Julie M. Phend

Following a career teaching writing and literature, Julie Phend retired to follow her lifelong dream of becoming a published author.

She is the author of D-Day and Beyond: A True Story of Escape and POW Survival. Written with D-Day survivor Stanley Edwards, the book is a gripping account of Edwards’ experiences as a young pilot shot down on D-Day and his subsequent captures and escapes from Nazi soldiers before becoming a POW at Stalag Luft III in Germany.

In addition, Julie has completed two novels for young people awaiting publication: Sculptor and Spy, based on true events during the American Revolution, and Whispers in the Woods, a contemporary fantasy for middle graders.

She belongs to The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Historical Novel Society, Riverside Writers, and the Lake Authors club. She is active in critique groups and contributes regularly to blogs on children’s literature. She lives and writes in Central Virginia.