Judy Tindill
Judy Tindill is the author of historical fiction and short stories written under pen name Jude Thomas. After receiving an NZSA CompleteMS assessment grant in 2016, she published her first historical novel, Southern Gold, set in Dunedin during the 1860s gold rush era. This was followed in 2019 by the sequel Threads of Gold which picks up the story on the cusp of a brand new century.
Judy was born and raised in Dunedin and she'd love to return to live in a heated home. She now lives in the coastland town of Mangawhai, Northland and is currently working on a collection of inter-related short stories to complete The Gold Series.
However this is probably a form of procrastination. In 2020 Judy established Mangawhai Writers Workshop and has run several 'Creative Writing for Beginners' classes. In 2023 she established the very successful Mangawhai Writers Festival (One Night Only) featuring Fiona Sussman. If the stars align, 2024's festival will feature two authors and a larger venue.
Genre:
- Adult Fiction
- Comedy
- Drama
- E-Book
- Fiction
- History
- Short Stories
Skills:
- Editing
- Freelance Writing
- Ghost Writing
- Novelist
- Proofreading
- Public Speaking
- Research
- Short Story Writing
Branch:
Northland
Location:
Mangawhai
Publications:
Southern Gold - survival and desire in a raw new land.
A story of colonial New Zealand and the mystery child who rose from the slums to become a force to be reckoned with.
It is 1858 in boom town Dunedin. Dreamers and vagabonds are pouring into the new colony to seek their fortune in the province’s goldfields. A newborn child is found near death on an icy dirt road. She is taken into notorious Maclaggan Street community and is named Billie. But at the age of six, the spirited child is faced with making her own way in the world of pubs and prostitutes, commerce and chance.
This rollicking saga twists and turns through some of New Zealand’s historical events. From muddy city streets to wild-west shootouts, Southern Gold is a story of true grit and enduring love.
THE GOLD SERIES BOOK 1
ISBN 978-0-473-36555-4 Published by Silvereye Press Available through libraries and major e-booksellers.
The continuing story of a New Zealand woman ahead of her time.
Billie is now society’s darling, living in style on the Otago Peninsula in the flourishing 1890s. She is in the thick of the action: women’s suffrage, workers’ rights and the dress reform movement. The first Lebanese immigrants arrive at Port Chalmers, Billie is drawn to their exotic presence and lifetime friendships are forged. Life feels perfect until, at the dawn of the 20th century, it all starts to unravel. The Boer War, a troubled husband and the return of an old adversary – the stalwart Billie faces events that push her towards the edge of reason.
Against a background of New Zealand’s political and social developments, Threads of Gold is a story of choices, consequences and the amazing power of love.
THE GOLD SERIES BOOK 2
ISBN 978-0-47348350 Published by Silvereye Press. Available from libraries and major e-Booksellers.