Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Julie Clark grew up reading books on the beach while everyone else surfed. After attending college in Northern California and a brief stint working in athletics at Berkeley, she returned to Santa Monica to teach. She now lives there with her two sons and a golden doodle with poor impulse control. Her debut novel, The Ones We Choose, was optioned for television by Lionsgate.
BOOKS:
The Ones We Choose (2018)
The Last Flight (2020)
Your biggest literary influences:
Jodi Picoult, Barbara Kingsolver, Anna Quindlen and Anne Lamott
Last book read:
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. Fabulous twisty suspense!
The book that changed your life:
Jodi Picoult’s Plain Truth was a book that changed me from “just a reader” to a “reader who wants to write.” It showed me the intersection of beautifully crafted sentences, emotionally driven plot, and the pacing of a suspense novel, and I knew that was where I wanted to live as a writer. Picoult is the gold standard in every way — not only is she a gifted storyteller, but she’s a fierce advocate for female writers in the publishing industry. She’s my literary idol.
Your favorite literary character:
Bernadette from Where’d You Go, Bernadette? I love her voice, and how she says out loud what the rest of us are thinking. If Bernadette were a real person, she’d be one of my most favorite friends.
Currently working on:
I’m currently working on a novel about a writer whose father was a famous literary icon who only ever wrote one book, and the secret about him she’s been guarding since she was fourteen. It’s both a domestic suspense and a family drama about the dark places that live inside some families, how far we’re willing to go to protect the ones we love, and how, even after the main players are gone, their secrets can live on and bleed down into the generations that follow.
Words to live by:
Everything that is meant for you will find you. From people, to moments, to things.
Advice for aspiring authors:
Perseverance is really the name of the game in publishing. Keep writing, keep learning and build your writing community. Try not to compare your publishing journey with anyone else’s. What happens for one writer will probably not unfold the same way for you. And always enjoy the privilege of being able to tell a great story.
Reviews:
Shelf Awareness Max