Clemens, Judy

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Clemens, Judy

PERSONAL: Married; children: two. Education: Goshen College, bachelor's degree.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Poisoned Pen Press, 6962 E. 1st Ave., Ste. 103, Scottsdale, AZ 85251. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Novelist. Has worked as a stage manager for numerous theaters in Philadelphia, PA, including Cheltenham Center for the Arts and Lantern Theater; former intern at the Actors' Theater, Louisville, KY.

WRITINGS:

Till the Cows Come Home (novel), Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2004.

Three Can Keep a Secret (novel), Poisoned Pen Press (Scottsdale, AZ), 2005.

To Thine Own Self Be True, 2006.

SIDELIGHTS: Originally a stage manager by profession, author Judy Clemens gave up working in the theater to become a full-time novelist. Her first novel, Till the Cows Come Home, is a mystery featuring Stella Crown, a young, motorcycle-riding dairy farmer who is busy managing her family's farm after her parents' deaths. When Stella discovers that someone is out to sabotage her farm, she follows a trail of odd occurrences, including dead cows, sick farmhands, fires, and a missing dog. Stella's quest to discover the truth is complicated by her troubled love life. Reviews of Till the Cows Come Home were mainly positive; critics cited the author's straightforward writing style and thorough plot development. "Talented first-timer Clemens's solid, commendable prose, in-depth characterization, and sympathetic subject matter make this a good choice," wrote Rex Klett in Library Journal. "Alternately a Harley-riding, tough farm girl and a kindhearted, vulnerable woman, Stella makes an endearing heroine in a promising first novel," observed Booklist contributor Jenny McLarin.

In Three Can Keep a Secret Clemens continues the story of dairy farmer Stella, who is joined by Lucy Lapp, a young Mennonite widow. After taking Lucy in, Stella begins to wonder about the circumstances surrounding Lucy's husband's death, and speculates that foul play might be the cause. In addition, strange things begin happening around the farm, including odd phone calls referencing Lucy and vulgar graffiti scrawled in the barn by teenagers. A number of critics responded favorably to Three Can Keep a Secret, many enjoying the author's keen perspective on life in a small Pennsylvania community. The "subtle local color—controversy between two fissiparous Mennonite churches—is an added plus," wrote one Publishers Weekly contributor. Others praised Clemens for continuing the story of Stella. "Readers who fell hard for Harley-riding heroine Stella Crown in Clemens' 2004 debut … will be delighted to see her again," McLarin commented in another Booklist assessment.

Clemens told CA: "I've been writing ever since I could hold a pencil (or crayon). I wrote my first novel—a science-fiction book called 'Never Dare a Creature's Mind'—when I was in third grade. My parents always read to me, and I guess that helped foster my interest in writing.

"I get a lot of ideas through my research, but also find that just about anything in life can give me ideas for a story. The most lengthy part of work is the research and 'mulling' stage. Once I have things pretty well thought over, I make an outline, usually by the days in the book, and only then do I begin to write the prose. Then things seem to go pretty quickly.

"If I had to pick a favorite of my books, it would probably be the first, Till the Cows Come Home, mostly because I waited so long to publish a novel. It was also received very nicely (garnering nominations for the Anthony and Agatha awards), which made it even more of a dream come true. So while I think my craft has improved as I continue, the first book is my favorite for emotional reasons.

"My mission is to blast away at stereotypes. Some of the main stereotypes I've worked at so far are bikers, Mennonites, and people with tattoos. At the book launch party for Till the Cows Come Home, one of my non-biker friends saw two middle-aged, friendly looking, normally dressed women walking toward us across the parking lot. She asked me who they were, and I told her they were some of my biker friends. 'Well,' she said. 'You're already changing my thinking.' That's the kind of effect I want my books to have."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 1, 2004, Jenny McLarin, review of Till the Cows Come Home, p. 1352; July 2005, Jenny McLarin, review of Three Can Keep a Secret, p. 1904.

Library Journal, April 1, 2004, Rex Klett, review of Till the Cows Come Home, p. 128.

Lima News (Lima, OH), Mike Lackey, "Putnam Writer Has Fans Fretting over Stella."

Publishers Weekly, March 15, 2004, review of Till the Cows Come Home, p. 58; June 20, 2005, review of Three Can Keep a Secret, p. 62.