Oh, wait, that's Kim Basinger. Oops.
And now....for the real biography of Judy Bagshaw...
Written by Judy Bagshaw
Writing has always been a part of Judy's life, but it became a serious pursuit when Judy reached her mid-thirties. She started taking writing classes and one summer stumbled upon an ad for a publisher seeking plus-sized romances. So she sat down and wrote one. "I can remember a writing instructor telling me emphatically that there was no real market for romances featuring plus sized heroines," she says. "I thought then that I would really enjoy proving him wrong!" Unfortunately, the publisher seemed to fade away and a disappointed Judy tucked the book in a drawer. But she never gave up her dream to sell her unique stories.
A few years later, while surfing on her computer, she discovered a whole publishing world online and the rest, as they say, is history. She found a company called Wordbeams that was open to plus sized heroines, and she submitted her work. In the fall of 2000, Judy published her first book, Teacher's Pet, as well as another novella she wrote called Love by the Pound.
Sadly, two years later, the company folded when the publisher became seriously ill. But Judy didn't let that stop her and her search for a new home for her work began. "I was delighted when I learned about Real Romances, a company that shared my vision," she says, "and I didn't hesitate to submit some short stories to their first anthology." Real Romances carried her two novellas as well until their closing in 2003.
Not willing to give up on this new career she had come to love, Judy began her search yet again for a home for her work. She had completed a new novel, Lady Blue, and, after researching several companies, settled on a Canadian e-publisher, Electric eBook Publishing for her submission. They offered a contract for Lady Blue and released it June of 2003. It now sits on the publisher's bestseller list!
Judy still works full time as an elementary school teacher, currently teaching music and drama to primary grades. She has received recognition for 25 plus years of teaching and looks forward to retirement when she can devote all her time to writing. "I have so many stories I want to tell. And since finding publishers who want work that fits outside the mainstream box, I know that there are people out there that want to read stories where the big girl wins the hero's heart and lives happily ever after."
She has completed a fabulous fourth book and is in the editing/revision stage. She is revising her first two books for resubmission to a new publisher, and has a collection of short stories ready for submission as well.
Well, you can go to the author's site. It's chock full of Judy Bagshaw-y goodness!
Still can't find the answers to all those burning questions? Check out our message board, and ask away!
On a side note, Indigo Chick has read the much anticipated fourth full-length novel.
No, I wasn't reading it by peering through her window late at night as she was writing it, and those who say I did, remember this: I leave no witnesses, so watch your back. Actually, she sent it to me, and I can assure all the Judy Bagshaw fans out there that you're going to love it!
By the way, did everyone know that Judy has her own theme song that I made up for her?
(to the tune of J.Lo's "Jenny From The Block")
Don't be fooled by the books that she's got:
She's still (she's still) Judy From The Block.
Used to write a little, now she writes a lot,
But she knows where she came from...
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