Julee Balko
Author Interview - Julee Balko
Author of The Things We Keep and Square Hearts
About Square Hearts:
The heart has many sides. But people have even more.
Nicola's husband always said hearts have four sides. But ever since the night her world was shattered when he died in a car accident, Nicola Cooper can't find a side that loves herself, let alone connects with her neurodivergent daughter.
Determined to start living again, Nicola finds herself in a number of precarious situations. Her muffin-making neighbor turns out to be more narcissistic than nice. She's getting lessons in lust from her daughter's violin teacher. And every margarita night gets her closer to her late husband's best friend, who is a constant reminder of all that she lost.
Nicola's life is definitely changing-which isn't ideal because her daughter Daisy hates change.
As secrets surface and hearts collide, Nicola must face an impossible choice-the security of the past or the uncertain promise of a new beginning.
About The Things We Keep:
What would you keep of your mother’s after she dies? What secrets would you keep from your family? Serena is dealing with these questions while balancing grief, a scientific career, motherhood, and not hating her spouse. You know, the typical easy life of a woman. There is one thing Serena thought she knew. Her mother hated her. But now Serena must come face to face with the truth she learns after her mother’s death. Maybe her mother didn’t hate her, but loved her so much that she changed everything for her.
Author Interview - Julee Balko
Author I draw inspiration from:
2026: One of my favorite authors is Sara Goodman Confino. Her books always make me smile, and she has a way of writing where you feel like the characters become like your family. And that’s just what I hope for my books, too. Except some of my characters are like the family you don’t want over for dinner.
2022: Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston, Jonathan Franzen, W.H. Auden. What author don't I draw inspiration from? I am constantly reading and falling in love with the written word over and over again.
Author Interview - Julee Balko | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
2026: My favorite place to read is in my bed before I go to sleep. My kids make fun of me because I get a little giddy when I know it’s pajama time and book time. Reading is my form of self-care. Every night, I know I have some time to set aside my stress and worries and settle down and just enjoy a book. It’s a simple act that makes a big difference in my life.
2022: My bed before I go to sleep. Reading a book is the last thing I do everyday. It's my version of self-care. I wrap myself in a blanket and a good book.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
2026: For Square Hearts, I started to read a lot of romances. I knew I wanted to add a dash of romance to the story. I binged Ali Hazelwood pretty hard, and I wouldn’t mind being stuck in an elevator with Levi Ward. Smart, tall, cute. I would tell you how the scenario plays out, but it’s a bit too steamy for print. The funny thing about Ali’s male characters is, I swear, they are all tall and ripped. I wanted to make sure my characters were a bit more realistic. There’s a line in Square Hearts where I describe the main romantic lead as “more dad body than dude body.”
2022: The Tree from the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. For one, I'm a huge tree fan. Hikes are my therapy. Also, I hate elevators and I am claustrophobic, so if I have a tree with me, I'll be calmer. However, I'd like to chat parenting with that tree and how we give so much of ourselves away. And how maybe that isn't all good? Tree conversations do tend to be one sided, but if you listen close enough, you can learn a lesson from any tree.
Author Interview - Julee Balko | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
2026: Pretty sure I came out of my mom’s womb holding a pencil. (Which now that I have three kids of my own sounds like a pretty traumatic birth.) But I truly don’t remember a time when my brain didn’t want to write. From an early age, I was always creating stories in my head or secretly journaling in my closet. I was lucky that my early teachers made a big deal about me being creative and commenting on my writing. I think it was about fourth or fifth grade that I decided one day I’d become an author. It was fifth grade when I published my first poem, and I must admit seeing my name in a book made my heart sing. I’ve been chasing that high ever since.
2022: 4th or 5th grade. I was very lucky because my early teachers made a big deal about my writing. They made my creativity seem truly special and their confidence and positivity has fueled me my whole life. Teachers are magical.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
2026: Hardback – I like how beautiful the covers look and how good the book feels in my hand. I don’t like how much they usually cost.
Paperback – These are the donkeys of the book world, in that they work hard! I love that I can put them in my purse, and I’d choose a paperback over an ebook any day of the week. I can read better with paper. Because my day job is a writer too. I get tired of looking at screens.
ebook – I love that I can be somewhere boring, like waiting at the doctors, and have a book with me. I also enjoy that ebooks are often offered at discounts.
Audiobook – I must admit I don’t listen to audiobooks often. But when I do it’s often with my kids, and I just love that we can get into a good book together and share the experience.
2022: Paperback. I like to hold a book. If I'm desperate to get my hands on a book quickly, I'll do an ebook. I'm a terrible listener (just ask my husband) so audiobooks are not for me.
The last book I read:
2026: The last book I read was The Secret Courtesan by Kerry Chaput. It’s a dual-timeline historical fiction novel about an art historian who uncovers the story of a courtesan and secret artist in Venice, while investigating a mysterious statue. This book was so inspiring for a few reasons. One, it’s a captivating story. But also, Kerry is an author who is part of a writer’s group that I’m in, and I’ve been able to see her career grow. I love that she uses her voice to highlight women in history we might not know about.
2022: The Cicada Tree by Robert Gwaltney. I love supporting other debut writers.
