tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225377682024-03-14T01:48:27.089-07:00Author Julie CarobiniJulie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.comBlogger1104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-24843905110661646162014-07-21T16:48:00.000-07:002014-07-21T20:09:02.229-07:00Novel Awakening
Image c. Penguin Group
Once upon a time I read novels day and night. I read them on a hunch. I read them during lunch. I read them on my head, and I read them in my bed.
Poor Dr. Seuss ... !
But seriously, I rarely passed by the Eagle Rock Library on my walk home from elementary and middle school without stopping in. I was that kid. As I outgrew the kids' section, I moved into adult fiction Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-78393131848563398702014-07-10T21:49:00.002-07:002014-07-10T22:09:20.062-07:00I'll have the lobster ...
Tomorrow is my last day as a member of the publishing team at Regal Books. Actually, the entire team will be walking into the unknown after a goodbye taco lunch with the rest of the crew of Gospel Light (which will continue on).
But yesterday, our little team, along with a few others, got together--using a giftcard from the publisher that purchased our assets--and dined on lobster (etc.) and Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-31082111759399649992014-06-09T19:50:00.004-07:002014-06-10T06:55:14.087-07:00You're Fired ... or something
In about a month, my production/editing job at Regal Books will officially be eliminated. (Regal has been sold to Baker Books.) People keep asking if I'll find my way back to writing full-time again, and that would be lovely. But then again, I keep wondering if I should think outside the box a little, maybe take this time in my life to reassess my gifts and skills and find my true dream job. SoJulie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-46579561884421869162014-05-11T20:19:00.001-07:002014-05-11T20:20:39.123-07:00Happy Beachy Mother's Day
This family selfie thing is becoming a tradition of sorts. Last year on Father's Day we took one while out kayaking, so this year I wanted one of my own. At the beach, of course.
Crazy beautiful weekend. No fog, which can blow into town like a sudden storm and just as quickly bring a cold snap to our moods. Only extra layers needed today were of the sunscreen variety.
So we grabbed cupcakes Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-22511987201063197642014-04-06T02:35:00.001-07:002014-04-06T02:36:27.731-07:00The London LifeSo our European adventure is coming to an end--at least for now. College Girl loved her time studying abroad and has decided that another stay in London is in her future. I guess those frequent flier miles we've been collecting will be coming in handy.
We rented a flat one block from Portobello Road and pretty much lived the Notting Hill life for the past 11 days (except for our quick 2 days in Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-43455438616838296732014-04-02T13:13:00.000-07:002014-04-13T23:16:21.002-07:00We'll always have Paris
In January our oldest daughter traveled to Paris on a break in her London study abroad program. While there, she visited Lock Bridge at Ponts des Arts and sent us a photo of the lock she made and attached to the bridge in our honor. Such a sweet gesture.
Yesterday on our 2day excursion to Paris, with accordions playing in the background, we couldn't believe the thousands and thousands of Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-48240649928084633692014-03-16T21:45:00.002-07:002014-03-16T21:49:59.112-07:00Amtrak and me
I applied for the Amtrak writer's residency the first day apps were open. This will come as a surprise to my family, but only because I haven't mentioned it before now. They won't be surprised, however, that I've applied to take a trip alone, with pen and pad, on a train.
See, my mom loves the train. Her dad worked for the railroads and with five girls to raise, they rarely traveled. But when Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-24223445682062911502014-03-12T22:08:00.000-07:002014-03-12T22:08:09.832-07:00Sweet Waters - 99 cents through Friday eve - Kindle and Nook
Something about the time change compels me to say hello again to maxi skirts and beaded flip flops, linger out front to watch the sun make its slow descent, and wonder about the line up at this year's county fair. So in honor of lengthening days and the hope of summer, the ebook version of Sweet Waters is available for 99cents on Kindle and Nook through Friday evening.
