The The U.S. Foreign Service and Why It Is Important for You

Author and Retired Senior Foreign Service Officer

Julie Gianelloni Connor is an award-winning author and retired senior Foreign Service Officer. Her first book, "Savoring the Camino de Santiago: It’s the Pilgrimage, not the Hike," garnered no. 1 status on Amazon in both the category for new books on hiking and walking and the category for Spain and Portugal. It subsequently went on to win a silver medal in the eLit national competition as well as being selected as a finalist by Self-Publishing Review (SPR), plus three other awards. She released her second title, a children’s book, in 2021. It has just won first place in the children’s book category at the North Texas Book Festival. "The Baby with Three Families, Two Countries, and One Promise" tells an international adoption story. Her short stories have appeared in four anthologies. Julie is the owner and publisher of Bayou City Press (BCP) in Houston, Texas, which focuses on travel writing, Houston, history, and international affairs. Julie writes a weekly newsletter for BCP updating subscribers about activities. She founded BCP after spending 33 years as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service, first with the U.S. Information Agency and later with the U.S. Department of State. She had nine overseas assignments in seven different countries: Israel (twice), Paraguay, Guatemala, Indonesia, Colombia (twice), Malaysia, and Chile. In Washington, DC, Julie worked on a variety of matters, ranging from nuclear non-proliferation to narcotics control to women’s issues. She has one son and two cats, Halloween and Charles Augustus V. Her books can be ordered from her publishing website (BayouCityPress.com), from her author website (JulieConnorAuthor.com), or from Amazon.com.