Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author
of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan
spiritual practices that nourish the soul. My stories show you what life could
be like if you had a place like The Circle where you are unconditionally
accepted, supported and loved. And where you do overcome obstacles and find your
happily-ever-after.
When I
started writing The Sacred Women’s Circle series, I clearly saw seven women
coming together to form their own special place where they were unconditionally
accepted, supported and loved and where they created their own spiritual
practices drawing from various religions. The visions were clear and I eagerly
wrote these stories while learning more about the craft of writing and then the
process of publishing.
Initially
I pitched my series to traditional publishers but the changes they wanted me to
make (have the women fight among themselves) would change a core principle at
the very foundation of the stories.
The
sixth and seventh books Gabriella and
Sophia were published in October and
November 2017. In each of the books there were secondary characters I thought
might have their own stories to tell but I stayed focused on the original
seven.
Before Sophia was published I began to have the
lucid day and night dreams as well as hear bits of dialogue that marked the
beginning of my writing these books. I was not surprised to hear Mark Parker
and his son, Ethan but who was the woman and little girl?
Visions of Happiness was published in
2018. And while it isn’t one of the original Sacred Women’s Circle series
books, it is a part of a larger circle of women.
And
now? I started Visions of Ireland
(may end up being a working title) in December but a series of health problems
have curtailed my writing for the past four months. Set in Ireland, Vision of Ireland’s hero is a major
secondary character from Elizabeth (Book
2 in the series) and the heroine is barely
mentioned in Visions of Happiness.
But here she is in Ireland seeking her to enhance her spiritual practice with
dogged, determined, purpose—you get the picture.
Here’s
the back cover blurb for Visions of
Happiness.
Dr. Mark Parker and his foster son face a
social worker who is prejudiced against single parent adoptions.
Jocelyn Edwards and her step-daughter flee
the little girl’s abusive father ending their cross-country ordeal in Fremont,
OR.
When a mutual friend brings them together, it
is love at first sight for the battered little boy and broken little girl.
But the path to love between Jocelyn and Mark
is fraught with nightmares from the past and fears of future loss.
To have the future they both desire, Mark and
Jocelyn must persevere through the terror of loss to find love and claim their
future.
You can find all of my books at your favorite
e-book vendor. Be sure to ask your local library if you’d prefer to read my
books through that resource.
© 2019 Judith Ashley
10 comments:
Nice post, Judith. It's a sign of a true writer when characters tell you which book to write next. Enjoy!
LOVED Visions of Happiness! Your process awes me.
Lynn, it does make it easier to move forward when characters are so cooperative!
Sarah, those of you who structure your stories are awesome to me. So glad that within the writing world there is no "one size fits all." Glad you enjoyed Visions of Happiness - your insight and feedback was instrumental for it to be in its final form.
I love the concept of your Sacred Circle series, particularly the various pagan practices and rituals. Did that require a lot of research? I love research of that sort.
My only published series (Love & Mayhem, Love & Turmoil, Love & Redemption) started as a a standalone, but two secondary characters came to life and demanded their own story. The series I'm working on now is going in the same direction, with the secondary characters developing GMC's that'll require an entire book, so I guess that's my process.
Oh, and reading about your series just gave me an idea for a WIP I have languishing and a way to turn it into a paranormal series, so thanks!!
I love the entire premise of your Sacred Women's Circle series. There is definitely a place in reader's mind for a strong supportive group of women that help to keep you centered when the world around you is spinning out of control. I'm really happy to hear that you've started a new book (Visions of Ireland or whatever the title may be).
I truly believe that the beset stories do come to us from great characters. If I have a strong protagonist in my mind before I start, the book almost writes itself. The voice is clear and what I need to do is to just make sure I don't let him/her have too easy of a time resolving conflicts or throw so much at them that it seems no one could survive.
I hope your health is improving and you will be tackling your new work soon.
I love your process, Judith. And the fact that the secondary characters demanded a story of their own! Your books are an inspiration and very entertaining.
Luanna, For the most part, I do not do research as I write pretty much what I know. In "Lily" I did have a couple of long talks with my own physical therapist about what the healing process would be for the kind of injury Lily sustained. Also plotted out the scene of her accident with a friend of mine who was a reserve police officer.
One of the benefits of my varied background is I have a smattering of knowledge in all kinds of things. Those t.v. shows I watched and some classes I've taken all came together in various ways in these books. I will admit, although I am pagan, I did do research on the properties of stones for "Elizabeth" to broaden my own knowledge base and because they feature prominently in her story.
How exciting that something in my post gave you an idea to resurrect a WIP. Yeah!
Thanks for stopping by, Maggie. I agree that the books seem to almost write themselves when the characters are "real" to me. I don't think of myself as a lazy writer but, having said that, I would not want to write (actually wouldn't write) a story that was like pulling teeth. For me, the challenges they face are inherent in who they are and who they are coming to be.. In each story I've written so far, there has been a point where I'm stunned by what my fingers have typed. Always a twist and nothing I'd thought of earlier - or not consciously anyway.
I am having a few hours a day where all is better but I'm not yet up to writing. First project when I am back "at it" will be to polish "Yes, You Can Create A Life You Love" as I've permission to vend all of my books at The Glasser Institute for Choice Theory conference in September.
Diana, Thank you for stopping by and your kind words. As I mentioned in an earlier comment, what I love about writing is that we each can have the process that works best for us. No one size fits all in this endeavor.
Post a Comment