A Taste of Fiction

It’s Sunday. The Sun is shining (at least in my neck of the woods). Let’s have a little fun.

I usually write non-fiction—on this site. On my other site, I am all about stories. The writing that I do here, on this blog, and in the book that inspired this website, is descriptive. The adventures, the people, the blood, sweat and tears, the food… all of it is captured with a high level of description. That’s how I write my fiction too. The characters come off the page. The scenery seeps from the written words. The emotion. The journey. All of it.

If you are curious, you are in luck! I have a flash sale going right now. Grab your copy, and see what you think.

Amazon (CA)

AMAZON (US)

KOBO

Stay tuned for more outdoor adventures and inspiration!

June 13, 2021 0

Where Did Julie and Her Bike Go?

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted anything here on my ‘Just A Girl And A Bike’ site. I assure you, I have not gone away. I’m still here. I’m still just a girl. I’m still riding my bike. And I’m still raising money for World Bicycle Relief, one book at a time.

I’m doing lots of other things now too. Hiking has become a big part of my life. My last posts were about some amazing hikes I did in Utah (Climb Like a Spider to Angel’s Landing), and a trip to my local mountains to ride, hike, and sell books (Reflections from the Mountains).

I was still travelling until the lockdown happened. I was lucky enough to get in a trip to Japan and to San Diego before it all happened. I did write some posts, but didn’t publish them. Stay tuned….

I’ve also launched myself onto a path of becoming a fiction writer. This has kept me quite busy – and is the reason that I have not pampered my traveling, biking, hiking, inspirational blog the way I once did. For that I am sorry, and I miss it, but…sometimes you have to focus and you can’t do everything. I am happy to say that because I buckled down and worked hard, I launched my debut novel last January.

If you like MindHunter, Hannibal, Criminal Minds…you might like my novel – Final Track.

If you like dark crime, horror, and 80s metal…you can check out my new site. KillersAndDemons – a toxic cocktail of 80s metal, ritualistic murder, and raw horror. You will also find the occasional inspirational post there as well (it is in my nature). And, you will find lots of cool stuff – free short stories (right now you get Where’s Benji if you sign up for the newsletter), story time (Creepy Readings with Demon Julie) and a plethora of other cool and fun stuff. Stop on by!

Although my ‘new’ creative path seems totally different than the one conveyed here on this site, there are some glaring similarities. I still write inspirational posts – I can’t help it. I still write about my passions (music, 80s, reading, writing) – just slightly different passions than the outdoor adventure focus here. I’m still in the posts, in the stories, and in the website. It’s still me. Just a different side of me.

I was recently interviewed by an author I totally admire (Daniel Willcocks) on his podcast called Great Writers Share. I’ve posted it here so you can have a listen. It was eye opening and quite refreshing to see that no matter what I choose to focus on or to write – I am still Julie. Now, I’m not Just A Girl and a Bike – I’m also Bon Julie, Demon Julie…and who knows what other Julie’s are lurching within 🙂

Listen to Great Writers Share | with Daniel Willcocks

It’s been a long journey. Stay here for more outdoor and travel adventure blogs. Come along with me at KillersAndDemons for dark tales of crime and horror coated with 80s metal, or follow both – whatever suits your taste.

Stay tuned for some good memories from a fascinating adventure in Japan last fall.

June 20, 2020 0

The Power of Inspiration

I’m just coming off of a whirl wind four day of attending a local, award winning, writing conference. I have posted about When Words Collide before (Inspiration, Creativity and Community at When Words Collide), but every time I attend I end up completely compelled to share.

This year was my fourth time attending. Thus, only three years ago, I showed up at this massive conference and I didn’t know anybody. At that time, I had written my book ‘Just a Girl and a Bike’, but I had no idea how to put it together and get it out there. My goal was simply for even one person to read it and feel inspired and infused with belief in themselves. Well, I’ll be honest, tears are trickling right now as I write this, because that goal has been surpassed. And not just because I have been able to get my book into many hands of people who needed the message within, but because this time at When Words Collide I had a profound and touching experience.

The second time I attended When Words Collide, I signed up to give a presentation on steps to self-publish. I was terrified – I questioned what I really knew. But, I had learned that this conference was about sharing with each other what we had learned along the way. It was a fantastic experience. I did the presentation the next year, and again this year.

Continue reading “The Power of Inspiration” →

August 12, 2019 2

Writers Helping Writers: BIG REVEAL!!!

Have you ever held onto a secret you’ve been dying to share, and then finally…you can?

For the last few weeks I’ve been helping Angela and Becca at Writers Helping Writers keep a BIG secret…what the next book in their thesaurus series will be.

It might seem strange to not tell one’s readers what book you’re planning to release…unless you happen to write books on Show, Don’t Tell like Angela and Becca do! They couldn’t resist the opportunity to show, not tell, by waiting for the cover reveal. They even created a *REDACTED* cover for it, which you might have seen floating around.

We’re revealing the cover at long last!

