The Ups and Downs of My Writing Career

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.

I can summarize the “Downs” of my writing career in a couple of sentences. I’ve not written much of anything beyond blog posts since December 2019. And while I have 30K+ words written on Visions of Ireland. I’m not sure I will ever finish it.

Now some of you will say “Oh, the Pandemic!” However, so much more was going on in my personal life that affected my writing life than the pandemic.

Those of you who are writers know that we categorize ourselves as plotters or pantsers and some are hybrid meaning they are a bit of both. I’ve categorized myself as a pantser because I do not plot nor do I do character studies, etc. What I’ve come to see about my writing, at least my fiction, is that I’m a dream/vision writer.

My eight novels, The Sacred Women’s Circle series and Visions of Happiness, a spin off from TSWC series were written from dreams and visions I had. Sometimes I’d get up in the middle of the night, the picture of the scene, the dialogue so clear in my mind that all I did was type it onto the computer before going back to bed.

I will admit that there were times, early on in my process, that I wondered about my sanity. And, once the story was written out, the visions and dreams ceased, at least for that story <smile>.

At one point I would have said that my process for writing non-fiction was different except that, as I share in the opening of Staying Sane in a Crazy World, a vision flashed before me as I was driving on the freeway (and yes, I do keep my guardian angels busy).

So when my personal health faltered, those visions and dreams took a break. For the most part. I have written over 30 blog posts for Romancing The Genres and Windtree Press, a have a story (2200 words so very short) about how I dealt with CoVid in Covidology: Sharing Stories From Behind The Mask and the beginning of a short story popped into my head for several nights – well, until I got up and wrote it down.

What’s interesting is that while I know scientist say we all dream, I seldom remember a dream. What fascinates me and I pay close attention to especially after having written eight fiction novels and one non-fiction is that those that stick with me upon waking have more to say.

How does that happen? I get a flash of that dream in visions during the day or I’ll hear the voices of the characters as they go forth with their story. It can be unnerving although since a decade or two has passed since the first dream, I pay attention to the details in the vision and listen to the dialogue. Then I check with some internal something inside me that says “Now, go write it down Now!”

I’m grateful the dreams and visions have begun again although nothing coherent. Or perhaps more accurately nothing I can yet make sense of. And that internal something? Still quiet.

What is my plan going forward? One is to self-narrate the audio book for Staying Sane in a Crazy World. I’ve a few bits and pieces of that process to work out. I’ve done a five minute test and it went well so I think I can do the rest.

And I’ve a You Tube Channel that has been silent since 2015ish. At a live event for the Covidology Anthology, I read parts of that story to the audience. I’m considering doing that as a video and putting it up on the You Tube Channel.

Of course, that all comes under the heading of “it depends on” and that list has several entries. The main one is health as that affects my energy level and all of the above takes a chunk. When a successful day is getting up, getting dressed and feeding myself, there is nothing left for audio books or You Tube Channels.

And that, I expect, is why the internal something is quiet when it comes to writing things down. It knows it’s not quite time…almost but not quite.

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! 

© 2023 Judith Ashley

Old Stories?

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.

This month is Potpourri at Romancing the Genres.  The following is a post I wrote for our August theme that I didn't use.

Old Stories?

Old Stories is the other topic. Many authors, when asked about when they first started writing, will talk about elementary or high school, maybe college. Others will talk about their first novel, buried under the bed or the back of a closet or drawer never to see the light of day.

There are many thoughts about those old stories. Here are mine.

While I’ve spent a great deal of my professional life writing (court reports, case notes, adoption home studies, post placement reports, and training programs complete with instructor and participant manuals, I never wrote fiction until late 1999/early 2000 when the visions, dreams and dialogue surrounding the seven women who are the main characters in The Sacred Women’s Circle series showed up.

I’ve no old stories to dig out and rewrite or polish. I do have a non-fiction book based on a training I developed that is waiting for me to rewrite or polish i.e. finish. And I do have the cover!

There are writers who thoughtfully consider story elements, do character studies, plot out each chapter, write synopses – in other words they have their story outlined before they start the actual book. Other writers are more like me. They sit down and see what shows up on the page. 

I will admit that when I was writing Gabriella: Chaos and Symmetry, Sophia: Every Ending Is A Beginning and the first book in the “Visions” spinoff series, Visions of Happiness,  I had to keep track so the story line, time line and characters were congruent with what had come before. It’s very disconcerting as a reader to find a character’s hair and eye color change from one book to the next much less their age or another element of their life.

Dreams, Visions and Dialogue

The dreams, visions and dialogue that, at times, kept me up until all hours of the night, were my old stories. I’ve worked over fifty years in social services as well as survived some rocky spots in my own personal life. My characters are like many of us who have or are still facing issues: divorce, infidelity, domestic violence, single parenting, financial struggles, abandonment, overcoming childhood abuse, death of a spouse and then there are the physical challenges of recovery from a major accident or injury and recurrent breast cancer.

