A New Approach to an Old Manuscript

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.

I’ve 8 fiction books published (The Sacred Women’s Circle (7) and The Visions quartet (Visions of Happiness with 3 more down the pike). The women and men in my stories all have the kind of every-day problems many of us have. What I show in these books is how ordinary people can overcome challenges with the unconditional acceptance, support and love of a group of like-minded women and their own personal spiritual practice.

Writing these books was cathartic and healing for me. I was able to use my personal knowledge of and in some cases my personal experiences to illustrate issues such as domestic violence, single parenting, death of a spouse, cancer, self-doubt, self-criticism – well, you get the message.

How, when we are burdened with doubts and fears, can we move forward in our lives, take that chance, take that leap and for our best life, our happily-ever-after?

Sharing emotions, dreams, fears was easy when writing fictional characters. However, I have a background in Social Services and while not a social worker or therapist, I have over 50 years working in the fields of domestic and international adoption, child protective services, geriatric care management, professional guardianship, protection of vulnerable adults and I was a parenting grandmother. Lots of life experiences.

I drew heavily on my training and certification under Dr.William Glasser and have been on the senior teaching faculty of The William Glasser Institute International and am an active instructor in The Glasser Institute for Choice Theory – US. If you are familiar with Dr. Glasser’s work, you’ll see it embedded in the stories I write.

And if you aren’t familiar with his work, let me introduce you!

In addition to writing fiction, I also write non-fiction. Staying Sane in a Crazy World gives readers a blue-print to create their own Personal Staying Sane Plan.

Currently I’m getting ready to do a total rewrite of my second non-fiction, Yes, You Can Create A Life You Love. In 1979 and 1980 I created a training Love, Worth, Fun, Freedom: How To Get More. I saw small miracles happen in the lives of people who took my course through a local community college.

In 1999, I joined Wild Women Writers with the idea to turn the course into a “self-help” book. I got side-tracked and wrote my fiction books instead.

And now I’m back!

I’ve actually written the book but when one of my “first readers” commented that while the book was good, I sounded like I was giving a lecture that stopped me in my tracks. I’ve spent several months pondering how to move forward. I’ve ideas which include starting from the beginning. In other words, put the original material aside and write. When it comes to the exercises, they will be basically the same but the illustrations will be new.

Scary?

Ohhh yesss!

Why? Because that “lecture voice” while drawn from my knowledge and experiences is distance from the real me. What I am leaping off the proverbial cliff to do, is write this book from my heart, from the same place I write my fiction.

My goal is to have Yes You Can Create A Life You Love published by the end of the year. Just typing that gives me an uncomfortable feeling. Revealing my imperfect self in real life, in real time is daunting for me. And I know my book will be better for my having stepped forth and moved through “daunting”.

In the meantime, do take a look at Staying Sane. Regardless of your politics, you will find creating your Personal Staying Sane Plan a boon to get you through these coming months if not years.

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! 

© 2020 Judith Ashley

Once Upon A Time

Once upon a time a woman was walking along a path gathering herbs. She hummed as she went about her work and at one point stood tall to stretch her back. The sun was out and she pushed the hood of her cloak back and for a moment paused and lifted her face to the warmth.

Unbeknownst to her, she was being watched. The man, the local priest, stood on an upper path. When she stretched her back, he felt a twinge of arousal. When she pushed her hood back, the twinge increased. When she lifted her face to the warmth of the sun, his arousal grew stronger. It was then he knew she was a witch, sent by the devil to lure him into sin.

Spoiler alert: This blog was first posted in October 2018. It was one of my best read posts and is still, unfortunately, relevant today. And as you read on, please consider inserting "other" as in people of color, people of a different religious/spiritual faith, people who are "not us." That is something that has not changed - blaming someone else for what we do not have or what we have done instead of looking at our role, our responsibility in this life.

During The Burning Times (15^th – 17^th centuries) this scenario and others were played out to the point where in some villages virtually every woman including infants, toddlers, children and adults were hung or burned at the stake or in some other manner, murdered. In many cases these women were the Wise Women, the healers, mid-wives or women who owned their own property and were not subservient to men.

What’s important to note is that these women did nothing wrong or bad. In many cases they adhered to many of the “old ways.” They planted and harvested herbs according to pagan traditions. They followed the seasons honoring the turning of the wheel of life.

And to be fair, while I’ve watched the Canadian documentary The Burning Times, I’ve also done some additional research albeit on Google. There were areas in Europe where mostly men were accused and in some cases mostly children. There were also areas where there were virtually no cases of a “witch hunt.” While there are many theories about “who” and “why,” the skeptics and naysayers minimize or attempt to turn us away from what was lost.

Paty Jager’s Monday post talks about what happened to the Nez Perce who lost their spirituality when forced onto reservations and forced to accept Christianity.

And along the same lines, the collective “We” lost the old traditions. We lost human potential. We lost artists, healers, oral histories and thus wisdom.

