Blog posts

Gearing up for the Home for Christmas Facebook Launch party

Posted on October 25, 2016November 14, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

You could win a signed set of the Fortune Bay books at the online launch of Home for Christmas, the third book in the Fortune Bay Series. The Facebook Launch is November 1 – just a week away! I’m celebrating getting the last of these four books out in eBook and trade paperback formats to online booksellers.

But I’m also celebrating my new readers and hope the facebook party will be a chance to get to know you and have you get to know me a bit better.

It’s just one hour, 1 – 2 pm Pacific time (10 – 11 am Eastern) Tuesday November 1, but I realize not everyone is free for an hour mid-day, mid-week. That’s why I’m planning three ways you can get in on the giveaways:

Come for the whole party! Grab a coffee or tea – or a glass of wine, I won’t judge. I’m planning a quiz for people who have read the prequel, Lake of Dreams, (still e-free on online platforms for a limited time longer! See links in the sidebar), a “who would you pick to play [insert your favourite character’s name] in the movie” game (I can dream!) and more.
Or just drop in for a few minutes. I’ll be giving away a free eBook every five minutes!
I’m also running an all day contest of a signed set of all 4 beautiful trade paperback books.Just check in at the launch party page any time on November 1, or at my website, to find the entry to win a signed set of books. Perfect to share with your friends.

Let me know if you think you can make it, by clicking HERE.

One Year – Four Books. Don’t try this at home.

Posted on October 17, 2016November 14, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

I did it!

I am thrilled to announce that I have finished the third full length book in my Fortune Bay Series,

Home for Christmas, coming out November 1st (on Amazon, kobo, nook and iTunes.)

I told a good friend today that I was finished the fourth book – and my one year plan to publish four novels would be on track and

she said,”I think four books in one year is very prolific.”

I said, “I did not write the four books in one year!”

That took eight years, that’s from 0 to 300,000 printed words. (Now I write much faster than one book in two years, it was the first one that took much, much longer as I learned the craft.)

But I have to wonder, what did people think I was doing for those 8 years if my good friends don’t realize I was writing (and learning to write) these books? LOL

I was always quite bold about telling people that I was writing a novel because that’s what I was doing and I thought that telling people was a good way to keep myself accountable.

It worked for me, but it obviously did not sink in for some of them, because that is not the first person who totally didn’t understand.

Looking back in my notes today as I finish the editing on book four, I see it was October 19, 2015 that I announced on my (now defunct) old blog my plan to publish the 4 books, so I’m pleased to be on target for my one year plan. (I originally planned to publish Home for Christmas Mid-October but a few months ago decided to change it to November 1, but close enough.)

Anyway I’m just here to say – I did it!

In another post I might ruminate on what I learned in the process, but tonight, just join me in celebrating with a glass of wine.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cheers,

Save

Maddie’s black and white photographs.

Posted on September 28, 2016November 14, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

I don’t even have the Christmas book out and I’m already writing two more in my head. Cripes!

My blog has been quiet lately as I work non-stop on polishing HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. [Launch date November 1 – Yeah!]

This will complete the first series trilogy, how I originally conceived the Fortune Bay series, a book for each of the three friends, Maddie, Frankie and Louise.

Of course I’ve written another one for Colleen already (Lake of Dreams, the prequel novella), and I can see this is not the end! But don’t expect the next book to hit the stores in another two months – the time between the launches of the first four – because they were a backlog, already written when I started this journey a year ago, and I’m slowing down to real-writing- time now for the next one. (To give readers a chance to catch up – Ha Ha!)

I’d love to hear from you! Before I put my metaphorical pen to paper and start the next cycle.

Meanwhile, here are some of my old black and white photographs that inspired the series. I used to live in a town called Honeymoon Bay, and that’s the real geographical location on which I’ve based the story. I have a hard-won fine art degree, slogged out one course at a time when my kids were small, and at one point I spent a lot of time taking and developing black and white photographs in my basement darkroom.

Augusta's car — Maddie’s photo of Augusta that she framed and hung in the cabin.

I still have all my darkroom equipment and someday might set it all up again, but the experience of developing my own fueled an appreciation of the art form that I still have today, that magic Maddie feels in the darkroom as the images emerge under the red light. (It’s something she shares with Jake in a steamy darkroom scene, one of my favorites in the book!)

There’s something graphic about Black and white that grabs me. The key is in the contrast of tones that establish the composition of the picture, something that applies to all the graphic arts. And in the old ones, it’s the nostalgic tone.

A sunlit trail through the forest at Fortune Bay.

I dug these photographs out for my garden party launch of Summer of Fortune, and I wanted to share them with everyone who couldn’t be there. 🙂

These are the houses I imagine my characters live in in Fortune Bay. I think you’ll recognize them: the cabin and Jake’s log farmhouse. I’ll add them to my

pinterest board (after I get this next book out!) and dig out more pics of the good old days in Honeymoon Bay.

Thanks for reading the Fortune bay series. It’s your support that keep me going. Until next time,

Save

Sweet and Spicy Romance – Free!

Posted on September 22, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

I know a lot of my readers enjoy getting free eBooks – who doesn’t? So here’s another eBook Sweepstakes, Sweet and Spicy Romance.

I’ve made the poster BIG here so you can read all the titles. Some of you have done sweepstakes before – that’s how we met! – so I thought I’d pass this one along to you too.

