Another view of Magic

There is magic and there is magick and while this month’s topic is “Magic”, I want to stray from the general consensus of what that word means when most people see it regardless of spelling.

The day before I wrote this I spent a magical couple of hours with my baby great granddaughter. At three and a half months, she is taking stock of the world around her, smiling, and beginning to “talk”. She has a delightful laugh. Even though I worked in adoptions for thirty years, I still see the developmental process from the ‘blobby baby stage’ to adult magical.

Later that same day I happened to look out my kitchen window at the Armistead salvia along my driveway in time to see a hummingbird stop by to visit. I find hummingbirds a magical bird and I can’t remember a time when I’ve seen one in person that I haven’t stopped and smiled.

The day I did write this post, I was thinking of someone and my phone rang. Yep, it was the person I was thinking about.

When I see my books on e-retailer sites or on the shelves in brick and mortar book stores, that is a magical experience.

I did that! I wrote them and worked to learn the software to get them out to the public.

What’s even more magical is seeing them sell!!!

A friend of mine once asked me how I can live so simply. I was confused but she went on to talk about my commitment to recycling in particular. We talked about how we each see the world. She is a devout Christian who sees God as separate from her but who she has taken into her heart.

I see the Divine in everything and everyone around me. So I’m aware of my footprint on the earth. I pay attention to the cycle of the moon and seasons. In comparison to many, I trod heavily. For example I do drive a car but I do plan my errands so I only go out a couple of times a week.

Because of my interpretation of the word “magic” I include such things as “synchronicity” and in addition to blogging here, I also post every Monday on my Judith Ashley blog “Intentions and Synchronicities”.

Judith is the author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series romantic fiction that honors spiritual practices that nourish the soul.

Learn more about The Sacred Women’s Circle here.

Visit Judith’s author page.

Judith’s books are available at Windtree Press and other e-retailers.

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Why Didn't I Die?

by Judith Ashley

It happened on a Sunday about this time of year over forty years ago. I-84 was fairly new and not as well traveled as it is today. I'd spent the weekend in Umatilla, OR and was driving home to Portland - traveling west on I-84.

"The Rains" had arrived.

Wipers and radio on, I was singing along.

One minute I was driving and the next I was flying…my car hydroplaning. 

I lost control, spun out, and crashed into the cement divider. When the car stopped it was pointing the wrong way. Barreling towards me was a pick-up truck and cars.

I’m going to die, flashed through my mind. 

Accepting my fate, I curled in a ball facing the back of the front seat covering my head and face with my arms hoping I protected my face enough that the casket wouldn’t need to be closed.

My life did not flash before my eyes but I did pray my son would be okay and that he would be able to stay with my parents and not go to Ohio to live with his father.

Tapping and a voice caught my attention.

“Are you okay?” a male voice called out.

I lifted my head. A man knocked on my window.

Stunned, I struggled to sit, the seat belt still tight around my waist.

It wasn't easy but he managed to open my door. (The passenger side door was lodged against the cement divider). Thoroughly shaken, with supreme effort I scooted out and leaning heavily against the car, stood.

Another driver stopped and directed traffic until the state police arrived and took over that job. After getting my information and account as to what happened, the trooper arranged for my car to be towed to the nearest town, Cascade Locks.

A few days later, a friend of mine drove me out to get my car in his truck.

I stood staring at my car, my only transportation and the reality of what could have been slammed into my gut. My knees wobbled and if there had been a place to sit nearby, I would have reached for it. Instead I grabbed my friend's arm and held on until the wave of weakness passed.

I had no choice. In order to get my car back to my place I had to steer. We had a towline not a trailer. It was a dicey trip from Cascade Locks to North Portland. We stopped more than once and at the very end had to push my car onto the parking pad behind my house. 

Lessons learned?

Beware when "The Rains" come. Pavement turns to glass.

The concept “Life is fleeting” is a reality, not a myth. 

Some things did die that day (the car totaled, my belief that I was invulnerable destroyed). 

Yet, over forty years later, when I think back on that time, I have no idea how those vehicles stopped in time. I have no idea why I didn’t die.  

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And yet, when I think back on these past forty years, I can see many things I was able to accomplish in my work with vulnerable children and adults. Most recently I wonder if I survived that day so I could tell stories. 

So maybe this is why?                                       

Or This?

Or This?