*drum roll*

Continue reading “Writers Helping Writers: BIG REVEAL!!!” →

January 21, 2019 2

Surviving My First NaNoWrimo: Lessons Learned

I wrote and published one, single, lonely book. I chose the self-publishing route for this very personal, non-fiction story in which I open up about my struggles with anxiety and weight by facing a very big mountain, equipped with nothing but a bicycle. During this time, I found myself starting to encounter a whole new world – the world of writing. Many a time I heard the word NaNoWrimo, but never really understood what it was.

About a year ago I made the decision to embark on the long, daunting, unknown journey of writing my first fiction novel. There were many stops and restarts due to, well, life. However, I found myself wanting, even needing to continue with this journey I had started, and to see if I could indeed write a novel.

As November approached, I again heard murmurs of this mysterious NaNoWrimo thing. Then, a dear friend of mine, and very accomplished editor and author, told me I should just do it with the goal to reach a word count that would complete my first draft. The premise of NaNoWrimo (National Novel Writing Month) is to write the first draft of a novel in a month. But, you can frame the challenge in your own way.

Continue reading “Surviving My First NaNoWrimo: Lessons Learned” →

November 22, 2018 6

When Words Collide: A Whirlwind of a Weekend

I absolutely LOVE When Words Collide.

A conference for writers, readers, publishers, editors…anyone passionate about books in some shape, way or form, this year it took me away in a whirlwind of activity. I first heard about WWC two years ago. It is affordable and for me it is also local. Thus my decision to attend the first one was easy to make. My intention, initially, was to learn. To absorb as much information as possible. To be a human sponge! And learn I did. The wealth of sessions to choose from was overwhelming. At that time, I had written my first book, and had no idea how to ‘put it together.’ I learned so much, I went home and spent the entire evening creating my project plan to assemble, promote and sell my book. And that I did. Incredibly, my book is now a concrete thing. I continue to promote and sell one book at a time. Capturing my personal story, this first book is very near and dear to my heart. My goal was to inspire at least one person with my words, and to raise as much $$$ as possible for a great cause. (Learn more here).

Continue reading “When Words Collide: A Whirlwind of a Weekend” →

August 17, 2018 0

Why Writing is Like Power Lifting

WelcomeWelcome to my monthly post in participation of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG). If you have never heard of it, check it out!!!

After a full day of writing yesterday, followed by more writing this morning, I decided to take a break and get some exercise. It’s been raining, a lot, so I chose the gym. When I am cooped up inside, I like intense activities. They are effective and efficient. Power lifting meets this criteria.

As I positioned myself under the bar, setting up for my first set of squats, the striking similarities between writing my first fiction book and power lifting shot through my mind.

Continue reading “Why Writing is Like Power Lifting” →

July 4, 2018 2

The Writer’s Tool Box

Welcome to my monthly post in participation of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG). If you have never heard of it, check it out!!!

I have embarked on my first fiction book. I will fully admit, this is hard. But, I am totally committed to finishing what I have started! I have launched myself completely into this, and have scoured the resources out there. I have read books, taken classes, and asked for advice from the many talented authors that I have been so fortunate to meet.

The main result is that I have learned a lot, and I have built myself a writer’s tool box. I am so excited to share with you what is in my tool box. I hope that you find something here that will help you, no matter where you are in your writing journey. Continue reading “The Writer’s Tool Box” →

May 2, 2018 13

The Writer’s Happy Book

Welcome to my monthly post in participation of the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG). I am still a new member to this amazing group of writers, this being only my third post. If you have never heard of it, check it out!!!

A special thank you to the founder, Alex Cavanaugh!

A long, long time ago….when my professional career as a computer scientist was just starting to blossom, I was exposed to a brilliant idea. It was quickly becoming apparent to me that within the corporate world the work environment could be less than morale boosting. During a professional development course of some kind, I think it had to do with leadership, the instructor shared with us her portfolio. Yes, a beautifully laid out path of what she had accomplished and where she was going. Deeply inspired, I was soon building my own professional portfolio, and out of this sprung a side idea to build a happy book!

Continue reading “The Writer’s Happy Book” →

April 4, 2018 2

One Step at a Time – Re-Becoming a Writer

This post is in participation of the IWSG.

First of all, I would like to apologize for missing last month’s post. I did not participate in posting or in reviewing other writer’s posts. I really, really, really do want to be part of this group. I will strive to keep my monthly commitment moving forward.

With that said, my first post, back in January, was all about admitting to myself that I am a writer. It was also about believing in myself, and taking the steps towards writing my next book.

Right after Christmas, a life event directed all of my energy elsewhere. My husband’s mom passed away very suddenly and completely unexpectedly. For my husband and I, it was our first loss of a parent. My father-in-law moved in with us for a while. Skills that I didn’t fully realize were simply a part of me surfaced. I played the part of project manager as my husband, my father-in-law, and the rest of our dear mom’s immediate family forged through a very tough week. We were all in shock, but, there was so much to be done. I was so grateful for all of the experience I had gained from being in a professional environment, guiding along big system projects. I was even more grateful for my ability to simply be open and allow myself to be guided and to respond to what was most important at any given moment. I found myself saying things to others that somehow helped, but that I wasn’t sure where these words had come from.

Continue reading “One Step at a Time – Re-Becoming a Writer” →

March 7, 2018 7