Pull Up a Chair & Settle in with Me!
Happy October!
I can’t believe how quickly 2026 is flying by. Can you believe it’s been a year since my eye surgeries? Some days, I still find myself marveling at the difference. I truly feel like I got my life back. The joy is constant, like a bubble rising to the surface again and again.
I haven’t posted a personal update here in quite a while because this site has largely become a place where I spotlight other authors and their releases. But I don’t want to lose touch with you. After all, this blog was my first surrender, the place where everything began way back in 2007.
Looking back, 2026 has been a year of connection.
Maybe that makes sense now that I can actually see what I’m doing!
I also stepped away from local ministry for a few months, and that pause gave me fresh perspective. In the quiet, I followed God’s lead and listened for where He was guiding me next.
One of the biggest changes has been my newsletter.
If I’m honest, marketing has never been my favorite part of being an author. I never want my name to become synonymous with constantly selling books. At the same time, if readers don’t know about them, how can those stories encourage them? Finding that balance has always been a challenge.
That’s why I’ve become intentional about building relationships through my newsletter. This year, I moved from Mailchimp to MailerLite, refreshed my branding, updated my author tagline, and reimagined how I connect with subscribers each month.
Here’s what I’ve landed on:
I’m Julie Arduini (Are-due-we-knee), and I weave faith, family, and chocolate into stories that feel like home.
My monthly newsletter, Julie’s Here, is designed to feel like time spent with a friend. I want readers to pull up a chair, settle in, and enjoy a visit. Each month features a theme that shapes the entire issue. We’ve cheered at baseball games, spent a day in school, and even embarked on a cuckoo clock quest together.
Creating these themed newsletters has been a joy, and the kind feedback I’ve received has meant so much.
I’d love to extend that invitation to you.
Subscribe to Julie’s Here for free and receive Becoming Hearts, the short-story prequel to my Surrendering Hearts series. You’ll meet the Hart sextuplets as they wrestle with identity, family, faith, and the hope of finding a love like the one their parents share. Each sibling has their own story, but trust me, these books have a lot of Hart.
You can join us here.
I also write a weekly Substack, To Be Honest, where I share authentic thoughts in a world that often encourages the opposite.
It’s been so good catching up with you.
I’d love to hear how you’re doing. Send me a note at juliearduini@icloud.com. Just give your email a subject line that doesn’t look like spam so I don’t accidentally miss it!
Until next time, have an amazing day.
Blessings,
Julie
