Novelspot Talks to Ju Ephraime

Ju Ephraime writes hot romances and also authors children’s books, including the Too-Clever series, a collection of ten children stories under the name Dr. Julia E. Antoine.

Novelspot: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Ju: I am a multiple genre author, I write high heat romance novels—contemporary, paranormal, suspense, and now historical. I also write children’s books, ages 9 to 12. I’ve been writing for more years than I care to admit, but I love it! Writing to me is therapeutic. I hope to be doing it for a long, long, time.

Novelspot: Tell us about your latest book.
Ju: My latest book is a Western Historical Romance, set in the 1875 Utah.

Novelspot: What do you have coming out in the future?
Ju: I have a novel coming out in September, and possibly a historical romance, if I keep my nose to the grindstone.

Novelspot: What genre do you enjoy writing the most and why?
Ju: I enjoy writing children’s books because I love working with the graphics, second to this, is contemporary romance.

Novelspot: From where do you draw your inspiration?
Ju: I draw inspiration all around me, in everyday situations, as well as, life experiences. There’s always a story to be found.

Novelspot: Do you ever base your characters on real people in your life?
Ju: Not at a general rule, but sometime, the main character, if he’s alpha male or has a unique quality, then, yes.

Novelspot: What authors inspire your writing?
Ju: Several, not one in particular: Virginia Henley, Elizabeth Lowell, Lisa Kleypas, just to name a few.

Novelspot: What kind of books do you like to read?
Ju: High heat romance: suspenseful, historical, contemporary, practically anything with heat.

Novelspot: How have your real life experiences influenced your writing?
Ju: My real life experiences have a great deal of influence on my writing. I’m able to write the way I do because of my lived experiences.

Novelspot: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Ju: I love to read. I actually love to read more than I love to write, so if I’m not doing one, I’m doing the other. If that fails, I occupy myself with cooking.

Novelspot: What was your road to publishing like? Tell us about it.
Ju: Actually, it was very smooth. I submitted two manuscripts and was told I wrote for a niche market, so I went ahead and published my books under the imprint of my school, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Novelspot: How did you come up with the title of your book?
Ju: I don’t stress about the title, if I have the story idea the title evolves from that.

Novelspot: Is this new release a standalone or a series?
Ju: So far, I’ve written only on series, LaCasse. I don’t particularly like writing series. This new release: One Hell Of A Ride is a standalone.

Novelspot: Have you won any awards for your writing?
Ju: Yes, I won the Mom’s Choice Award in the silver category for my children’s book series.

Novelspot: Do you have a careful plan when plotting your stories or do you just go with the flow?
Ju: I just go with the flow. If I were to sit and plot, I’d never get a story written.