My Reading Refuge(s)

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series ’s, 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.

These days wanting to relax and shut away the outside world is an almost constant ‘want’ of mine for a variety of reasons. I could fill several blog posts with my concerns and, at times, fears. However, the purpose of this post is to share with you who my “go to” author(s) are, authors whose books keep me on a more even keel.

What I’ve found interesting as I’ve thought about who and how to write this post is I’m not buying books like I used to.

Image copied from Jo Beverley website

Why? I’m still reading every day.

This year I’ve purchased three historical fiction (my favorite genres) and only finished one. I’ve spent some time analyzing why because they are authors I’ve read and enjoyed in the past. I don’t even remember the books/stories enough to say anything specific about them. However these are some of the reasons I don’t finish books or end up reading the last chapter or two before putting the book aside.

+ The story didn’t keep my interest.

+ Too much description of clothing, rooms, etc. I actually don’t care what the hero and heroine are wearing or what color the drapes are much less the fabric. And I find that boring to read.

+ Too much description of the seduction and sexual activities of the characters. I’m even okay with the fade to morning when the bedroom door closes on the couple. I’m not a prude. In my own books my characters make love. For me, it’s another aspect of a story that can actually become boring if it goes on for pages and pages.

So what have I been reading this year?

My keeper books. I actually started rereading all my fiction books during Covid. I also reread my entire series. I’ve purchased several non-fiction books that I’ve enjoyed and I’m looking forward to getting to a book store for Malcolm Gladwell’s latest. Hmm, I might just start rereading the books by him I already have.

My Go To Author is Jo Beverley. I also have numerous books by Nora Roberts and StephanieLauren’s Cynster series (Bar Cynster books).

Right now I’ve finished my 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th read of Jo Beverley’s Company of Rogues. While I’ve read all of these books at least 3 times, a couple I’ve read more. And I’ve started on her Georgian period books with the Malloren family as the heroes or heroine.

Image copied from Jo Beverley website

I’ve reread all of Nora’s books set in Ireland, one of my most favorite places in the world. And when I say “reread” I don’t mean just once. The series she wrote in the ‘90’s have been read at least 3 if not 4 times.

Early on when I started reading romance (1998), I was struck by the norms or expectation of Regency England about what was “appropriate” behavior for a “lady”.

What struck me?

 The vestiges of those “norms” that were alive and well during the 1940’s, 1950’s and 1960’s, my growing up years.

I will admit that as I’m reading these books for the 3rd, 4th or 5th time, I am seeing aspects of the story that didn’t register or stick with me over the years. And I think that is because, for me, the stakes of how these remaining years of my life will be lived are higher. I’m in my 80’s now. One of those people living on a fairly fixed income. I do have book sales but nowhere near the thousand a month mark.

Image copied from author's website

The probability of a marriage of convenience is slim.

The probability of winning the lottery even slimmer as I seldom buy a ticket and when I do, checking the numbers continually slips my mind.

The probability of inheriting thousands of dollars is non-existent in that I don’t know anyone that has thousands of dollars.

Image copied from author's website

So when the world around me seems dark and bleak and scary, I turn to books that transport me to another place and time. Once I finish Jo Beverley’s Malloren series and get Malcom Gladwell’s latest book, I am going to start rereading his books. I doubt I’ll be transported anywhere and I might be engaged to the point where the world around me recedes to a mere shadow.

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 Hillsboro, OR and Arte Soleil in Portland, OR. Their addresses are on 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

       My Kindness of Strangers/Angels Among Us Experience(s)

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.

Two experiences immediately popped up in my mind when Sarah McDermed, Co-Blog Queen, and I were talking about Romancing The Genre’s 2025 themes. Both happened in the early 2000’s, when I was in Sydney, Australia attending The William Glasser International Conference. I chose to stay a couple extra days to see more of a country I’d always been fascinated by.

One day I took a tour bus to the Sydney Zoo. It is located outside of the city and took some time to get there. I loved seeing all the animals I’d read about in person. I even got to pet a koala! I will admit I was smitten with the place and went to the gift shop to find a perfect something to bring home as a souvenir.

Package in hand I went out to get on the bus and it had gone!

Now what!

Yikes!

Deposit Photo/Throwstone

I went back in the gift shop and talked to staff.

Yes, I’d missed the bus and they don’t come back.

No, there isn’t another bus. Transportation back to Sydney was difficult to come by.

My mind was swarming with all of the possible challenges including missing my plane back to the United States.

