Good morning friends, fans, and followers. Today I have author Judy Folger with us. Her new book “Family Pride” has been doing very well and she will be talking more about it, as well as other things in her life. She is an amazing woman who you are going to love. Her kindness has touched many of us so pass this on.
“Love is Love”.
Who is Judy Folger? Tell us a bit about yourself and your background.
I am very much a Midwesterner. Born in Oklahoma, raised in Kansas. I was married for many years, have one son who has also written and published (Mathew Curry). Before my retirement I worked as an Executive Director in Health Care. After my marriage ended, I eventually started a new life with my partner. After my partner and I separated after 16 years I began writing, something I had wanted time to do all of my life.
What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends – during the fall?
I write nearly every day, including weekends. But other than that, I spend a lot of time reading and of course visiting with friends. During the fall I like to watch football; my favorite teams are the Chiefs and the Broncos.
What is “Family Pride” about?
“Family Pride” is, of course, a lesbian romance story, with a subplot concerning transgender individuals. A number of my books have subplots dealing with social issues.
What was the deciding factor for your book title?
My editor, Debra Stang, and I always discuss what we each believe would be a good title for my books. The title “Family Pride” seemed to reflect the pride the family in the story holds not only for their lesbian daughter but for their child who bravely transitions from male to female.
What traits were you looking for when you were creating the main characters?
In all my books I try to convey the feeling of kindness and love in my main characters. I want to show the warmness and sincerity between two strong women dealing with a sometimes harsh society.
Have you received any awards or recognition for your work?
I have not received any official awards for my books. However, I consider the wonderful recognition that I receive from my readers to be the best possible award. Many have sent me direct messages telling me how much they enjoy my books and saying they can’t wait for the next one to be published. What more could a writer ask for?
If you were to write a biography, who would it be about and why?
My mother immediately comes to mind. I admire her on many levels. She gave birth to five children and unfortunately saw one die as a teenager. She had great strength and resourcefulness that saw her through many trying times, and through it all she was a terrific mother and a lady. And she always told me I could do anything in life that I set my mind to.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
I want to thank my readers for all their kind words and their support. I love to write, and their interest in my books spurs me on. I can never thank them enough.
Do you have hobbies? If so, what are they?
I use to think of my writing as a hobby, but of course it is so much more than that. Writing has become my life. I love to read, not only lesbian romance books, but also nonfiction; my interests are quite eclectic. I also love photography, I especially like to take photos of flowers and trees with my Canon Rebel camera. I used to paint, pen and ink and water colors, but I have not done that for a very long time.
You are very active on social media – how do you manage your time and do you have a specific strategy?
I am very active on Twitter. I am retired from working in Health Care, so my time is my own. I am typically on Twitter every morning for a few hours. I retweet (RT) all the other authors that I possibly can, and they, in turn, RT my books. I am not as active on other social media sites as I probably should be. When I finish my RTing, I meditate for a while and then I do my writing. I typically write for a few hours every day.
What types of music do you like to listen to when you are writing? Or – do you prefer silence?
I prefer to listen to soft classical music when I am writing.
What is your favorite part of being an author? The least fave?
My favorite part of being an author is enjoying the creativity, starting a story and watching it take form. I don’t plot things out. I only have an idea what the story will be about, and then I watch as the characters take over. It’s sort of like watching a puzzle coming together. My least favorite part of being an author is when I finish a book. I’m always happy and feel like I’ve accomplished something when my book is finished, but I also feel sadness at leaving my characters; I have come to love them.
What is next for you?
I am currently writing a book about a couple of lesbians that takes place in the 1800’s. I am doing a lot of research about those times; what was commonly being used, what had been invented or not during their time. I’m having a lot of fun doing the research and writing.
Judy has a way of words that just draws in the reader. Here is a 5 star review from a reader on Amazon:
Why does beautiful blonde Sylvia blow hot one minute and cold the …
By Matt on September 20, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
In Family Pride the two main characters, Dawn and Sylvia, are confounded by one misunderstanding after another. Why does beautiful blonde Sylvia blow hot one minute and cold the next? Why does outspoken lesbian Dawn read homophobic books? And will the two of them ever be able to see past their differences and admit their love for each other? You can probably guess the answer, but getting to the final sex scene—and what a scene it is!—is one heck of a fun ride. If you’re in the mood for a smart lesbian romance that isn’t afraid to take on social issues (Dawn’s younger brother is transitioning from male to female), Family Pride is the book for you.
Judy has provided an excerpt from ‘Family Pride’. Enjoy!
As soon as Sylvia entered her hotel room, she disrobed and headed for the shower. She had been out all day in the hot weather, and the sweat had migrated through her clothes. A nice shower would refresh her, and then she would settle in to watch some television. It felt good to stand under the shower and let the water wash the day away. She even shampooed her hair to get the sweat out of that.
Sylvia preferred to sleep in the nude, but for lounging she put on an oversized t-shirt and settled onto her bed. She flipped to several of her favorite stations, but the TV didn’t hold her attention. Her eyes kept going to the door. The door that could open into Dawn’s room.
She wondered how soundproof those doors might be. Not that she wanted to spy on Dawn of course. She was just curious about whether she could hear anything. Pulling herself out of her nice, comfortable bed, she walked over to the door and unlocked it. Opening it, she put her ear next to the wood of the door on Dawn’s side and listened intently.
She couldn’t hear a damn thing. Perhaps Dawn wasn’t back from dinner yet. Maybe she’d found some lovely woman at the brewery who was entertaining her.
Getting back onto her bed, she turned down the volume on her TV so that it was barely audible. Of course, she’d brought a book with her to read, as well. Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc by Mark Twain. What could be more appropriate? She picked it up and tried to concentrate on the words.
But a vision kept intruding into her brain, a vision that would not leave her alone. A vision of Dawn right next door, a mere few feet away, having sex with some lucky…er…with some woman.
Sighing and trying to ignore the throbbing between her legs, she got back to her book. She’d finished re-reading a paragraph for the umpteenth time when a sound startled her.
A loud noise had come from the direction of Dawn’s room, a noise that sent a feeling of fear into her heart.
Tossing the book aside, she ran to the door. Disregarding the fact that Dawn might be with someone, she banged on it. “Dawn! Are you okay in there?”
She listened intently with her ear pressed to the door so that she could hear any distress coming from Dawn’s room. A moment later, Dawn’s faint voice answered, “I fell.”
“Oh god!” Sylvia said. “Can you unlock the door so I can come in and help you?”
Dawn hesitated for a minute. “Um…it’s already unlocked.”
The fact that Dawn had unlocked the door between their rooms didn’t register with Sylvia at the moment. She opened the door and found Dawn sprawled on the floor next to her bed. She was stark naked. She didn’t want to stare, but she couldn’t help it if her eyes drank in the sight she had so often wondered about and dreamed about. She was not disappointed.
I want to thank Judy for stopping by to chat with us. It was a real pleasure. Be sure to check out Judy’s links and feel free to send her a tweet.
Judy’s Facebook Fan Page – Like her page.
Until Next Time,
Lynn
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Printed With Permission 2015
Lynn Lawler's Creative Artists' Blog 
Great interview!
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Thank you! 😄
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