In many ways I share traits with these women. There is a piece of me in every story…more of me in some than in others. And no, I’ve not danced like Hunter: The Dancer and The Drum and I’ve made drums. I’ve not had a luscious garden like Sophia, but I love gardens and I have taught in a public high school. I’ve survived domestic violence, infidelity and divorce, raised a son and grandchildren, weathered financial struggles, dealt with cancer although not breast cancer. And once I had a circle of women who accepted, supported and loved me, as well as my own spiritual practices that bring me peace, all the trials and tribulations that still occur in my life are easier.

When you read my Sacred Women’s Circle series you meet seven women who will remind you of yourself or someone you know or someone you love who also struggles with these everyday issues. You will learn how Lily, Elizabeth, Diana, Ashley, Hunter, Gabriella and Sophia overcome those obstacles and with the acceptance and support of The Circle find their Happily-Ever-After.

My non-fiction: 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. If you want a print copy? Ask your local independent bookstore to order it for you. If you are in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, my books are carried at Jan’s Paperbacks and Arte Soleil.

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

Romance Awareness Month and Old Stories

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.

This month the Genre-istas are sharing their perspective on either, or maybe both topics: Old Stories or Romance Awareness Month.

August is National (USA) Romance Awareness Month. Independent books stores across the United States have planned signings and other events to showcase authors (especially local ones) who write in this popular genre. Most likely you are reading this early in the month as it goes live on August 5^th. You can check your local indie book store or, if you can check out https://bookstoreromanceday.org/ for more information.

Old Stories?

Old Stories is the other topic. Many authors, when asked about when they first started writing, will talk about elementary or high school, maybe college. Others will talk about their first novel, buried under the bed or the back of a closet or drawer never to see the light of day.

There are many thoughts about those old stories. Here are mine.

While I’ve spent a great deal of my professional life writing (court reports, case notes, adoption home studies, post placement reports, and training programs complete with instructor and participant manuals, I never wrote fiction until late 1999/early 2000 when the visions, dreams and dialogue surrounding the seven women who are the main characters in The Sacred Women’s Circle series showed up.

I’ve no old stories to dig out and rewrite or polish. I do have a non-fiction book based on a training I developed that is waiting for me to rewrite or polish i.e. finish. And I do have the cover!

There are writers who thoughtfully consider story elements, do character studies, plot out each chapter, write synopses – in other words they have their story outlined before they start the actual book. Other writers are more like me. They sit down and see what shows up on the page.

I will admit that when I was writing Gabriella: Chaos and Symmetry, Sophia: Every Ending Is A Beginning and the first book in the “Visions” spinoff series, Visions of Happiness,  I had to keep track so the story line, time line and characters were congruent with what had come before. It’s very disconcerting as a reader to find a character’s hair and eye color change from one book to the next much less their age or another element of their life.

Dreams, Visions and Dialogue

The dreams, visions and dialogue that, at times, kept me up until all hours of the night, were my old stories. I’ve worked over fifty years in social services as well as survived some rocky spots in my own personal life. My characters are like many of us who have or are still facing issues: divorce, infidelity, domestic violence, single parenting, financial struggles, abandonment, overcoming childhood abuse, death of a spouse and then there are the physical challenges of recovery from a major accident or injury and recurrent breast cancer.

In many ways I share traits with these women. There is a piece of me in every story…more of me in some than in others. And no, I’ve not danced like Hunter: The Dancer and The Drum and I’ve made drums. I’ve not had a luscious garden like Sophia, but I love gardens and I have taught in a public high school. I’ve survived domestic violence, infidelity and divorce, raised a son and grandchildren, weathered financial struggles, dealt with cancer although not breast cancer. And once I had my own circle of women who accepted, supported and loved me, as well as my spiritual practices that bring me peace, all the trials and tribulations that still occur in my life are easier.

When you read my Sacred Women’s Circle series you meet seven women who will remind you of yourself or someone you know or someone you love who also struggles with these everyday issues. You will learn how Lily, Elizabeth, Diana, Ashley, Hunter, Gabriella and Sophia overcome those obstacles and with the acceptance and support of The Circle find their Happily-Ever-After.

My non-fiction: 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. If you want a print copy? Ask your local independent bookstore to order it for you. If you are in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, my books are carried at Jan’s Paperbacks and Arte Soleil.

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

Can Too Much Abundance Be Bad For Us?

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.

Abundance, what does that word mean to you?