This story has many fansJulie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-15218713196410108442014-03-08T21:29:00.001-08:002014-03-08T21:29:18.649-08:00Velvet blog postsSo my daughter's been studying and traveling in Europe the past couple of months, mostly the latter (seems to me, anyway :). Seriously, I feel very sorry for my sweet girl. Not. She's biked in Barcelona, walked aside the Champs Elysees, and chatted with Liam from One Direction at a night spot in London. Admittedly, she is studying at times, actually making shoes and sketching amazing outfits and Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-27418723384527525132014-02-09T21:06:00.003-08:002014-02-09T21:07:27.146-08:00Story Time
I cannot lie ~ I "borrowed" this photo from Kristin Billerbeck's blog. She chose #2, but I'm more of a #1. This does not surprise you, I'm sure.
I do love to read in bed, well, especially if it's a fluffy boudoir like the one in the photo. But the danger is that I'd most likely get more face time in my pillow than in my book. Ha ha ...
So, tell me, where would your rather read? No judgment Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-59963225969284105212014-01-01T17:17:00.001-08:002014-01-01T17:17:02.578-08:00Blessed Detours
Good thing I don't make resolutions anymore. No doubt they'd be broken already. I'm trying to be organized, really I am, but this thing called LIFE gets in the way.
And often in a good way ... like last evening. Hubby and I were planning to walk to Starbucks as soon as I got home from work, but then my brother called, said he was in town, and could we come by the fish and chips place to visit?Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-83372245527268600112013-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:002013-12-31T00:01:00.037-08:00Hello, 2014 ... You Look MahvelousEven though we've undecorated our tree and I headed back to my editing job, I'm still basking in the lingering glow of Christmas. (Sorry about the three Rs and lowercase Christmas in the photo. It's hard to snapchat in the dark, I've found.)
Anyway, tonight is New Year's Eve and for the first time in a long while, we have no grand plans to stay out all night and spend lots of cash. Great big Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-50172442600713824952013-11-28T10:08:00.000-08:002013-11-30T22:03:32.002-08:00Winner of Fade to BlueCongrats to Bonnie, the winner of Fade to Blue from my stop on last week's blog hop over at Ashley Clark's blog! If you didn't have a chance to read that, you can find it here.
There's
still time to enter to win a copy of Johnnie Alexander Donley's ebook
in the post below. Just read and comment! We'll announce the winner this
coming Saturday. UPDATE: Chris Granville has won the ebook!
Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-86334252039107899082013-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:002013-11-30T22:02:44.381-08:00BLOG HOP: Here's Johnnie ... (and enter to win her ebook!)
Update: Congrats to CHRIS GRANVILLE, winner of Where Treasure Hides!
My writing pals and I have been doing a BLOG HOP to celebrate the release of our stories in Guideposts Books' new collection, A Cup of Christmas Cheer--and TODAY is the last stop! Johnnie's story, Beneath the Christmas Star, appears in vol. 2
of this two-book anthology, and both volumes are sold together (The set is Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com63tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-31687661175536834512013-11-17T13:26:00.000-08:002013-11-17T13:27:53.009-08:00Where I am today ...Ashley Clark reviewed Postcards at Christmas over on her blog. If you leave a comment, you may win a copy of Fade to Blue. (And if you leave a comment on every stop on our blog tour, you may win our Grand Prize worth more than 100 bucks :). Here's the link:
Sunday Nov 17th Julie Carobini on Ashley Clark's blog Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-87437835414934242992013-11-13T20:16:00.001-08:002013-11-13T20:20:42.229-08:00Christmas blog hopping ...
To celebrate the release of A Cup of Christmas Cheer (vols. 1&2), a new anthology released by Guideposts Books, my writer friends and I are visiting each others' blogs and giving away all kinds of things--including a grand prize package worth over 100 bucks!
My story, Postcards at Christmas, appears in vol. 2 (although the books are sold together at Shop Guidesposts)
To enter any ofJulie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-33472959072776892132013-11-03T18:11:00.002-08:002013-11-03T18:11:47.535-08:00Chocolate Sunrise ...Okay, so I'm doing nanowrimo for the first time ev-ah! Writing the third book in my popular Chocolate series (finally!). If you're doing it too, want to be buddies? Leave me a comment with your username or search me: julie-carobini. I've got 45k to go and need all the help I can get. You?
