I believe in this crazy world we all need little islands of solace. That’s why I write fiction. Something that’s easy to read with a cast of people who seem real. A world you can inhabit for a few hours as you share their journey.

I encourage you to make reading a regular part of your life. There is an abundance of good writers out there waiting to be discovered. I find it’s great to be able to download a sample on my Kindle – that helps me decide if I want to continue with a book.

If you are unsure, borrow from your local library. It’s a way of keeping costs down. 

About my Belleville books

It’s interesting how many people have asked me if the Belleville family is real. The answer is: no, they are entirely a figment of my imagination, but the story of their lives over 30+ years has a real life backdrop, beginning with WWII when American troops were stationed in Australia.

So much of the background in my books is true.

American officers were billeted in the Criterion Hotel in Rockhampton. Australian men did train in the Empire Air Training Scheme in Canada to participate in the war on Germany, flying in RAAF squadrons embedded with the RAF.

And throughout the books, little snippets of real life drift in. A test cricket score. A royal wedding. The city of London immediately post-war. An eyesore expressway in Sydney. The building of an opera house, again in Sydney. A church in Long Island. A hotel in New York, its driveway piled high with an unusually intense blizzard of snow (real event). 

What’s next in my writing life?

I’m tossing up … but there is a stand alone book that will be historical fiction (based on fact). 

It’s a story of immigrants, of old social class distinctions, of lust, of untimely death, of a girl who survived, of a boy who never knew the truth … intrigued? I hope so.

More soon. Enjoy your day. Take pleasure in the small things.

Judy

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