Photo Bucket List Vacations by Paty Jager

 These are places I would like to someday see or participate in:

This first photo is of Australia. I have ogled over the photos author Susan Horsnell has posted on Facebook. I'd like to go see the sites that she has let us see through her photos. 

Ever since reading Nora Roberts trilogy, Born in Ice, Born in Fire, Born in Shame, the Concannon sisters trilogy set in Ireland, I've wanted to visit. 

Another trip on my bucket list is to ride a mule down into the Grand Canyon. Hubby said he doesn't want to go, so I'll have to talk my horse-loving daughter into going with me. Hopefully, before I can't sit on a horse for too long.

Another vacation I would like to take is to travel the Nez Perce (Nimiipuu) National Historic Trail. This is the route the Chief Joseph and White Bird Nimipuu bands traveled for 176 days in 1877 trying to find peace in Canada while the U.S. Army chased them. They finally gave up at the Bear Paw Battlefield near Chinook, Montana after starting from Wallowa Lake, Oregon. Every year riders and walkers travel 100 miles of the trail.

These are only a few of the places I would like to go on a vacation. I also wish to visit every one of the states in the United States and would like to take the train across Canada.

What is at the top of your vacation bucket list? 

My Favorite Trips

 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 and choose love and light.

Welcome to July! We’re now officially half way through 2022. If you live south of the equator, your days will begin to get longer. Here, north of the equator, ours begin to get shorter. Unlike many of my friends and family, I’m not a summer person. The sun is too bright, the temperatures are too hot and traffic increases as people head out on vacations.

Not to be too curmudgeonly and because our monthly theme is Vacation Trips and Bucket Lists, I’m going to share my favorite trips. I’ve had the pleasure of adding on a few vacation days to more business oriented trips than taking an actual vacation.

Because of my involvement with The William Glasser Institute International and Glasser Institute for Choice Theory-US, I’ve visited places I heard and read about and never dreamed I’d see in person – both in North American and elsewhere!

Here in the U.S.

I’ve attended conferences in

Houston and San Antonio, TX;
Copper Mountain and Colorado Springs, CO;
Boston, MA;
Hollywood and Orlando, FL;

Vacationed in Cayman Islands after
Hollywood, FL Conference where
my friend and I went to Hell!

Kansas City (twice);

Cincinnati, OH;

Chicago, IL,

New Orleans, LA;

Phoenix, AZ,

Albuquerque, NM;

Los Angeles, CA;

Seattle, WA (twice);

Portland, OR;

Jersey City, NJ with views of the New York skyline and

Philadelphia, PA. Oh and

Nashville, TN in 2010!

One of both of my granddaughters attended the conferences in italics.

In addition conferences were held in Canada (Montreal and Vancouver, B.C.). I missed the one in Toronto.

So that’s North America!

Where Else Have I Been?

Dublin, Ireland

Sidney, Australia
Edinburgh, Scotland

A typical planting of flowers. This one is in Dublin.

Edinburgh, Scotland

And as a bonus, my involvement also ended in 2 trips to the Balkans. Croatia and Slovenia which meant I spent time in Switzerland and Italy.

Bled, Slovenia - we spent a few days here to debrief
after being ordered to leave Croatia during the
Balkan Wars

What has also been a blessing is that I’ve had the opportunity to take one or both of my granddaughters on several of these trips. The Big One was the Edinburgh, Scotland trip with a week in London and sightseeing (Dover, Stonehenge, Glastonbury as well as a London tour).

Why did I, at times, take my granddaughters?

Because in the past, the organization held a “Kids Institute” so the conference was more family oriented and people could plan a vacation around it. Through the Kids Institute, my granddaughters had their own adventures while I was in workshops or giving my own presentation. 

2010 at Stonehenge

They had the opportunity to meet and interact with kids from around the world (Japan, Korea, Australia, Europe, South America as well as various parts of the U.S.A.). I believed then and believe now that when we meet and get to know people from other places in the world, our lives are enriched and we have an opportunity to see how we are similar, what we have in common and that creates a positive impact in our lives.

Bucket list? I used to think I wanted to visit Scandinavia or various places in the Orient. Japan was high on my list because in 7^th and 8^th grade I had a Japanese pen pal.

However, at this point in my life I think my long distance traveling (think international or at least outside North America) is less likely to happen. It isn’t just Covid or cost although they are a factor.

