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Spotlight on Judy
Duarte By Cheryl Bolen Last February, Judy Duarte was unpublished. Next month, Judy's first book (COWBOY COURAGE) will be published by Silhouette Special Edition. Last February Judy traveled to Houston from her home in Oceanside, Calif., to attend the literacy luncheon and pick up an Emily for COWBOY COURAGE, one of three books she had written that finaled in our chapter's prestigious Emily competition. She also finaled in short contemporary and in historical. In addition, COWBOY COURAGE (previously titled CHOICES OF THE HEART) finaled in the 2001 Golden Heart competition. Judy had also visited Houston the preceding year to attend the Emily ceremonies. After last year, she decided to join our chapter, and this year she offered to judge in two categories in the Emily competition. "Following the 2001 Emily, I realized this (West Houston) was a great chapter and one I wanted to join," Judy said. "I've been a member for nearly a year." She has also been a member of the Orange County chapter of RWA since 1996. Three months after winning last year's Emily, Judy was contacted by Silhouette editor Stacy Boyd, who bought her first book. That first sale was actually the fourth book written by Judy. The third book, a historical, is presently under consideration at Harlequin Historical, and Judy's fifth book (FAMILY PRACTICE) will be published by Silhouette Special Edition in December of this year. She is presently working on Book 7, which is targeted for Special Edition. Judy said it took her five years to get published, and she advises aspiring authors not to let rejection get them down. "I have a whole scrapbook of rejection letters," she said. In addition to RWA, Judy credits her success to a belonging to a good critique group. Her partners, Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather, were beginners with her, and they, too, have now sold. Judy, who is married with four grown children and a 9-year-old, works three days a week at a construction company. On those days, she does not write. On the other four days, Judy said she writes in the morning and edits in the afternoons. Judy says she owes her success to "lots of breaks," but those in our chapter who critiqued her work in the Emily know that talent is her greatest success. --By Cheryl Bolen, who will have published five historicals by the end of this year, and who owes her big break to contest wins. |