Author Interview - Julee Balko | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
2026: Computer and my phone for notes. My computer is essential because I’m neurodivergent and I have something called hyperfocus, which means I can write for seven hours straight and forget to drink. When I’m in a good writing spell, I need to type fast. Now my phone is what I use when I’m out in the world because that’s where I find inspiration. I really like my characters to have those tiny nuances of humanity that make them feel real. So I might be out at the grocery store and notice the way somehow holds a box of cookies, or see an older woman have a tender moment with her granddaughter, and I break out my phone and try to capture the moment. One of my favorite things about writing books is that it makes me pay closer attention to the world around me. Suddenly, there is creative inspiration everywhere.
2022: Computer. But I always have a pen and paper next to me to scrawl out something tricky. Or doodle.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
2026: I’ve already admitted I’m a huge animal lover. But I have a very special place in my heart for pigs. I know I would be best friends with Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web. I loved his sweet spirit and how he could be friends with anyone. Plus, he was a writer too, just in webs.
2022: Kate from Firerfly Lane by Kristin Hannah and I'd tell her Tully is toxic. Everyone needs a Kate in their life. Someone who will be there for you no matter what.
Author Interview - Julee Balko | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
2026: If I weren't an author, I’d be a veterinarian. I love animals. It’s why I put a foster dog in my last book, The Me List. And why I made the main character in my new book, Square Hearts, a vet tech. It was so fun to write about so many different types of cats and dogs. I feel like you can tell a lot about a person (and a character) with how they interact with animals.
2022: Vet on a rescue farm. I love animals. They bring me joy. That's why my second novel has a foster dog in it. But even if I worked with animals, I know I'd still write. Poetry about pigs perhaps?
Favorite decade in fashion history:
2026: I loved the book, The Great Gatsby, so I have to go with the 20s. I feel like women were flirty and fun. I would love to rock a flapper dress and dance. Maybe this should be my new goal?
2022: The pandemic because I could wear yoga pants all day.
Place I’d most like to travel:
2026: I’d really like to travel to the Galapagos Islands with my daughters. I think it would be amazing to see the giant tortoises and all the other animals.
2022: Africa or Galapagos Islands would be amazing. I'm also a huge fan of sloths, so Costa Rica is definitely going to happen.
My signature drink:
2026: My signature drink is chamomile tea with honey. I often make a cup while I’m writing. And it always goes well with a good book. My only issue is that one of my cats likes to steal tea bags, so if I don’t watch my cup, he will stick his paw into my tea and swipe the bag. He’s lucky he’s so cute.
2022: I'm a one glass girl. One glass of coffee, one glass of tea, one glass of wine. Not all at the same time.
Favorite artist:
2026: My favorite artist is Alexander Calder. When I was little, my dad took me to a museum to see his mobiles. I didn’t know that art could be whimsical and fun. My dad has long since passed, and recently I took my daughters to a Calder exhibit. The love of art is something I’m grateful that my father instilled in me. I think it was that appreciation for creativity that built up in my heart and pushed me to write books.
2022: I'm a big fan of Calder's mobiles. I love Frank Gehry's architecture. Life is movement to me. My father always took me to art museums growing up, so art is a huge part of my heart. My favorite artist is anyone hanging up in an art museum. Art museums make me happy. And inspired. They push me out of my word world to think more visually.
Number one on my bucket list:
2026: On my bucket list is to take my three girls to Paris. One, we love chocolate croissants. In fact, we’ve even made them from scratch and learned that we really appreciate anyone who takes the time to make them (that isn’t us!) I also mentioned earlier about my dad’s love for art. There are so many wonderful art museums there that I’d love to show them. I also think there’s something about Paris that feels electric and hopeful. It’s one of my favorite places to visit. Maybe I want to add a touch of creativity and passion to their hearts, too? Along with the pastries.
2022: Become a best-selling author, of course. I loved connecting with readers through my first novel. It makes me want to keep writing.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I’m so proud of Square Hearts because it was my goal to write a story that showed a character who was neurodivergent. One that my daughters (or me) might read and think that sounds like me! I also wanted to write a different kind of love story. One where the woman not only found love again but found herself.
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/juleebalko/
https://www.facebook.com/Julee-Balko-author-101311256267474
https://www.tiktok.com/@juleebalko
https://www.threads.com/@juleebalko
About Juliee Balko:
Julee Balko is an author who loves writing novels with complicated characters. You can find Julee somewhere in the woods of Washington, hiking and falling in love with trees. Or at home, enjoying her three daughters, rescue hound, and two cats who like to lock her out of the bathroom.
The Things We Keep was her first novel and a dream come true. Julee started writing The Things We Keep after her mother passed away because she was thrust into a world of grief that no one talks about. Julee has always been drawn to writing about interesting characters and complex relationships.
Her second novel, The Me List, is a touching tale about the complexity of friendship, the importance of reserving judgment, and the rocky path that life takes as we get older. Julee Balko brings snark and heart to this journey of self-improvement with a keen eye for flawed characters. Can a list change a life?
Her newest book, Square Hearts, is close to her heart because it brings to life neurodivergence and represents a new kind of Women’s Fiction story with romance. The kind where the characters are older. The kind where the woman falls back in love with herself, too.