Here's to late nights of writing the GAN (Great American Novel :) with Pandora playing by our sides ... :)Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-37493063557406876242013-10-09T22:18:00.000-07:002013-10-10T07:13:28.260-07:00Endless possibilities ...
Went on a little jog this morning and my faithful chaperone, aka Hunk o' Burnin' Love, the one who hasn't allowed me to run alone since my "episode," took this photo of a storm brewing over the ocean.
So many story possibilities in this image: An ill-fated boat trip, a mystery on a deserted beach, or maybe something more metaphorical like lovers at a crossroads, the swirling clouds Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-4440118564849084142013-09-24T20:48:00.002-07:002013-09-24T20:49:46.398-07:00Why my red pen and I are so thrilled!
So last week, one of the novels I edited for B&H Books ~ and the darling Amy Lillard ~ won the coveted ACFW Carol Award!
Woo-hoo!
Especially sweet since B&H shut down their standard fiction line recently and we said our goodbyes. Loved working with them, with Amy, and with my co-editor Julie Gwinn (who has now moved on as well.)
Here's to good stories, great friends, and bright new Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-58488865724207584442013-09-14T21:04:00.001-07:002013-09-14T21:04:28.805-07:00Writing LifeIt's a strange thing, this writing about one's own life. I'm writing a story that will sound oh so familiar to some, and yet not so much. It's the story of a guy who experiences tragedy then meets a gal who faces a couple of terrible situations of her own.
For those of you who are writers, don't worry ~ that wasn't my elevator pitch.
Anyway, it's based (loosely, sort of) on the early years of Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-57454500645780940832013-09-02T21:38:00.000-07:002013-09-02T21:39:56.965-07:00
Best weekend in a long time. Feeling better. Sun was out, as were many happy faces at the beach. We walked the sand today, Dan and I, sharing a cappuccino and watching the revelers. Somehow I'd like to carry this sense of well-being all the way through fall. And then through winter. And so on ...
Also had some time to write while lounging in a beach chair on Saturday. I've mentioned before Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-7825838514433658882013-08-11T21:48:00.000-07:002013-08-11T21:48:20.021-07:00True Fiction I learned the other day that, sometimes, writers don't want editors to know they've had a medical set back, or divorce, or other emotional emergency.
I can understand people wanting their privacy from the masses. Social media has challenged that basic right, am I right? And perhaps these writers are simply worried that an editor might question their ability to deliver on deadline. That's a Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-35239748453405940482013-08-04T19:37:00.000-07:002013-08-04T19:37:30.343-07:00I Thought I had the Flu ...About a month ago, I had a heart attack while on my morning run (aka jog). I'm writing about it now in hopes that others will learn some helpful things from my experience (and mistakes).
So on my run that morning, I noticed that both of my shoulders felt tight and stressed. Not uncommon for my right shoulder because of all the computer work I do, but this time my left shoulder ached as well. Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-59666918726750931662013-07-27T21:29:00.000-07:002013-07-27T22:05:56.038-07:00
Spent a few days in the hospital recently. A week or so later, I came home to find this Kate Spade bag on my pillow, along with a sweet note from my oldest daughter ~ a college girl who's working retail this summer ~ telling me I deserved it. So not true! But I accepted her generous gift anyway :)
It's probably meant for special occasions, this bag with its supple leather and fancy bow, but IJulie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22537768.post-73097507283361165702013-06-06T19:18:00.001-07:002013-06-06T19:18:41.399-07:00It's My Thang
In my little hometown of Eagle Rock, CA, VWs were everywhere. When I was growing up, a couple of dads in town ran a shop in someone's backyard and that's where locals got their V-dubs cleaned up ~ and souped up. We weren't close to the beach at all, but it felt like the beach was close to us.
So last weekend my (longsuffering?) hubby humored me and drove us more than two hours north to a Julie Carobinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06578840610817257039noreply@blogger.com0