01 - GETTING ACQUAINTED
I'm Julie Tyler Ruiz
Stories have shaped my life for as long as I can remember.
As a child, they filled library bags and bedtime reading. As a student, stories became my focus of study, eventually leading me to earn a Ph.D. in English from the University of Tennessee. Along the way, I became fascinated not only by what stories tell us, but by why certain stories continue to matter across generations.
02 - THE WRITING LIFE
A calling beyond the classroom
Graduate school taught me to read closely, think carefully, and ask better questions. But it also revealed something unexpected: while I loved studying stories, I heard a louder call to tell them.
Today, I write because stories help us make sense of the world. Some stories I'm turning into novels. Others I'm turning into memoirs, articles, and practical guides. Together, they ask the same enduring questions: What is true? What is beautiful? What is worth remembering? How should we live?
Those questions are at the heart of StoryBold.
03 - BEHIND THE BOOKS
From mentor to working writer
For years, StoryBold centered on helping writers through coaching, courses, workshops, and community. It was a privilege to mentor thousands of writers, partner with organizations, and create educational resources that reached readers around the world.
Those years shaped me as a teacher. Today, StoryBold has evolved into a literary home for readers and writers.
Rather than primarily teaching the craft, I now invite you into it: writing books across genres, recommending exceptional literature, and sharing the creative process as it unfolds.
We usually see only the polished moments of a writer's life: a finished book, a launch announcement, a signed copy, a smiling author at an event. What we rarely see are the years behind them: the abandoned drafts, the hard revisions, the goals that almost came true, the private disappointment, and the courage to keep showing up to the page.
That's the writing life I want to share. StoryBold is an invitation behind the scenes, where books are shaped well before they reach a reader.
04 - CURRENT WORK
Writing across genres
My writing spans a range of genres and subjects, united by a common purpose: to help us think more deeply, live more intentionally, and better understand ourselves and the world around us.
BABIES AFTER 40
A memoir and growing collection of resources for women navigating fertility, pregnancy, birth, and motherhood later in life.
EATING WITH BABIES
A guide to nourishing mothers and babies before and after birth, bringing together nutrition, practical wisdom, and family life.
NOVELS
Literary fiction exploring relationships, identity, faith, and the questions that shape ordinary lives.
Whether I'm writing memoir, fiction, or nonfiction, I'm drawn to stories and ideas that endure and challenge readers to carry something meaningful with them long after they've turned the final page.
05 - A DIVERSE BOOKSHELF
Reading widely
My love of books began in childhood, with regular trips to the library and the excitement of bringing home a stack of stories. Reading was more than just a pastime for me. It became one of the primary ways I learned to think, imagine, and make sense of the world.
That love deepened in college and graduate school, where I had the privilege of studying literature seriously. I read the classics alongside contemporary works and learned to ask not only what a book says, but how it accomplishes its lasting effect.
These days, I wish I had more hours to read than motherhood and writing allow, so I've become highly selective. I'm always looking for books that reward careful attention: breakout novels, overlooked gems, enduring classics, thoughtful nonfiction, and the rare titles that earn a permanent place on my shelves.
StoryBold is where I share the books I believe are worth your time, along with essays and conversations that deepen our appreciation for why great stories continue to matter.
07 - FAITH ON THE PAGE
God and the creative life
In recent years, I've found myself renewing my relationship with God. As that relationship continues to deepen, it is naturally shaping the way I approach my work and the kind of stories I want to tell.
More and more, I see creativity as a gift to steward rather than a platform to build. My hope is to create books that invite readers to think deeply, cultivate wisdom, strengthen compassion, and encounter what is true, beautiful, and good.
While StoryBold welcomes readers from many backgrounds, I also want to be honest about the perspective increasingly shaping my own. My faith influences the questions I ask, the stories I tell, and the community I'm seeking to build through StoryBold.
08 - STORYBOLD LETTERS
The conversation continues
The best books have a way of extending beyond their final pages. They shape our thinking, sharpen our questions, and invite us into conversations that continue long after we've finished reading.
That's the spirit behind StoryBold Letters.
I'd love to write to you! Follow along as I write new books, share literary essays, recommend exceptional reads, and reflect on the creative life.
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