Julie Holmes
Every writer has an origin story—like superheroes—a certain something that sparked their writing bug.
Julie Holmes got involved in aviation after high school when she embarked on a journey toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Flight. Stunned by the cost of flight training, she decided to get a diploma in Aviation Maintenance Technology so she could work as an aircraft mechanic to pay it. Her flight degree track diverted when she met her now-husband at A&P school. During her aviation career, she was a licensed A&P for a commuter airline and worked on Fokker F-27, Fairchild Metro III, and deHavilland Dash-8 (100 series) aircraft. She earned her private pilot license and worked in aviation for five years before leaving when she and her husband were ready to start a family; exposure to the chemicals associated with aviation maintenance was a risk she wouldn’t take. Following aviation, she spent sixteen years in IT, and now works as a full-time technical writer for a software company.
Every writer has an origin story—like superheroes—a certain something that sparked their writing bug. Some start writing later in life, some during their teen years. The spark that fired Julie’s writing bug happened in fifth grade. A visiting author spent an hour a day with her class for a week. During that time, he assigned various writing prompts, from limericks to short stories about rutabaga. She doesn’t remember what she wrote, but the writer complimented her on her story. That small “great job” sent her on her writing journey. In college, she finished a fantasy novel she had started in high school. The positive feedback she received from friends fueled her passion for writing.
When two of her short stories were published in small press magazines, she knew writing was something she could do. Getting published reinforced her desire to continue writing, but after her second story was published, life took over. She wrote when she could, but two young children needed far more attention. Once the kids were older, and her mother passed away, her drive to write resurfaced, but it wasn’t until she discovered National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) that she gained traction.
From that point on, she participated in NaNoWriMo and drafted a book each year. More practice and constructive critiques, along with online writing classes, helped hone her skills. She eventually enrolled in a master novel-writing class. It was the best thing that happened for her writing. She and her classmates became more than just fellow writers. They became a group of friends, close enough to call themselves ‘Writing Sisters’.
The book she workshopped in the master class won an award in 2014, but after years of querying without success, she decided she needed a new story. Crafting a story around her experience as an aircraft mechanic was her way in. She crossed paths with a wonderful agent at the right time, who challenged her to make the story better. The result is her first published book, Murder in Plane Sight.
Julie is working on the second Sierra Bauer mystery, which she hopes to release soon.
You can find more information about Julie at www.JulieHolmesAuthor.com and her blog at www.facetsofamuse.wordpress.com. You can also follow her on Facebook (@julieholmesauthor), Twitter (@julieholmes2k13), and Instagram (@JulieHolmesAuthor)
BUY THE BOOK: MURDER IN PLANE SIGHT