Aloha to Julie Lence and Western Romance

Two weeks ago, hubby and I visited Colorado Springs.  While hubby golfed, I soaked up the local sights.  As I walked down Old Colorado City, I noticed a poster for Julie Lence's book signing.  I invited Julie to be a guest on my blog:

Julie was born and raised in upstate New York. She married her high school sweetheart and accompanied him on his twenty-year career with the United States Air Force. Presently, she resides in the Pikes Peak region, where she’s a stay-at-home mom enjoying a career writing western historical romance.

Throughout her school years, Julie enjoyed reading and writing. A friend introduced her to the romance genre in the late 80’s and she was instantly hooked. She credits Judith McNaught’s flawless voice and Johanna Lindsey’s addictive and endearing Malory family as her inspirations to pen her own novels. Combining her fondness for horses, John Wayne’s cowboy persona, and the television series, Dallas, she settled into writing western historical romance series early in her career.

Julie self-publishes her work at Amazon.com. She also edits and designs her own covers. When she’s away from her computer, she enjoys taking care of her family and home, exploring the Rocky Mountains and meeting fans of the romance genre.

Learn more about Julie and her books at julielence.com.

Thule AFB, Greenland

Public Domain (link)

Kim: Thank you for serving as a military spouse! Can you share a funny moment during your military travel?

Julie: Hi Kim. Thank you for having me as your guest today. My husband served 20 years with the Air Force. During that time he did one remote tour to Greenland. The rest of his assignments were stateside. We met people from all different parts of the United States and became great friends with many.

Our moves were generally hassle free, with a lot of drive time. The only move that rattled me was our final move back to Colorado for retirement. A few pieces of furniture were broken and some odd things went missing. As for funny stories, I don’t have any that will make you laugh out loud, but one I thought strange was our first move from Scott AFB to McGuire AFB. The movers were at our apartment packing when someone from the base moving office showed up to see how things were progressing. He and one of the packers had a lengthy discussion on how lamp shades should be packed. The man from the base was very adamant the shades should be packed his way, and he had his reason. The mover didn’t really care, as he had done a good job wrapping and protecting them inside a box. Strange exchange and one I remember 30 years later. 

Pike's Peak

Kim: Tell us about the Pike's Peak region - what is your favorite sight, sound, and smell?

Julie: Back in the 90’s, the hubby drew an assignment to Cheyenne Mountain Air Station. I was excited to come here, as I have a love for all things western and Colorado is a beautiful state. We fell in love with the Rocky Mountains so much we retired here.

The Pikes Peak region is home to close to 500,000, and is a big tourist area. We have Garden of the Gods Park, the Air Force Academy, and just to the south, the Royal Gorge Bridge. One of my favorite things to do is walk around Old Colorado City and visit the gift shops. Much of the western décor in my home came from some of those shops, and the shops in Manitou Springs. We have excellent Mexican food and steaks here, but my absolute favorite is seeing Pikes Peak almost every day from my front porch. (Some days the clouds are so low, they completely cover the mountains.) And watching a rain shower move off the peak across town. I live on the east side and it takes about 30 minutes for a storm to reach me from the peak. Another favorite is taking a drive thru the mountains and inhaling the scent of pine. And distance here is very deceiving. Pikes Peak is about 20 miles from my home, yet on some days it looks to be 2 miles away. The same applies to the Spanish Peaks in the southern part of the state. They are about 100 miles from me, and on a clear day a visitor would never guess they’re that far away. My last, but not least, favorite things are the horse farms and the antelope herds.

Garden of the Gods

Kim: What did you learn about yourself as you navigated the self pubbing route?

Julie: That I could publish a book on my own, and that I could design my own covers and actually like doing that since I stunk in art class. I am very dumb when it comes to computer technology, but Amazon makes it easy to self-publish an e-book and Create Space makes it easy to self-publish the print version. If I have questions or run into a problem, both sites have a professional and friendly staff to help solve problems. But the best part is having total control over the entire process, from writing and editing the story to designing the cover. As soon as I hit that last button on Amazon to make the book available for purchase, I feel a rush of happiness and pride unlike anything I experienced working outside the home.

Royal Gorge Bridge

Kim: What's next for Julie Lence?

Julie: Currently, I’m working on a new series. My first series featured 3 cowboy brothers. My second series featured 3 outlaws. This new series features 3 step brothers who are outlaws. Working with cowboys is fun, but outlaws are even better. Untamed, they can do or say just about anything.

Cog railway rounding Windy Point circa 1900.

Public Domain (link)

Mahalo, Julie, for your family's service!  I am giving away Air Force swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about Colorado - what do you know about the Centennial State?  I know its home to the United States Air Force Academy outside Colorado Springs.

2. Comments are open through Saturday, August 27, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 28.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Helen Hunt Falls near Cheyenne Mountain

Public Domain (link)