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Meet Julane Fisher

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Julane Fisher.

Julane, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Writing a book began as a hobby I did for fun. Until one day, I was so inspired, I had to write down this story. When my twin boys were born, I met a lady who was one of four sets of twins. Her mom had 15 kids, 8 of which were twins! As she shared her stories with me, I had an idea. What if I wrote a kid’s book about a family with multiple sets of twins? I wrote the first three chapters in a few hours! Those chapters later became my debut novel, “Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea”.

While I pursued publication, I started a blog called “2Wrds.” It began as an inspiration my husband had for encouraging kindness in the world. My first blog was entitled, “Be Kind”, and shared our story of how we teach our children to be nice to each other, yet adults argue and spew hateful rhetoric. My blog is my way of saying, let’s be kind and more compassionate to each other as a society, and together, we can make this world a better place.

“Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea” released on April 2018 and was awarded the Readers’ Favorite® Five-star Review Seal and The 2019 Selah Awards Second Place Winner. Book Two in the Sour Lemon Series, “Sour Lemon Strikes Out”, released on April 2019. Since that time, I’ve been featured in the Johns Creek Herald, the Forsyth County News, and on the Forsyth County Schools Reading for Fun Summer Literacy Video.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I completed my first manuscript, I knew nothing about the publishing process, so for me, it was an uphill climb. I contacted everyone I knew that was somehow related to writing, and asked a key question. “Who else do you recommend I talk to?” That question led me to folks I never would have thought to talk to and began my career as an author and speaker. I joined two significant writers clubs: The Atlanta Writer’s Club, and American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) of North GA. I attended several conferences throughout the Southeast and learned everything I could about writing and publishing. But the decision to join a critique group was what made all the difference in the world. My critique group is made up of amazing authors, both published and unpublished. We became friends and they have shaped my writing to what it is today.

My novel wasn’t published right away. In fact, I went through about 9 rejection letters before a small publisher took a chance on a new author! I share this story with anyone looking to get published because writing “the end” on your manuscript is really just the beginning! The hard work starts when you get your first no, thank you. Rejection is part of life, but how we handle it is what defines us. Rejection has made me a stronger and more confident writer!

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
What sets me apart from many authors is I love public speaking and spend much of time in front of students! As a former teacher and mom of two middle school boys, I have the unique ability to relate to this age group. I took “Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea” on a book tour to schools across metro-Atlanta. The Sour Lemon Presentation teaches kids they can accomplish anything they set their minds to do as long as they don’t give up. The presentation also offers a strong anti-bullying message and gives students practical steps they can take to stop school bullying. I sprinkle these themes and life lessons throughout the talk, all while sharing with kids how to write and publish historical fiction.

During the 2018-19 school year, I spoke to over 6600 students in 28 metro-Atlanta schools, spanning across six counties. I’ve accumulated over 75 speaking hours and had the privilege of presenting at the Decatur Book Festival and the Georgia Library Media Association (GLMA)’s Summer Institute.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My parents used to take us to Lake Lanier on weekends back when it was a free state park. We camped in a tent next to the lake and ran around for hours swimming and playing on a wooden playground. I have a summer birthday, so I remember spending several birthdays eating cake on the sandy beach. When you read “Sour Lemon and Sweet Tea”, many of the scenes at the lake are from my own childhood growing up with my sisters in Georgia.

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