Julie Ryan McGue
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
Author of Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging
Julie is adopted. She is also a twin. At 48, she experiences health issues and decides to research her closed adoption. What began as a need for family medical history morphs into a complicated quest that unearths secrets, lies, and family– literally right next door.
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
Author I draw inspiration from: Dani Shapiro
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
Favorite place to read a book: In bed, snuggled under the downy comforter with several mashed-up king-size pillows supporting me.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Jack Ryan from the Tom Clancy novel series
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: When I did my first book report in grammar school. I loved adding colored-crayon renderings to my descriptions of the major book scenes, playing with font sizes and styles in headings and subtitles, and signing a curly signature to my report as if I was an esteemed book reviewer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I read in all formats based on convenience and purpose. Hardbacks are expensive, but I love signed author copies so this format is a real treasure which goes on the bookshelf. Paperbacks go with me to the beach, the patio, on the train, and in my backpack for in-between meeting reads. Ebook is great for reading articles, newsletters, and textbook material that I do not want to lug around. Covid made me a huge fan of audio and I have one going all the time as I drive here and there. Having an audiobook makes long trips and heavy traffic seem less burdensome.
The last book I read: Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway. Breathtakingly beautiful imagery. So impactful that I often re-listen when stuck in traffic.
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
Pen & paper or computer: Computer is preferred most days, but I always have a notebook handy, too. Making notes, jotting down quotes, or penning a few lines in my hand is a release in some way. Writing with a pen and paper feels personal and important. I tend to spend more time deliberating over the words with a pen.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Louisa Clark in JoJo Moyes' book: Me Before You.
Author Interview - Julie Ryan McGue
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Historical Home Researcher
Favorite decade in fashion history: Right now. I love yoga pants and wear them with everything.
Place I’d most like to travel: Florence, Italy. I love art, architecture, history, and decadent food. An afternoon drinking coffee at a bistro while reading and people watching sounds sublime!
My signature drink: A very chilled glass of Rose.
Favorite artist: Degas. The Impressionist era produced my favorite art, but Degas' rendering of ballerinas has a mystical, soulful quality that speaks to my love of fantasy and a life not lived.
Number one on my bucket list: Meet the Pope and the Dalai Lama. I want to feel the energy in the room that a truly spiritual person exudes.
Anything else you'd like to add: Besides books, art, architecture, and food, I am a tennis fanatic. I play on several 55+ travel and USTA teams. I have been to the US Open several times, but Covid thwarted my plans to attend Wimbledon last summer. It's on the bucket list along with the French Open. As I point out to my adult children, three of whom played college sports, I am the only one still playing my sport. Tennis has been a part of my life since I was a kid. Being able to continue to play outside during the pandemic has been invaluable to my sanity.
Find more from the author:
@juliermcgue
Author Bio: Julie Ryan McGue is a domestic adoptee and identical twin. She writes about finding out who you are, where you belong, and making sense of it. Julie splits her time between Sarasota and Northwest Indiana. She is currently working on another memoir and a collections of essays.