It’s November, Thanksgiving’s month in the USA. Decorations include cornucopias overflowing with the fall harvest. Thanksgiving dinner is celebrated with a table overflowing with foods of all kinds. We look at the world around us and label countries and people with lots of material goods as abundant.

When I think of abundance from the perspective of wealth, of having more than enough, I know I’m abundant in my friends, my connections in the writing world, my family’s love. I’m wealthy in my Core Values as they give me a solid foundation from which I can move forward in my life and into the world around me.

However, the dictionary defines abundant as more than enough or amply sufficient. Synonyms are copious, plentiful, bountiful and ample. None of the words describing abundant are inherently defined as positive.

+ Copious and plentiful amounts of rain can create flooding

+ Ample is a word used to describe body shape as in ample girth.

+ Bountiful supply of squirrels? I see this animal as extremely destructive (think chewed hole in heat pump). I would not be elated yet others would be clapping their hands with glee.

We have our own internal pictures, definitions of what certain words mean. What’s important when using words like abundance, love and even hate is we understand anyone else who is a part of the conversation may have very different pictures, definitions of those words.

Another thought about abundance:

 “Where and in what way do you have too much?”

“What impact does all that you have on your health, lifestyle, sense of self, etc.?”

I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments below. I will be checking throughout the day and even into the weekend to respond.

If you not yet on my mailing list, you can sign up for Choices here. I’ve created a new free offering that includes the novella Sarah’s Ankh along with the first chapter of Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl. I hope you enjoy them.

Look for my next non-fiction Yes, You Can Create The Life You Love this fall.

All of my books are available 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 on her website JudithAshley.net

Follow Judith on Twitter: JudithAshley19

Check out Judith’s Windtree Press author page.

You can also find Judith on Facebook!

© 2021 Judith Ashley

My Own Super Hero - Bill

Hi, I’m Judith Ashley, author of The Sacred Women’s Circle series, soul nourishing romantic women’s fiction that honors pagan spiritual practices. 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 do overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

OMG, my list is long in part because I’ve lived a long life and in part because over the years I’ve known people I love and admire.

While there are people from the history books that I see as heroes and heroines, in my own life I’ve people I’ve put on this list. However, to include them here makes this post over 1000 words long! So, I’m moving them to a New Document and will write about them on my personal blog sometime this month or next.

However, there is one person who has made a profound impression on how I live my daily life.

Who might my Superhero be?

Dr. William Glasser. In the 1960’s Dr. Glasser was faced with ridicule and disdain from his fellow psychiatrists because he rewrote what the relationship between a psychiatrist and patient could be. It did not include spending years talking about the past. Bill did not believe that revisiting the past was useful in solving today’s issue unless there was a direct relationship to the present problem. He said that if you missed dinner you can't eat last night's dinner tonight. All you can do is eat tonight's dinner.

Bill believed in empowering his patients by teaching them a process so that they had a framework to solve their own problems. He called it "Reality Therapy." Now it is called "The Procedures That Lead To Change." Don't be fooled by the titles! If you've heard of or learned Motivational Interviewing or Client Centered Counseling, you've heard of or learned about Bill's ideas from the 1960's.

He also believed, taught and wrote about the harm psycho-tropic drugs have on people long before the acknowledged crisis of prescription drug addiction. Of course he was vilified by big pharma.

Through it all, he held to his principles, to what he saw working as his patients changed and moved forward with their lives.

Although I heard Dr. Glasser in the late sixties, it wasn’t until August 1978 that I began formal training in his concepts.

I was privileged to bear witness to Bill’s continual learning and the evolution of his concept known as Choice Theory, an explanation of how and why we make the choices we do. Because of my experiences in learning directly from Bill Glasser and my own internalization and application of these concepts in my own life, I’ve been able to overcome life challenges that could have knocked me down.

And actually I have been knocked. The saying “down but not out” may be true but if you know these fundamental Glasser Concept ideas you will get back up.

1.     We have 5 Basic Needs that are genetic to us and determine what we individually value above all else in our lives.

2.     Each of those Needs is represented by hundreds if not thousands of life experiences.

3.     Every minute of our day, we strive to replicate or create new highly valued experiences which means we are in control of our lives.

4.     Life happens and how we’ve successfully lived may not work right now or maybe even “any more” which is why we decide to make different choices.

5.     When we understand our Basic Needs profile, we have the Power to focus on a different choice so that we are more likely to succeed. You can learn more about creating a personal problem solving plan here.

In 2004 when I lost some of my cognitive functioning, I was terrified. OMG!!! What was I going to do? I couldn’t drive, could barely be a passenger in a vehicle going over 25 mph; couldn’t be in a busy, noisy place or see the wind making the tree leaves dance. All of that visual and auditory noise literally had me on my knees.

