Julia Blake - An Author for all Seasons

Julia Blake is underappreciated as an author, a visionary, and a woman. We love Julia so much. We could not include everything in this interview in the magazine, yet we will share it all here. Enjoy:

AQ: When we last interviewed you, The Blackwood Family Saga had not been released. Seven years later, you've gifted your readers with a six-book series. How did that come about, and what has been the reception of it?

JB: I always intended the Blackwood Family Saga would be a seven-book series. But a side character has demanded their own story and so it will now be an eight-book one. I have so many fans of the series — surprisingly, just as many men as women — that I wanted to do

something special and release it as a hardback edition. The issue was the individual books are short so won’t work as hardbacks. The idea then occurred to split the series in half and create two omnibus editions containing four books each. The gorgeous Blackwood Family Saga, Volume One was released in March and I’m very happy how it turned out.  

I think the series works on so many levels because the stories are fast-paced and not bogged down with endless descriptions. Each book is about a different Blackwood sibling, but family members appear in all the books so there’s that wonderful sense of continuity and familiarity. As the family grows and expands, the reader is there alongside them. The books are firmly British, primarily London-based, which makes a nice change from endless US-based fiction. I also like to think they are funny books, and the sibling banter is very relatable. I’ve been contacted by male readers saying how much they enjoy that the men I portray in the books are “real” men. By which they mean they are genuine guys you could meet anywhere. Kind-hearted with a firm moral compass. Decent men who love their womenfolk. And I think that is the real reason for the success of the series. People like reading about the Blackwood family because they are an ordinary loving family who just happen to get into a lot of trouble in their search for true love.

AQ: Given that it is contemporary fiction, how have the changes in the social and political climates affected the story if any?

JB: I try not to bring politics into my books. It’s not that I wish to downplay what is happening in the world, but more that I read to escape it. When I read a book, I honestly don’t want to be reminded of how hard life can be, so I assume my readers are the same. There are plenty of political commentaries out there to read if that is what you wish, but most readers use fiction as escapism. Likewise, I do not reference Covid in any of my books. It happened, we all know it did, but there is a general sense of moving on and wishing to put it behind us. I also believe referencing political and social events in fiction can date a book. I wish my books to be timeless so readers now, and in years to come, feel the books are contemporary to them.

AQ: According to Kindle, The Book of Eve is still one of your most popular books to date. How special is it to have your work cherished like that over the years?

JB: This book indeed holds a special place in my heart. It wasn’t the first book I wrote — it was the fourth — but it was the first of my books to be published. Back in 2014, I was delighted to be picked up by a small press publisher. I had been trying for so long and was on the point of giving up, so when The Book of Eve was accepted, I honestly thought my dream had come true. But I was naïve and unaware of the harsh realities of being an author. The publishing house said they would edit the book — they didn’t. I had no say in the cover or the blurb, and they did a terrible job with both. The formatting was shoddy, and they did no promoting of the book at all. Worst of all, they took away my copyright. I didn’t understand the significance of this when I signed the contract or that it was such a big deal. Looking back, I am astonished at the wonderful reviews I nevertheless received for the book. I honestly believe the strength of the plot and the unseen twist at the end are the only reasons reviewers were so forgiving of the book's many errors. Going forward, I went indie, promising myself I would never again hand over control of my book babies to anyone else. I published other books and The Book of Eve, whilst I was proud of it, I downplayed, because I was embarrassed by its flaws.

In 2020, I managed to buy back copyright and set about giving my girl the makeover she deserved. The book was professionally edited and formatted. A stunning new cover was created, and she was successfully relaunched. The reviews since then have been overwhelmingly positive. And now, Eve has entered another new phase with the recent publication of the stunning hardback edition containing 17,000 words of bonus material. Annaliese’s Diary is the story told from the viewpoint of a character other than Eve and it explains so much about Annaliese’s motives and just how manipulative she was.

Going by the reviews Eve has received, I think the reason the book is still so popular is that the themes it deals with are as relevant now as when it was written almost twenty years ago. Wanting to be accepted and loved. That longing for companionship and for people to care about you. The book’s portrayal of a Found Family that is tightly woven with bonds other than blood, and what happens to this group of friends, is one many of us can associate with. And then, of course, there’s the twist — oh, that twist — that no one has ever seen coming. 

AQ: The Perennials Trilogy has been completed for three years now. Do you ever look back at a body of work like that and consider bringing the characters back in other works?

JB: There is so much of me in The Perennials Trilogy. Book one, Becoming Lili, deals with the trauma of being bullied. My main character, Lili, longs for a loving family. As she reinvents herself and moves away from being a victim, she gathers around her a collection of found family. I was also bullied viciously at school and afterwards worked hard to gain a group of friends that I am still close to almost forty years later.