While there are disputes that millions were “burned at the stake” even conservative estimates range from 50,000 to 200,000 victims over the centuries. Considering these victims had families, friends and neighbors, it is accurate to say that millions were affected by these witch hunts.

Can you imagine what it was like for the woman gathering herbs to return to her home, to be seized and accused of being a witch sent to seduce the local priest? What could she have ever said that would have been believed? And for those situations where the woman would have been raped? Again, she was sent by Satan to lure the man to sin. What would her defense have been? Who would have believed her?

And centuries later we are still paying a price. Women who speak up often become the target of ridicule, of suspicion, of hate. How dare she say anything about her past.

As a woman who graduated from high school in 1959, I can attest to the routine sexual harassment that most of us endured at that time. At a time when there was no such thing as sexual harassment. A boy who grabbed a girl’s breast was “just being a boy.” In my 5^th grade health class, I was taught that it was My Responsibility if a boy “got out of line.” If that happened, I had done something wrong. If that was what I was taught, why would I have spoken up?

As a single mother who worked in a male dominated profession (law enforcement in the 1960’s), I know the price I paid to get along with and be accepted by my colleagues. The sexual innuendos, at times spoken to see if I’d squirm. The pats on my butt, the “accidental” brush against my breasts. Could I take it? Did I have rent to pay, food to purchase for my son and me?

As a woman who worked fifty years in social services with populations that spanned from nursery to nursing homes, I know the toll sexual and physical abuse, sexual and physical harassment and domestic violence takes on women and men. Part of our homeless problem is because women and men do not feel safe in shelters or adult care homes, or even in an apartment building (there are elevators and stairwells and they know from personal experience what horrors can happen when trapped there).

But most of all from all these experiences I know the price we all pay when women in particular are targeted, blamed and not believed.

I am not talking about any one case or situation currently highlighting the news. I am talking about acknowledging that for centuries we have blamed women for some men’s sexual arousal, sexual fantasies and their need for domination, control and power.

We are at a crossroads once again where what we lost in The Burning Times can be found in present time. The question is: Do We Want To?

To find your own answer, I encourage you to watch the Canadian documentary The Burning Times and also to read the book When God Was A Woman by Merlin Stone. Educate yourself. Question what you’ve been told, been taught.

Ask yourself “Is it true?” “How do I know this to be true?” “What are my personal experiences?”

Yes, there are somethings we take on faith, but our history? Something we can check out ourselves? 

We owe it to our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, granddaughters and in my case, great granddaughter to do the work, to do the research, to know the truth of our herstory.

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. Check out my website to see where you can purchase a print book. 

Judith Ashley 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.

You can find Judith’s books at all major e-retailers, some books stores and libraries.

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! 

© 2018 Judith Ashley

I'm Saying Yes To The Dress

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 as you overcome obstacles and find your happily-ever-after.

This month the Genre-istas’ topic is “Wedding Stories.” We’ve had similar themes in the past so I’m sure I’ve already told my own “wedding story” at some point over the last 8 years.

What I don’t remember sharing with you is the role television shows such as “Say Yes To The Dress” “This Old House” “House Hunters” and other programs on the Discovery, HGTV and PBS channels have played in my writing.

Perhaps because I eloped wearing my navy blue Easter Sunday suit, it’s been important to me to include a wedding scene usually at the end of the book (not true for Hunter and Visions of Happiness). But I digress.

There were literally years when I watched most of the home improvement and extreme homes shows as well as SYTTD. My friends would shake their heads in dismay. What was it about these (to them) worthless reality t.v. shows that drew me? I’d cock my head to one side and shrug my shoulders, a lopsided twist to my mouth. “I like them?”

When I started writing The Sacred Women’s Circle series, those years of watching “worthless reality t.v.” came in handy. I knew a lot about Lily as there are parallels with my own life. However to write the hero's story, those hours of sitting in front of my television were invaluable because Jackson Montgomery turned out to be an inventive sought-after architect.

The same is true for “Say Yes To The Dress.” Ball gown, Mermaid style, fit and flare, the amount of bling, see-through bodices, plunging neck lines and bare backs…before I watched SYTTD, I had a very traditional view of what a wedding dress would (should) look like.

I will admit that many of the programs that used to fascinate me no longer hold me in the same thrall. Why? Because it seems that the producers of programs like SYTTD and HH’s believe that the more obnoxious, demanding, rude, etc. the bride-to-be or her entourage or the house hunter/remodeler are the better.

While I’ve never flipped a house, I have had extensive remodeling done on my own. And I have been involved in numerous projects that have a promised completion date.

If every project had me up doing the “all-nighter” so it would be perfect for the client, I’d probably have slit my throat – I know that’s a bit dramatic but really – these professionals can’t figure out how to estimate what needs to be done in such a way that they do a quality job and still get some sleep?

