Julia Quinn

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Julie Cotler Pottinger

Born 1970
U.S.
Pen name Julia Quinn
Occupation Novelist
Nationality America
Writing period 1994 - present
Genres Romance, historical
Official website

Julia Quinn is the pseudonym used by Julie Pottinger (b. Julie Cotler in 1970), a best-selling American historical romance author, who says she chose her pseudonym so her Regency romances would be on bookshelves next to those of the successful romance writer Amanda Quick.[1] Her novels have been translated into thirteen foreign languages[2], and she has appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List seven times.[3]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Julie Pottinger was raised primarily in New England, although she spent much time in California after her parents divorced.[2] Even as a small child she devoured books. Her father disagreed with her choices of reading material, Sweet Dreams and the Sweet Valley High books, and told her she could keep reading them only if she could prove that they were good for her. She promptly told him that she was studying them in order to write one herself. Challenged to prove that she meant her statement, Pottinger sat down at their early computer and wrote her first two chapters. After finishing her novel three years later, she submitted it to Sweet Dreams, but was rejected.[4]

Pottinger graduated from Harvard with a degree in Art History. During her senior year of college, she realized that she did not know what she wanted to do with her degree and decided to attend medical school. That decision required her to attend two additional years of college to complete the science prerequisites necessary to apply for medicial school.[3]

To occupy herself during the long days of studying science, Pottinger began to write light-hearted Regency romance novels.[1] A few weeks after she was accepted to medical school, she discovered that her first two novels, Splendid and Dancing At Midnight, had been sold at auction, an unusual occurrence for a novice romance author.[5] She postponed medical school for two years while she wrote two more novels.[4]

By the time Pottinger finally entered Yale medical school to realize her dream of being a doctor, three of her books had been published. After only a few short months of studying medicine, however, Pottinger realized that she preferred writing to dissections. She left medical school and devoted herself full-time to her writing.[4]

Pottinger considers herself a feminist and gives her heroines feminist qualities that are not necessarily true to the attitudes of the times her novels are set.[1] Her books are noted for being full of humor, with sharp, witty dialogue.[4] The novels are primarily character-driven, lacking the great external conflicts that many romance novels employ. One of her novels, When He was Wicked, was highly unusual for a romance novel, as the first four chapters actually describe the heroine in a happy marriage with someone who is not the hero, and then shows the death of the original husband and deals with the grief of both the heroine and hero before allowing the second love story to flourish.[5]

Most of her books are dedicated to her husband, Paul Pottinger, often with references to amusing alternate titles for the work. Her novels have been translated into thirteen languages.[2] In 2007 Pottinger won the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for "On the Way to the Wedding". In 2003, she enjoyed the rare honor of being profiled in Time Magazine, an accomplishment few romance novelists have achieved, and in 2005 Publisher's Weekly gave To Sir Phillip, With Love a rare starred review, and later named it one of the six best mass market original novels of the year.[3] Seven of her novels, An Offer from a Gentleman, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton, To Sir Phillip, With Love, When He Was Wicked, It's In His Kiss, On The Way to the Wedding, and The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List.[3]

Pottinger has appeared in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Heartwood, and was a contestant on The Weakest Link.[6] She is an avid reader, posting recommendations of her favorite books on her website.

Pottinger and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest area of the United States.

[edit] Recognition

  • 1997- Everything and the Moon nominated for Best Regency Historical by Romantic Times Magazine[4]
  • 2001 - Finalist in the Romance Writers of America (RWA)'s RITA Awards
  • 2002 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton voted one of the top ten books of the year by RWA membership
    Finalist for the RWA RITA Awards in the Long Historical category
  • 2002 - To Sir Phillip, With Love named one of the six best mass market original novels of the year by Publishers Weekly
  • 2003 - Quinn was profiled in Time Magazine (a rare accomplishment for a romance novelist).
  • 2007 - Received Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Long Historical Romance, for On the Way to the Wedding

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] The Blydon Family Saga Series

[edit] The Lyndon Family Saga Series

  • Everything And The Moon
  • Brighter Than The Sun

[edit] Lady Danbury's Influence Series

  • To Catch An Heiress
  • How To Marry A Marquis

[edit] Bridgerton Family

  • The Duke and I (Daphne Bridgerton)
  • The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony Bridgerton)
  • An Offer From A Gentleman (Benedict Bridgerton)
  • Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Colin Bridgerton)
  • To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise Bridgerton)
  • When He Was Wicked (Francesca Bridgerton)
  • It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth Bridgerton)
  • On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory Bridgerton)

Quinn has recently published four "second epilogues" for The Viscount Who Loved Me , It's In His Kiss,, Romancing Mister Bridgerton, and When He Was Wicked available through e-books.

[edit] The Two Dukes of Wyndham

  • The Lost Duke of Wyndham
  • Mr. Cavendish, I Presume (forthcoming, September 2008)

[edit] Lady Whistledown

The witty gossip columnist "Lady Whistledown" from the Bridgerton series ties together these two anthologies of interlinked novellas:

[edit] Other

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Grossman, Lev (February 3, 2003). Rewriting the Romance. Time. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  2. ^ a b c Lammerhirt, Pia; Isolde Wehr (February 2001). Interview With Julia Quinn. Die Romantische Buecherecke. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  3. ^ a b c d About Julia. Julia Quinn Official Website. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  4. ^ a b c d e White, Claire E. (1998). A Conversation with Julia Quinn. Writers Writes. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  5. ^ a b Julia Quinn Makes her own Destiny. Romantics at Heart (1996). Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  6. ^ News. Julia Quinn Official Website (2003). Retrieved on 2007-04-03.

[edit] External links


Persondata
NAME Quinn, Julia (pseudonym)
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pottinger, Julia Cotler
SHORT DESCRIPTION American novelist
DATE OF BIRTH 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH USA
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH