FEARLESS FRIDAY
Please welcome Debra H. Goldstein, wait...Judge Goldstein...to Fearless Friday. Giving up, what seems to me, a fascinating job of being a judge to follow her dream really is fearless.
Judges learn many things
in “Judge” school – how to dress (black robe), keep a straight face no matter
what lawyers or witnesses say, apply applicable law to the facts of a case, and
avoid any appearance of impropriety. Because of my training, I deliberately
kept my two careers separate when I began writing fiction.
Consequently, I didn’t
make a big deal of the publication of my IPPY winning academic mystery, Maze
in Blue, or mention to anyone in the office when I sold my second book,
Should Have Played Poker. I thought I could easily balance
my passion for writing and my lifetime judicial appointment. It didn’t take
long for my win-win plan to be tested.
I was sitting on the
bench, in my black robe, about to end a hearing with my usual, “Is there
anything more?” The attorney in front of me, who’d been trained to answer “No,
your honor,” did exactly what he was supposed to do. Unfortunately, his client interrupted
him: “Your honor, there’s one more thing.”
When I paused to let the
attorney get his client under control, he raised his hands in absolute
surrender. I struggled to keep a straight face while asking his client what he
wanted to tell me.
“I just want you to
know, your honor, no matter how you rule, I’m going to buy your book.”
Although I kept it
together on the bench, I went home that night knowing I had to make a big
decision –continue in my safe and secure job or throw it away to follow my
passion. Although I couldn’t predict how a writing career would turn out, I
knew if I stayed healthy for twenty to thirty years, there was time to follow a
dream. Then again, on the other side, the last two judges to retire after very
satisfactory careers were eighty-eight and eighty-six, respectively.
Passion won. I took the
leap. As a writer, I may never achieve the financial security of my judgeship, but
four published books, including Two Bites Too Many, the recently
released second book in Kensington’s ongoing Sarah Blair cozy series, and thirty
plus short stories later, I’m having a ball.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes
Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (One Taste Too Many, Two
Bites Too Many). She also wrote Should
Have Played Poker and IPPY winning Maze
in Blue. Her short stories, including Anthony and Agatha nominated The
Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place, have appeared in numerous periodicals
and anthologies. Debra serves on the national boards of SinC and MWA, and is
president of SEMWA and past president of SinC’s Guppy Chapter. Find out more
about Debra at https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com .
Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2KBkPis
One Taste Too Many – Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-taste-too-many-debra-h-goldstein/1128297322
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