Subject: The book is getting real

Hi Friend,

The Book is Getting Real

I started this journey at the end of 2025, just thinking about the idea of writing a story about marriage and love. I wrote the first lines of the novel that would become Who We Used to Be on October 15, 2025.

Then came the many rewrites, the editing, the cover, the website, the reviews, and now I'm seven weeks from release day.

It's been an exhausting, all-consuming year, and for the most part, it's been a journey I've taken on my own.

Recently, I've asked a few publications and a few authors to read and review the story. But those have still been a very small number of readers. But I'm at the point where I'm about to hand the book to people I don't know and who really don't know me.

That's always a little scary to an author.

Until now, the book has belonged mostly to me. I've lived with it, changed it, and loved my characters.

Once I send it to early readers and the general public, it starts belonging to readers, too.

Writing a book is private; releasing it is public.

And it's both exciting because authors write for readers, and scary because readers might not embrace it the way we hope.

One way to be brave is to release the book a little at a time. This is where you come in.

I’m Looking for My First Readers

I'm assembling an Advance Reader Team, and I'm opening this to my newsletter subscribers first. I'll be sharing the invitation more broadly on social media later, so if you'd like to be among the first readers, now is the time to sign up.

What I’m Looking For

I’m especially looking for readers who:

enjoy thoughtful, emotionally layered fiction
appreciate stories where relationships evolve and characters are changed by their choices
are willing to leave an honest review when the book releases

This will be a smaller, more intentional ARC group rather than a mass signup.

What You’ll Receive

If selected, you’ll receive:

a free digital advance copy of Who We Used to Be
early access before the official release
review instructions and timeline information

What I Ask in Return

If selected, I ask that readers:

read the novel before or near release week
leave an honest review on Amazon and/or Goodreads
avoid sharing the ARC file publicly

Even a short review makes a tremendous difference for authors and helps new readers discover the book.

Apply Here

From My Writing Desk

Reviews Continue to Come In

"A thought-provoking, engaging, surprisingly uplifting story of adaptation and reinvention..."

"Libraries can easily recommend Who We Used to Be to women's reading groups, book clubs interested in stories of identity- and relationship-building challenges..."

-- D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Who We Used to Be . . . is about the journey rather than the destination. . . . Rachel is a woman we have all been at various stages of our lives.”

“Amante never loses sight of Rachel’s individuality, delivering a cathartic journey that will have you cheering for Rachel alongside everyone else.”

— Independent Book Review

"Who We Used To Be puts a new twist on the marriage-in-crisis setup by using alternating dual POVs, taking the story somewhere unexpected."

"Strong, well-crafted women's fiction with an ending that rewards real growth."

— Michele Dunaway, bestselling author of The Secrets of Sweet Blessings Bakery

For Writers:

If you're a writer looking for writing tips, you can read my blogs on Medium or Substack or watch my YouTube videos. Here my latest Substack post about foreshadowing and using scenes that seem insignificant to show character patterns:

There’s one scene in my book that seems insignificant. It’s a brief memory that my main character, Rachel, has about a camping trip with her husband. The reader may wonder why she is remembering this now and what does it with what’s happening in the current scene.

The first thing I’ll say is that nothing is insignificant in a novel. If it’s in there, it means something. It can reveal something about a character or prepare the reader for an ending they don’t yet understand.

Click on the link to read more:

Julia's Substack

If you are just starting out as a writer or you've ever said, "I'd love to write a book" then visit my How to Write a Book group on Facebook where you can chat about your project and ideas with others.

Subscribe