It’s been nearly a year since my last post here. And dear ones, this here is my last post on Chalk the Sun. It’s time to let this blog go, a little more than twelve years after its inception.

But the conversation isn’t over, just a change in the the medium of delivery. I’ve migrated to Substack. Rather than maintain a separate blog here and a newsletter over on Mailchimp, and feeling so overwhelmed that I’ve can’t muster the energy to use either one, I’m combining platforms. Substack is free to you and me. Its layout is clean and simple requires much less formatting nonsense than either WordPress or Mailchimp. Happily, I was able to move every last post I’ve made here over to Substack, so all these years of content and celebration, words, worry and work, are captured in this new iteration. https://juliechristinejohnson.substack.com/

As it has been for so many, this past year has been replete with transitions and transformations. I resigned from my job at an arts non-profit in December and cobbled together part-time gigs as an independent contractor in development and finance for two other non-profits, all while working to finish a draft of The Deep Coil that I felt was worthy of sharing with my literary agent. In July, one of my part-time jobs went full-time and two weeks later, I hit SEND on the email that delivered that draft to my agent.

The Deep Coil is back in my hands now, with suggestions (okay, marching orders) and as I complete yet another round of revisions, I wonder if you, dear reader, would be interested in a beta read? I’m particularly keen on readers of the crime/mystery genre who can comment on tension, how the characters propel them deeper into the story, and if that story works! If you’d like to read and offer feedback on THE DEEP COIL, and could turn around feedback by early December, click here and let me know: Contact Me

I’ve missed you. Missed engaging with you, reading your comments, feeling your connection, support and receiving your feedback. My new thing on Substack will be a blend of blog-like conversations, interviews with authors, book reviews, updates on my author stuff, including workshops (in-person and virtual) and tap wood, publication news.

Please join me on Writing with Julie.