An Author and Her Books, Julie Clark

She leaves you on the edge of your seat with fast paced thrillers

Hi readers,

I think Spring is finally here to stay in North Texas. We had several 70° days last week, and there doesn’t appear to be any cold weather on the horizon. April and May in North Texas bring the possibility of tornados, so I’m usually on pins and needles for a couple of months because of this. I grew up in Southern California and became used to the earthquakes; I guess those that grew up in the South probably feel the same way about earthquakes that I do about tornados. You get used to whatever your normal is.

While I wish I had time to read more books, I do read a lot about upcoming books. I am an early reader on Net Galley, and I subscribe to many author newsletters and industry publications, so I always know the new books that are generating a lot of buzz ahead of publication date. I get excited when I see a relatively new author’s book earn good industry and early reader reviews, and today’s author’s second book did just that.

Julie Clark was born and raised in Santa Monica, California, and received her B.A. from The University of the Pacific. After college, she moved back to Santa Monica to teach elementary school. She lives with her children and her “lack of impulse control” golden doodle. She says, “growing up, all the other kids were at the beach surfing while I was on the beach reading.” I got a kick out of this article about different versions of her author bio. It sounds like she has a great sense of humor and would be fun to get to know. She says the book that changed her from “just a reader” to a “reader that wants to write” is Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult, who remains one of her most significant literary influences. Her books are listed on Amazon as psychological fiction, psychological thriller, and women’s fiction.

She has written three books, and the newest of the three will be published on June 21, 2022. Here we go:

• The Ones We Choose - from the publisher, “Lisa Genova meets 23andMe in this exploration of the genetic and emotional ties that bind, a young boy’s desperation to find his place in the world, and the mother coming to terms with her own past.” This book was the second of Clarks that I read, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the character of Paige and her love for her son, I enjoyed the subplot of genetics, and I thought it was so well written. The emotional connection that I felt to the characters was strong, it kept me turning the pages, and I didn’t want it to end. The information about genetics at the beginning of each chapter was helpful to understand the complexities of genetics, but you could skip it and not miss any of the actual story. While not a thriller like her other two books are, this is impactful, interesting, and a worthwhile read. 📚

• The Last Flight: A Novel - from Publishers Weekly, “The moral dilemmas that the multifaceted, realistic characters face in their quest for survival lend weight to this pulse-pounding tale of suspense. Clark is definitely a writer to watch.” This is the first book of Clarks that I read, and I loved it. I had seen it across social media as the book everyone was talking about, and I had to find out why. Two women, Claire and Eva, headed to different destinations to escape their lives, meet in an airport bar, and make a spur-of-the-moment decision to trade tickets and start new lives. The plane to Puerto Rico crashes, and here begins the roller coaster ride of one of the best books I’ve read in the last couple of years. Nail-biting suspense, edge-of-your-seat anticipation, with deeply flawed characters that keep you turning the pages way too late at night. 📚

• The Lies I Tell: A Novel - I requested this book to read as soon as I saw it pop up on Net Galley. Could Clark follow up her last book with another thrilling and suspenseful one? You bet she can. From NY Times bestselling author Kimberly McCreight, “this book is a uniquely riveting cat and mouse game with two artfully nuanced female protagonists that is at once a razor-sharp, page-turning mystery and a brilliant, thought-provoking exploration of what it truly means to do good in the world.” I’m about halfway through it, and I think it is even better than The Last Flight. Two women, Kat and Meg, seek justice for the past and will go to any length to achieve that justice and re-write the future. Their lives crossed ten years ago, and now Kat is waiting for the other to return to exact her revenge. The twists and turns this plot takes are thrilling, and it takes you on an adventure where you don’t see what is coming next. Told in alternating chapters, you find yourself rooting for each character at different times, and I think that this is the kind of book that you can’t wait to finish, but on the other hand, don’t want it to end because it is so good. 📚

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Here are several links to interviews, podcasts, and videos. Unfortunately, since The Lies I Tell is a few months away from being published, there aren’t any interviews or videos yet that I can find, but I can’t wait until Clark starts making the rounds for her newest book.

• 🎧 A Bookish Home podcast episode with host Laura Kopinsky and Clark at the time of the release of The Last Flight. The Bookish Home podcast is one of my favorites that I listen to anytime a guest interests me. I’ve previously mentioned this podcast, and this episode does not disappoint.

• 💻 The book trailer for The Last Flight: A Novel.

• 📝 In a short Future Female Leaders interview, Clark discusses why she wrote Claire and Eva the way she did and why she didn’t use some of the tropes typically used in this genre.

• 📝 A written interview with book blogger Leslie A. Lindsay and Clark discussing her first book and details related to the genetics subplot.

• 💻 The public library in Oceanside, California, had a virtual event with Clark about her second book. It talks about her writing process, whether she is a panster or a plotter, and what was the inspiration for writing this book.

• 🎧 A Women Fiction Writers podcast with Clark discussing her debut book.

• 📝 A question and answer written interview by author Randee Green with Clark about her first book, how she did her genetic research, and why she wanted to write this book.

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All three of Clark’s books are so good, and each one is better than the one before. Even though I enjoyed The Ones We Choose, I hope she sticks with suspense and thrillers moving forward as that genre is her sweet spot; she creates multi-dimensional, relatable characters and has you cheering for them the entire way through the book. The suspense rises and falls throughout, and about the time you take a breath and start to relax, you find your heart pounding in anticipation of what will happen next.

Clark is active on Facebook and Instagram, and you can see more about her books and upcoming events on her website.

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I hope your week will be a good one and that Spring has sprung where you live. The famous Texas Bluebonnets are beginning to bloom, and for a few weeks, there will be fields of these beautiful flowers everywhere. Grab a great book and spend a few minutes getting lost in the story; it does wonders for your soul. Happy reading!

Some of the links in this newsletter may be affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase anything, I may earn a small commission. This costs you nothing and helps me feed my voracious reading habit, and for that, I thank you.