I won’t lie and say I wasn’t afraid aka terrified! However, I did know how to change how I emotionally felt, how to curb the terror. Simple is not always easy. I had to accept total responsibility for how I felt about what was happening in my life in order to be able to feel differently.

The first step was to focus on what I could do that also brought me joy. Was it easy? Actually the focusing on what I could do that also brought me joy was surprisingly easy. However, knowing my Needs Profile was key for me maintaining a positive attitude through months of physical therapy.

Was the road smooth? How I wish. What was and is true is I had a process that I knew worked so at those times when I slipped into the dark hole of “what if I don’t get better,” I knew what to do to move back into the light.

As you know I write books about women facing real life problems who, with the support of their sacred women’s circle, are able to move forward in their lives and find their happily-ever-after. The teaching of Bill Glasser are in each book and are a critical component of my characters’ ability to find a new path. You see in each story how powerful it is when we choose to be part of our solution.

I also write non-fiction based on Choice Theory and The Procedures That Lead to Change. Staying Sane in a Crazy World outlines the power of understanding our Needs Profile and The Procedures That Lead to Change. Readers are provided with a process to determine what they want to change and a format to make a successful plan to do so.

All of my books are available 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

It Takes a Village and Then Some

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.

It takes a village and then some to do what?

In my case write novels. Perhaps not the actual writing. Now that I know my writing process, I can get that first draft written in about 6 weeks. But that is only the beginning of the writing and publishing process.

But my title here is “It Takes a Village and Then Some” not “My Writing Process.”

My Village consists of Rose City Romance Writers (RCRW) my local Romance Writers of America chapter as well as two others where I’ve maintained a long distance membership. In the past I served on the RCRW Board as PRO Liaison and in that position started the #ftb forum.

Since its inception in August several years ago, encouraging, inspiring messages and our goals for the day are posted. We’ve a group of regulars along with some lurkers. Most days Barbara Robinson, Delsora Lowe, Sue Ward Drake and Diana McCollum share their ideas, goals and energy as do I.

But back to creating my village. An integral person in my village is Sarah Raplee. Sarah and I founded Romancing The Genres and she has been a source of information, support and inspiration from the beginning when we met up at Borders in Beaverton in the winter of 2013 and hatched up the idea of RTG.

To move forward, I knew I had to grow my village to the size of a town or more likely a city!

November 2013 I purchased Maggie Lynch’s DIY Publishing during an event at Jan’s Paperbacks, Aloha, OR with Kobo’s Writing Life. It was my publishing bible as I worked my way through to the finale.

In 2014 as I was preparing to publish the first three books in TheSacred Women’s Circle series Maggie Lynch became my hero or shero or maybe just my heroine? She came to my house to coach me through the process of uploading my manuscript to a software program (Jutoh). It was winter. The snow began falling but Maggie remained until I’d made a good start and gained some confidence to carry on before heading home across town. Normally a 30 – 40 minute drive, if my memory serves, it was several hours!

Maggie also invited to join Windtree Press an author cooperative around the same time and I had the support of other WP authors, especially Paty Jager who talked me through a time so fraught with frustration I was ready to give up and never publish anything.

As a Windtree Press author, I can ask questions on any aspect of indie publishing on the Windtree Press closed FB page and get answers. The other supportive group (also started by Maggie) is Goal Reporters. We set our annual word count/books published goals and report our progress. We cheer each other on and share tips as we craft new stories, publish new books and set new goals.

DIY Publishing is still next to my computer and I’ve never published a book without referencing it at some point. However, the publishing industry changes rapidly. And Maggie has adapted to those changes.

Maggie’s Career Author Secrets series has replaced DIY Publishing so she is able to keep sharing her prodigious knowledge base with indie authors. Each book tackles an aspect of the publishing process.

And, last but not least, for the past several years Maggie has been a guest at Romancing The Genres during December when we celebrate “What’s New In Publishing”. When I invited her this year I asked her to consider writing about why she write author guides.

She took my suggestion and wrote “Why Write Author Guides” an  informative and inspirational blog post. I encourage you to read it.

For the latest in"What's New In Publishing" Maggie's 2018 predictions will be posted right here tomorrow.

Check out Maggie's website, sign up for her blog so you get the latest news about Career Author Secrets. You can purchase the Secrets books through her website and at all major on-line retailers.

If you are inspired to create your own village, I highly recommend you include Maggie Lynch.

The first two Mondays in December I’ll be posting excerpts from Lily and Elizabeth on my Judith Ashley blog.

12/04: One of my favorite scenes from Lily.

12/11: Another favorite scene but this one from Elizabeth.

12/18: The Turn of The Wheel a blog post celebrating Winter Solstice

12/25: Check in to see what I come up with!!!

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 occasional newsletter “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!