About Judy

When life threw Judy Duarte a curve, she did what many newly single mothers do. She pulled herself and her four kids together and decided to follow her dreams. What better role model could she provide for her children than to show them that anything is possible? So, she returned to school, graduating from UC Irvine about the same time her oldest kids hit the teen years.

Once she had a degree in hand, another dream presented itself when she met her future husband, a kind and honorable man who became her personal hero. Life was good, but one dream still nagged at her: "I knew there was a book inside me, but English was my least favorite subject in school, so I never considered myself a writer."

Judy had been spinning stories all her life—sharing them with her kids as they grew up, plotting tales and creating characters to fill the time during carpool days and the commutes to college. Still, she continued to dream of seeing her work in print.

“I wasn’t a born writer, but I was a storyteller. The characters and plots came easily, but I had to learn how to make the scenes in my head come alive for the reader. And that meant I had to learn how to write fiction.”

As Judy's determination to publish grew, she began to create tales designed to touch a reader's heart. She fine-tuned her writing style, learned her craft, and began writing the kind of books she liked to read, stories about families, second chances, and love.

“I enjoy books and movies about underdogs, people who must overcome insurmountable odds to win their happy-ever-after, so those are the tales I create.” Judy’s dream became a reality when Silhouette Special Edition released her first book, COWBOY COURAGE. Since then, her tales of redemption and renewed trust have touched the hearts of readers around the world.

A USA Today bestselling author, Judy Duarte has written books and novellas for Harlequin Special Edition, Love Inspired Historicals and Kensington Publishing, earning her two Rita® finals in the inspirational category, winning two Maggies and receiving a National Reader’s Choice Award.

Judy lives near the coast in Southern California with her personal hero. When she’s not in her writing cave, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spending quality time with an array of cute, talented kids who call her Nana.