Julie Bergman
Julie Bergman is the
author of DEADLY VENGEANCE, a novel of suspense
set against the backdrop of the steel industry. Her
extensive background in technical writing and research adds
scientific elements to powerful characters and sharp-edged
suspense.
Julie resides in the Seattle area with her husband, Lou.
They have three grown sons who also live in the area, making
the empty nest bearable. She is now a full-time author
working on Death Within – the assassination of a
high-ranking state official and an interlacing web of murder
sweeping Seattle’s homeless community.
http://www.juliebergman.net
Author Julie Bergman spins an intricate web of intrigue,
murder, dark secrets and DEADLY VENGEANCE into a provocative
and suspenseful story of courage in the face of conflict and
betrayal.
Jake Trenton, Seattle-based CEO of Trenton Steel Industries,
leads a hectic but fairly routine life. Then, on a warm
summer’s evening, with the click of a button and an ensuing
explosion, Jake’s life alters in unthinkable ways.
A frightening pattern emerges as highly sophisticated bombs
sweep through Trenton Steel Industries’s West Coast mills,
leaving death and destruction in their wake.
In the midst of the troubles plaguing his company, Jake is
drawn to Annie Prescott. A tragedy in Annie’s life has made
her wary of any serious relationships, but Jake is
determined to break through her defenses. Despite Annie’s
resolve to remain detached, she admires Jake. A man of
principle and strong character, she finds his annoying, but
often charming, attention difficult to resist.
When written communiqués from the bomber reveal a personal
vendetta against Jake, he distances himself from Annie to
protect her. Then the unspeakable happens, and Jake and the
FBI-led task force must claw through a maze of murder and
lethal secrets to discover a stunning impetus of revenge.
Still, Jake and Annie have yet to face the deadliest danger
of all.
Can Jake and Annie escape the clutches of death or will they
fall prey to the trap of DEADLY VENGEANCE?
Books-and-Authors.net: Where did you grow up and was reading and
writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and
why?
Julie Bergman: I grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota where life
seemed slow and easy. Perhaps that was only youthful perspective;
but, as my husband and I migrated further West, first to Montana and
then to Seattle, life got a lot faster and a whole lot busier.
Naturally, working and raising three boys kept us on the go. They’re
now grown men and, thankfully, live close by.
At the age of 9, I read my first adult novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
That book and so many others opened up a new world for me. My
greatest influences were Harper Lee and John Steinbeck for their
intricately drawn characters and portrayal of serious social issues.
Books-and-Authors.net: Briefly discuss your new book DEADLY
VENGEANCE. Who is Jake?
Julie Bergman: Jake Trenton is the hard-driving CEO of Trenton Steel
Industries. A straightforward, fair, and well-respected businessman
and employer, Jake is living out his lifelong dream of expanding and
operating a successful steel company. That dream shatters as
hundreds of lives are threatened when a terrorist unleashes deadly
bombs on Trenton Steel’s West coast mills. An intricate web of
intrigue, murder, and dark secrets reveal themselves. How much will
Jake have to sacrifice to keep his dream alive?
For those of you who like a little
romance woven into the pages of a suspense novel, you will not be
disappointed. There are two women in Jake’s life: Elza, a beautiful
free-spirited woman; and Annie, a lovely reserved woman. Yet, Jake
wonders how he can pursue any serious relationship when everyone
close to him is in danger.
Books-and-Authors.net: DEADLY
VENGEANCE is a great suspense story/plot that takes the reader
inside the steel industry. How/why did you choose the steel industry
and your knowledge and interest in an industry not found in many
fictional novels?
Julie Bergman: Iron and steel
manufacturing has always intrigued me. The industry was the backbone
of an infant country and transformed it into a great nation. It’s a
high-energy-intensive industry. There’s power in watching white-hot
metal, live liquid steel, glowing in a roaring furnace. I wanted to
share that particular passion; and I think Jake successfully conveys
that passion to the reader.
Books-and-Authors.net: DEADLY VENGEANCE has had great reviews
especially about your eye with a solid plot and character
development. In your opinion which is more important - Plot or
character and why?
Julie Bergman: It is difficult to choose one since they are so
integral to a novel. In my opinion, the characters drive the story.
If you cannot deeply love or hate or relate to the characters, it
would be tough to care what they were up against. I believe the plot
makes the story good; the characters make it great.
Books-and-Authors.net: If Hollywood called and asked you to cast
DEADLY VENGEANCE for a feature film - Who would you cast and why?
Julie Bergman: Too bad Cary Grant is not with us anymore. Patrick
Dempsey as Jake: He has the stature, looks and confident presence of
Jake Trenton. Julianne Moore: She has an elegance about her that
would allow her to present the quiet reserve and underlying
feistiness of Annie Prescott. Maggie Grace is the perfect Marnie. A
chance of Hollywood asking an author for help in casting is pretty
remote.
Books-and-Authors.net: What do you hope to achieve with DEADLY
VENGEANCE?
Julie Bergman: I would like the reader to relate to the same raw
emotions the characters experience: fear, anger, desperation,
helplessness, and to ask themselves how they might react in the face
of a terrorist who has no mercy in his soul.
Books-and-Authors.net: What's next?
Julie Bergman: I am currently doing research for my next novel,
Death Within about the assassination of a high-ranking state
official and an interlacing web of murder sweeping Seattle’s
homeless community.
Books-and-Authors.net: What was the last book you read?
Julie Bergman: The Last Patriot by Brad Thor. Currently beginning
Joel C. Rosenberg’s book series beginning with The Last Jihad.
Excellent.
Books-and-Authors.net: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How
do they enhance your writing?
Julie Bergman: I read. One cannot help but become a better writer
the more they read. Out of the author’s box, I enjoy music and
movies, which, when you think about it, also enhances my writing. I
love relaxing on a boat in the middle of the ocean or on the glassy
waters of Lake Washington. Put a fishing pole in one hand and a book
in the other, and it’s close to heaven.
Iron and steel
manufacturing has always intrigued me. The industry was the backbone
of an infant country and transformed it into a great nation. It’s a
high-energy-intensive industry. There’s power in watching white-hot
metal, live liquid steel, glowing in a roaring furnace. I wanted to
share that particular passion; and I think Jake successfully conveys
that passion to the reader. 
