Monday, March 7, 2011

Will the Real Julie Drake Please Stand Up?

Last year, while writing An Extraordinary Life story about a local woman, my source, the woman's daughter, asked me to call her sister for additional information.

I agreed and asked for the sister’s name and number. I almost dropped the telephone when the voice on the other end said, “Julie Drake,” and proceeded to give me the number.

Of course, I had to tell Julie Drake about Bryony, because one of Melissa’s Munsonville friends is also named Julie Drake. Even more coincidental, the “real” Julie Drake has a husband named David. In later books, Julie’s boyfriend (and, eventually, her husband) is also named David.

“I can’t wait to read this book,” Julie said. “When I thought it was going to come out last December, I had told my two nieces about it because they love to read. When I first met Denise and spoke to her about, I knew we were supposed to meet. It was so comfortable talking with her.”

Recently, Julie agreed to let me interview her for the BryonySeries blog and see how she compares to the fictional Julie Drake, especially since both Julies grew up in the 1970s.

The three-part interview will run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The first part is posted here. Parts three and four will be posted Tuesday and Wednesday.

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