AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Judy Harrington

By: Brett Nelson

September 21, 2021

Hello, everyone, and welcome to the second AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT installment on my blog. My first blog with New York Times Best-Selling Author Anne Canadeo was such fun for me, and I’m grateful to everyone who supported me by checking it out on my website. It was super exciting to get to talk with my favorite author. I had many more visitors than usual to my website thanks to Ms. Canadeo sharing the blog with her readers, of which there are many, and for that I’ll always be grateful.

For my next AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, I decided to “go local” and introduce you to my new friend Judy Harrington. Judy and I met in the fall of 2020 at an author book signing we both participated in at Chapters on Main, our local quaint hometown independent bookstore. (As a side note to my local readers, if you haven’t checked out Chapters on Main, you must! They have an overall cool vibe and a great coffee bar with always-friendly baristas. Personally, I’m not a HUGE coffee fan (I know, crazy, right? But I don’t like Chick-fil-a either, and everyone else is obsessed with it, so go figure…LOL! But I totally recommend my favorite coffee, the iced lumberjack–coffee, milk, maple flavoring, and a subtle hint of smoked sea salt.) Chapters on Main is a great place to hang out, have a cup of coffee and a sugary treat, and check out the thousands of books, both local and famous authors. I’m grateful to have a physical place like Chapters on Main to shelve my books.

As I contemplated whom my next author spotlight would be, I knew I wanted it to be a local independent author. As an independent author myself, one of the biggest obstacles, other than actually finishing your novel, is getting your published novel out there into the world and into the hands of eager readers. My goal in the AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT is to give a platform to lesser-known authors who don’t have a wide platform, give readers options for authors they might not have otherwise heard about, and to bring exciting interviews from authors whose names you’ll definitely recognize.

Without further ado, I’m happy to introduce you to Judy Harrington, author of A.B.I.L.: Artificial Biological Intelligence Lifeform. In addition to this full-length novel, she has also published short stories in several periodicals (more on this later). I’ve read her book A.B.I.L and it is a fascinating post-apocalyptic book that takes place on Earth several years in the future.

Brett: In June 2020, you published, I believe, your debut novel called A.B.I.L.: Artificial Biological Intelligence Lifeform. For my readers who may not be familiar with your work, tell us a little about your novel.

Judy: Yes, A.B.I.L. (an acronym for Artificial Biological Intelligence Lifeform) is my first novel.  My story in a nutshell is a combination of what I call soft sci-fi, mystery, and a hint of romance. It introduces the reader to the title character, an android with an AI brain that has been biologically infused with human DNA by an immoral scientist I named Dr. Shoto. When an unexplainable anomaly triggers the unknown elements that create life, ABIL becomes an entity, which DomeWorld’s military fears and plots to kill.

In the midst of all this drama, there are two underlying mysteries that must be solved. First is Raina Shores’ search for the truth behind her brother’s death. The twin connection she still feels all around her will not allow Raina to accept that Marc is MIA and presumed dead, especially since his body was never released for burial.

Second, there is the question of whose DNA exists inside of ABIL. Danger abounds while Raina, a plant biologist from Paris, seeks to find answers about her brother and also resolutions for restoring the dying vegetation in the quadrants outside of DomeWorld’s research facility. Chad Kingston, the head of security, soon becomes more than just an ally in Raina’s crusade in discovering what happened to her brother.

Ultimately, ABIL, who only wants to live peacefully among the human race, has no choice but to find a safe haven for himself and the rest of the robotic civilization he’s awakened. His life depends on whether or not he can trust the three people trying to help him escape

Brett: Your novel takes place several years in the future in a world of post-apocalyptic destruction and robots. How did you come up with such an interesting story about which to write?

Judy: Yes, it is set in the year 2064, in New Mexico during the Earth’s recovery years after a comet has torn through the ozone layer and allowed gamma radiation to nearly destroy the ecosystem of western America.

