About

 I’m Julie McMaine Evans, aka Julie M. Evans. I’m originally from Kentucky and live near Minneapolis with my husband and rescue dog, Winston. Our grown son’s family lives nearby. We all love books.

When I was a kid…

  • We lived in town, across the street from a Ky. racehorse farm.

  • When I was 11, we moved to a Ky. farm and raised beef cows.

  • I had one big brother and two sisters. I often helped my younger sister and my older sister, who had special needs. (A future book is based on my older sister.)

  • In town, we had pet white rats. On the farm, we had dogs, cats, and, for a while, a pet pig.

  • We grew up without a TV. We liked to read, do art, write, play outside, and play games.

  • We learned to love words from our dad, a native of Appalachia, and our mom, a spelling bee champ. Spelling was my worst subject!

  • I was usually the shortest, thinnest kid in my grade. I was shy and did not like to speak in class.

  • (P.S. I grew up to be a writer, editor, and speaker. I’m not shy when I’m talking about subjects I care about!)

 

Things I like to do

I like to camp near Lake Superior, go ice fishing (we drive onto a frozen lake, put up our tent “ice house,” and cut a hole in the ice) read, write, take pictures, hike, and help people. What do you like to do?

Bio (for media & schools)

Julie McMaine Evans is the author of the picture book Fluffle Shuffle (Reycraft Books, 2026). She is originally from Kentucky and lives near Minneapolis with her husband and rescue dog, Winston. Forthcoming is a fiction picture book based on her older sister, who had special needs (Reycraft Books). Evans also enjoys writing essays. She has a master’s in technical communications from the University of Minnesota and has worked as a writer, editor, and public relations professional.

Topics I’m passionate about

I’m proud of my writing and advocacy about allergies, chemical sensitivities, school indoor quality, alternatives to pesticides, and Irlen syndrome or visual light sensitivity. I credit tinted Irlen lenses for changing my life and solving my reading and headache issues. I’m happy to chat about these topics.