My gratitude for the kindness of the bus driver and other passengers was immense. They did come back and get me and in so doing, became my guardian angels in disguise. Just writing about this experience brings both the panic and relief along with a deep sense of gratitude I still feel to this very day.

Australian Butterfly Sanctuary 

The second one also occurred in Australia. I’d spent a few days in Cairns, visited the Butterfly Sanctuary and got very ill trying to float on the water with a scuba mask on so I could see underwater and hopefully a bit of the Great Barrier Reef. So sick I almost missed my plane back to Sydney to catch my connecting flight for the return home.

In those days I traveled with a giant suitcase and carry on as well as a backpack that contained my purse, a book to read, etc. So here I am, trying to pull my giant suitcase with the carry on strapped to it and my backpack slung over one shoulder. (I never figured out how to put if over both shoulders). I swear it was at least a mile from where I got off the smaller domestic flight to the international gate. I was exhausted (remember I’d been so sick the day before and didn’t sleep that well that night). I’m tugging Pounds of Stuff that in those days was precious to me.

Out of nowhere these two young men approached me and asked if they could help me with my luggage. Again, the profound relief I felt then brings tears to my eyes now.

I told you there were two rescues that stood out. However as I was writing this post a third popped up. This one was in Ireland…actually there are two.

Deposit Photo/fikusto

Number 1 was in Dublin in 1994. My best friend, also a Judith, and I had rented a car so we could tour some of the country before attending The William Glasser International Conference. We had hardly started on our journey to the Ashford Castle in western Ireland when we had a flat tire.

Yes, flat tire in Dublin in rush hour! Judith and I both packed for Any and All Eventualities and the trunk was bursting. And don’t forget it was raining and I’d been traveling since the dawn of time! (Portland, Oregon, USA to Dublin, Ireland is not a hop, skip and a jump.

Before we could even get the luggage out of the trunk, the Gardia came. Traffic control for Dubliners but the bigger blessing for us is they took charge. The sidewalk was almost impassable due to our luggage. They not only changed the tire, they gave us directions to a shop where the tire could be repaired.

And yes, we experienced a couple more flat tires. At that time Ireland didn’t have steel belted radial tires on the rental cars and I didn’t actually realize that every rut or pothole could break the seal and cause a flat.

You can see Waterville and the road we were on.

As we (I actually did the driving because it was a stick and Judith only drove an automatic) traveled around the Ring of Kerry, we had another flat tire just past Waterville.

We knew the drill. Open trunk and begin to haul out massive suitcases. Sigh!

And then a young couple pulled up behind us, helped not only unload suitcases but also changed the tire and loaded things back up again.

We’re ready to go? Right?

Another heart-felt sigh…the front tire was flat. This young couple had turned around and saw us still standing there on their way back towards Waterville. Learning of our plight, they again took charge.

Deposit Photo/Ocean Pond

They drove us back to Waterville, had our tire repaired while buying us our first Guinness, and then took us back to the car and put the repaired tire on.

As you have probably guessed, we were soooo thankful!

And as we were sipping our Guinness and thanking them profusely, we asked them why they’d stopped.

And were stunned by their response.

We reminded them of their mums, they said. Adding they would have wanted someone to stop and help them if their mums were in similar circumstances.

Only one more flat tire on that road trip. Lug nuts were so tight we couldn’t loosen them. Again, someone (by that time I was so exhausted the details are gone) changed that tire.

We drove on into the night with no idea what was going to happen as it was several hours to Dublin and I wasn’t in any shape to do that long a drive when we spotted an open gate and a sign that announced a Bed and Breakfast.

Another kindness from a stranger. The woman welcomed us and even brought us tea and scones. I will admit now that I could have stayed and spent the day relaxing.

However the Conference awaited.

Some of you reading this may wonder if I’ve ever experienced the kindness of strangers here in the United States. I know I have and that might be a blog post on another day. What stands out to me with the examples I’ve shared here is the kindness shown to people they didn’t know and would never see again (well, except for the double flat tires around the Ring of Kerry).

All these years later, I still feel the welling of gratitude when I remember these experiences. Paying it forward, perhaps not by hauling luggage or changing tires, but by other means to ease someone else’s life, their challenges. One of my favorites is flirting with fussy children in grocery lines. A simple thing but having had fussy children in grocery lines, I know how grateful I was when they were distracted and I could more easily finish checking out.

Where do you pay it forward?

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 Hillsboro, 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