A view that fills my heart

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic women’s fiction with light paranormal elements. 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, with this support, you make choices to overcome the darkest nights and choose love and light.

This month we're talking about location, location, location. I found this difficult for a lot of reasons. 

Mt. Hood as seen from the
Sacramento Ridge looking out over the
Rose City Golf Course

I've lived in my house for 46+ years. One of the reasons I purchased it was this view. I can actually see Mt. Hood from the upstairs window and in the winter time from one of the bathroom windows (leaves are off the trees). When I had a long commute or had a bad day or just needed a boost, I'd drive along the Sacramento Ridge hoping for this view. It has always touched my soul.

Location is important in so many ways. My office's view is of  my backyard. I watch for the change in the weather that means I can plant the pots around my deck with geraniums. This year I thought the clematis along my driveway had died between the heat dome last summer and the late snow this spring. I was wrong. 

Clematis

It isn't that my views when I write aren't important to me, they are. And they do feature in some of my books. However, I also use my memories of from places I've been. Much of Elizabeth: The Lady and The Sacred Grove takes place in Ireland. I was there in 1994. I've numerous photographs of the beauty of the countryside. Driving along roads lined with banks of fuchsia was an amazing experience.

Not fuchsias but beautiful anyway.

The most difficult setting was the one I created in Gabriella: Chaos to Symmetry. Part of the story takes place in Italy. I'd visited eastern Italy (Milan, Venice) when I was in Slovenia and Croatia but not western Italy. Google Earth helped me create Giovanni Migliori's home and views as did my being in Slovenia and Croatia.

I write romantic women's fiction. My characters are figuring out how to live their lives, how to move through challenging times just like many of us face every day. How do they make it through the doubt, the fear, the grief? They are part of a Sacred Women's Circle. Together they persevere because they accept and support each other.

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.

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshley.net

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!