What messages does her self-discovery offer for modern readers, especially women?
DR: The process of self-discovery can be long and arduous. Sometimes, you don’t even know you are looking for meaning in your life until you find it. I think this was the case with Julia. She had come to accept her situation in life, but when a set of circumstances presented itself, she knew enough to be brave and bold and fearless even though she didn’t actually know how things would turn out. I think this may be a lesson for all of us. Take that opportunity you weren’t even looking for and follow it. You never know what might happen. BRC: Nicholas Brisbane is also a fascinating, mysterious (and really sexy) character. Did his character evolve as you were writing him, or did you see him as we see him now right from the start? DR: Nicholas Brisbane was a delicious character to write. Where Julia simply appeared, fully-formed and bristling with self-determination, Nicholas stood in the shadows, waiting to be understood. Secretive and dangerous, he is completely unlike anyone Julia has e