This story was first conceived nearly two decades ago. It sat on the shelf in a spiral notebook until my son was grown, at which time I retired and began putting serious work into it.

The plot and characters just seemed to take on lives of their own and led me along.

Brett: When it comes to writing, are you a “plotter” or a “pantser?” In other words, do you plot your novels entirely before writing, or do you just write and “see what happens” as your story unfolds?

Judy: Definitely a “pantser.” I start with something that inspires me, then follow the twists, turns, and bread crumbs the characters toss at me.

Brett: Is this your first foray into writing? What made you decide to write your first full-length novel?

Judy: No, for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been a storyteller with a desire to learn to write. I’ve published three short stories in two magazines, Do South and The Change Agent. I’ve also published five short stories in the literary quarterly called Persephone, produced by Zelda Media.

ABIL’s story simply outgrew the boundaries of a short story, then a novella, and finally was novel length. Once I met ABIL’s character, I knew it would be my first novel to break into print.

Brett: I recently published my third novel and have learned a lot in the past few years since I began novel writing. While it is great fun to explore your creativity by writing a full-length novel, sometimes it’s not as easy as it sounds. What is something you’ve found particularly difficult about the writing process, and how do you overcome these obstacles?

Judy: For me personally, presenting believable information to the reader in a way that paints a word picture of what I’d like them to see, versus just simply telling it to them in a boring narrative. The best way I’ve tried to do this is to build my world and place myself inside it, so I can experience everything about it with my own five senses. Or I create a character and try to live out their traits and responses that I’ve given them.

Brett: What is your favorite part of writing a novel? What is your least favorite part?

Judy:

Favorite—being creative, imaginative, and hopefully entertaining for my readers.

Least favorite—editing, editing, and re-editing, all of which is an unavoidable process to any story. I’m currently in that final process right now with my editor for ABIL Returns.

Brett: Give us a short description of your workspace. Is there anything you must have in order to flow in the creative process? When you take a minute from your writing to look out the nearest window, what do you see?

Judy: My workspace *she giggles* is pretty much anywhere: have laptop and will travel. I guess I’m kind of old school in that I love to write my roughest draft in handwritten form. My front patio, listening to my fountain flow, is my most favorite place to be creative.

Brett: Do you write every day? How many hours/words per day do you like to spend writing?

Judy: I do write every day. The amount of time varies. There are days when I will only work for a couple of hours, either writing or editing. Others, if my muse is cooperative, may run into eight-hour spans. Being retired allows me much leeway on my schedule

Brett: Only on a very rare occasion do I use a friend or family member’s name as a character name in my books. I like to give my characters unique names that no one I know has that name. How do you pick names for your characters?

Judy: When I first start writing a story, I might not even name my characters until they tell me what their name will be. ABIL’s name came that way. I had to discover what he was going to be before I could name him. (A lifeform that was artificial, biological, and intelligent. Also, a good vs. evil kind of guy/robot.) Other times, the name comes to me before I even begin to write. I do have a tendency to not use too many names of people that I know in real life.

Brett: Who is your favorite author(s), and what are you currently reading?

Judy: I like a variety of authors—Nevada Barr, Danelle Steele, Steven King, and Rachael Caine are some of my favorites. Unfortunately, I prefer to write, so I’m not an avid reader, and I’m currently in between books. I’ve been studying a book about punctuation skills called Actually, The Comma Goes Here by Lucy Cripps. The book I recently ordered to read for a book club I’ve just joined is, The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg.

Brett: What have you found to be the biggest challenges of being a self-published Independent author?

Judy: Self-publishing is a challenge. I think because you are the one creating your own team (an editor, formatter, and graphic designer). It can also get costly as well. However, I’ve found it to be a very heartwarming adventure for a hobbyist writer like myself. I write because I love it–love sharing my stories with people–and don’t look at or depend on it as a career.

Brett: What would you hope that your readers would take away after reading one of your novels?

Judy: That they are entertained, intrigued, and satisfied with the story, plot, characters, and the resolution I’ve given the story.