If you find yourself binge watching certain programs, especially if you are or are considering the life of an author, ask yourself how you can use the experience in your writing or to learn and grow in your own life. And if you already do so, what programs or movies or books or music do you find inspire your stories and your life?

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

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

Romance Awareness Month and Dreams

Pre-order now or on sale 08/06/18

Judith Ashley 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.

August is Romance Awareness Month and the Blog Queens’ topic pick for the Genre-istas? My Writing Dreams Come True! (And we did this a year ago when we didn’t even know August was Romance Awareness Month).

My writing dreams include my reader and fan-base growing because my books “speak” to them. The women in my books are relatable. The challenges they face are familiar if not personally, then because we know people who have tackled them. How my heroines and heroes deal with the obstacles stimulate ideas or provide a blue-print to use in solving my reader’s very real issues.

My writing dreams also include having the time to sit down and write the best story I know how to write. That has certainly changed for me over the years. I took six years to write Lily. Of course that included spending five years writing and rewriting the first three chapters! What I learned during that six year odyssey is how critically important it is for each writer to find her or his own writing process.

And, the more we write and learn the art and craft of putting words on the page to tell a story, the easier it is to write—at least that’s true for me.

Most recently my writing dreams manifested with the publishing of my first box set. The Sacred Women’s Circle series, Books 1 – 3 box set includes Lily, Elizabeth and Diana. To read the behind-the-scenes story of the writing of Lily, Elizabeth and Diana, click on the title. Or your can go to my website “Women” in the left side-bar and click the heroine’s name of your choice.

You can order The Sacred Women’s Circle series Books 1 – 3 at all major e-retailers. And during the month of August, if you are in the Portland, OR area, print copies of my books are on sale at Arte Soleil, 5530 SE 122nd Avenue. These books are regularly $15.00 each or $12.00 if three or more books are purchased. Through Labor Day Weekend, all books in the series are available for $12.00 each or $10.00 if purchased in groups of three or more.

Next month Visions of Happiness will be released. Visions is the story of Dr. Mark Parker (who you meet for the first time in Lily) and Jocelyn Edwards.

Both Mark and Jocelyn’s lives revolve around children who have been literally battered and broken. Parenting traumatized children who are not your biological kids brings Mark and Jocelyn together. They have a lot on their plates as they balance protecting Ethan and Emma and the daily tasks of parenthood with finding the courage to seek their own happily-ever-after.

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! 

© 2018 Judith Ashley

My Different Smiles

Judith Ashley 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.

When the Blog Queens were putting the 2018 topics and themes together, they were very clear they wanted April to be particularly uplifting, light and, if possible, funny. I will admit our April topic “What Always Brings A Smile to My Face or an Outright Laugh” has been bubbling in the back of my mind the entire month of March.

What I’m more aware of because of this topic is I have more than one smile:

My soft quiet smile I give to babies and puppies.

My broad smile I give to exuberant toddlers and puppies.

My knowing smile, usually accompanied by a slight nod of my head, when I see children and dogs being true to their nature.

My delighted smile when I see the first signs of Spring or perhaps the first snow. In my opinion, first snows are delightful even if they are deep because they transform the world around me into a fairy land.

My satisfied smile never fails to appear when I see my books on bookstore and library shelves, e-retailers sites and read reviews.

My excited smile is most evident when my friend, Lois, creates an amazing display at a book signing.

My gratitude smile? I’ve so many opportunities each day for this smile. Every morning I write out 10 things for which I’m grateful and at the end of the day I review and recount everything for which I’m grateful. A smile is always on my face as I do these tasks. And, on very good days, I’ve lots to be grateful for: phone calls and/or pictures of my great grands and phone or face-to-face time with friends. Those very good days most likely also include writing on a new book, editing a completed manuscript, reading one of my favorite authors. All examples of activities that feed my soul.

As I’ve moved through my life, what I’ve learned, what is true for me is the importance of smiling. Not pasting a fake smile on my face but to purposefully or mindfully fill my life with people, activities and things that always bring a smile to my face.

I’ve also ventured into non-fiction. Staying Sane in a Crazy World available at your favorite e-retailer. By following the simple process outlined in this book, you can create a life with more smiles!

Do you ever feel as if the world around you is tumbling out of control and there is nothing you can do to make your world a better place?

Do you ever wish there was?

Staying Sane in a Crazy World may help guide you toward stopping the tumbling and choosing how to take effective control of your life. The reality is there is no One answer that fits all but we each have Our answer.

In this short guide, Judith Ashley leads you through a straight-forward process that allows you to find Your answers. Answers you’ll use to craft a Personal Staying Sane Plan that will help you regain and keep your balance whenever the world around you is out-of-whack.

For your complimentary copy of Lily: The Dragon and The Great Horned Owl, you need only sign up for my mailing list. I will not spam you and, you can always unsubscribe.

As an indie author, your support in the form of reviews is appreciated. Please note in your review that you received a free copy of Lily in exchange for an honest review. 

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! 

© 2018 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!