An Aldergrove-raised teaching assistant followed paths of her artistic family and penned down her debut novel.

Lipstick Tattoo, an LGBTQ+ romance novel is the story of Bianca, a writer and worker at a yarn shop, who has to chose between two paths – one that is safe, paved, and colourless or the other, a twisting, vibrant trail into the dangerous unknown.

Bianca had always felt content with her path in life – mostly because of Pete, her boyfriend.

But when Louise – a sophisticated journalism student with date-purple eyes and a kiss tattoo – makes a chance reappearance, Bianca’s simple story takes an abrupt turn. Suddenly, she can’t stop thinking about this beautiful, mysterious woman. Meanwhile, Pete has started receiving threatening emails – ones that are oddly possessive of Bianca.

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Author Julia Dovey takes readers through the lives of each of the character and builds suspense.

Dovey went to Aldergrove Community Secondary School and her passion for writing was first discovered when her high school teacher complimented her skill on an assignment. She went straight home after and “begged” her parents for a computer with Microsoft Word in it. Dovey added that she finished her first book in about three months.

A University of the Fraser Valley graduate, Dovey holds a bachelors of arts degree with a concentration in creative writing.

Coming from a creative family, Dovey has huge respect for books and writers. Her father is a visual artist and writer, her mother a musician, and her brother is, well, all three.

Growing up, Dovey found her peace in magical realism and literary fiction genre. Her favourite authors back then were Kenneth Oppel and Georgia Byng.

“Throughout my childhood I’d take out books from the Aldergrove Library by the armful,” said the 29-year-old author.

Dovey finished the first draft of Lipstick Tattoo in 21 days.

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“I worked day and night,” she said.

Her strategy was to set a deadline and follow it wholeheartedly.

“I need to be in a near panic with a deadline, to get the writing done, or I’ll lollygag on YouTube,” she recalled.

After months of editing the final draft was prepared.

Published by Books We Love Publishing, it will be available on Amazon in May. For more information, people can email Dovey at juliadwritesthings@gmail.com.

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