![]() JUDIE, THANK YOU FOR DOING AN INTERVIEW FOR MY READERS. Thank you for inviting me. TELL MY READERS MORE ABOUT YOU. WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I have won several writing awards. I was selected to be in Who's Who of Emerging Writers 2020, which will be out in May on Amazon. My writing is crisp and fresh, which makes the books fast reads. WHEN DID YOU KNOW YOU WERE A WRITER? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST STORY OR CREATIVE WRITING WORK ABOUT? I am not sure I am a writer. Ha-ha, I am a good storyteller. I first started writing newsletters then procedure manuals for work. My first creative writing was a children story called “Natalie’s Adventure,” which is a short story of a precocious young girl. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE TO WRITE IN? A little bit of Nevada history with a mystery. IS THERE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO BETTER, AS A WRITER? Always. I try to read several books each week by new authors and old to see what the readers would like. My weakness in past-tense, and have been working on that like mad. Here are some of the action-packed stories I have been involved with: The novel, Laura, is about a murder that takes place in the Elko area. Laura, also My Selection of Short Stories, the best from different anthologies. "Not Worthy-Story of Revenge," a Novella about Indian Schools. Maggie is about horse poaching, airmail arrows, and a quilting club that helps to solve the mystery. My new book, Drum of Hope, about the Sutro Tunnel in NV and sex trafficking, will be out the first of April. Many of my short stories were written for an online magazine Five59.com. However, I also published in the following anthologies: Other Realms-A Collections of Fantasy I & II, 13 Bites, Vol III and IV, Heard it on the Radio, and Plan 559 From Outer Space, MK II & III, Free for All, Collapsar Directive, Christmas Lites VII and VIII, and Christmas Lites IX. Also, in Tales of the Southwest. All are on Amazon in paperback and kindle plus Barnes and Noble online. Many stories have received five-star reviews. NOW, YOU PUT OUT A BOOK RECENTLY. TELL US ABOUT THAT WRITING JOURNEY. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN THIS BOOK? Maggie came out in September 2019. It is about two old broads and their dogs. I had to learn how to fly a drone for the story. The story deals with airmail arrows from the 20’s (a little history) and wild horse poaching of today (a little mystery). Best friends search for airmail arrows in Nevada, but they run into horse poaching and much more. To help with the mystery, they bring in the “Wild Stitchers,” a quilting group to help them solve it. This adventure is full of facts, fun, and excitement. This book was fun to write, and so far, people have enjoyed reading. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE NOW YOU WISHED YOU COULD GIVE YOUR YOUNGER-WRITING SELF? Don’t give up. One of the hardest things for a writer is to have confidence in their writing. It is scary to put your work out there and have it rejected. But you put on your big-girl panties and suck it up. There are millions of authors so that the reader has a choice on what they want to read. One author can’t please everyone, so you find your niche. I try to help several young people and most like to write fantasy, which is great, not my genre, but the same rules apply . . . Never give up. PLEASE, TELL US ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING WRITING PROJECTS AND CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS. My upcoming book, which will out the first of April, is called Drum of Hope. I educate people about a historical tunnel (the little history) and sex trafficking (a little mystery). ONE LAST FANTASY QUESTION: DO YOU THINK WRITING CAN TRANSFORM THE WORLD? IF SO HOW? That depends on the person. For me, it is an escape, and I learn about other people and cultures. But I try to get my glass half full. I think it is essential that we teach people to read, starting with children. Turn off the TV and let them read for a bit. Read to them when they are young. Go to the nursing home and read to the elderly. I guess we can live in a fantasy world if we all try. WHERE CAN READERS FIND YOU ONLINE AND/OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA? Visit my website www.sweetdreamsbooks.com or email: [email protected] I am also on Amazon. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULE. I KNOW BEING A WRITER IS BUSY ENOUGH. I HOPE YOU HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN WHEN YOU LAUNCH YOUR NEXT BOOK. I hope you ask me back. About the Author: Jay Crowley is the pen my name for Judie Crowley. I live in Jack's Valley near the base of beautiful Lake Tahoe, Nevada. All of my stories originate in Nevada, which offers an exciting background, providing lots of story opportunities. "A little history with a mystery." There are two dogs and a cat in the family, and quite often, a dog is in the stories.
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![]() Unity Call for Submissions: The administrators of Penned in the City are thrilled to announce a new charity anthology, titled: Unity. Recently, there has been an increase in racial hate crimes and divide amongst working-class people. We in Penned in the City believe people should come together to uplift each other towards a better world. Thus, we are calling artists, poets, and writers of both poetry and fiction to contribute to this critical work! The first anthology will have a magical realism focus. What is magical realism? Magical realism is the fusion of the magical like folklore, magical creatures, religions, into the reality of the characters. In essence, the magical is commonplace and normal. Consider works by Gabriel Garcia Márquez or Isabelle Allende. Consider current anime that fuses legends into contemporary society. You do not have to write or produce art about COVID-19. However, we prefer works that speak towards the transformation of our world to a better one, whether the writing and artwork are uplifting, dark, or somewhere in-between. Of course, Penned members will get priority. We will pay writers and artists in hard copy, and those contributors will vote to select the charity for the next anthology. For now, we are thinking of giving the profits to Doctors without Borders. Fiction: These can be original or reproduced works, so long as the author owns the copyright. We are accepting works in any genre. Submissions must be 500 to 3,000 words in length. Fiction must be Shunn formatted and sent as a Microsoft Word attachment. Poetry: These can be original or reproduced works, so long as the author owns the copyright. We are accepting works in any genre. Submissions must be 2 to 30 lines in length. Poems must be Shunn formatted and sent as a Microsoft Word attachment. Artists: We are accepting photography and original artwork, original or reprinted, so long as the author owns the copyright. One submission per artist. Submit a minimum 300 dpi image. Images must be sent as an attachment. ------------ You can submit one work per category, but with a maximum of two categories. The deadline for all writers and artists is May 1, 11:59 p.m. Central U.S. time. Email attachments to [email protected]. Submit any questions to the editorial board of Penned in the City at [email protected]. |
Jesú Estrada
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