MY BOOKS
When Your Heart Says Go –
My Year of Traveling Beyond Loss and Loneliness
What sort of mad longing besets a woman―nearing fifty and recently widowed―to sell everything she owns, buy an around-the-world airline ticket, pack a single suitcase, and set off alone on a year-long journey without a plan or agenda? When Your Heart Says Go answers that question.
Set in 1990–’91, Judy’s story takes readers from San Diego through eleven European countries, the then-Soviet Union, and finally India, during the lead-up to the first Gulf War.
“Reeves recounts in loving detail the globe-hopping she embarks upon to chart a new path after the death of her husband. It is in these details—a perfect cappuccino at a café in Amsterdam, a moonrise in Mykonos—that she reveals how we carry on after loss—and take loss with us as we carry on.”
—Sue William Silverman, author, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences
“In gentle, gorgeous, and elegiac prose, Judy Reeves pulls the reader into a journey of quiet courage and insight that shines from her paragraphs in this memoir of midlife journey. Against a backdrop of foreign countries, her reverie on recovery—from alcohol, intimate losses, young widowhood—shows emergence in a woman who has spent the thirty years since then guiding others through reflection and self-inquiry. Reeves’ contributions as a teacher of the writing life are known to thousands: this is her origin story.”
—Christina Baldwin is the author, Life’s Companion, Storycatcher, and other titles
"When Your Heart Says Go by Judy Reeves, is one of the most hypnotic and lyrical memoirs I’ve read. Judy weaves memory seamlessly—the blue skies of Delft, the seascapes of Dubrovnik, childhood moments, the highlights of Moscow and Paris. The love of her husband and the still sharp bare landscape of losing him are threads throughout, inviting us to join her inner journey to Self. Her memoir reminds us to reflect on our inner and outer journeys to discover the core of who we are. Highly recommended!
—Linda Joy Myers-founder of The National Association of Memoir Writers, author of Don’t Call Me Mother, Song of the Plains, and The Forger of Marseille
A Writer’s Book of Days–A Spirited Companion & Lively Muse for the Writing Life
A Writer's Book of Days has become the ideal writing coach for thousands of writers. Newly revised, with new prompts, up-to-date Web resources, and more useful information than ever, this invaluable guide offers something for everyone looking to put pen to paper — a treasure trove of practical suggestions, expert advice, and powerful inspiration.
Named one of the five hottest writing books by Writer's Digest
“Any time someone asks me for writing tips How can I start? What do you do about writer's block? I suggest they peruse this wonderful compendium of writing lore, empathy, and daily practice.”
–Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and (JR add the Russia novels)
“This book dances around the imagination and makes you take out your pens and journal to play.”
–SARK, artist/author of Succulent Wild Woman
“This is a great book every writer needs for his/her "Writing Books" shelf. But you won't actually leave it on the shelf - you will carry it around with you in your writing bag or purse, or you'll leave it handy on your desk, since it's a constant source of inspiration. My writing group used this for prompts more times than I can count.”
–Jackie B
Writing Alone, Writing Together–A Guide for Writers and Writing Groups
The lonely life of a writer need not be. According to this book, there are ways to break that isolation and find encouragement and support within groups of like-minded people. Sections include Writing Practice Groups,” Creating Writing Prompts,” Group Leadership,” and even What to Do with the Bores, Whiners, Control Junkies, and Thugs.” Whether the group is oriented toward writing the great American novel or a book of family memories, this useful guide offers an array of effective techniques to help writers achieve their goals.
“As an author and writing teacher, I was more than pleased that Judy Reeves put so much of her good energy into the writing of this very necessary book. It's obvious that she's drawn on a wealth of personal experience and poured it all into these pages. Nowhere else does there exist such a comprehensive compilation of fears, facts, and fiction about the art, craft, and hard work of being a writer, whether you're Writing Alone or Writing Together. Highest recommendation.”
–Peggy Vincent
“With this book, Judy Reeves secures her place as the best "writer about writing" we have. In this finely crafted work, as well as in her "A Writer's Book of Days," Ms. Reeves has single-handedly rescued thousands of writers from the fears and insecurities that can cripple even the most talented scribes. If you are serious about writing, wait no longer--BUY THIS BOOK, and write, write, write!”
–Steve Montgomery
Wild Women, Wild Voices–Writing from Your Authentic Wildness
Write to Celebrate, Heal, and Free the Wild Woman Within
In her years as a writing coach, Judy Reeves has found twin urges in women: they yearn to reclaim a true nature that resides below the surface of daily life and to give it voice. The longing to express this wild, authentic nature is what informs Reeves’s most popular workshop and now this workshop in a book. Here, you will explore the stages that make up your life, from wild child, daughter/sister/mother, and loves and lovers, to creative work, friendships, and how the wise woman encounters death. Both intuitive and practical, Wild Women, Wild Voices responds to women’s deep need for expression with specific and inspiring activities, exercises, and writing prompts. With true empathy, Reeves invites, instructs, and celebrates the authentic expression — even the howl — of the wild in every woman.
“Wild women, we’ve been waiting for this....It is a book to buy, tuck under your arm, and head out toward life with, expressing your true self along the way.”
–Tina Welling, author of Writing Wild
“A thoughtful and inspiring read full of tools to help women celebrate, heal, and free the wild woman within....This is a book, not about editing and grammar or placing any restrictions on word-flow, but instead inviting women writers to tell their stories and their truths from a place that is deep and true. It’s not about making nice....Highly recommended, especially for women who want to express themselves through writing but don’t know how to begin.”