Ann B. Ross

Ann B. Ross (January 28, 1934 – April 16, 2025) was an American author and college professor. She is known for the New York Times bestsellers cozy mystery series, Miss Julia, that was set in her home state of North Carolina. Ross also taught literature and humanities at the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Early life Ross was born January 28, 1934 in Austell, Georgia. Her parents were Roy Parker Brown and Annie Lola Brown. They "didn't do very well" and she gave up on writing. Ross said, “For the first time in my life, I was no one’s daughter, niece, wife, or mother. I was just Ann, and my identity came from my classroom performance alone. ...It was absolutely liberating.” Ross writes from Miss Julia's perspective. Reader's Digest Condensed Books issued the book in twelve different languages." Ross is particularly proud of a fan letter from Dolly Parton.

When Ross wrote Miss Julia Goes Rogue featuring the same character as a brutal and sexy vampire, "Ross’ publisher, unwilling to upset the original Miss Julia brand, refused to green-light the project." Journalists at a newspaper in western North Carolina included Ross along with Woody Harrelson, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, and Gladys Knight in a spoof of crowd-sourced funding campaigns to get this novel published.

In 2021, Columbia Tri-Star Productions optioned Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind to be independently produced as either a film or television series.

In 1963, they moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina where her husband had a private practice. There, Ross was involved in First Presbyterian Church and was active in the Junior Welface Club. Until 1977, the family lived in a historical house built in 1836 that inspired Miss Julia's house. Hendersonville was the basis for the town in the Miss Julia books.

In 2010, the University of North Carolina at Asheville honored her as a Distinguished Alumna for her career as a novelist.

She died April 16, 2025 at her home in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Publications

Novels The Murder Cure (Avon Books, 1978) The Murder Stroke (Nordon Publications, 1981) The Pilgrimage (Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987) Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind (William Morrow, 1999) Miss Julia Takes Over (Viking, 2001) Miss Julia Throws a Wedding (Viking, 2002) Miss Julia Hits the Road (Viking, 2003) Miss Julia Meets Her Match (Viking, 2004) Miss Julia's School of Beauty (Viking, 2005) Miss Julia Stands Her Ground (Viking, 2006) Miss Julia Strikes Back (Viking, 2007) Miss Julia Paints the Town (Viking, 2008) Miss Julia Delivers the Goods (Viking, 2009) Miss Julia Renews Her Vows (Viking, 2010) Miss Julia Rocks the Cradle (Viking, 2011) Miss Julia to the Rescue (Viking, 2012) Miss Julia Stirs Up Trouble (2013) Miss Julia's Marvelous Makeover (Viking, 2014) Etta Mae's Worst Bad–Luck Day (Viking, 2014) Miss Julia Lays Down the Law (Viking, 2015) Miss Julia Inherits a Mess (Viking, 2016) Miss Julia Weathers the Storm (Viking, 2017) Miss Julia Raises the Roof (Viking, 2018) Miss Julia Takes the Wheel (Viking, 2019) Miss Julia Knows a Thing or Two (Viking, 2020) Miss Julia Happily Ever After (Viking, 2021)

Novelette

Miss Julia's Gift (Viking, 2013)