When I started this blog, Jude didn't have an official website of her own - except for a short page in her publisher's website - so I decided to write a short biography and bibliography.
Now I'm happy to announce that Jude has lauched her own website:
http://judedeveraux.com/
I'll still keep what I wrote about her, but you're welcome to check her official site too.
Jude Gilliam was born in September 20, 1947, in Fairdale, Kentucky, US. She has a large family, and is the elder sister of four brothers. She studied at the Murray State University in Murray, KY, plus the University of New Mexico, and received a degree in art. After graduating she taught elementary school, before she started to write in 1976. She was married to Mr. White from 1967-1969, and then to Claude Montassir from 1987-1991. She had a son named Sam who died when he was 8 years old in a bike accident (2005).
Currently she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and also has a house in Badolato, Italy.
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
A. Starting over
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. Be thankful for the small things.
Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
A. Queen Elizabeth I
Literary works
Jude Deveraux started writing historical fiction in 1976. Her first book was The Enchanted Land, published in 1977. However, she is more famous for her medieval quartet, The Montgomery Annals (aka The Velvet Quartet), that followed the story of four hunky brothers in Tudor England.
She stuck with the Montgomery family, writing books about it descendants in every historical period, in England, Scotland and America. She united them in the pre-revolutionary novel "The Raider" with the prolific family Taggert, known for its ragged good looks, mathematical talent, and fertility power.
In the last years she wrote contemporary romance novels and women's fiction, among them "The Summerhouse" and "The Mulberry Tree". She tried her hand with the supernatural side in the "Forever and Always" series, and finally came back to writing historical fiction... sort of. She also wrote a "vook" called "Promises", that blends writing with video.
Her work is characterized for its quick dialog and quick action. If anything could ever be labelled as "Love and Adventure", it would be a Jude Deveraux novel. The men are handsome and the women beautiful, and they give as good as they get. There's some recurrent idea of the "soul-mate", that is found in following reencarnations. This idea was fully explored in the book "Remembrance", but I've always thought that Regan and Travis from "Lost Lady" are Alyx and Raine from "Velvet Song", reincarnated. And if you read closely the Montgomery Annals books, you can identify its leading characters with zodiacal signs (if you're into that thing, which I was at the time I read them).
Other thing that's refreshing about her books is that they reflect the conflict between the genres. You'll find yourself siding with the heroine when some clear notion won't come into the thick skull of the hero (think Kane in "Twin of Ice", when he couldn't understand why Houston was mad at him after he made her the laughingstock of the town), and wishing - with the hero - the heroine weren't so emotional (like when the heroine is mad with jealousy).
Anyway, her books are fresh, funny, and tearjerkers, all in one. You'll be swept in an amazing adventure, with a quick witted couple that will find love at the end.
Her newest series is about another family, the McTearns, and it's also known as the Edilean series. So far, ahe has 3 books written: "Lavender Morning" and "Days of Gold" are historicals, and "Scarlett Nights" is a contemporary.
NEW BOOKS
January 2011 The Scent of Jasmine
Books
1978 The Enchanted Land : Morgan Wakefield & Seth Colter.
1980 The Black Lyon : Lyonene & Ranulf
1981 The Velvet Promise: Judith Revedoune & Gavin Montgomery
1982 Highland Velvet: Bronwyn MacArran & Stephen Montgomery
1982 Casa Grande: Laura Taylor
1983 Sweetbriar: Linnet & Devon
1983 Velvet Song: Alyxandria Blackett & Raine Montgomery
1983 Velvet Angel: Elizabeth Chatworth & Miles Montgomery
1984 Counterfeit Lady: Nicole Courtalian & Clayton Armstrong
1985 Twin of Ice: Houston Chandler & Kane Taggert
1985 Twin of Fire: Blair Chandler & Leander
1985 Lost Lady: Regan Weston & Travis Stanford
1985 River Lady: Leah Simmons & Wesley Stanford
1986 The Temptress: Christiana Mathison & Tynan
1987 The Raider: Jessica Taggert & Alexander Montgomery
1987 The Princess: Princess Aria of Lanconia & J.T. Montgomery
1988 The Awakening: Amanda Caulden & Hank Montgomery
1988 The Maiden: Jura & Rowan of Lanconia
1989 The Taming: Liana Neville & Rogan Peregrine
1989 A Knight in Shining Armor: Dougless Montgomery & Nicholas Stafford
1989 Wishes: Nellie Grayson & Jace Montgomery
1990 Mountain Laurel: Maddie Worth & H'Ring Montgomery
1991 The Duchess: Claire Willoughby & Trevelyan
1991 The Conquest: Zared Peregrine & Tearle Howard
1992 Eternity: Carrie Montgomery & Joshua Greene
1992 Sweet Liar
1993 The Invitation
1994 Remembrance
1994 A Holiday of Love (Miracles / Change of Heart / Daniel and the Angel / Hark! The Herald) (with Jill Barnett, Arnette Lamb and Judith McNaught)
1995 The Heiress
1996 Legend
1996 A Gift of Love (Just Curious / Double Exposure / Gabriels's Angel / Five Golden Rings / Yuletide Treasure) (with Kimberly Cates, Andrea Kane, Judith McNaught and Judith O'Brien)
1997 Upon a Midnight Clear (The Teacher / Christmas Magic / Jolly Holly / If Only In My Dreams / White Out) (with Margaret Allison, Stef Ann Holm, Linda Howard and Mariah Stewart)
1998 An Angel for Emily
1998 The Blessing
1998 Simple Gifts: Four Heartwarming Christmas Stories (Just Curious / Miracles / Change of Heart / Double Exposure) (with Judith McNaught)
1999 High Tide
2000 Temptation
2000 A Season in the Highlands (Unfinished Business / Fall From Grace / Cold Feet / Matchmaker / Christmas Captive) (with Jill Barnett, Pam Binder, Patricia Cabot)
2001 The Summerhouse
2002 The Mulberry Tree
2002 Forever
2003 Forever and Always
2003 Wild Orchids
2003 Holly
2004 Always
2005 First Impressions
2005 Carolina Isle
2007 Someone to Love
2008 Secrets
2008 Return to Summerhouse
2009 Promises (vook)
2009 Lavender Morning
2009 Days of Gold
2010 Scarlet Nights
Here's a link to a Montgomery Family Tree:
Montgomery Family Tree
