Julie’s Comments (group member since Nov 01, 2014)

Julie’s comments from the Julie Arduini's Surrendering Everything But the Chocolate group.

Thanks for joining this group. Although I'm so far familiar with you, you might not know each other.

Feel free to introduce yourself and anything you'd like to share.

I'll start!

My short bio is: Wife. Mom. Author. Reader. Amateur nature photographer. Chocolate eater. I share a little of each aspect across social media @JulieArduini.

That sums me up pretty well. I've been married to Tom for 18 years. We have two children, a 16 year old son and an 11 year old daughter. I'm also blessed to have two adult step children who live in Wisconsin. One is married, so we have a son-in-law, too. Tom and I grew up in the same city, Corning, NY, but never crossed paths until I befriended his family after I graduated college. We now live in the outskirts of Youngstown, OH.

This year I signed a contract for Entrusted, Entangled and Engaged with Write Integrity Press. These are part of my Adirondack Surrender romances. Last month I signed with Write Integrity to be part of their sequel to last year's A Dozen Apologies. This one is called The Love Boat Bachelor and readers choose who the hero picks. Each of the authors will write a heroine/chapter.

I also signed with Chalfont House Publishing with the infertility devotional A Walk Through the Valley. Heidi Glick, Elizabeth Maddrey, Kym McNabney, Paula Mowery, Donna Winters and I share our journeys. What I love about this is none of us had the same experience. Our beginnings, middles and endings all differ but our devotionals all offer hope and encouragement.

I also wanted to thank newsletter subscribers for their interest so I created a Finger Lakes Upstate NY romance called Match Made in Heaven. This only goes to the newsletter subscribers and I've really enjoyed sharing Beth and Dean's story of surrendering regret and the past.

When I'm not writing I love nurturing others. I facilitate a group of middle school girls and help out with youth group. This year I worked with our women's ministry and helped them kick off a new ministry where women from the church were paired with girls and teens from the church.

I love taking nature pictures with my phone. I call that visual worship because I have been known to start to cry over the beauty of a sunset. I marvel at His handiwork.

Chocolate? It's something I can reduce in my life but haven't yet been able to completely let go. Just tonight I overindulged in Twix bars.

I love to read, review books, and share what I learned along the way.

No one has to share as much as I did, but that's me. How about you?