43
Local author publishes her first novel
Photo
Neighbors | Submitted.Poland resident Julie Arduini displayed a copy of her book, "Entrusted," which made the Amazon Kindle bestseller list for Women's Christian Fiction. Arduini, a former resident of Boardman, has also received writing credits in anthologies and gift books.
By TIM CLEVELAND
After receiving writing credits in anthologies and gift books, Poland resident Julie Arduini has written and published her first novel, “Entrusted,” the first of three books in the Adirondack Surrender Romance series.
“All three are based in the Adirondack Mountains and feature an aspect of surrender within,” she said of the plot of the book. “‘Entrusted’ is about how a city girl produces a lot of change for an Adirondack grocer. Jenna Anderson promises an elderly neighbor who is dying that she’ll live life to the fullest. When Jenna realizes she’s taken her job in Youngstown as far as she can, she replies to an ad in a magazine about becoming the senior center director in an Adirondack village.
“She’s offered the job after one phone interview and ‘Entrusted’ starts when she enters the village, so rural there are no traffic lights. She wants to belong but Ben Regan, town councilman and grocer, is as broken as the flower box Jenna destroys upon arriving. He’s not too happy about her being at the center. I’m proud that I not only feature an area I love, Speculator, N.Y., but also can highlight the area where I live now. ‘Entrusted’ actually ends in Youngstown.”
The other two books in the series, “Entangled” and “Engaged.” They will both be released in 2015.
A native of Corning, N.Y., Arduini moved to Boardman in 2004 and Poland in 2014. She said she’s had an interest in writing for almost all of her life.
“I remember holding loose pieces of paper and scribbling before I could even read and write,” Arduini said. “I was always writing or thinking up stories. I first knew there was something special when I submitted a poem to the school paper at their request after working on it for 20 minutes.
“I participated in a lot of writing related activities in high school and college. As far as taking it seriously and pursuing publication, I’ve been active since 2007.”
While still living in New York, Arduini spent a decade working with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, RSVP, matching senior citizens with not for profit agencies throughout Steuben County. She did publicity within that job, as well. She said a lot of the seniors in “Entrusted” are her tribute to the people she met back then.
“Unfortunately the financial impact of 9/11 hit Upstate New York and my position lost funding in 2003,” she said. “I was pregnant, so I decided to become a full-time mom. For years I lent my time to writing for great causes like local chapters of Mothers of Preschoolers, MOPS. I also have volunteered as a mentor figure within my local church and help promote their events on social media.”
Arduini has had several stories published in anthologies and gift books, including “Buzzard’s Roost,” about her daughter’s near-death experience, which was published in “Quilting Patches of Life.” She’s also has stories published in the books “Women of Passions: Ordinary Women Serving an Extraordinary God,” “Run Like a Girl” and “God Encounters.”
“I think it’s always been putting all the stories from my imagination down on paper or on laptop,” she said. “I’m constantly observing people and circumstances with my own spin to them.”
Arduini was asked to describe her writing process from beginning to end.
“I’m constantly thinking, so when most people see a situation, I’m envisioning it as a story,” she said. “I’m asking myself ‘what if’ questions and expanding it. Once I think there’s a potential book, I open up my laptop and start filling out my notes on Ywriter. I also work through the plot with Susan May Warren and Rachel Hauck’s book, ‘From the Inside Out.’ They give all the plotting tools in workbook form, so I outline in that. I usually write the first draft in Ywriter, with tabs open to Google and Google Earth for research. Once the first draft is done, I export to Microsoft Word for format and review. I belong to three critique groups within ACFW, American Christian Fiction Writers, and I submit the book by chapter to the groups.
“Entrusted probably went through five complete drafts where every single page had changes. Most people don’t know the editing and revising that go into writing. Once the manuscript has been completely revised, then it’s time to hand in to the publisher. An editor will go through and suggest changes, and I have to sign off on them. The publisher then sends me the galleys, a rough draft of how things will look formatted. I have to go line by line and approve. While the book is getting ready, that’s when I need to work on marketing, getting the world to know the book exists and have readers want to read it. It’s a time to line up reviewers and influencers, too.”
In addition to the next two books in the Adirondack Surrender Romance series, Arduini will also be a part of an infertility book contracted with Chalfont House Publishing called “A Walk Through the Valley.”
“Heidi Glick, Elizabeth Maddrey, Kym McNabney, Paula Mowery and Donna Winters all contributed their infertility experiences in a very transparent way, yet we also gave hope, too,” she said. “What I love about this book is none of our stories are the same. It truly is a book I wish had existed when I was going through infertility and loss.”
Arduini was asked what her goals are for the future in her writing career.
“My hope is to continue to write contemporary romances with surrender themes using various locations throughout Upstate New York,” she said. “I’d like to work next on the Finger Lakes, and perhaps after that, The Thousand Islands. I hope somehow to also include Ohio locations in my writing as well.”