NEWS
Stories Between the Books
DIY Library Card Wine Bottle Charmers
Serving wine at book club? Label your bottles with library card tags tied with twine. It's a...
Don’t Rock My Banana Boat
Looking for a great campfire recipe? I shared this Banana Boat recipe with the Bookish Road Trip...
Cottagecore. Cottage life that’s not necessarily simple, but definitely romantic.
I imagine Holly might be charmed by this aesthetic. That is—until something else catches her eye. Her daughter, Ella, would most definitely love cottagecore. She’d love the tiny mushrooms, farm animals, and pressed flowers. Think mason jars, tiny objects, fungi. Some say it’s the new Hygge.
Awww. Macrame swing chair? I wish I had a swing like that.
How adorable is that baby? And how gorgeous is that handmade macrame swing chair recently spotted on Etsy? Macrame is making a huge comeback, I believe, in part to its sistering of the cottagecore trend. I think Holly would try her hand at macrame if Shanequa introduced it to her. She’s taken up bullet journaling in The Peculiar Fate of Holly Banks, even sat in a hammock at a certain someone’s house . . .
Life is short. Leave Trail Magic.
Bill Bryson once wrote: “There is a phenomenon called Trail Magic, known and spoken with reverence by everyone who hikes the trail, which holds that often when things look darkest some little piece of serendipity comes along to put you back on a heavenly plane.” I believe that to be true.
Vanessa Vicente’s Holly Banks Shoutout on International Women’s Day 2021
All contributions made by women are meaningful. From the highly visible, vocal, and world-changing achievements – to the smaller, “quieter” contributions women make every day.
Happy Birthday to me! Publisher Promos on Amazon . . .
A number of special price promotions are happening worldwide for both books in the Village of Primm series. Read this post to learn more. Happy Reading!
Pink Piggie Pajama Bottoms
Holly Banks has strong feelings about pink piggie pajama bottoms in Holly Banks Full of Angst. Enjoy these pink piggie themed ideas for your next book club meeting. Oink! Oink!
Incomplete Guide to Roasting Coffee Beans at Home
Ever think about roasting your own coffee at home? Holly Banks’s husband, Jack, does. Enjoy this simplified guide to roasting your own coffee at home.
6 Instagram Story Templates
Are you on Instagram? Enjoy six Instagram story templates released on my Instagram page at @julievalerieauthor.
Shirt + Jacket = Shacket!
Snazzy word, I know. "Shacket!" Tracing its roots to military styling, the shacket is a shirt...
How to Paint a Pumpkin
When it's that time of year, paint your pumpkin right. Key to painting a pumpkin that will last...
Recipe for Taco Soup
Do you have a favorite slow cooker recipe? I certainly do. Taco Soup! Although, I'm not sure if...
Word Games
Below are answers to the Word Games tweets released on my Twitter page every Saturday morning....
52 Inspiring Quotes about Writing
"A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called "leaves")...
Peacocks, Peahens & Primm
Did you know? The collective term for peacocks and peahens is peafowl. A family of peafowl is...
Hottest Summer Color for 2019? Pantone’s Living Coral
I've been watching this evolve since Fall 2018 . . . I wrote about coral and pink in combination...
All Summer Long – Book Reads Giveaway 2019
What's in your beach bag this summer? Can I tuck a few summer book reads inside? All Summer Long -...
Dogs that Steal My Heart
There's a somewhat naughty (okay, a lot naughty) chocolate labrador in my novels. Her name is...
Andy’s Favorite Cornbread Recipe: Skillet-baked Cornbread
My husband Andy’s favorite cornbread recipe is a skillet-baked cornbread recipe from A Chef's...
Topiary of the Month Collection
Residents of the Village of Primm, the eponymous seaside tourist town on which I base my series,...
Typing FIN at Barboursville Vineyard
Barboursville Vineyard, positioned along the Monticello Wine Trail in Virginia's Monticello AVA,...
For the Love of Fine China
I didn't register for china when I got married. No plates, platters, or place settings for me. Had...
How to Build Your Own Bucket List
What exactly is a bucket list? A hypothetical to toss out when someone asks—a response akin to...
What Rhymes with Mother’s Day? Giveaway!
Cheers to the women who wipe noses, tie laces, and remind us to sit up straight. Happy May to all and Happy Mother’s Day to many. What rhymes with Mother’s Day? Giveaway. And I’ve got a great one.
Baby, It’s Cold Outside.
It seemed everyone was trudging through winter these days, keeping an eye on the thermostat, watching for signs of spring. The other day, pulling a living room curtain to the side, I looked for signs of spring beyond my window while curled up with a good book, a cup of English Breakfast, and wool blanket from Peru. Funny, I noticed a surprising number of birds that weren’t there the day prior had suddenly appeared in my yard.
What Do You Love?
I love James River Writers. I serve on the board of directors of this 450-member community-based non-profit in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. We serve as central Virginia’s literary hub and we welcome everyone who loves the written word. Would you like to learn more about our organization? Take a peek at some of our programs.
I Often Feel I’m An Odd Bird.
Like many writers, I write from home, so my workday often passes without human interaction. My dogs are always at my feet, but despite being English Labradors, neither of them speak the language. I’m not lonely, quite the contrary. As a wife and mother of four, I’m grateful for the solitude, but I also seek meaningful interaction with my writing tribe. My flock.
