Julie Valerie's new novel is Holly Banks Full of Angst.From her Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and for your character Holly?Visit Julie Valerie's website.
A: Much of my inspiration comes from being a mom and experiencing all of the wild and wonderful zaniness that Mom Life brings. Holly is close to my heart because she tries so hard to succeed amid women she perceives to be more accomplished at motherhood than she is.
But what Holly Banks fails to realize is this: we're all trying our hardest in this high-stakes game called motherhood. Most of us, like Holly, are "less-than-perfect moms searching for mostly happy in a pretty good life."
Q: The novel is set in the Village of Primm. What inspired you to create Primm?
A: The Village of Primm juxtaposes the conventional with the absurd. Through humor with touches of satire, I've mapped a village to play "home" to the aspirations we carry within us.
I was inspired to create the Village of Primm, and, to a lesser extent, neighboring Southern Lakes, to explore...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue