ABOUT

Julie Valerie

Julie Valerie, an avid Scrabble player who once played QWERTY on a triple word, writes humorous women’s fiction and is developing a series set in the idyllic Village of Primm.

World rights to Julie Valerie’s debut novel, Holly Banks Full of Angst, the first book in her Village of Primm series, were sold in a two-book deal by her literary agent, Joëlle Delbourgo, to Lake Union Publishing, a commercial women’s fiction imprint of Amazon Publishing that specializes in book club fiction. Holly Banks Full of Angst was published December 1, 2019. The second novel in the series, The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks released November 24, 2020. Both books in the bestselling Village of Primm series feature continuing characters and can be read sequentially or as separate, independent, standalone novels.

Julie is currently writing her third novel.

Both author and editor, Julie deepened her love of the written word, earning an editing certificate from the University of Chicago Graham School. She is constantly humbled by the nuances of language and the nitty-gritty of grammar while strengthening her proficiencies in the 1,146-page Chicago Manual of Style.

Julie served four years on the board of directors for James River Writers, a multi-faceted non-profit organization based in Richmond, Virginia, that serves as central Virginia’s literary hub. She is a frequent contributor, moderator, and speaker at the annual James River Writing Conference. She co-founded the Bookish Road Trip and 85K Writing Challenge.

A former trend forecaster with a master’s degree in education and speaking credentials in 13 countries, Julie’s diverse skills in trend analysis and prediction in color, textiles, consumer lifestyle, travel, and leisure enrich her role as a VCU School of the Arts faculty member, where she applies her M.Ed. teaching college-level courses in textiles and various fashion industry topics.

A passionate wine geek, Julie is currently an expert-level DipWSET Level 4 Diploma in Wine candidate with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. In 2023, she received her WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, achieving Distinction in Blind Tasting and Merit in Theory. Julie received her WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, achieving Distinction the year prior. She is an Associate-level candidate with the Academy of Cheese.

Certified in wilderness first aid, Julie enjoys camping, section hiking the Appalachian Trail, and vineyard travel in her Revel Sprinter van. 

Julie’s most significant focus is her family, where she lives and writes amid the mayhem and merriment of her Virginia-based motley crew. She is married to her college sweetheart and has four children (two girls and two boys), one dog (an English Labrador, chocolate), and one cat (a Tabby, orange). A tea drinker in a coffee world, Julie is charmed by vineyards and topiaries but struggles to keep houseplants alive.