Wednesday, January 25, 2012

5 Easy Questions with Julie Jarnagin!

Every Wednesday, I ask a writer the same five easy questions. In an effort to support and promote fellow wordsmiths, I feature authors who write a variety of genres, from sweet inspirational to mainstream thrillers. The writers themselves may be aspiring, published, or best-selling--all have made an impact on my life.

Thank you for joining me in welcoming…Julie Jarnagin!!

I connected with Julie through blogging, and I was so excited to see her publishing success when Canyon Walls, her debut novel, released last fall! Julie inspires me with her dedication to writing and to her family. She writes contemporary inspirational romance novels—my favorite books to read. 

Let’s get to it!


1. Beverage of choice? 

Coffee in the morning and a Dr. Pepper or Coke Zero in the afternoon. I need my caffeine!

2. Any pets?

 A chocolate lab named Zoe, a yellow lab named Remi, and an evil cat named Baidy. The cat is nice to my three-year-old (because she knows better), she tolerates me and my husband, but she's just plain mean to outsiders. She's basically our guard cat.

3. Dream vacation?

We just took our dream vacation to Hawaii for our ten year anniversary last year. It was amazing. Our next goal is to take a family vacation. We're thinking about camping in Colorado this summer. The cat will protect the house from burglars while we're away. The dogs will be busy digging new holes in our lawn.

4. What are you listening to right now?

I wish I could listen to Christmas music all year long, but I think my coworkers would get annoyed. Lately, I've been listening to Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble. I'm currently writing a book set in Las Vegas and this music sets the tone for me.

5. What's for dinner?

I have an elk roast in the crock pot. It sounds weird, but it's pretty normal for my house. My husband is an avid hunter. There's always venison, elk, quail, or some kind of game in our freezer.

***
Julie, it’s a tough call, choosing between Dr. Pepper and Coke Zero. I love both! How funny that your cat—not your two labs—guards the house! Ooo, Hawaii sounds like a wonderful dream vacation. Was it everything you hoped for? Stick me on a beach with a fruity drink in my hand and I’m a happy woman. Camping in Colorado would be awesome too. We tent camp every year, and we choose gorgeous places—usually on Lake Michigan. It makes all of the packing, cooking, and dirt worth it.

My husband bought me Michael Buble’s Christmas CD this year, and I’m always a fan of the Rat Pack. I’m already feeling the mood of your book! Enjoy your elk—that’s a phrase I’ve never said before—and thank you so much for being my guest today!

***

Julie Jarnagin grew up in southwest Oklahoma where her family farmed and raised cattle, inspiring her to set much of her fiction in small towns. She earned a B.A. in Journalism/Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma and is a member of America Christian Fiction Writers. She is the author of three Heartsong Presents novels: Canyon Walls, Canyon Crossing, and Canyon Cafe. Her articles have appeared in local and national publications. Through her writing, she hopes to share stories that reflect God’s love. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and young son.
To learn more about Julie, head to her blog, be friends with her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter.

January is almost over! Are you glad to see it end or wish it could last longer?
Have a fabulous Wednesday!

33 comments:

  1. Elk roast? :) I'm guessing she lives in the west! :)

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  2. Lol. I live in Oklahoma, Laura. Not everyone here thinks it's normal. I guess it just depends if they've ever had a hunter in their life.

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  3. Julie,
    I hopped over here from your blog & enjoyed getting a close-up on your life. I totally endorse a trip to CO -- but that's because I live here year-round and love it! My debut novel is set in Colorado -- and that's not just because it was easier to do that.
    And elk roast? Try some elk sliders -- that's what my son concocted a few weekends ago. He's the one who bagged an elk this past season. My husband just brought home dirty laundry.
    Going to check out your book!

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  4. Laura: She definitely doesn't live in Southeast Michigan! Ha!!

    Julie: Hunting is huge around here. Deer season? Men plan their vacations around it. Every November there's an electric charge in the air as rifle season approaches... :)

    Beth: You had me at sliders. What is it about those bite-sized yummies?? And I agree--Colorado is sooo beautiful.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  5. End it! January is always so dreary! Same with the month after it though.

    So fun to see Julie here!

    I'm not a fan of Coke Zero. For some reason I like DC way better. But I do like Dr. Pepper!

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  6. So good to see Julie here! I cracked up at the "guard" cat. Ha!

    I need some of those deer recipes since my husband went and shot one.

    I'm ready to kick January to the curb. Bring on spring!

    Have a great Wednesday, ladies!

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  7. Beth - Sliders sound great. We'll have to try that!

    Jill - I call myself a "hunting widow" during deer season. My husband is MIA a lot during November and December.

    Katie - It's funny how different DC and Coke Zero taste!

    Jessica - Lately my guard cat has started growling and hissing at her own tail. She's crazy! I'll send you some recipes (for deer, not cats). Be warned that most of them involve bacon and cream cheese :)

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  8. Elk roast...I'm so impressed and I need to find a way to get myself to Hawaii!

    I can comment again on your blog, Julie b/c I downloaded Google Chrome. I kept getting stopped before. Do you see me smiling!
    ~ Wendy

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  9. Julie, your house sounds a little like mine! It's not uncommon for me to have an elk roast in the crock pot and Christmas music playing :)

    Congrats on your new book! Your pets sound like a hoot! :)

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  10. Katie: I am soooo ready to say adios to January. SO ready!

    Jessica P: I like deer jerky and summer sausage. That's about the only deer I like!

