Julie Johnson: Keep Your Eyes on Your Own Track
In this interview, author Julie Johnson discusses shifting from YA to more of an adult story with her romantasy novel, The Sea Spinner.
Julie Johnson is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wind Weaver. When she’s not writing, Julie can most often be found sitting on the beach near her home in her native Massachusetts, adding stamps to her passport, drinking too much coffee, and avoiding reality by disappearing between the pages of a book. She published her debut novel on a lark, just before her senior year of college, and she’s never looked back. Since, she has published 20 other novels, which have been translated into more than a dozen different languages and appeared on bestseller lists all over the world. Follow her on TikTok and Instagram.
In this interview, Julie discusses shifting from YA to more of an adult story with her romantasy novel, The Sea Spinner, how Stevie Nicks helped inspire the trilogy, and more.
Name: Julie Johnson
Literary agent: Bookcase Literary Agency
Book title: The Sea Spinner
Publisher: Berkley/Ace (Penguin Random House)
Release date: April 28, 2026
Genre/category: Fantasy/Romantasy
Previous titles: The Wind Weaver
Elevator pitch: Four elemental souls scattered to distant corners of their war-torn world must reunite in order to restore the balance of magic … or die trying. A gritty and intoxicating fantasy trilogy full of action, adventure, and romance.
What prompted you to write this book?
This trilogy only exists because of the song “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac. I was singing it (terribly off key!) in the shower one day, and the lyrics became stuck in my head. Long after I toweled dry, I couldn’t stop thinking about a character who “rules the skies like a fine skylark.” “A woman taken by the wind.” A heroine who embodies the element of air. A wind weaver. And so, the character Rhya Fleetwood was born. The first book is actually dedicated to Stevie Nicks, the writer of that song, in thanks for the inspiration.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I started writing the first book in the trilogy in 2022, over the course of about eight months. I was then on submission for a handful of months in spring of 2023 before it sold to my U.S. publisher. Incredibly, over the course of that year, the trilogy went on to sell in more than 20 foreign territories.
Though things moved somewhat quickly in the beginning stages, it would be another year and a half of waiting (rather impatiently!) before the book finally hit shelves in April 2025. So, in total, about three full years from initial idea to launch day.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
As I mentioned earlier, it was a three-year process from inception to publication. Coming from the self-publishing world, where I’d spent more than a decade writing contemporary romance, there was definitely a bit of whiplash at the change in pace. Traditional publishing moves significantly slower than the indie world. Before, it was not uncommon for me to write and publish multiple books per year, rapid-fire.
It was also quite different to shift my mindset from doing everything myself—writing, marketing, publicity, cover design, advertising—to having a whole team supporting me every step of the way, both pre- and post-publication.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
There were more than a few surprises along the way! Initially, this trilogy was written as a YA fantasy romance, and intended as a four-book series. When it was acquired by an adult imprint, some storylines were condensed while other elements were aged up to suit a more mature audience.
I also wrote the first draft in the past tense, then rewrote it in the present before publication, in an effort to create immediacy in the pacing, and a fully immersive reading experience.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Ultimately, I hope this trilogy will provide a perfect escape from reality, where readers can temporarily disappear into a captivating world nothing like their own—one with high stakes, perilous battles, and breathtaking romance. While there is plentiful exploration of loss, grief, and pain between the pages, there is also found family, friendship, and a lot of joy.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
This career is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t compare the very start of your race to someone who’s already crossing the finish line of theirs. Keep your eyes on your own track. Be persistent. Be ready to pivot at a moment’s notice. Most of all, though … just keep running. You’re already lapping everyone who’s too afraid to start.
