Julie Cross is taking the publishing world by storm. The Champaign mom of three’s young adult novel was featured last week on EntertainWeekly.com — even though it won’t hit the store shelves until Jan. 3 (the book is available for pre-order on Amazon). Always a reader and lover of books, Julie decided in May of 2009 to pick up a pen and start writing. Her premise for the TEMPEST young adult trilogy was soon snagged by an editor at St. Martin’s Press, and it has drawn comparisons to the Twilight series as well as The Time Traveler’s Wife. Cross serves as Recreational Gymnastics Program Director for the Champaign County YMCA. She and her husband, Nick, have three children — an 11-year-old son, an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old daughter.
See why we think Julie Cross is a Chambana mom to know.
Q: Where did you come up with the idea for the series?
The idea was created in layers, not by one big epiphany. I started working with an editor, who passed on my original manuscript but still liked my premise—teen time-traveler witnesses his girlfriend’s murder and gets stuck two years in the past—to develop something brand new with those same characters and once we began brainstorming the ideas we’re flying in every direction. My editor’s vision was to develop a teen version of The Time Traveler’s Wife, something he’d been searching his slushpile for two years to find. My vision was to write an epic, teen love story that would bring two characters together whom normally wouldn’t cross paths (one from New Jersey and one from the Upper East Side of Manhattan).
Q: How did you write this book, in between family and work obligations?
It’s hard. I’ll be completely honest about that. There are days when I wake up knowing that I’m going to disappoint someone because there’s no way to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Being a mom at 19 took away a lot of those years when many young women are spending time figuring out who they want to become.
I think the reason I began writing in the first place, and I’m not even sure I realized this at the time, was to have an escape and a creation that was one hundred percent me. It’s easy for someone like me to hide behind my job and my family. There’s always an excuse to not pursue a hobby or talent—doctor’s appointments, parent teacher conferences, classes to teach. The idea of someone seeing just me, not the gymnastics teacher, spouse, or mom, was petrifying. That level of exposure, and even admitting my fears here in this interview, is very difficult but such an important step to keeping myself happy and as a result, hopefully becoming a better wife and mother. I’m sure many women have had similar experiences with pursing various outlets that don’t involve or include their family members.
I’m still struggling with figuring out the best way to balance everything, it’s a process that every author has to deal with when signing a contract for a multi-book deal. I also watch a lot less TV and sleep a lot less :-).
Q: I read on your blog that you flunked freshman English. That reminds me of the story about Michael Jordan being cut from a high school basketball team. What did you learn from that experience and what else
about your teenage years influenced you?
First of all, I have to include a link to a blog that I’m a part of, along with many other authors, called Dear Teen Me Project. The blog is devoted to authors writing letters to their teenage self, offer advice and words of wisdom. My letter, from last December, gives a very good overview of my academic life.
As far as failing English freshman year of high school, it wasn’t really a learning experience until senior year when I had to repeat the class…with all freshmen. That had been the first (and last) opportunity I had to retake the class. It hadn’t fit in my schedule until then. I actually got a big confidence boost, seeing how far I’d come in those three years and knowing that I wasn’t a complete academic failure.
Q: Your book has an option to be made into a movie. Who would you like to play the parts? Do you have any plans to appear in the movie (or your kids)?
As a disclaimer, I have to say that I don’t have say or contractual role in casting. But every writer plays the “cast my characters” game, so I can too. For my main character, Jackson, I have three top picks—Logan Lerman (The Lightning Thief), or Drew Roy (Falling Skies), or Darren Criss (GLEE).
For my main character’s love interest, Holly, I’d pick Dianna Agron (GLEE, I Am Number Four), Brittany Robertson (Life Unexpected), or AnnaSophia Robb (Soul Surfer, Bridge To Terabithia).
The models they used for the cover photo shoot were so spot on, I’d be interested to find out if they could act :-).
Q: You teach gymnastics for kids at the CCYMCA. Recently, you wrote an article about allowing kids to be the best they can be — what is your advice on that?
My best advice for parents, when told their child has an exceptional talent in sports, dance, or music and they should pursue it more intensely, is to keep their eyes wide open for those signs of early burnout. I’ve seen many parents hesitate to allow their child to join competitive gymnastics and within a year, they’ve forgotten all of their concerns and are suddenly so engrossed in the sport that the child’s drive has gotten lost. One line or boundary gets crossed and then another. Allow your child’s teacher to be the teacher and offer support in every other way that you can. Pay attention to who is dragging whom out the door when it’s time to go to practice or lessons. Who is gushing the most to Grandma about last night’s game or performance, you or your child?
Whenever you allow your child to join a sport or club, have a goal in mind of what you hope they’ll gain from this experience and always, no matter how talented or untalented they are, keep that goal in mind and let it be enough to just accomplish that goal.
Do you want to nominate a Chambana mom or dad to know? Contact us.