Let’s get to know one another! I am chronically Type-A. Firstborn daughter to two firstborns. The eldest of four sisters. The first grandchild. The first niece. A Virgo (if that wasn’t already painfully obvious). I don’t half-ass anything. If I do something, I do it well—because not being good at something? The horror.

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So naturally, I chose writing, a career that will never stop making me question whether I’m actually any good at it. Genius move, right?

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It took me three full 100K+ word rewrites to get A Curse in Ash right. Then, because I apparently enjoy suffering, I had to edit it into a standalone to try and sell it to literary agents, even though I knew it was meant to be a trilogy. Luckily, I found an author friendly press who allowed me to publish all three books with an amazing team including my developmental editor, cover designer, and copy editor. I was able to deliver the series the way it was meant to be, and I will never regret that decision. (Still- traditional publishing, if you’re reading this…call me. Unless you don’t like my books, in which case, don’t.)

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I wrote, rewrote, edited, and launched all three books while working full-time as a nanny and acting as the live-in caregiver for my grandmother, who had dementia and Alzheimer’s. Writing was my escape, the only thing I could control when everything else in my life felt impossible. Things only got tougher during the pandemic and isolation, until it became dangerous for her to not have professional care. I finally made the terrifying (but necessary) decision to put myself first. I moved to Central PA, where I could see the mountains from my library window, focus on my own well-being.

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Now, about my emotional support cat. You know those heartwarming rescue stories where a traumatized pet finds their perfect human, and they become best friends? Yeah, this isn’t that. Jasmine is a standoffish, senior cat who was abandoned by the only family she ever knew. She tolerates me only when food is involved and otherwise acts like I’m an intruder in her home. I grew up with every pet imaginable—but never a cat. And I have always wanted one. So naturally, my first cat is the feline equivalent of a cranky old man shaking his fist at me for existing. But I love her. And together, we are healing.

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Beyond books, I’m a hockey lover and a recent rugby convert. I had season tickets to the Philadelphia Phantoms for years, including during the NHL lockout when they won the Calder Cup (it was an exciting time for Philadelphia hockey fans – we don’t win often). I’m a diehard Flyers fan who somehow ended up living in Capitals territory, which I’m handling… poorly. I recently got season tickets to the Hershey Bears, and honestly? Watching live hockey has healed something in my soul. I will happily debate you on the superiority of minor league hockey any day of the week.

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And when I’m not screaming at a hockey rink, you can find me at a concert—because live music is everything. I’ve been to more shows than I can count, spanning just about every genre. I’ve seen Dave Matthews Band, Christina Perri, Motley Crüe, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Simon & Garfunkel, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John & Billy Joel, Three Doors Down, Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence, Rascal Flatts, Rihanna, Gavin DeGraw, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Nickelback, Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Trapt, Hozier, and more. (Yes, my playlists are chaos. No, I will not apologize.) There’s something about the energy of a live show—when the lights hit, the bass kicks in, and you can feel the music in your chest—that just can’t be replicated.

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I’ve also been incredibly lucky to travel. I’ve been a lot of places, but nothing compares to tracing my roots. I’ve been to Greece multiple times with my now-deceased Yiayia and my sisters, meeting family, and exploring the islands. I also took a chaotic, ridiculous, perfect trip to Ireland with 26 members of my mother’s family—cousins, aunts, uncles, the whole gang. We rented a private tour bus (shoutout to Mick, our very patient driver) and traveled across the country. I was violently allergic to our relatives' dairy farm, fell completely in love with the sea, and discovered that Guinness? Not nearly as disgusting as I expected. It was magic.

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These days, I work with incredible indie bookstores, do book signings, and still can’t believe Cupboard Maker Books painted my book spine as part of their outdoor mural. I drink tea (never once tried coffee), eat an unhealthy amount of gummi candy, and will drop everything for a truly “awful” SyFy movie.

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I write fantasy romance under Julie Zantopoulos and plan to publish contemporary romance under Julie Zee—because sometimes, even I acknowledge that my last name is a bit much.