Brett: If you could spend an entire weekend doing nothing but binging your favorite television show(s), what would it be?

Judy: I’d probably have a crazy mixture of The Mandalorian, Manifest, NCIS, Bones, Lost, CSI, Yellowstone, Quantum Leap, and then, of course, some of the original Star Trek and Due South series. When I’m not writing—television is my close pandemic friend.

Brett: If you could co-author a book with a famous author, whom would it be?

Judy: Isaac Asimov. He was a writer ahead of his time. However, I wouldn’t turn down working with Steven King or Nevada Barr.

Brett: What is your favorite movie(s)?

Judy: Aviator, I Robot, City of Angels, and The Passion of The Christ.

Brett: What is your favorite musical genre? Who is your favorite musical artist? What was the last concert you attended?

Judy: Christian songs, romantic, or rock-n-roll hits from the 70’s & 80’s, and country.

My favorites include: Mercy Me, Casting Crowns, The Bee Gees, Mac Davis, John Denver, Carole King, Kenny Rogers, George Strait, and Bruce Springsteen.

Brett: What is your favorite restaurant for days when you’re too lazy to cook?

Judy: I’m a lazy cook most days. LOL. Anthony’s Italian Restaurant, Lin’s House (Chinese), La Huerta’s Grill, and Ms. Anna’s. Hey, what can I say—I love to eat out!

Brett: What is your favorite leisure activity when you’re not busy writing?

Judy: Taking a causal hike/walk with my dog Loki, photography, drawing, or scrapbooking.

Brett: What’s your favorite format when you have time to sit down with a book (ebook, physical book, audiobook?)

Judy: Physical books. I love the feel of a book cover, and actually turning real pages.

Brett: I know you’ve been pounding the keyboard working on a sequel to your novel A.B.I.L Is there a tentative date when the sequel will be published?

Judy: That I have, been pounding the keyboard. I don’t have a locked in launch date yet. I turned my manuscript, ABIL Returns, over to my editor at the end of August. We are currently in the suggestion, revision, and finalizing process. Next comes the formatting and graphic design book cover stage. Fingers crossed, I’d love to have it ready for publication on Amazon’s KDP by mid-November or early December.

Brett: Where can readers find your novels, if they are interested?

Judy: I have my books at Chapters on Main in Van Buren; Bookish: An Indy Store for Readers (both locations) in Fort Smith; Rags-N-Roses Collectables in Greenwood; and also on Amazon.com.

Brett: Thank you so much, Judy, for taking time out of your schedule to talk with me today. Would you like to tell us anything I haven’t already asked you?

Judy: Just that having written and published a novel has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever undertaken. It was the completion of a lifetime dream. I can’t begin to express how much my heart swells every time someone tells me how much they’ve enjoyed reading A.B.I.L., or how much they’re looking forward to reading its sequel, ABIL Returns.

I thank you, Brett, for honoring me with this interview to talk about my novel and my passion for writing. Special congratulations for your 2021 International Readers’ Favorite gold medal contest win with A Christmas to Live For.

To my readers, thank you once again for taking time to read my blog and getting to know author Judy Harrington. Judy loves to hear feedback from her readers, as constructive feedback is a crucial step in helping authors grow in their craft. If you’d like to contact her, you can email her at: [email protected].

You can also follow Judy on Facebook by clicking this link: https://www.facebook.com/JudyHarringtonAuthor

Judy’s novel ABIL is available for purchase in paperback and ebook online at Amazon, by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/B-I-L-Artificial-Biological-Intelligence-Lifeform-ebook/dp/B089T9TNN2

If you’d like to check out Brett Nelson’s novels, they are available on Amazon, by clicking this link: https://www.amazon.com/Brett-Nelson/e/B08D2C1YSC

Brett Nelson Contact Information:

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://brettnelson-author.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=brett%20nelson%20author

Instagram: @AuthorBrett Nelson

Book Trailers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmMlYSmMzMnYHu1PGhp4obg