Archived Novel Spotlight
In My Wildest Fantasies
Julianne MacLean

Original Date: November 2007
Interviewed by Laurel

In My Wildest Fantasies
Julianne MacLean
ISBN# 0060819499
On Sale November 2007

1-Julianne welcome! It’s great having you with us to discuss your new series The Pembroke Palace and the first novel In My Wildest Fantasies on sale this month. Can you please tell us about this novel?

IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES is about the heir to a dukedom - Devon Sinclair - who betrayed his family in the past and is reluctantly returning home after a three year exile. He arrives home to discover that life at the palace is falling apart. His brother despises him and his father is losing his marbles and believes they are all cursed. Meanwhile a woman who has idolized Devon since she was a girl (he saved her life once) sets out to become his bride, but the last thing he wants to be is anyone's hero. He's the kind of man who is born to lead, but resists the notion until this very passionate woman steps into his life and makes it impossible for him to deny his destiny - as both her hero and lover. I would say it's a book about fate and forgiveness.

2-I loved Rebecca, I thought she was a breath of fresh air with her innocence in social circles, but her self-confidence was apparent in everything she did. What is the one trait that proved to be the most fun or difficult about Rebecca while writing her?

I’m pleased you liked her! What was most fun about her was her blatant and open interest in sex. Because she was so sheltered in life - and spent so much time alone reading someone else’s erotic diary - she had more sexual knowledge and spirit than the typical Victorian lady. Her openness about it was a breath of fresh air for Devon, too, which got things moving pretty quickly in that department. Talk about a rushed wedding! What can I say, they were both highly motivated

The second part of your question was “What was most difficult about writing her character.” The same thing I suppose: her blatant and openness about sex, LOL. I had to somehow hold onto her innocence at the same time.

3-Tell us about the parents? The scandalous secret revealed in this novel was it intentional or something that developed as this story was taking shape and will it be explored more in future novels?

The mother’s infidelity is a family secret that has been kept quiet all their lives, but over the course of the series, it will be revealed to both the reader and the characters in the book. I planned it before I began writing, and I even had to pull back on the urge to reveal more than I should in this book. There were a few deleted scenes. Let us just say, the mother will get her happy ending by the end of the series.

4-What is your favourite scene In My Wildest Fantasies?

I like the first love scene with the readings from the erotic diary. I had fun with that.

5-Describe Devon to your readers and how you think he is the ideal hero?

What I loved about Devon was that he was a natural leader and was born to be head of the family, but he’s made mistakes in the past, and those mistakes have shaken his confidence. I was inspired by the character of Aragorn in Lord of the Rings, specifically how he was born to be king but was denying his destiny. Throughout the book, Devon discovers that he is stronger than he thinks and he learns to forgive himself for his mistakes – thanks to the love of a good woman of course!

6-Vincent’s story is next as eluded to in the back of IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES can you tell the readers a little bit about it?

I don’t want to give away too much, but at the end of IN MY WILDEST FANTASIES, a “package” is delivered to the palace, which will present big problems for Vincent, and he has to deal with that in his own book (THE MISTRESS DIARIES, August 2008). He is a very dark and bitter character, and therefore has a lot of growing to do in his own story. I’ve never written a hero quite like him before. He sometimes crosses the line in the way he treats the heroine. He was a great challenge to write.

Thanks for the questions! They were wonderfully insightful, as always.