Julia McDermott's Blog

What happens when a family moves to a Midwestern town where no one breathes a word about a serial murderer on the loose? THE BARBIE KILLER

My next thriller will be published by Red Adept Publishing early next year. Inspired by true events—much more so than any of my previous novels—this book took longer to write than they did. As its release date approaches, I couldn’t be more excited or prouder of it. Here’s an update about what’s been happening and where things stand:

Several weeks ago, I finished working with my Content Editor to revise and polish the novel. This collaborative process involved focusing on elements like pacing and plot twists, and reimagining key scenes, characters and their relationships. Because of my editor’s spot on suggestions and expert direction, the finished story is much stronger and more compelling.

Then I was contacted by a talented cover artist at Red Adept, who sought specific input from me about the cover design. She explained the entire process, asked for my ideas and preferences, and soon shared a draft cover design for my review. The final cover hasn’t been decided yet, but I look forward to seeing it and sharing it with you.

The next step is the Line Edit, a detailed process to polish the prose and eliminate any errors. That process will be followed by proofreading, the last editorial step before publication. I’ll share more updates as the release date draws closer, including cover reveals, sneak previews, and all the details about launch events. Stay tuned!

On Saturday March 1, 2025 from 11:30 to 1:00, I’ll be signing books at the 2025 Amelia Island Book Festival. Look for me in the auditorium of Fernandina Beach Middle School on Amelia Island, Florida, where I will be at the Amelia Island Writers table next to AIBF Featured authors signing their books as well.

Copies of my thriller Daddy’s Girl and my award-winning memoir All the Above will be available for purchase. The latter is the inspiring true story of my son’s journey with brain cancer and his emotional struggle as he faced the battle of his life. The former is about an entitled woman who’s out for blood when she finds herself cash-poor and property-rich after her wealthy father’s sudden death.

My upcoming thriller (as yet untitled) is with my publisher and will likely be published later this year. In the meantime, I’ll be working with the editorial staff and book cover artist to get it ready for release. Inspired by true events, it’s an expansion of my short story “The Riverfest,” published in crime stories anthology Down to the River by Down & Out Books. The novel is about a family transferred to a Midwestern town where residents will do anything to hide its dark secret…and where what you don’t know won’t just hurt you, it might even kill you.

I’m grateful to be a member of Amelia Island Writers which offers many educational and engaging programs in the community throughout the year and is a strong supporter of the AIBF.

It’s amazing how many times family members and friends have asked me if a character in one of my novels is based on them—if they are “in” it. It’s just as amazing how often they’re quite sure they aren’t in it, when in fact, they are. Kind of.

You may have heard the adage, “Write what you know.” Most authors I know do just that, and so do I. Not surprisingly, we draw on what we have experienced and observed. I can’t help it. My brain processes what I see and hear, and my mind soon spirals into what-ifs. What if a small town is hiding a dark secret from newcomers? What if a woman’s look-alike is found murdered? What if another dead body turns up? What if the killer lives next door? And that set of what-ifs is just about my next thriller.

Wherever I go, my subconscious is always on the lookout for book fodder—which often makes its way into my next novel. However, I change it up to fit the novel I’ve decided to write. I come up with the plot, create the characters, and then I let my imagination take over. And sometimes, I confess, I do draw on who I know, whether I know them well or not. Some of my characters are composites of people I’ve spoken to, read about, or run across—and sometimes they are combinations of people in my life. Though they are fictional, they share qualities ( good and bad), problems and sometimes even phobias with real people, including myself. That’s the secret to making them relatable, sympathetic and engaging. At least, I hope so.

What happens in real life—truth—is often much stranger than fiction. However, fiction has to make sense. Truth doesn’t. Writing fiction that makes sense is what plot and theme accomplish. Both are just as important when writing creative nonfiction because a true story, when well told, reads like fiction–like a novel–and makes sense.

I’ve written four novels, the latest one (untitled as of yet) acquired for publication later this year. I’ve also written a true story, a memoir, also called creative nonfiction. It’s the story of my son’s journey with brain cancer, and (with their permission) several family members and friends are in it. Though it’s nonfiction, I wrote it as a novel using a three-act structure and story arc. I recounted true events, but only those that are part of the story, and left out everything that isn’t. In some ways, it was easier to write than my novels were. In other ways it was much more difficult. Writing fiction can be an easier task because I get to make everything up, but it can also be much harder for the same reason.

But I like a challenge, especially when I have complete control and am happy with the result. To those who think they are characters in my novels, I say, “Believe me, you are not. But be careful, or you could turn up in one of them one day.”

