Julie McElwain

Julie McElwain is a national award-winning journalist. Born and raised in North Dakota, she graduated from North Dakota State University, and moved to Los Angeles, where she worked for a fashion trade newspaper. Currently, she is an editor for CBS Soaps In Depth, covering the No. 1 daytime drama, The Young & The Restless.

Her first novel, A Murder In Time, was one of the top 10 picks by the National Librarian Association for its April 2016 book list. The novel was also a finalist for the 2016 Goodreads’ readers choice awards in the Sci-fi category, and made Bustle’s list of 9 Most Addictive Mystery series for 2017.

The series continues Kendra Donovan’s adventures in Regency England with A Twist in Time, Caught in Time, and Betrayal in Time.

When McElwain is not on her laptop, she enjoys traveling, exploring different cultures, spending time with family and meeting friends for Happy Hour. She lives in Long Beach, California.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. McElwain's reply:

Lethal White, by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling) and The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones

Lethal White is the fourth installment in the Cormoran Strike/Robin Ellacott detective series, and I was as engrossed and entertained as the other three books. The mystery begins when an obviously mentally disturbed man named Billy seeks help over the long ago murder of a child. Or what he believes to be the murder of a child. While Strike and Robin are intrigued enough to launch an investigation into Billy’s claim, they have to wonder how much is true, and how much is simply a fantasy created by a delusional mind. Rowling writes mysteries as brilliantly as she writes magic (ala her Harry Potter series). Lethal White is filled with interesting characters that have plenty of motives to keep their secrets tightly locked away — and one person who will resort to murder to get what they want. Equally important to the story is the ongoing and evolving relationship between Strike and Robin. For that, I would recommend readers to begin with the first book, Cuckoo’s Calling. My only frustration with this series is that Rowling is still caught up in writing for the Harry Potter universe, so there tend to be long waits between the Strike novels. But it is well worth the wait!

I am also reading the non-fiction book, The Accidental Dictionary. In writing my books, I spend a lot of time researching words and phrases, so I was particularly pleased to find this book, which explores the etymology of words and phrases. One example: A bimbo was originally meant to describe a man. Reading this book is like rummaging around in an attic and uncovering unexpected treasures — truly delightful!

Visit Julie McElwain's website.

The Page 69 Test: Caught in Time.

My Book, The Movie: Betrayal in Time.

The Page 69 Test: Betrayal in Time.

--Marshal Zeringue