Here’s how it works:

Just click here to go to http://AuthorsXP.com/Giveaway to enter. Contest closes September 25.

(1) Win Up To 40 Romance Novels!

(2) Grand Prize Kindle “Gift Baskets” of ALL eBooks (sweet or spicy!)!

+ Winners of Individual eBooks (randomly selected titles)!

You’ll see that my book Summer of Fortune is in the “Sweet” side. “Sweet” is a romance industry term for the amount of graphic sex in the story, not the tone of the story. (I don’t think of my stories as particularly sweet otherwise.)

So enter for a chance to win, then receive info on more books and contests from the authors involved. It’s that easy.

Good Luck!

Judy

Save

From Mint to Mojito

Posted on August 31, 2016 by judyhudson@shaw.ca

Today we’re harvesting mint. 🙂 Let’s just call it that because of course we’re not having Mojitos after work on a week night. Oh no. We’re just getting our supplies in order for the weekend.

Mint spreads like a weed so be careful where you plant it, but I love having a patch in my garden. (You can tell it’s mint by the square stems.)

I make cold mint tea all summer from the mix of spearmint and the darker chocolate mint that grows beneath the blueberries, by pouring boiling water over a stalk of mint with leaves in a heat proof jug. Very refreshing.

Also refreshing are Mojitos, that wonderful combination of mint and lime and rum. I tried to order on the other night at a South Asian/ Indian restaurant (hey, they were on the menu) but our young server looked quite terrified and said, “I’ve never made one before.” In the end I didn’t order it, but I have been thinking about it ever since.

So I bought some white rum, picked some mint, got out a lime and got started.

Instructions:

Put a spoonful of sugar in a glass, squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the sugar then drop in the rind. Add half a dozen mint leaves and muddle, or mush around, in the bottom of the glass to release the flavours.

Fill the glass half full of ice, add white rum to your liking and fill the glass with soda water and stir.

Garnish with a lime slice. It looks as refreshing as it tastes. I tried it last night and did tend to get mint leaves in my mouth, which explains the instructions I’ve seen to serve with a straw, or one picture of a Mojito strained and served in a martini glass. Not traditional perhaps but kind of classy nonetheless.

Find yourself a lovely spot outside this weekend, put your feet up and sip this sparkling summer drink while reading a good book. (Lake of Dreams ebook is still free online through the long weekend. Had to get that in.)

Join me in raising a glass to the harvest. Cheers.

Save

Judith Hudson – Author

your spot for Romantic Women's Fiction and Exciting Travel Mystery

Blog posts

Gearing up for the Home for Christmas Facebook Launch party

It’s just one hour, 1 – 2 pm Pacific time (10 – 11 am Eastern) Tuesday November 1, but I realize not everyone is free for an hour mid-day, mid-week. That’s why I’m planning three ways you can get in on the giveaways:

Let me know if you think you can make it, by clicking HERE.

Like this:

One Year – Four Books. Don’t try this at home.

I did it!

she said,”I think four books in one year is very prolific.”

I said, “I did not write the four books in one year!”

Anyway I’m just here to say – I did it!

Like this:

Maddie’s black and white photographs.

Like this:

Sweet and Spicy Romance – Free!

I know a lot of my readers enjoy getting free eBooks – who doesn’t? So here’s another eBook Sweepstakes, Sweet and Spicy Romance.

I’ve made the poster BIG here so you can read all the titles. Some of you have done sweepstakes before – that’s how we met! – so I thought I’d pass this one along to you too.

Here’s how it works:

Just click here to go to http://AuthorsXP.com/Giveaway to enter. Contest closes September 25.

(1) Win Up To 40 Romance Novels!

Judy

Like this:

From Mint to Mojito

Put a spoonful of sugar in a glass, squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the sugar then drop in the rind. Add half a dozen mint leaves and muddle, or mush around, in the bottom of the glass to release the flavours.

Fill the glass half full of ice, add white rum to your liking and fill the glass with soda water and stir.

Like this:

It’s just one hour, 1 – 2 pm Pacific time (10 – 11 am Eastern) Tuesday November 1, but I realize not everyone is free for an hour mid-day, mid-week. That’s why I’m planning three ways you can get in on the giveaways:

Let me know if you think you can make it, by clicking HERE.

Share this on

Like this:

I did it!

she said,”I think four books in one year is very prolific.”

I said, “I did not write the four books in one year!”

Anyway I’m just here to say – I did it!

Share this on

Like this:

Share this on

Like this:

I know a lot of my readers enjoy getting free eBooks – who doesn’t? So here’s another eBook Sweepstakes, Sweet and Spicy Romance.

I’ve made the poster BIG here so you can read all the titles. Some of you have done sweepstakes before – that’s how we met! – so I thought I’d pass this one along to you too.

Here’s how it works:

Just click here to go to http://AuthorsXP.com/Giveaway to enter. Contest closes September 25.

(1) Win Up To 40 Romance Novels!

Judy

Share this on

Like this:

Put a spoonful of sugar in a glass, squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the sugar then drop in the rind. Add half a dozen mint leaves and muddle, or mush around, in the bottom of the glass to release the flavours.

Fill the glass half full of ice, add white rum to your liking and fill the glass with soda water and stir.

Share this on

Like this: