Hi there. I'm Julie and I live on the Monterey Peninsula of Northern California with my husband and two large, cuddly dogs. Books have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I love stories of all kinds but I especially love kid’s books. To be even more specific, I love kid’s books told in rhyming verse so it’s obvious why Shel Silverstein is my hero. Having always wanted to write one of my own, I decided to take the plunge and write Catty Wompus: A Tale of Friendship. I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it.

The story of Catty Wompus was inspired by a real life experience I had growing up in semi-rural Illinois that has always stuck with me. You know, one of those things you look back on and realize how much it taught you? I had a blast writing the story and bringing it from brain to paper with the help of Chason Matthams and his funky, groovy illustrations.

I have never been big on self promotion which may be a bit of a contradiction since being a writer means you write for the purpose of being read and therefore requires selling yourself. I suppose it’s more about being uncomfortable posting my mug all over the place which seems so self-indulgent. So…. why am I putting a photo of myself on this page, you ask? The answer is simple: Dave Morris of New Year Publishing told me I better get used to selling myself so here you have me in all my self-conscious glory.

I'm pictured here on the beach wearing my favorite cozy black poncho. My two dogs Tyson and Kobe are wearing their own fur.

P.S. As well as my second act as kid’s book author, I’m learning the craft of screenwriting, a passion that may or may not take me anywhere at all. But passion is not always logical so come what may, I’ll just keep on writing and hope people notice.

Illustrator Chason Matthams is a graduate of the Fine Arts Department of New York University. His pursuits include illustration, animation, painting, and portraiture. Matthams lives in New York.

(Julie would like to add that Chason is a man of few words but WOW, can he draw! And he’s nice to his mom which is worth a mention.)