My Favorite Family and Friends!

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

I've been bless to have a circle of good friends. Here I am with a few of them!

Judith with Gimi and Connie. We talk each week and support each other in manifesting our Intentions

Diana McCollum, Sarah Raplee and Judith: co authors of Love and Magick

Lois is my First Reader

My neighbor, Juanita, is a passionate volunteer with at risk youth

Judith with some of her Glasser Family

Something else that brings me joy are children. I worked in domestic and international adoption for a few months shy of 30 years. I also was a child protective service worker, an immensely gratifying position. In particular I take great pleasure engaging with little ones in the grocery store checkout line.

Colleagues from my child welfare days. Gabriella is dedicated to them.

When I was in the 8^th grade I had a pen pal in Japan. We shared our hopes and dreams for our futures. (Remember this was in the mid-1950’s so my dreams were limited to wife/mother, nurse, teacher or secretary). I came across one of my letters (I always copied what I wrote her) a few years back. There it was in black and white albeit somewhat faded. I wanted to have 9 children (8 boys and 1 girl)!!! I even had names for everyone!!!

Judith with her granddaughters at her youngest's 8th grade promotion!

Judith, both her granddaughters and her great granddaughter

The Universe was merciful and I had one child, my son. He had two daughters, my granddaughters. The youngest granddaughter has two children—almost two and newborn.

Where I am in my life now, I remain grateful that I only had one child. Raising him as a single mom had its challenges. I won’t bore you with the details suffice it to say I have great respect for single moms everywhere. In fact, Hunter is dedicated to single mothers!!!

Also Lily is a single parents. And, even though Diana and Ashley are married, their husbands are not involved fathers.

Which is worse, knowing you are a single parent or parenting alone because your husband, the father of your children is emotionally and often physically absent?

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on her website.

Follow Judith on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!

© 2017 Judith Ashley

My Favorite Creative, Relaxing, Inspiring Things!

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

If you were to visit my house you’d see a plethora of snowy owls, dragons and crystals. I’ve a dragon on my front porch. Two of them sit on my altar across from the front door. They are perched on shelves throughout the house.

Years ago I read a book that shared a meditation and other inner work to sense the energy of our house.

What came to me was “dragon”. When you read Lily, you’ll see that she has that sense of place, the energy that resides and protects the land and the house. If you look closely at the cover to the right, you'll see the faint outline of a dragon in the upper left hand corner. The subtitle of Lily is The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl.

Early on in the first women’s circle I belonged to, we did an exercise to identify our own personal totems. You might guess mine is the snowy owl. I am blessed with a double totem – the snowy owl and snake. Snake is about transformation. You can read about my childhood experience with snake to see why that totem is not as visible as the snowy owl. I do have two snake totems on altars in my house and may add to that — or not.

Crystals? They are everywhere!!!

They are part of my author brand, my logo, my giveaways, my teaching. Crystals are about clarity.

As I write this I have within my vision 5 crystals, 1 rose quartz crystal and if I turn my head to the right another crystal and selenite lamp appear. To the left 8 smaller crystals as well as 1 each of rose and lavender quartz.

Behind me are several more (5 to be exact, I just got up and counted). Obviously I need clarity when I’m writing!!!

What do you surround yourself with when you are being creative or just want to relax and be?

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on her website.

Follow Judith on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!

© 2017 Judith Ashley

My Favorite Pastimes!

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

Favorite pastimes include reading and writing. As you know I’ve published all seven of the original Sacred Women’s Circle series. I’ve written the prequels to a few of those books but still have a few to go. There is something mystical and magical about sitting in front of my computer, my hands on the keyboard, my fingers poised with my eyes on the screen waiting for the words to appear. That is how those seven novels were written—at least the first draft.

I’ve several friends who are plotters. They map out the story at least in an outline format if not in great detail. All research is done upfront. Before they take to the keyboard, they know where they are, where they are going and how they are going to get there. And they write stories that are a joy to read.

As a more ‘organic’ author, I know where I’m starting and I know where I’m ending. I may have (well, usually do) a clear picture of one or maybe two scenes.

The rest of the canvas is blank.

However, once I start, the story just rolls forth. I have vivid dreams, hear voices in my head and then I sit at my computer and let the story unfold. I recall times when my eyebrows arched as words popped up on the screen almost unbidden. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve shuddered as my fingers tell the story that comes from an unconscious source.

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been doing more reading than usual (because I’m not writing stories right now). I’ve reread all of Jo Beverley’s books. I’ve read all of Stephanie Lauren’s Bastion Club series and I’m working through the Cynster novels.

At this stage in my own writing career, I see rereading these books as ‘homework’ or ‘educational’ because I remember the story line (for the most part). I’m seeing more how Beverley and Lauren set scenes, show emotions, use characters from previous books in the series in the current one. I’ve also read several Grace Burrows’s historical novels. And, of course, I've some favorite Nora Roberts novels. Some new, some for a second time. Check out my Romancing The Genre's post to learn about one of my favorite Jennifer Ashley stories.

No matter who's book I pick up, I always to learn more about the craft from authors whose work I enjoy.

The month of March was full of non-writing activities: taxes, organizing my intellectual property, keeping up with family and friends and, when my energy slumped, reading.

Writing this post on March 28, I know April is just around the corner. I’m looking forward to getting back to the writing!

What are some of your favorite pastimes?

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on her website.

Follow Judith on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!

© 2017 Judith Ashley

My Favorite Thing About Spring!

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

You may not have noticed but I choose a theme for my monthly blog posts. Last month I posted on the change in seasons or the turning of the wheel of the year to spring. This month I’m sharing a few of my favorite things.

One of the joys in my life is watching the change in the seasons from my office window. Even though my yard is mainly low maintenance, I do get my share of birds including hummingbirds when my Armistad salvia, geraniums and fuchsia are in bloom.

Note gnarly, rough textures.

Starting to needle out - so soft!

Currently I’m engaged in watching my dwarf Diana larch come back. Larch are needled but they drop their needles in the fall. Winter finds their gnarly branches framed against the snowy landscape or the grey sky. This time of year, the needles grow back. As far as I know it is the only needled tree that is not an ‘evergreen’. This winter I lost a couple of branches so my original plan to “raise” the tree (prune the lower branches) has been postponed.

The honeysuckle that I planted over forty years ago is still going strong. It does need to be heavily pruned back (missed my chance during the winter because of the snows, etc.) because it is going to grow into the siding on the house. Not a good thing.

Along my driveway I have a planting bed with one of my favorite flowers—clematis. This year the two plants are thriving even with the harsh winter! New growth appears to be leaping into the world—an inch or two or more each day.

Oh, and I didn’t mention my Daphne. The short trip to my front door is wrapped in the fragrance of Daphne Odora.

There is much more I could include. Violets, hyacinths in the spring, fuchsia, geraniums in the summer and salvia in the fall. Seeing the seasons change through the flowers in my yard, the birds (robins are already here as are the scrub jays) and other critters. Sighted a raccoon yesterday morning. (It is mating season for them so they are out and about day or night and more aggressive than usual). My yard is regularly visited by flickers, woodpeckers and hummingbirds. And the occasional peregrine falcon or bald eagle can be sighted floating overhead looking for a tasty unsuspecting treat.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe I live in the middle of the city! Oh, and coyotes are sighted every now and then. Not sure we’ll see them so often if the chickens across the street are moved.

Sophia reflects my love of the land, the tracking of the seasons through my yard.

And you can still get a FREE copy of Lily if you sign up for Connections, my newsletter.

What is your favorite thing about Spring?

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on her website.

Follow Judith on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!

© 2017 Judith Ashley