Introducing Judy Mollen Walters!

Happy April 1st everyone!!  It’s such a gorgeous morning here in San Clemente…the bluest of blue skies, warm weather, flowers blooming…I couldn’t be happier today despite my cold.  I’ve had a week straight with my family and its been heaven.  I missed the kids so much during my traveling and it feels good to be mom again.  I’m not leaving them until mid April when I head to the East Coast for four days of events so I can just relax a bit and focus on the house, the kids, and getting Jake organized for graduation and then off this summer to college.  It looks like he’s going to be an Aggie…watch out Texas A&M…he’s all yours soon!

I should be writing but I’m being a bit lazy and reading, and one of the authors I’m reading now is Judy Mollen Walters, who has her debut book out now, titled Child of Mine.  I love supporting new authors and wanted to introduce Judy to you.

Welcome, Judy, to the Janeblog, and to my amazing readers and friends.  You couldn’t be joining a more lovely, loving group of women.  I love my readers, and I know you will, too!

Judy, can you tell us how you came up with the idea for Child of Mine?

Twenty years ago, my husband and I desperately wanted children.  We went through infertility treatment twice to conceive our two daughters, and the experience has always stayed with me – the shots, the blood tests, the ultrasounds.  The negative pregnancy tests. The pregnancy loss.  I wanted to write a fictional account of someone suffering with infertility.  Then I upped the ante. What if my main character was a midwife? She was helping other people deliver babies all day but couldn’t have her own.  How devastating that would be. I’m also fascinated by the experiences of pregnancy, birth, and delivery, so I loved being able to write about those.

Is your main character, Katie, based on anyone you know?

I get this question a lot, and no, she is just a figment of my imagination!  Some of her experiences with infertility treatment are based on mine, but her problem is completely different than the problem my husband and I suffered with, I am not a midwife, and unlike her, I’m not athletic or energetic!

How long did it take you to write Child of Mine?

My first draft only took a few months, but with the help of an editor and many friends reading and providing feedback, it actually took about two years altogether to get through revisions. That sounds like a long time, but I learned a lot and am so glad I took the time to learn how to write a novel properly.

What do you like to do outside of write?

I love to bake – in fact, as soon as I finish this interview, I’m going to bake some chocolate chip muffins.  I also love to spend time with my family – my husband and my two daughters who are 18 and 15.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a book about a Rabbi and his family torn apart by their wife and mother’s death from cancer, the struggle of his two teenage children to grow up without their beloved mother, and his struggle to be a good single parent to his kids.

My friend is experiencing infertility. What should or shouldn’t I say to her?

You can say, “I’m here for you.  I am happy to listen to you.  Feel free to call me if you need to talk.”  Things not to say, “Don’t worry, just relax, it will happen soon!” or “You could just adopt.”

Where can I get Child of Mine?

Child of Mine is available on Amazon, Nook, iTunes, or anywhere you would normally download your books from.

Thank you, Jane, for allowing me to share about my book on your blog. I love to hear from readers. You can find me @judymwalters on Twitter, on my author Facebook page, or email me at judymwalters@gmail.com.

Judy Mollen Walters worked in nonfiction publishing for many years before she became a Stay-at-Home Mother to her two daughters. She lives in New Jersey with her family where she is currently at work on her next novel.

Thanks for sharing with us, Judy!  Readers and friends, you can learn more about Judy, at http://www.judymollenwalters.com/ and if you do read Child Of Mine, be sure to post a review.  Those reviews matter so much.

To celebrate the first day of April I’m giving away a special Frog Prince prize box!  This is my very hard to find book—its no longer in print and when I do find a copy I snatch it up and love to give it away to my die-hard readers.  I’ve got the book bundled with lots of fun spring treats and Frog Prince surprises.  The April 1st contest is just a two day contest, running til Wednesday night midnight PST, with the winner announced Thursday morning, so comment below, and you could be the winner!