Baer, Judy

PERSONAL:

Born in ND; children: five, including three step-children. Education: Concordia College, graduated 1973; attended graduate school. Hobbies and other interests: Horses and quilts.

CAREER:

Writer and personal life coach.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Silhouette/First Love RWA Bronze Medallion, for The Girl Inside.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Love's Perfect Image, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 1984.

Adrienne, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1987.

Bid for My Heart, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1987.

Trouble with a Capital "T," Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1988.

Broken Promises, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Country Bride, Lynx Books (New York, NY), 1989. The Intruder, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Jennifer's Secret, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Journey to Nowhere, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1989.

Spring Break, Lynx Books (New York, NY), 1989.

Silent Tears No More, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

Tomorrow's Promise, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

Yesterday's Dream, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1990.

No Turning Back, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Second Chance, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Something Old, Something New, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Vanishing Star, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1991.

Dear Judy, What's It Like at Your House?, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Lonely Girl, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Lost and Found, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

More Than Friends, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Unheard Voices, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1992.

Dear Judy, Did You Ever Like a Boy (Who Didn't Like You?), Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

The Discovery, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Never Too Late, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

A Special Kind of Love, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1993.

Double Danger, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Price of Silence, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Risky Assignment, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Three's a Crowd, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1994.

Sarah's Dilemma, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

Silent Thief, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1995.

Faded Dreams, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

The Suspect, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Undercover Artists, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1996.

Heartless Hero, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Never Look Back, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Worlds Apart, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1997.

Forever Friends, Bethany House (Minneapolis, MN), 1999.

Recipes and Wooden Spoons, Guideposts (Carmel, NY), 2003.

Slices of Life, Guideposts (Carmel, NY), 2004.

The Whitney Chronicles, Steeple Hill Café (New York, NY), 2004.

Million Dollar Dilemma, Steeple Hill Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Tempest in a Teapot, Guideposts (Carmel, NY), 2005.

Be My Neat-Heart, Steeple Hill Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Norah's Ark, Steeple Hill Café (New York, NY), 2006.

Mirror, Mirror (Love Inspired), Steeple Hill Café (New York, NY), 2007.

FICTION TRILOGY

Jenny's Story, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2000.

Libby's Story, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

Tia's Story, Tyndale House (Wheaton, IL), 2001.

Also author of The Girl Inside and contributor of a novella to Reunited, Tyndale House Publishers (Wheaton, IL), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS:

"May my books demonstrate ways in which the contemporary Christian women might connect their spirituality with real life," wrote Judy Baer in an open letter on her Web site. "Inspirational chick lit shines a light on another part of who and what Christians are." While chick lit and Christianity may seem like strange bedfellows, Baer noted on her Web site: "I envision my readers as women of faith who like to laugh, who read to relax, who know what's going on in the world and are managing their lives and juggling their relationships as best they can with God's help."

Jenny's Story, the first in a trilogy about three friends, focuses on Jenny Owens, Libby Morrison, and Tia Warden, all best friends since they were nine. Now nearing thirty, Jenny needs the help of her fellow members of the Best Friends Forever club (BFF) to help her rebuild her life after her husband dies. Library Journal contributor Melanie C. Duncan wrote that the author succeeds in conveying "Jenny's discovery of her inner strength and her renewal of faith."

Libby's Story, the second book in the trilogy, features Libby, still living at home and struggling with her mother, who is degenerating from Alzheimer's disease. Once again the friends converge and help renew Libby's faith, along with the help of Libby's new love interest, police officer Reese Reynolds. Baer concludes her trilogy with Tia's Story. This time it's Tia's life that is falling apart, both in business and love. Duncan, writing again in the Library Journal noted that the novel "takes off just in time for the book to end."

In the popular 2004 publication The Whitney Chronicles, Baer features Whitney, a character critics have compared to Bridget in the Bridget Jones Diary. Overweight and single, Whitney, via her diary, provides readers with insights into her life as she seeks to lose weight and find a man. "Chick-lit readers will appreciate all the components of a girl-friendly fantasy read," wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor.

Norah's Ark tells the story of Norah Kent, a Christian pet-store owner looking for love. While some local bachelors are interested, Norah is reticent, focusing primarily on Connor Trevain, a commander in the U.S. Navy, cop Nick Haley, and Joe Collier, whom everyone thinks is just right for Norah. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that "fans of Baer's Whitney Chronicles will enjoy this lighthearted Christian romance."

In Million Dollar Dilemma, Cassia Carr wins more than twenty million dollars in a lottery. Raised by her grandfather, who is devoted to the Bible, Cassia believes the money she won is somehow "evil." Then her neighbor, Adam Cavanaugh, a lapsed Christian, tries to convince her to give it to charity. Tamara Butler, writing in the Library Journal, commented that the author "delivers a girl-friendly, contemporary romance with possible crossover appeal for readers who enjoy chick lit."

Baer is also the contributor of a novella to the collection Reunited. In "Tell Me No Lies," the author features a love story that begins at a grandfather's funeral. Library Journal contributor Melissa Hudak wrote that "collections needing more Christian romance should find this a satisfactory choice."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, November 1, 1998, Melissa Hudak, review of Reunited, p. 64; September 1, 2000, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Jenny's Story, p. 184; February 1, 2001, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Libby's Story, p. 75; November 1, 2001, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Tia's Story, p. 74; September 1, 2005, Tamara Butler, review of Million Dollar Dilemma, p. 124.

Publishers Weekly, September 20, 2004, review of The Whitney Chronicles, p. 48; July 25, 2005, review of Million Dollar Dilemma, p. 45; July 17, 2006, review of Norah's Ark, p. 138.

Today's Christian, September-October, 2006, "Putting a Humorous Spin on Real Life," interview with author, p. 8.

Today's Christian Woman, May, 2001, Judy Baer, "An Author Speaks …," p. 5.

ONLINE

City Pages,http://citypages.com/ (November 17, 2004), Molly Priesmeyer, "What Would Judy Do?," profile of author.

FaithfulReader.com,http://www.faithfulreader.com/ (July 25, 2007), "Judy Baer," brief profile of author.

Judy Baer Home Page,http://www.judykbaer.com (July 25, 2007).

Riding with the Top Down,http://ridingwiththetopdown.blogspot.com/ (April 4, 2007), Kathleen Eagle, "Judy Baer Has Harlequin Covers by the Dogears," interview with author.

Tyndale House Publishers Web site,http://www.tyndale.com/ (July 25, 2007), brief biography of author.