We are beyond thrilled to welcome Julia Whelan to the PLM family! Her remarkable debut novel, MY OXFORD YEAR, comes out today from William Morrow and has been praised by EW as “a read bursting with warmth, mirth, and heart. A powerfully heartbreaking and life-affirming tribute to love and to choice…” Julia is an actor, screenwriter, and novelist. After spending her high school years on ABC’s critically-acclaimed series “Once and Again,” she attended to Middlebury College and Oxford University, where she graduated with degrees in English and Creative Writing. She is also an award-winning audiobook narrator of over 300 titles and was named Audible’s Narrator of the Year in 2014.

Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks, MY OXFORD YEAR tells the unforgettable story of a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who will irrevocably alter her future. It is currently in film development with Temple Hill, the production company behind The Fault in Our Stars; The Longest Ride; Twilight; Love, Simon; and countless other hit films! Here is a little more about the book:

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

You can find Julia on Twitter, Instagram, or at www.jmwhelan.com.