
    It’s fun to hear about a new-to-me author! I would love to read your books!

  92. LONESOME DOVE also gets my vote. It’s not only my favourite western, but one of my favourite books of all genres.

Comments are closed.