Author Interview ~ Julie Carobini

Born in Los Angeles, Julie Carobini is a California girl. Years later she went coastal, leaving the smog and concrete behind. Before that, though, she spent her teen years driving to the beach in her cute, yellow Capri—the one she earned selling cheese and beef logs on weekends at the Eagle Rock Plaza. From there Julie attended college, toiled in the hotel business for five years, married Mr. So Right and had three great kids.

Along the way she wrote more than a hundred articles for all kinds of publications, including Focus on the Family magazine, Decision, Key magazine, Aspire, and a bunch of others. Today she lives near the coast with her husband Dan, their son and two daughters.


What book or project is coming out or has come out that you’d like to tell us about?

My debut novel, Chocolate Beach, will be released by Bethany House in February 2007. It’s a story of three of my favorite things: chocolate, the beach, and a God-led life. My heroine, Bri, loves her life as a laid-back "beach girl" with a distinguished husband, a surf-ridin' teenage son, and a kicky job as a Southern California tour bus host. But her rose-colored sunglasses crack when she discovers evidence that her husband is tired of her carefree ways. The question is, can Bri reinvent herself—and recapture her husband’s heart?

As a Christian, I know there’s hope. There’s always hope. So while my novel is about missed cues and unintended consequences, it’s also a delicious story of grace.

Tell us about your journey to publication. How long had you been writing before you got the call you had a contract, how you heard and what went through your head.

I’m a long time article writer. I’ve written for Aspire (now defunct), Decision, The Ventura County Star, Focus on the Family, and many others. In between, I wrote a couple of romances that I couldn’t sell. I gave up fiction. All that rejection took its toll, and I decided not to write for a while. Instead, I took a part time job with my church.

But just weeks after starting my new job, an editor at Bethany House saw an interview of me in The Christian Communicator, and asked if I had any thing to submit. I laughed. I nearly said, ‘no’, because the one book that vaguely fit their guidelines had been written so long before. But I sent it in and waited. Charlene Patterson kindly reviewed it, rejected it, but also gave me valuable feedback. Although they weren’t interested in that book, she invited me to submit another proposal.

It took another year, but I wrote the proposal for Chocolate Beach, took it to the Mentoring Clinic at Mt. Hermon to get the kinks out of it, then submitted it to Charlene at Bethany. There was quite a bit of back and forth (i.e., they asked for more chapters and I quickly wrote and sent them) before I finally heard they wanted it, and then I cried!

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work?

Yes! But this keeps me humble, it motivates me to work to become a better writer, and it keeps me on my knees. God has a way of delivering peace in those times.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication?

I’ve made the mistake of not being that disciplined. I’m amazed at all the diligent writers out there, staying on task without a contract. I might’ve sold something sooner if I’d not given up and kept working at it.

What’s the best advice you’ve heard on writing/publication?

The best advice I’ve heard (and not often enough) is to forget the literary vs. commercial debates! Find your niche and go there. Accept that this will probably take some trial and error, but if it’s God’s path for you, then it’s worth it. He won’t lead you astray. (Okay, yeah, I’ve embraced the chick-lit writer in me.)

What’s the worst piece of writing advice you’ve heard?

I’ve heard a couple of speakers pooh-pooh the value of writing articles as a means to publication. Although I don’t think it’s a necessity for a novelist, learning to write tightly-focused articles can be a helpful skill for any writer. I was advised to try articles and personal experience stories first, and it has given me invaluable experience. I learned to write on deadline, to lose extraneous words, and to work with editors. I also learned to use story writing and humor techniques in my non-fiction. Plus it gave me clips and credibility.

What’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

That this business changes all the time. Years and years ago, I raised my hand at a writer’s day and asked if the editor thought there was any future in Christian fiction. Her answer? Absolutely not. Good writing makes new paths all the time.

Is there a particularly difficult set back that you’ve gone through in your writing career you are willing to share?

In my 20s, after realizing that Jesus truly was my Lord, I lost my desire to write. I’d always wanted to write bodice rippers—lol! But God is so good, and soon after I met Kathi Macias, who offered a writing class at church. I learned about so many other writing opportunities through her, and it changed my life. After some redirection, God gave me back my desire to write—and even turned up the flame. Ahem.

What are a few of your favorite books? (Not written by you.)

My Life as a Doormat by Rene Gutteridge
Calm, Cool and Adjusted by Kristin Billerbeck
The Mitford Series (all of them!) by Jan Karon
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

What piece of writing have you done that you’re particularly proud of and why?

I wrote a feature story for The Ventura County Star about Christian surf dudes, and how they were taking waves for Jesus. After it was published, I got high-fives from surfers all over town, and even one caller who left me a message saying, “Rad-i-cal article, dude. The surf lingo was, like, 99% ac-cu-rate.” Hee-hee!

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?

There’s pressure to be a bit of a ‘celebrity’, and I didn’t expect that.

Can you give us a view into a typical day of your writing life?

After hubby and I get our brood of three off to school, I typically drink more coffee, pray, check my email and blog a bit. My brain’s usually not ready to write well until about 10 am—I am so not one of this early morning writers! Often family duties take me away from my office in the afternoon, so I end up picking up the slack in the late evening. That works for me because I’m such a night owl.

If you could choose to have one strength of another writer, what would it be and from whom?

I wish I could write faster. Some writers have a new book out every half-hour!

Do you have a dream for the future of your writing, something you would love to accomplish?

To make God and his people smile! I’d also like to set a book in every one of my favorite Pacific coastal towns, and to see my work make it to screens big and small. (I know, I know, dreaming big!)

What is your favorite and least favorite part of being a writer?

My favorite part is when a scene falls together beautifully, ending and all. That’s sweet! The least part is the extra poundage I gain while sitting at my desk, trying to make that happen. Ack!

How much marketing do you do? Any advice in this area?

This is my first time out, and it’s overwhelming. Just when I think I’m done for the day, I think up some new marketing angle, and find myself ruminating on that. I email the Bethany House team—publicists and editors—whenever I’m unsure if an idea is feasible or how to go about it and they are quick to offer me their sage advice.

One thing I’ve learned about myself is that I’m better one-on-one than in a large crowd. So I’m doing a lot of marketing that way. For instance, I personally ask people to be influencers. I’m also visiting bookstores with a copy of my book and an offer to sign their stock—and a gift of chocolate, of course!

I recommend that writers read the CAN marketing blog for daily insights and encouragement.

Parting words?

Thanks so much Gina for hosting me today! And thanks to all who’ve visited here today. I wish you much success and peace as you pursue a life of writing.