    Julie: I'm convinced everything is improved with bacon and cream cheese. :)

    Wendy: Yeah, my computer was older and still had XP. Apparantly my version of Internet Explorer wasn't compatible with Blogger, but I couldn't upgrade because the latest version doesn't support XP! Grrr.... My new laptop solved THAT problem!

    Joanne: Really? Two elk eaters? I'm impressed! I love Christmas music too. I could listen to Vince Guaraldi (is that his last name?) all year long!

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  11. Wendy - Hawaii is amazing. Honolulu has gotten more crowded in the last ten years. If we're able to go back, I think we might try Maui.

    Joanne - Thanks. My pets are always entertaining. The other day my three-year-old was sitting on the yellow lab and yelling, "Go, Old Yeller. Go." It's kind of a zoo. :)

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  12. Hawaii is awesome. I was on Maui once years ago. Even though I'm not much of a beach person, I loved the experience and the breathtaking views.

    I laughed when I read how your cat tolerates you, Julie. We have two furry fellows, and that's an apt description of how they interact with me.

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  13. I'm ready for February! Love Hawaii - never been to Colorado, except for the airport, which doesn't really count. But I think camping there would be fun.

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  14. Hi, Julie! We had moose stroganoff for dinner last night. Game meat is yum!
    Congrats on the release of your novel! And thanks for helping me get to know Julie, Jill.

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  15. Keli - I've heard Maui is beautiful! I would love to snorkel there.
    Stacy - We used to camp in Colorado when I was a kid. I have a lot of great memories of it.
    Emily - Moose Stroganoff! Nice!

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  16. Julie! Jill! Loved the interview.

    Elk roast? My pulled pork pales in comparison.

    I look forward to reading you book!

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  17. Hi, Julie and Jill! I think an elk roast sounds fantastic. I absolutely love elk jerky! And why are so many cats described as evil? I have one myself...

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  18. Sorry - that would be "your" book. My fingers type too fast sometimes.

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  19. It's great getting to learn more about you, Julie. My hubby also loves Dr. Pepper. He can drink a six-pack a day if he could get away with it :-)

    You will love to camp in Colorado. The mountain backdrop of the Rockies is gorgeous. Of course, I'm biased because I live here, lol.

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  20. So fun to see you here at Jill's place, Julie!

    Where did your cat get her name?

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  21. Hi, Julie! *waves*

    I'll bet the trip to Hawaii was awesome. And camping in CO sounds, well, not fun to me, but I do love CO. lol...

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  22. Loree - I often wish my fingers and my brain could keep up with each other. Come to think of it, I wish my mouth and my brain would do the same.

    Tiffany - Elk jerky sounds great. I've had deer jerky, but not elk.

    Brandi - I would drink soda all day if I didn't think my teeth would fall out from all the sugar. :)

    Erica - I honestly don't remember where we got the name. She's 12 years old. I think my husband came up with it. He has changed the spelling to Bady because she's so bad.

    Ralene - Hi! I do love camping - as long as I have someone there with me to start a fire and do the things I don't like to do. My husband is an outdoor kind of guy, so it's fun and easy to camp with him.

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  23. Congrats on your upcoming book Julie! Interesting dinner, but I'll try anything if someone else is cooking! :O)

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  24. "I'll try anything if someone else is cooking!" Lol. That's how I feel too!

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  25. Hi Jill and Julie! Fun interview!

    When I read Julie's description of her dogs, I immediately thought of yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Clearly I'm in a snacky mood at the moment, LOL.

    Loved getting to know you better, Julie!

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  26. Oh how I miss Christmas music already. I still sing it to the girls cause its stuck in my head all the time.
    What a fun interview.
    Can't wait to read your book, Julie!

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  27. I'm loving all the comments about Hawaii. January in Ohio can be lovely, when covered in a clean blanket of snow. But that's not going on today. It's Ugh. Now I'm thinking about blue skies and ocean breezes. Thanks!

    My favorite sodas are [sweetened] Coke or Pepsi.

    It's nice to meet you, Julie! (I'm heading over to your Blog now.)

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  28. Fun interview, ladies! I've seen Julie around the web. It's nice to learn a bit more about her and her writing.

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  29. Julie: "Go, Old Yeller, go!" Ha! Ha! Love it!

    Keli: My cat only tolerated me for years, but as she aged, she followed me around and snuggled more. Cats. They're like wine. They age well!

    Stacy: Does anything sound better than Hawaii in January?? I thought not. :)

    Emily: Moose Strogonaff! You ladies are WAY more adventurous than I am. I'm impressed!

    Loree: Your pulled pork sounds positively exotic next to my potato soup. :)

    Tiffany: Mmm...jerky! Cats aren't evil. They're misunderstood. :)

    Brandi: Colorado is gorgeous! Biased or not, it's a beautiful state!

    Erica: It is a fun name!! We aren't very original around here.

    Ralene: But not as awesome as swinging by your place, Ralene. :)

    Diane: I'm with you, I'll get wild if someone else is cooking! (And sorry about my wording, but Julie's book is available now! It released LAST fall. Oy!)

    Sarah: That's a fave combination in our household!

    CJ: Don't we wish. Don't we wish...

    Heidi: Christmas music warms the heart. We should listen to it all year round!

    Patti: Yeah, we're under a blanket of gray and in the midst of Brrr....

    Susan: Julie is a lot of fun! I'm so glad you came by.

    Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  30. Wait a second....we are going camping? I thought we were staying at the Ritz in NY.

    My offer always remains to take out the cat at any moment. That cat hates me.

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