Julie Mills

Author bio

Being forced into early retirement, and being a non-tenured teacher, I thought, what a great opportunity to take a stab at a long held dream of becoming a writer! If I could sell my books; bonus! I had a cozy loft, an understanding spouse, and the passion I thought would catapult me into stardom. However, my adult daughter and a new puppy, moved back home and needed my loft. I decided to finally replace my complaining hip, thus confining me to the recliner, the grocery store stopped carrying my favorite tea, and…and(!) the mail deliverers changed their route. I’m sure, no one in the history is writing has never, ever, ever had these calamities befall them as succinctly as I had. Come on! You know I’m right, right? Enter, stage left, “The Wallowing Days of Winter.” And wallow I did. Until my loft stealing daughter and her incredibly cute puppy had found new digs, my hip was complaining that I didn’t appreciate it, I discovered a cold brew ice tea, and my beloved postal worker had regained his route. (Note to self-bake him some cookies) the wallow began to shrink, and the sun came out. THE SUN CAME OUT! Uh-Oh…my vegetable garden called to me like a siren, the tender sprouts became my passion, the weeds threatened to overtake, I was drinking too much tea, and not enough sangria, and alas my mailman moved on to the big mail room. (I hope it wasn’t my cookies!) So, here it is, December of ‘22 . The harvest is all put up in jars, winter rye is planted, the grocery store has Peppermint Bark tea back in stock, and my new postal worker always has cookies in her pocket for the cutest puppy to ever have returned. Life is good. Now I can begin again, to become the greatest author the world has ever known. Oops! Don’t get too close to that goal. Baby steps, baby steps, and beware of the wallow in front of you!