That was the underlying question at a recent event where I joined Donna Overly in an Amelia Island Writers presentation at bookstore Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Drawing on her experience as the author of several books, including a novel series, and on lots of research, Donna began our talk by discussing character and offering lots of great tips to our audience of dozens of talented local writers.

Then, I segued to the topic of pacing and plot using a 9-box “Plotter/Plantser/Pantser” chart (“Plantser” is the hybrid and the one that probably best describes me lately). I spoke about the Hero’s Journey in Three Acts and explained the “Save The Cat” beat sheets commonly used in screenplays. Save the Cat has been a wonderful guide for me in writing my novels and my work of creative nonfiction (memoir).

The bottom line: both character and plot/pacing are important. Super important. Readers desire to relate to characters as much as they anticipate a hook, catalyst, midpoint, and finale – a satisfying ending. The story can include unexpected plot twist(s), of course, which commonly occur during the second half, especially as the stakes rise closer to the end.

So – do we start with character, or plot? For me, it’s both, and each needs to be compelling. Merci to Amelia Island Writers for the opportunity to delve into storytelling, to share what we’ve learned, and for the great questions posed during the Q&A afterward.

“That [idea] would make a great book/movie!”

At 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 24, 2024, I’ll participate in a panel titled “Inspiration to Motivation: Shifting a Notion into Motion” at the 2024 Amelia Island Book Festival in Fernandina Beach, Florida. The panel, moderated by contemporary women’s fiction author of The Knot series Donna Overly, will offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process.

Panelists include: women’s adventure novel author Kristine Ochu; Florida Writers Royal Palm Gold Award winner of an unpublished manuscript Jane Buyers; legal thriller series writer and lawyer James Bruner; and me, author of an award-winning memoir, two suspense novels, and an upcoming thriller based on true events. Kristine, Jane, James and I will shed light on how we turn our ideas into narratives and discuss the challenges of turning an initial concept into a finished manuscript ready for publication. We’ll talk about how we stay motivated and disciplined as we work to complete our manuscripts, will answer questions from the audience, and will offer practical tips and advice to aspiring writers. Afterward, many of us will be available to talk with festival attendees and will have signed copies of our books available for purchase.

I enjoy talking about writing and the books that I’ve written and am working on, but I’m somewhat of an introvert—or maybe an introvert “with learned extrovert behavior.” I spend a lot of time alone, writing, but I also enjoy spending time with others, especially readers and other writers. I love “talking books” with those that I think of as “my people”—people who love to escape into a story and are curious about the craft of writing. Learn about panel participants here: donnaleeoverly.com, kristineochu.com, juliamcdermottbooks.com, idealsatwork.org (Jane Buyers), and thebikecop.com (James Bruner) and sign up to attend the panel here. Trust me, it’s a great idea to do so!

A good novel reads like a true story, and a good true story reads like a novel.

Inspired by true events and told from multiple points of view, my next novel, a psychological thriller, is based on my short story The Riverfest, included in crime stories anthology DOWN TO THE RIVER (Down & Out Books, 2019). Both works are drawn from my experience living in Wichita, Kansas in the 1990s before the capture and imprisonment of serial killer Dennis Rader, known as “BTK” for Bind, Torture, and Kill. BTK surfaced in the news after the recent arrest of the Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann, whose murders took place in and around Gilgo Beach.

Authorities have started looking into a cold case of a woman who went missing in Kansas back in 1976, and in my novel, the killer is connected to a unsolved murder previously not attributed to him.

BTK was able to access victims’ homes without being detected, and so does the killer in my novel.

BTK taunted the media with messages and clues about his murders, and so does “my” killer.

BTK went through periods of “laying low” -inactivity-just like mine.

And in my story, city residents don’t talk about the killer. When I lived in Wichita, I never heard a word spoken about BTK even though he was still on the loose.

Sometimes, the truth inspires a very good novel.

Book Festivals are great places for readers to meet authors, and vice versa. Recently, I was delighted to participate in the annual Amelia Island Book Festival Authors’ Expo, where I met and spoke with dozens of readers and many other authors. Some, like me, live nearby, while others traveled long distances to attend. Some writer pals from Atlanta made the trip, and I was thrilled to see them.

The day began with a Writers’ Workshop given by Florida author Vic DiGenti. Later, NYT best-selling authors David Baldacci, Kate Quinn, Scott Turow, and Jeannette Walls signed copies of their books in the same venue where other participating authors did the same.

After their signings, I introduced myself to David Baldacci and Jeannette Walls. When I told Walls that her memoir The Glass Castle had inspired me to write a similar story, she was intrigued, encouraging and very supportive. As I chatted with Baldacci, I told him that I’m currently doing his Masterclass on writing mystery and suspense, which I’ve found quite helpful. He seemed gratified and was very personable and supportive also. I also shared that I’m almost finished with my next thriller.