Book One in The Sacred Women's Circle Series

© 2014 Judith Ashley 

Put a Little LOVE & MAGICK in your Summer by Paty Jager

I just finished a fun anthology of stories by three debut authors. The title of the book is Love & Magick. And that is exactly what you get! Wonderful love stories with unique characters and events that bring the heroes and heroines together.

Sarah Raplee's stories take you to the past. A cursed treasure and love are the key elements in a well told story of greed and evil in Curse of the Neahkahnie Treasure. Her second story, Enchanted Protector, has a prince with a curse, evil gnomes, and a heroine who overcomes her own fears to save her sister and the hero. Both these stories have strong heroines who ultimately save their loved ones.

Diana McCollum's stories bring past and present together. They aren't time travel stories, but rather ones that cover centuries. I've always been interested in witch stories and The Crystal Witch has become one of my favorite witch stories. The heroine escapes an evil sorcerer in the 1600's, leaving behind her true love and is living in the same town in present day when the sorcerer finds her. In this struggle of good versus evil, the heroine is reunited with an ancestor of her lover and together with other witches they make a plan to thwart the sorcerer. Her second story Ghost of a Chance is a reunion story for the hero and heroine. The heroine moves back to her home town and into a haunted house. The boy she stood up in high school is the ghost hunter.

Judith Ashley has two heart-warming present day tales. Sarah's Ankh uses a talisman, the ankh, to bring a business-minded heroine together with the man that most completes her. In Grandmother Moon two lonely people who have had trouble with relationships, discover they have a strong attraction. When the heroine who is the most reluctant has to save the hero, their connection can't be ignored.

The lengths of the stories are perfect for a summer read in between activities or at activities: sitting beach side or poolside while kids swim or have a baseball practice.

Each of the stories in this anthology tug at your heart, make you hold your breath hoping the evil or loneliness is vanquished, and makes your heart hum with the happily ever after.

This is a perfect summer read!

I Never Would Have Believed It!

By Judith Ashley

Judith and Sarah at Desert Dreams Book Signing

Three years ago on April 30, 2011 Sarah Raplee and I crossed our fingers, held our breath and checked this site.

We were "Live!"

Everything worked so we knew we didn't have to stay up all night although we did hover multiple times a day for several months (years) after our launch.

As I write this 6637 comments have been made on 947 posts. Our stats say we've 108,204 page views and also show that just over 1200 are from stat-gathering robots or whatever they're called (they "visit" you and use your link to build their stats or something like that).

I digress.

One half of the original Genre-istas are still with us.

When a Genre-istas life goes in a different direction, we add them to our Alumni Page and continue to support them in various ways including featuring a new release or award in our Headlines. (You'll see our Saturday guests include former Genre-istas as well as popular guests).

How do we fill a vacancy? We stay focused on diversity and inclusiveness and invite someone who writes in an under-represented romance sub-genres, is from another part of the United States or country, and as we are well aware men write romance we've had a male romance writers as Genre-istas and guests.

Three years ago today I might have dreamed of this much success but I didn't believe it possible.

Judith and Sarah at Desert Dreams with L&M poster

What else did I believe impossible?

Coming from the "old school" where you sat down with someone, sized them up and got to know them, I knew with a certainty any relationship developed over the internet would, of necessity, be superficial. Romancing The Genres blew that right out of the water. Reading thirty plus posts and some of their books as well as engaging in cyber conversations with them, I've come to know and value the relationships I have with other Genre-istas.

I've made a fast-friend in my co-founder and co-Blog Queen, Sarah Raplee although that did happen the "old-fashioned" way. As I sit and type this post, I'm doing so directly into the "new post" setting on Blogger. When I finish the text, I'll go back and add links and pictures. If it doesn't work the first time, I will try again. No panic, no stress (well, maybe a little if I've tried a couple of times and nothing is working - after all, it is less than 10 hours before this is to go "live").

Three years ago I never would have considered sitting down and writing my post this way. I had a website but was not published. My technical skills were better than some but sorely lacking when it came to the internet, blogging, etc.

So much has changed and yet I can honestly say three years ago "I Never Would Have Believed It". And today? Well today I'm saying "We've Come A Long Way!"

Thanks to each and every one of you for your support!!!

Check out Judith's website at www.JudithAshleyRomance.com
You can find Judith's books here