Book two, Chaining Daisy, deals with the sensitive topic of domestic abuse. Again, this is something I am sadly familiar with. And then the heroine in book three, Rambling Rose, is me. I adore Rose so much. She is strong, funny, resilient, a bit potty-mouthed, and fiercely loyal to her friends. Writing about Rose’s escape from an abusive marriage and her struggles to survive as a penniless single mother, I was able to draw upon so many personal experiences which I believe gives these books a very relatable feel.

It was a wrench saying goodbye to Lili and her friends, but I enjoy allowing my characters to cross into other books. So, Ruth from The Book of Eve appears in Chaining Daisy. Susannah Blackwood and Kristina Blackwood appear in The Book of Eve. Robert and Annaliese are mentioned in Becoming Lili. And numerous other times, characters from other books are mentioned. Will there be any more set in the world of The Perennials though? Well, the first book I ever wrote was about one of the characters from the trilogy so you never know, there may be more … watch this space.

AQ: On your website, you describe Erinsmore as being ‘Narnia inspired’. That speaks volumes in itself because authors generally have a sense of pride that would prevent them from admitting they have been influenced by other works. Why was it important for you to include that in the description?

JB: Whether authors admit it or not, we are all inspired and influenced by what has gone before and every book we have ever read shapes us a little into the authors we become. I think for most children, the Chronicles of Narnia are gateway fantasy books. I didn’t have the happiest of childhoods and relied upon books to escape. The thought of being able to step through a magical portal into a whole other world was very enticing. I won’t admit to how many wardrobes I explored when I was young.

As an adult, there was still that longing sometimes to escape the world, then one day an idea sparked in my mind of a wonderful magical realm called Erinsmore. One idea tumbled into another and before I knew it, the story of normal London sisters, Cassie and Ruby, and their adventures in this magical medieval world was written.

Is it a Narnia rip-off? No, not in the slightest, but I will freely admit that it was inspired by the emotions that reading the Narnia books as a lonely and sad little girl aroused in me. Readers seem to agree with that sentiment, and I am touched by the love there is for Erinsmore. Two years ago, I returned to the world I had created and must admit I perhaps love the sequel, Mage Quest, a teeny tiny bit more than Erinsmore. Well, it does contain dragons, pirates, and mermaids, oh my, so what’s not to love?

As to why it is important to me to admit that Erinsmore is Narnia-inspired. Well, Narnia was important. I think they were the first fantasy books written especially for children. They played a hugely important role in children’s literature and made it acceptable to write quality books for young readers that don’t talk down to them. Rather, Narnia teaches the lesson that good must overcome evil by being the best you can be. A lesson I hope is also apparent in the Erinsmore Chronicles.

AQ: Bury St. Edmunds is a big part of who you are, and you wear it with pride. How does it inspire your work to this day?

JB: With The Book of Eve and the Perennials Trilogy being set mostly in Bury St Edmunds, I think it’s obvious to anyone that my hometown is very important to me. I honestly believe I have a taproot running down into the dark Suffolk soil and that I could never live anywhere else. There is an earthy honesty to the people who live in this thriving market town and an incredible sense of history. The oldest houses that are still lived in date back to the eighth century. I mean, seriously, how many places can make that claim? The ancient Abbey ruins have been turned into a gorgeous communal park open every day to everyone. Bury St Edmunds is a special town, and I am deeply thankful to be able to live here.

AQ: What is next for Julia Blake? 

JB: Gosh, what is next? Well, I am currently 80,000 words into a space opera standalone. It’s a mash-up of Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and every other epic sci-fi and fantasy story you can think of, and I am having lots of fun with it. This will hopefully be out by the summer. I am also hopeful of getting book seven of the Blackwood Family Saga out later this year.

I will continue to release my books as deluxe hardbacks. It is a time-consuming task but something I am committed to doing. I am also going wide with my books, so they are available elsewhere. Currently, the Blackwood Family Saga, Volume One and the first four books in the series, and The Book of Eve are available as eBooks from Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Nook, Kobo, Apple, and pretty much everywhere else you can buy eBooks from. The Blackwood Family and The Book of Eve are also available from The Great British Book Shop as deluxe hardbacks with printed edges. Although Amazon will remain the main place readers buy books from, I think it is good to offer a choice for those not wishing to purchase from there.

I will be exploring audiobooks. It is the natural direction to take but again is time-consuming and eats into time I could be writing, so it’s all a juggling act. And of course, I will be writing books. I have so many ideas all jostling for space in my mind that they need to come out.

Never fear, I am not going anywhere and have enough ideas to keep me writing for as long as possible. As to what genre those books will be — as many as possible — after all, I am an Author for All Seasons.