Writing has been a refuge, a safe haven for me since I started writing fiction in 2002. At that point, I didn’t even have a writing process nor did I have any idea of things like genres or tropes.
What I did have were stories
that infiltrated my night and day dreams. Scenes so real I could hear, see,
smell and taste the people and food in the stories. My body recognized the emotions
of my characters so I laughed and I cried. My jaw clenched, my stomach churned,
my lungs seized right along with my characters. And when all seemed lost, the
prayers for strength, for guidance, for protection appeared on the page.
The Sacred Women’s Circle
series shows the power of spiritual practices to support us on our life’s
journey.
What
do we do when we are no longer comforted by the religious customs in which we
were raised?
Like myself, my characters
created their own spiritual path. They took bits and pieces from the religions
they grew up with that still brought them peace. But they went a step further and
created their own path. Because they are all equal in this sacred circle, they respected
each other’s individual practice while forming The Circle’s foundational traditions.
As you read their stories,
you’ll see the differences between them, what they rely on during difficult
times. You will also have a road map if you want to create your own sacred
circle.
What’s the difference
between a sacred women’s circle and a women’s circle? Answer this question and
you’ll know:
What
would your life be like if you were unconditionally accepted, unconditionally supported
and unconditionally loved?
What happened to me when I
first talked to traditional publishers about my series? The feedback I got that
was consistent was that I needed to build conflict in The Circle. In other
words, the women had to have disagreements between them. A good old-fashioned
fight, with members taking sides, etc. I was told there wasn’t a market
for a story where women got along, believed in each other, supported, accepted
and encouraged each other. All stories needed conflict. The reality that each
of the women had a major life conflict going on in their personal life outside
The Circle wasn’t enough.
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| Stonehenge |
What battles do these women
face? Domestic violence, recurrent breast cancer, spousal abandonment, custodial
interference aka child stealing, death of a spouse, conflicted core values,
etc. Most of us have dealt with these issues or know someone who has. With that
assessment my choice was clear. I became an Indie Published Author.
So I ask again: What would your life be like if, when facing
one of these major life events, you had a place where you were unconditionally
accepted, unconditionally supported and unconditionally loved?
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| My large crystal altar |
Yes, my heroine’s find their
happily-ever-after but what’s as important is they come to rely on, to
find strength in their spiritual practices and their relationships with each
other. That’s why I write what I believe is best called Contemporary Romantic Women’s
Fiction or for even more clarity: Contemporary Romantic Pagan Women’s Fiction.
Another of my 2019 goals is to
change out the Keywords, etc. on the on-line vendors and my website by the end
of January 2019 to more clearly reflect the Pagan
Inspirational theme in my books.
Also on my 2019 radar is
publishing Ceremonies, Prayers and Resources. CPS is a short booklet of the prayers and ceremonies from this series as
well as Visions of Ireland (working
title) which is the 9th book in the series. And if all falls into place,
I’ll have the 10th book at least in draft form or actually
published before the end of this year.
What suggestions do you have for the best way to let people know about my books? And, do contact me at Judith@JudithAshleyRomance.com if you are interested in my doing presentations or workshops on the various practices and concepts included in these stories.
Judith Ashley
is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic women’s fiction
that honors pagan spiritual practices that nourish the soul. The Circle is the
haven where each heroine has the support of the others to sustain them as they
overcome obstacles and find their happily-ever-after.
© 2019 Judith Ashley
