Welcome Back To Around The Fire, Judythe Morgan. (Yes, that's how you spell it.)

Sitting around the fire is for both old friends and new. We're on our way back home after living for 4 months in Florida. Pete and I shared many fires with new friends. Now heading home, we look forward to catching up with our old friends. Today's guest returns to us with a new release. Judythe, please introduce yourself while I pour us a nice beverage. The the folks who you are other than your official bio.

​I’m a mother to three, grandmother to eleven, and great grandmother to two (another due next month). They are the joy of my life.

Wow! You need a big table for those holiday get togethers. So, other than grands what What interests do you enjoy? For instance, what do you read or hobbies you have?
I’m a gardener, singer, and I love doing jigsaw puzzles and playing bridge.
 
My garden is portable this year. Started the tomatoes in Florida and hope they make it back to NJ. The have support stakes helping them. Who are you're support stakes? 
My husband is my chief cheerleader, copy editor, and plot partner. I am also blessed to have several ultra-supportive writing friends who inspire me and help me burst through the writer blocks.
 
Who or what books or authors are your inspiration?
JoAnn Ross’s books have always inspired me. Mary Buckham and Donald Maass have grown my craft skills and been encouragers.
 
Do you have any fun or outrageous talent?
I’ve long been called a jack of all trades, master of none. And it’s the truth. Not sure it’s a talent, though. I love trying new things and will always say yes to a challenge.
 
It's absolutely a talent. What is your neighborhood like? Are there any places you frequent? What makes them special?
We live in a small community of farmers that is rapidly becoming cityfied. Trees are disappearing, replaced with subdivisions whose houses sit on postage stamp lots. It’s sad and exciting. Our little group of homes sits on a hill in a grove of oak trees. We’re far enough from main roads that our immediate area will remain unchanged. I’m so glad, too, because our home is a designated Wildlife Habitat, and the animals will have a safe place to come.
 
I call them house farms. I'm glad you have your little oasis in the midst of it. Do you have a particular object like a piece of jewelry or a keepsake of some sort? Can you tell us what makes it special to you?
I am an antique dealer as well as an author. The Victorian era (1837 until 1901) is my favorite era. The Victorians were sentimental, and acrostic rings were popular during the era. The rings used the initials of gemstones to stand for letters. Put together, the gemstones would spell a word. These were basically little love letters full of passion and affection.
An acrostic ring hallmarked 1830 that I found has become a precious keepsake. My ring spells DEAREST. D – Diamond, E – Emerald, A – Amethyst, R – Ruby, E – Emerald, S – Sapphire, T – Topaz
 
That is very cool. I had no idea. Do you play board games? What games do you like?
Board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, and Parchisi are favorites with the grands. Personally, I love adult card games, especially Bridge, but I’m always up for a game of Go Fish or Battle with the wee ones.
 
Hubby and I enjoy grownup cards. My grand are getting older and now we play UNO with them. What was your first job?
My first job is almost embarrassing, considering all the robocalls we all receive these days. I worked in a phone pool soliciting for charities and fundraisers.
 
LOL! I had that job too. It's the only job that fired me for not generating anything. I'm a fan of research on my books. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I usually have a solid base knowledge of the background for all my stories. Things that pop up as I write tend to be the ones that lead me down the rabbit hole of research. I can spend hours finding the perfect restaurant or house plan, or dress.
 
How do you select the names of your characters?
My character’s names come from family and friends…with their permission, of course. Sometimes the personality of the character matches their name, and sometimes the character’s personality is more how I see the family member or friend than how they see themselves. So far, no one has protested. It’s a sneaky way to get family and friends to read my books to see how their characters turned out.
 
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
I do read reviews but rarely dwell on them. If a bad one has good points, then I, for sure, take the criticism under consideration. I just wish more readers wrote reviews.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I’ve spent lots more on workshops, and craft writing retreats with outstanding authors, editors, and agents. I prefer the small setting to the larger conference arena. The investment was worth it. I’ve never regretted all I learned or the friendships I made.

Judythe, thank you for stopping by the fire today. Before you head out on your next adventure will you leave a bit about your new book and where to find you? And I hear you have a picture of the "Dearest" ring you described.

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When Love Trusts
by
Judythe Morgan
HEAT LEVEL: Clean and Wholesome, PG-13
 
A second chance at first love
 
Growing up together in a small Texas town, Josh Fitzpatrick and Mara Burke always had each other’s backs, right up until Mara dated—then dumped—his best friend. A relationship built on love and trust… until it wasn’t.
 
Now, an Army sniper home on medical leave, Josh’s wounds go deeper than the shrapnel dug from his thigh. Nightmares torment him. No one knows he’s responsible for a senseless tragedy and the death of his fellow soldiers. While his body recovers, he wrestles with guilt and waits for news of possible disciplinary action.
 
Mara’s a single mom and administrator at a home for boys, still hiding the terrible secret that created the ten-year chasm between them.
 
When the boy’s home needs volunteers after a fire, Josh steps in. The sparks from their youth soon ignite a new passion, but will sharing their secrets be enough to overcome the pain and hurt that lies between them?
 
REVIEW for When Love Trusts
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars for When Love Trusts!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2021
I’m a huge fan of Ms. Morgan’s Fitzpatrick series!! Well, of all her books! And When Love Trusts is another winner. I love how her characters are so real to life with problems, with pasts, with a love of family, and sense of honor. Josh and Mara shared their childhood together and have never forgotten what they meant to each other. But when they reunite, SO much that has happened since they parted ways holds them at bay. I found the patience of these characters to be something everyone should aspire to possess. I enjoyed all the characters, seeing characters from the other books, and meeting a few new ones. Heartfelt and gritty I really enjoyed this story and can’t wait for the next.

 
Get your copy today 
Amazon Kindle: https://amzn.to/3pdkqrN
B&N: https://bit.ly/3hdxaKM
 
Paperback:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/37EnlUj
B&N: https://bit.ly/3NYLqpI
 
For more about the author follow her on social media
Website https://judythemorgan.com/  
Blog https://judythewriter.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/Judythe2   
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JudytheMorgan/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450879.Judythe_Morgan
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/judythe-morgan

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