Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing 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 of your life to choose love and light.
What activity relaxes me? Takes
me away from my every-day life? The one that has been a part of my life for the
longest is reading. I have clear memories of curling up in the comfortable
over-stuffed club chair with a book in hand. Back in elementary school, I liked
reading about princesses in towers being rescued by shining knights. In the
1950’s, that was the only kind of book that transported me away from my life.
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| Courtesy of Deposit Photo |
I was a duck out of water in
many ways and would have been more suited to being a son than a daughter. I did
not appreciate the dolls, clothes, powder, etc. I got as gifts much preferring the
cars, trucks, etc. my brother’s received.
College? Yes I went and I’m
grateful to have graduated. Doors, I had no idea I would need to be opened at
all, opened for me in the future. In my day, most “girls” went to college for
their Mrs. rather than a B.A. or B.S. much less as Master’s degree.
However, as my life
progressed, as most lives do, with ups and downs and surprises aka challenges,
my ability to lose myself in a book helped me survive them.
In the 1980’s I mainly read
non-fiction or self-help books looking for the recipe that would smooth my path
in life.
In the 1990’s many of the
books I read were thriller or maybe suspense. I loved Tom Clancy’s books
as well as John LeCarre’s. However, my reading favorites took a major
change in direction in 1998 when my dad was diagnosed with lung cancer. Days in
the hospital after surgery and hours in waiting rooms while he underwent
radiation therapy followed. I needed something to whisk me away from the
finality of his life and the toll it was taking on my mom.
The gift shop at Providence
St. Vincent’s in Portland, OR introduced me to Nora Roberts. I have no
idea which of her numerous books it was but it helped. So, I read more of them.
At one time I think I’d read virtually every book she had written under Nora
Roberts. I never did make the change to
J.D. Robb’s books.
Also in 1998, a friend of mine
started Wild Women Writers. This eclectic group of women started meeting in
December. At that time I wanted to take a workshop I’d created in the 1980’s
and turn it into a self-help book. However, as I struggled to figure out basics
such as formatting, etc., I began to have lucid dreams and visions where seven
women showed up and I witnessed their lives: hopes, dreams and challenges.
When they wouldn’t go away, I
began writing their stories. It took a while to finish the first one as I had
many lessons to learn about not only the craft of writing fiction but also the
intricacies of publishing.
Elizabeth:
The Lady and The Sacred Grove
Did I read while I wrote? I
certainly did. My keeper shelves contain many of the books I didn’t want to
end.
My favorite authors include
Jo Beverley’s Company
of Rogues and her Malloren series
Stephanie Laurens’s The Bastian
Club and the Cynster series
Most anything written by Nora Roberts writing
as Nora not J.D.
Current favorite authors?
I still find getting lost in a book more satisfying
than movies or television. I doubt at this point in my life that will ever
change.
You can find my books at your favorite e-book
vendor as well as through my website www.JudithAshley.net and Windtree Press.
Print books are available at Jan’s Paperbacks in Beaverton, OR and Arte Soleil
in Portland, OR. Get the addresses from my website. And be sure to ask your
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!
© 2025 Judith Ashley
8 comments:
Funny, Judith, I think I've read all of the Tom Clancy books!
Reading is a great way to escape life. I can't sit for hours reading during the day. Sometimes I'll read one chapter and then do something else.
At night, I read another book a chapter or two till i forget the ringing in my ears and turn off the light and go to sleep.
Like you, I don't think I'll ever give up reading. I like to read a non fiction book every now and then too.
Great post!
Reading has been a huge part of my life since I learned how to read! My dad used to take me with him to the branch library not far from where we lived in Los Angeles. Since 1999 I've been keeping track of the names of the books I read or reread. In a notebook right by my reading chair. In 2024 I read 162 books. My highest year was 2020, when I read 182. A Covid year. Lately I've been reading more Regency historicals than anything else. Grace Burroughs and Mary Balogh are my favorites.
I was a SLOW reader all through high school. Truthfully, I doubt if I finished one book that I was supposed to read and write reports on. I hated reading because it was something I had to do. Back then the books assigned were all written by men and about men's experiences. In college, I was able to choose more of what I read. One of my professors had a sister who wrote for Harlequin (say what? I had never heard of Harlequin). She came to Bowdoin and did a talk about writing for a living. I bought her book and fell in love with reading romance. I was hooked and haven't stopped since. When my daughter got married, three hours north and along the coast, I wrote a book in my head as I drove home after the wedding. Then I wrote it down - a romance, of course. My computer got wiped off during a repair, and that story was gone. Somewhere in a suitcase I think I have a typed copy of the book. Who knows - maybe I'll resurrect the story. I still remember portions of it. It had more drama and suspense than I write these days. Now, I have way too many favorite authors. And I am always reaching out to try new authors and stories.
Sorry - I keep forgetting I have to add my name now. So, I (DEB) wrote the above comment.
Diana, I don't think I could read that way...one chapter and then go do something else. I can read for an hour and take a break. And reading in bed is a no-no for me. I do read before bed but not in bed. I started that many decades ago when I had problems sleeping. So I changed my habits...oh, and I used to do crossword puzzles in bed. I had a lap desk, etc. Thanks for sharing your reading with me.
Barb, reading about going to the library with your dad brought back wonderful memories. I went with my mom and every summer participated in the reading challenge. We got a card and had got a sticker for every book we read. The one I remember most was the clown and putting dots on his outfit for every book I read. I know it helped me enjoy it that reading was easy for me.
Deb, yes when Google/Blogger did an update several months ago it created challenges in commenting. There is a way to 'resign up/in' so you don't have to continue to do that. It is one of the things my techie guy ended up doing because I couldn't figure it out.
I hope you find that book. These days with scanning you can take it to a shop and they can scan it onto a thumb drive in mere minutes!
While I'm a fairly fast reader, there are many books I never finished (more now than earlier in my life) because I don't like the story or the writing.
I totally understand your comment about books being written by men and for men. It's one of the reasons I read more historical fiction. By the late '90's when I started reading romance, the genre had shifted and the earlier 'bodice ripper' aspect was gone. Thanks Goodness!
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