I love my house and my yard. I’m less than 2 hours from the Pacific Ocean although my favorite spot is closer to 3. I’m about the same distance from Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood and only 20 – 30 minutes from the Columbia River Gorge and waterfalls. A five minute walk and on a clear day I can see Mt. Hood.

Mt. Hood as seen over the trees on
the Rose City Golf Course

I’m not saying “never” to long distance traveling. Who knows what the future may bring. What I am saying is that at this point, as I sit here at my computer with my larch tree’s limbs blowing in a breeze, the geraniums and salvia adding cheerful color, the hummingbirds stopping by for a snack, I’ve no particular plans to go anywhere.

Come fall when the weather cools and, hopefully, the traffic eases, I may head off on the 2 – 3 hour drive and spend a few days along the Oregon Coast. As I’m rather weak-willed, the probability of my taking another dozen or so pictures of the waves crashing on the rocks is high. And I will remind myself of the saying we never stand in the same river…thus these will be different waves from the multiple thousands if not millions I’ve watched over the decades.

Number 1,002,010(?)

One of the additional blessing of my trips is creating believable settings in my books. Much of Elizabeth: The Lady and The Sacred Grove takes place in Ireland. The scene at the Ashford Castle? Yep, I did stay there in 1994 when I traveled there for the Dublin Conference.

Fremont, OR is loosely based on my hometown, Portland, OR. The little house you first see in Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl  is based on my own home. Some of Diana: The Queen of Swords and The Knight of Pentacles as well as Gabriella: Chaos to Symmetry take place in Italy. I spent a short amount of time in Milan and Venice but over a week along the Aegean Sea in Croatia and Slovenia. Those views are similar to the ones along the west coast of Italy.

The places I’ve seen, the people I’ve met, the lessons I’ve learned along the pathway of my life, I’ve used as inspiration and fact in my books.

You can read my Sacred Women’s Circle series to learn more about every day women and the struggles and challenges they overcome to find unconditional love.

My Staying Sane in a Crazy World, provides you with a template to create your Personal Staying Sane Plan to help you through the challenging times.

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

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2022 Judith Ashley

The Magic of Visions

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. 

Learn more about Judith's The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB! 

© 2019 Judith Ashley

What is the Importance of love scenes?

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul and celebrates the journey from relationship to romance.

I’m not sure why, but in 2016 when Sarah Raplee and I were putting together our 2017 themes and topics, the song with the words “It’s the time of the season for loving” was running through my mind which is where this month’s Genre-ista theme came from.

As an author who writes romance with a variety of heat levels (sweet to steamy depending on the characters and their story) I used to struggle with that reality. Still when I think about the original series, I see no other way to write the ‘loving’ part than what I originally did.

For example: Ashley:Dragonflies and Dreams is the fourth book in the series. She learns she had breast cancer—and not for the first time. This is recurrent breast cancer and is detected when she is so very close to that five year mark when the probability of the cancer coming back is significantly small.

Daniel, the hero, has loved Ashley for some time. His loving comes in the form of taking care of her and her children. He becomes very inventive and while I’m tempted to share details (my first draft included many of the things he did), in my edits I deleted them. However, I’ve left these next two sentences:

He is a kind, gentle, loving man who loves Ashley and only wants what’s best for her. Spoiler alert: He definitely hopes (well, a bit more than just hope) she loves him, too.

I will acknowledge that Elizabeth:The Lady and The Sacred Grove which is the second book in the series is the opposite. It is, I think, the steamiest of the seven books. If a higher ‘heat level’ is usually not your thing, I believe Elizabeth has many positives. You can “visit” Ireland (or revisit if you’ve been there before) and learn more about the unconditional support that is an integral part of sacred women’s circles.

My promise to you is this: I do not write gratuitous sex scenes. There is a purpose behind each of the love scenes in each story and that is why in the case of Ashley and Hunter: The Dancer and The Drum there are no physical love scenes although they both have ‘loving’ scenes.

Please share your thoughts on the importance of love scenes to a story, to the development of relationships and the core romance. I truly do want to know.

Your free copy of Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl is waiting for you. 

Go to JudithAshleyRomance.com and sign up for my occasionalnewsletter “Connections.” Follow the prompts to download your own digital copy of the first book in The Sacred Women’s Circle series.

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series at JudithAshleyRomance.com

Follow Judith on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on FB!

Get Some of That Luck O' the Irish

by Madelle O'Morgan

Origin of St. Paddy's Day

In the 1700s, a feast day to commemorate the arrival of Christianity in Ireland was named for St. Patrick.

Patrick was a 5th century Christian missionary and bishop who became the patron saint of Ireland.

Today, people around the world with a few drops of Irish blood (like me), and those who simply want to join in the fun, celebrate Irish culture every March 17.


The Lucky Charm

When Patrick the missionary was attempting to convert pagan Irish, he used the three-leafed clover, commonly known as a shamrock, to explain the Catholic Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.


However, long before those missionaries landed on the Emerald Isle, rare four-leaf clovers were Celtic charms, presumed to offer magical protection and ward off bad luck.

Three Facts About Four-Leaf Clovers (Source: bhg.com)


1. There are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every "lucky" four-leaf clover.

2. There are no clover plants that naturally produce four leaves, which is why four-leaf clovers are so rare.

3. It's said that Ireland is home to more four-leaf clovers than any other place, giving meaning to the phrase "the luck of the Irish."

Green ribbons and shamrocks have been worn on St. Patrick's Day since the late 1600s. Today it's customary to wear shamrocks and/or green clothing or accessories—the "wearing of the green." Maybe a few of you raise a beer to toast the old country?

Personally, I always wear green on March 17. To double my luck, this year I'm going to rustle up a shamrock lucky charm.

Why?


Because I could use some of this...

Couldn't we all? 

Madelle

About Madelle Morgan

Although Madelle is one quarter Irish, and admits to knocking back a green beer or two, she's never seen a leprechaun. If you catch one, the myth goes, he must lead you to treasure!

She's the Canadian author of two novels: Diamond Hunter, a romantic suspense, and Caught on Camera, Hollywood in Muskoka series, Book 1, a New Adult romantic comedy.

She tweets and posts on the topics of writing & publishing, film-making, dogs, and the settings for her stories.

Subscribe to her blog at MadelleMorgan.com and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad. 

On Writing Contemporary Romance

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.

I’ve lived a fairly long and varied life. I’ve had several different careers. The common thread in everything I’ve done is ‘education’ or ‘teaching’. From starting as a classroom teacher in my early twenties to now as an author, my goal is to share something I know about that may assist another person to create a happier life for themselves.

What a great first novel! Just finished reading Lily by Judith Ashley, and loved it. While romance is not a genre I usually read, I found the characters so interesting and well-developed that I was captured by the story, looking forward to what would happen next. As part of a sacred women’s circle myself, it was nice to recognize the supportive bond among the group of women, and to realize how that loving, spiritual bond helped Lily to grow through the difficult challenges of old fears. Now I am looking forward to reading Elizabeth, the next book in the series. G.G.

My time as a child protective service worker was a challenge but through it all, my focus was to support parents in being the best parent they could be. And, when that best wasn’t what the child needed, to find a home that did meet the child’s needs.

As an adoption worker, my goal was to educate the prospective adoptive parents about what to expect when adopting an infant or an older child. Challenges awaited them regardless of their direction. Their decision was to include which challenges would be easiest for them to handle.

Working in law enforcement (there were no corrections officers where I worked, we were all deputy sheriffs), I wanted the women in the jail where I was stationed to learn something that would be a positive in their lives when they got out. I set up and ran a program that allowed the women to make crafts and sell them at the local county courthouse after Thanksgiving. They always sold out!

I am one who finds it difficult to quiet my mind and body long enough to read a chapter or two in a book at one time. Judith Ashley’s Lily caught my attention in the first chapter and held it tight until the last page. I found myself wondering what character I would be in the book and responding as if I was a friend of the characters! Romance, personal growth, and a supportive spiritual circle…how can one not become wrapped into this book? KJ

For two years I worked in Public Welfare. My clients were anyone age 18 and older who was other-abled or over 65 or in a nursing or rehabilitation facility. With limited resources, learning how to use everything available in the best way possible to create the best lifestyle possible was important.

I was educating my clients and I was being educated at the same time. That education helped me establish myself as a case manager and guardian as well as an After Hours Emergency Responder for vulnerable adults.

Being an educator is part of who I am. It may not be in the job description, but I find a way to bring the knowledge I have to support others in creating a better life for themselves.

The characters and essence of Ireland leaped from the pages of this book right into my heart and mind. I could see and hear the characters and picture the surroundings. The author accurately represented the practice and spirituality of those who identify with the Goddess and know She also resides in each of us. Ms. Ashley also emphasizes that the bond of close women friends should not be forsaken because of a bond with a lover. She shows us that there is always a way to compromise to preserve both bonds. As a romantic novel this was delightful. M.M.

And that’s what I do with my stories. Ordinary women who’ve had normal life challenges (domestic violence, infidelity, post-traumatic stress disorder, physical injury, rape, homelessness, etc.) find a way through the dark times into the light of unconditional love.

Is their path easy? No. Their life experiences have taught them to be leery about trusting anyone. But because of the bond created by being part of a Sacred Women’s Circle, they are able to take the leap into the void and find their happily-ever-after.

One of my goals in writing these stories is to pass on to others, ideas about how they might handle difficult situations.

Have you ever gotten an idea that helped you solve a problem by reading a romance novel? Would love to hear your story!

You can learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.

Check out my Windtree Press author page.

Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

I’m also on Facebook

© 2016 Judith Ashley

How a War Changed My Life by Judith Ashley

A version of this post first appeared at http://judithashley.blogspot.com

Judith Ashley is the author of The Sacred Women's Circle series, romantic fiction that honors spiritual traditions that nurture the soul.

In 1994 I attended a William Glasser Conference in Ireland. There I met colleagues from the Balkans. The Balkan War was raging and their once peaceful lives were in chaos. When asked what The William Glasser Institute could do, they said they needed everything.

Funds were donated and used to purchase diapers and formula and other necessities like soap and shampoo that were in short supply.

A group of us went a step further and organized a small conference on the shores of the Adriatic Sea in Rijeka, Croatia. We paid our own way and raised additional monies to cover expenses for those who could come. In addition we volunteered to lead workshops and support our colleagues however we could. Our group was received by the Mayor of Rijeka and one evening the government minister for prisoners of war and torture victims spoke to us.

I had a chance conversation with a professor at the local University. He invited me to speak to one of his classes. I also led a group discussion with a small group of women who’d braved Serbian fire as they drove up the Dalmatian Coast from their homes in Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik had been bombed that morning.

Jagoda Tonsic-Krema and husband - Scotland. Jagoda presented

Our evening activity (a boat trip to a nearby island) was canceled when Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia, came under fire (we were about 50 miles away). I went to breakfast in the morning and found colleagues I’d had dinner with missing. No one talked about where they were.

They’d just vanished—called back to the war.

That morning we were ordered to leave the country. We were an easy target and to kill ten US, Canadian, Irish citizens along with Croatians who were leaders in their country was seen as too tempting. While we understood that our being there actually put our colleagues more at risk than if we left, it was not easy to say good-bye, leaving people we’d come to know and care about in a few short days in danger.

The Mayor sent his van and driver to take us across the border into Slovenia and on to Bled. Traveling through border check points where the guards were armed was an event I’ll never forget. We were in Bled for a couple of days waiting until our flights back home left.

Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight with military tanks on the runway, armed soldiers carrying automatic rifles patrolling the concourse—I’d never had any of those experiences.

When I reached my home I was compelled to do something.

This is my Circle of Life. While the flowers are silk, everything else is natural (well, actually the silk flowers are made from the spinning of silk worms).

Because of that trip I’m very aware of how quickly deep and abiding relationships can form in times of trial. I still hold in my heart many of the people I met over two decades ago. I still feel an instant connection when I see any of them at conferences. One of my favorite experiences was at the Edinburgh, Scotland conference when most of the women I’d met in Croatia were there. Tears of joy, of gratitude on both sides—they’d rebuilt those lives that had been so traumatically disrupted.

There are so many aspects of that trip that were life-altering.

Hearing firsthand the experiences of people who became friends. Hearing how their lives had changed. Hearing the pain and resolution to not just survive but to overcome the challenges they now faced.

Seeing people create a life out of chaos. Seeing people find a point of light, of optimism in the darkness that surrounded them. Seeing the displaced rebuild some semblance of their former life.

Touching the edges of suffering through compassion and empathy. Touching and hugging knowing their healing powers. Touching and connecting with strangers who quickly became friends.

The sights and sounds I experienced fifty miles away from an active war zone changed my life. Even more so I seek to understand another’s point of view, to find a way through disagreements to solutions. Seeing the cost of war leads me, even more than before, to seek peace.

What life altering event have you undergone?

How has it changed who you are?

What have you done to honor that experience and that transformation?

You can learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle series on my website.

Check out my Windtree Press author page.

Follow me on Twitter: @JudithAshley19

I’m also on Facebook

© 2016 Judith Ashley