A Night to Celebrate and Honor Someone Special
On December 2nd, I hosted another book launch at my local Barnes & Noble to celebrate the release of two novels, A Sea View Christmas (September) and Whispers at Painswick Court (December 2).
We had a great turnout, and I sincerely appreciate everyone who came out to join me. If you’d like to watch a recording of the event, you can see it here.
I gave a talk about the new books, and then thanked several people who helped me along the way, including my first readers, my agent, my editors and the marketing team at Bethany House Publishers/Baker Books.
One person I especially wanted to honor was my longtime editor, Karen Schurrer, who retired this year after some health issues. She has played a very important role over my entire career.
Karen worked as an editor for at Bethany House/Baker for more than 18 years, editing over 100 books (mostly fiction) for many authors. She also worked on all of mine except one. She went freelance several years ago, but continued to edit my books. This year she decided to retire.
It won’t be the same without her, but the good news is she has kindly offered to continue to provide input on my manuscripts on an informal basis. She recently reviewed the draft of my 2026 novel and gave me excellent feedback and suggestions, which I deeply appreciate. She’s still got it! 😊
I have been so blessed to have Karen in my corner all these years and owe a great deal of my success to her. It’s been a privilege to work with her and to call her friend. I’ve said it before, and I’m sure the other ILF authors would agree: publishing good books takes a team, and I’m so glad Karen has been on mine.
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What a wonderful night, Julie! And what a wonderful honor for Karen. I love the T-shirt!
Thanks. You really can find anything on Etsy. 🙂
Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. I can see you had a wonderful crowd. I loved A Sea View Christmas! Whispers at Painswick Court should be on its way from Baker. Hope to read it with my friend in January. Merry Christmas!
Thanks, Betty!
I love that you and Karen had such a long author/editor/friend relationship! That’s a huge blessing. And YES. Publishing a book takes a team!
So true. Thanks, Becky.
That is wonderful to know Karen was able to attend and you could shine a light on her as a talented editor! I was blessed to have her as an editor for one of my books, and I loved working with her. I’ve been keeping her in prayer as she continues on her health journey. I loved A Sea View Christmas and look forward to listening to Whispers at Painswick Court. Thanks for all the wonderful stories!
Thanks so much, Carrie. Glad to know you’ve worked with Karen, too!
Karen and I were just texting today, setting up a phone date to catch up, and I have to wholeheartedly agree with everything you said, Julie. Karen was my first editor and edited my first nine books—and even one more recently (informally) when I asked for her input on it. She is a jewel beyond compare and is so incredibly generous with her talent. She and her beloved Jeff visited us several times here in Nashville through the years, and we have such fond memories of him too. Thank you for honoring her so well. She deserves every bit and more! Congrats on two new releases this season!
Late comer here.
Wow, you had a packed venue for your book launch! That’s wonderful that your editor was able to join the fun. That’s also fantastic that she continues to provide you with editorial support and seeing you through your manuscript for 2026.
Such a heartwarming celebration! 🎉📚 It’s wonderful to see Julie honoring Karen’s amazing work and friendship. True teamwork makes great books happen, and it’s clear Karen’s impact will be felt for years. 💖✍️ Congrats on the book launch! 🎄✨