by Lynn Denison

Have you had the pleasure of meeting Miss Julia Springer of Abbotsford, North Carolina? If not, you are in for a special treat. These summer days would be a great time to make her acquaintance. She is the protagonist in a series written by the well-known author, Ann B. Ross. Ms. Ross has written eleven books about Miss Julia, each one more delightful and enjoyable than the one preceding it. In the initial book, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, published in 1999, septuagenarian Julia Springer is a proper Southern lady whose banker husband dies suddenly, leaving her more money than she knew he possessed. He’s left another big surprise—a mistress and an illegitimate son, “Little Lloyd.” Miss Julia learns to love “Little Lloyd” and his mother, Hazel Marie Puckett, and thus she acquires the family she’s never had. She valiantly faces small town prejudices, gossip and hypocrisy and comes out on top in every situation.
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind and the other ten books in the series are all available at Rowan Public Library. Many are available on CD and in large print format. The eleventh and newest book in the series is Miss Julia Renews Her Vows.
Author Ann B. Ross decided to complete her college education after her three children left home for college. She completed her Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees and then taught Literature and the Humanities at UNC in Asheville before beginning to write. Her first Miss Julia book was an immediate success and set her on a full-time writing career. Ms. Ross was once asked by an interviewer how she knew when something she’d written was good. She replied, “I know it’s good when I fall off my chair laughing.” That response indicates that she enjoys writing about her characters as much as her fans enjoy reading about them.
As a writer, Ms. Ross does not work with an outline or a detailed plan before starting a story. She usually has a general plot in mind that contains mainly the conflict and resolution with a few ideas of how they will be worked out. She relies on inspiration for Miss Julia’s escapades from many different sources, for example, chance remarks from friends or family, an incident she happens to see, a dream, or past experiences.
When approached by aspiring writers Ms. Ross says, “You must write! Thinking about it, researching it, talking and dreaming about it will never get it done. You must put words on paper, one after the other, even though doing that is lonely, unglamorous and sometimes pure drudgery. But to be a writer, you must write.”
Although each book in the Miss Julia series can stand alone, it would be helpful to start at the beginning and work through the series in order to truly appreciate it. Why not stop by any of Rowan Public Library’s locations today and begin a fast-paced, hilarious and thoroughly fun summer reading experience with Miss Julia and her friends?