Then, a few days ago, I finished it. My next step is to have it edited and then do any needed revisions. That could take several weeks, and then it will be ready for a publisher. The title has changed since I began writing it, and for now, it’s a secret. So, it’s named BOOK TITLE in the description below: 

Inspired by true events and told from multiple points of view, “BOOK TITLE” is based on Julia McDermott’s short story published in crime stories anthology DOWN TO THE RIVER (Down & Out Books, 2019).

In the mid 1990s, Tim and Dolly Barron are transferred from Atlanta, Georgia to Huntington, Kansas, a small town with a dark secret. Forced to uproot their kids from the only home they’ve ever known, the Barrons resolve to make the best of it and to focus on the positives: a lower cost of living, good schools, and (they believe) less crime.

But after a home invasion occurs a few miles from their doorstep, the secret is out: A serial killer who targets attractive women lives in the shadows and has been eluding the police for decades. In shock, Dolly adopts some new habits: Set the home security system. Check the phone line for a dial tone when you get home. Learn self-defense and how to fire a gun. And don’t trust anyone. 

Then, Dolly’s look-alike turns up dead, and the city paper publishes a note signed by the killer claiming credit. Her fears intensify as more victims, whose lives have brushed close to her own, are discovered. If Dolly is to avoid the same fate, she will have to search for the truth herself and seek out the killer before he hunts her down.

Book Festivals are great places for readers to meet authors, and vice versa. Recently, I was delighted to participate in the annual Amelia Island Book Festival Authors’ Expo, where I met and spoke with dozens of readers and many other authors. Some, like me, live nearby, while others traveled long distances to attend. Some writer pals from Atlanta made the trip, and I was thrilled to see them.

The day began with a Writers’ Workshop given by Florida author Vic DiGenti. Later, NYT best-selling authors David Baldacci, Kate Quinn, Scott Turow, and Jeannette Walls signed copies of their books in the same venue where other participating authors did the same.

After their signings, I introduced myself to David Baldacci and Jeannette Walls. When I told Walls that her memoir The Glass Castle had inspired me to write a similar story, she was intrigued, encouraging and very supportive. As I chatted with Baldacci, I told him that I’m currently doing his Masterclass on writing mystery and suspense, which I’ve found quite helpful. He seemed gratified and was very personable and supportive also. I also shared that I’m almost finished with my next thriller.

Then, a few days ago, I finished it. My next step is to have it edited and then do any needed revisions. That could take several weeks, and then it will be ready for a publisher. The title has changed since I began writing it, and for now, it’s a secret. So, it’s named BOOK TITLE in the description below: 

Inspired by true events and told from multiple points of view, “BOOK TITLE” is based on Julia McDermott’s short story published in crime stories anthology DOWN TO THE RIVER (Down & Out Books, 2019).

In the mid 1990s, Tim and Dolly Barron are transferred from Atlanta, Georgia to Huntington, Kansas, a small town with a dark secret. Forced to uproot their kids from the only home they’ve ever known, the Barrons resolve to make the best of it and to focus on the positives: a lower cost of living, good schools, and (they believe) less crime.

But after a home invasion occurs a few miles from their doorstep, the secret is out: A serial killer who targets attractive women lives in the shadows and has been eluding the police for decades. In shock, Dolly adopts some new habits: Set the home security system. Check the phone line for a dial tone when you get home. Learn self-defense and how to fire a gun. And don’t trust anyone. 

Then, Dolly’s look-alike turns up dead, and the city paper publishes a note signed by the killer claiming credit. Her fears intensify as more victims, whose lives have brushed close to her own, are discovered. If Dolly is to avoid the same fate, she will have to search for the truth herself and seek out the killer before he hunts her down.

Catching up on “Pizza and a Movie”: We saw two movies* recently, one of which I loved (Baby Driver) and the other for which I didn’t really care (Beatriz at Dinner.) I was glued to the screen watcing the first one (and as a bonus, it was set right here in Atlanta); I was intrigued by the second, but hated the ending. I can’t recall our exact pizza toppings either time, but I do remember feta cheese, and anchovies…

The next two films* on our list are The Big Sick (this week) and The Beguiled. But I’d also like to see Paris Can Wait, Dunkirk, The Exception, Girls Trip, and Despicable Me 3. Not sure we’ll make it to the theatre to see all of them, though. Recommendations?

However, “Pizza and a Movie” – and all blog posts – are now on indefinite hiatus, or what I call a Blog-cation (à la “staycation”). Instead, I’m focused on some upcoming author events, and on writing my next novel. For updates, stay tuned under News & Events, and sign up there to receive my bimonthly newsletter. The next edition is in September 2017.