Judy Bolton, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Beverly Gray, Penny Parker... 

     These are some of the girls I grew up with—all fictional sleuths who lived exciting adventures within the pages of my favorite books.  

     The first Judy Bolton mystery (by Margaret Sutton) I read was NAME ON THE BRACELET.  I still have this worn copy, which belonged to my mother, in my 4,000+ series book collection. I also read Nancy Drew, which were much easier to find.  My parents would take me to bookstores and find more mysteries for me to read.  

     When I was 13, I was such a huge fan of Judy and Nancy that I wrote a fan letter to each author.  I never heard from Carolyn Keene who wasn’t a real person anyway, but a group of writers penning under this pseudonym.  But I did hear from Margaret Sutton—and I was SO excited. I carried that letter all around school and showed all my friends.  I met Margaret four years later when I graduated high school.   For thirty years I shared a friendship with her that I’ll always value. 

     In 1985, while my mother and I were visiting Margaret in Berkeley, CA, she told me about a group of fans who had started a newsletter to discuss Judy Bolton .  I joined immediately and started writing articles for The Whispered Watchword.   The newsletter went on to discuss other girl series and I discovered new series like Beany Malone, Anne of Green Gables, Betsy Tacy, Pollyanna, Doris Fein, Susan Sand, Linda Carlton and many more.  

     I also found myself with a unique opportunity to write another Judy Bolton with Margaret Sutton.  She started THE TALKING SNOWMAN and I finished it. She edited it and I made the changes, adding a courtroom scene based on an experience she had as a juror in Berkeley, CA.  The first edition sold out and a second edition was created with a new cover plus a short story.  

       For information on Judy Bolton and links to other series sites go to: www.JudyBolton.com