Award · June 2026
Bend, Don't Break wins the IPPY Book Awards Gold Medal for Historical Fiction
"This story is fascinating…Each character is artfully developed through riveting storytelling. The entire palette becomes breathtaking."
Latest updates
News & Events
Events
November 13, 2026
Mt. Baker Holiday Arts & Crafts Sale
4 PM - 8 PM
Mount Baker Community Center, 2811 Mt. Rainier Drive S, Seattle, WA 98144
Load up on your holiday gifts! Julie will be selling and signing all of her novels.
November 15, 2026
Tacoma Book Fair
10 AM - 6 PM
Point Defiance Pagoda, 5801 Trolley Ln, Tacoma, WA 98407
Julie will be participating in a panel on "Atmosphere and Setting as Character in Mysteries and Crime Fiction" from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. with other MWA authors MB Austin and Bethany Maines. The panel will be moderated by Scotti Andrews. Julie will also be selling and signing all of the novels in her Jade Harrington series.
November 19, 2026
Stacey Abrams at Seattle Arts & Lectures
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Town Hall Seattle—The Great Hall, 1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Julie will be selling all of her novels before and after the event. You can find her at the Mystery Writers of America table.
November 22, 2026
Lake Forest Holiday Crafts Day
11 AM - 7 PM
Third Place Commons, 17171 Bothell Way NE, Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
Load up on your holiday gifts! Julie will be selling and signing all of her novels.
December 12, 2026
Monroe Artisans Holiday Fair
9 AM - 4 PM
14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe, WA 98272
Julie will be selling and signing all of her novels.
Author News
Announcement · May 2026
Release of The Paine Society
Release of the long-awaited fourth installment in the Jade Harrington series, The Paine Society, on May 19, 2026.
Award · May 2026
Bend, Don't Break wins the Eric Hoffer Book Award for Historical Fiction
Award · May 2026
Bend, Don't Break is shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Book Award Grand Prize
Award · May 2025
No One Will Save Us is a Finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award for Fantasy
Review · February 2025
Review of Bend, Don't Break
Seattle Book Review reviewed Bend, Don't Break: "For readers who appreciate historical fiction that centers Black voices and experiences, this book is a must-read. It is a testament to the strength that resides in every Black woman's story—past, present, and future."
Review · February 2025
Review of Bend, Don't Break
Midwest Book Review reviewed Bend, Don't Break: "An absorbing, thought-provoking, emotionally engaging, and deftly scripted multi-generational historical novel."
Announcement · February 2025
Release of Bend, Don't Break
Julie's new standalone novel, Bend, Don't Break, releases on February 4, 2025.
Review · June 2024
Review of No One Will Save Us
Kirkus Reviews reviewed No One Will Save Us: "…action-packed, historically accurate, and engaging…".
Announcement · June 2024
Release of No One Will Save Us
Julie's first standalone novel, No One Will Save Us, releases on June 19, 2024.
Announcement · January 2022
Julie Earns Her MFA
Julie graduates from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA Creative Writing program with a concentration in popular fiction.
Announcement · October 2019
Release of The Jade Harrington Series (Books 1-3)
The first three novels of the Jade Harrington series, Don't Speak, Rule of Law, and The Divide, are now available in a box set.
Announcement · May 2019
Release of The Divide
The Divide, the third book in the Jade Harrington series, is released on May 8, 2019.
Announcement · November 2018
Release of Few Are Chosen
"Few Are Chosen," the short-story prequel to the Jade Harrington series, releases November 24, 2018.
Announcement · March 2017
Release of Rule of Law
The second novel in the Jade Harrington series, Rule of Law, releases on March 12, 2017.
Announcement · January 2016
Release of J. L. Brown's Debut Novel, Don't Speak
J. L. Brown releases her debut novel, Don't Speak, the first book of the Jade Harrington series on January 9, 2016.