Julie Valerie crafts narratives that explore the depths of human resilience and self-discovery. Her writing is characterized by a keen eye for detail and a profound empathy for her characters as they navigate complex emotional landscapes. Valerie's stories invite readers into worlds where identity and belonging are central themes, presented with rich prose and insightful observations. She uses her platform to foster a community of writers, reflecting her commitment to the literary arts.
Following Holly's move east with her husband and five-year-old daughter from Colorado to the fancy Village of Primm, family dog Struggle begins digging up clues to a long-standing town mystery involving a stolen astrolabe and the true borders of the town.
A laugh-out-loud debut novel for anyone who's tried to live the perfect life--and learned the hard way there's no such thing. Holly Banks could not have made a worse first impression on the seemingly perfect moms in her new affluent community, the Village of Primm. Turns out wearing pink piggy pajama bottoms while dropping off her kindergartener late to the first day of school wasn't her best look. Not to mention Holly's worried her husband may be having an affair, she can't get her daughter to stop sucking her thumb, her hard-won film degree is collecting dust, and to top it all off, the power-hungry PTA president clearly has it in for her... To make matters even worse, Holly's natural eye for drama lands her smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood mystery--right as her own crazy mother shows up in Primm "to help." Through it all, Holly begins to realize her neighbors may be just as flawed as--and even wackier than--she is, leaving her to wonder: Is there such a thing as a perfect mom?