ABOUT

Author Photograph: Ashley Smith

FAQs:

What’s the J.C. for? Jeanne Carbonara (no relation to the spaghetti) Sutton

Born in?: NY, NY. When? Let’s just say it’s then-mayor Fiorello LaGuardia’s facsimile signature on my birth certificate.

Hometown now? Tuckerton, New Jersey

Astrological sign? Scorpio

Hidden talent/s? B’way show tunes by heart, trivia nerd anytime, community theater, poetry groups, open mics, story slams. Writing? Not-so-hidden talent. WordsWorth was followed by Borders Books & Music, followed by Barnes & Noble until Medicare kicked in. Now? Rooms of my own. And the gift of time to finish and publish Beau & Eros (2019) and Until the Guillotine (2022).

Other creds? Thanks to scholarships and the usual assortment of part-time jobs, I first attended the College of New Rochelle (NY). Transferred to state U (DEL) junior year, graduated class of ’65, cum laude – gotta crow a little, right?

Spent first few years as high school drama teacher/coach, followed by married life and motherhood (of two), with stints as ad agency copy chief, newspaper theater critic, ghostwriter of two non-fiction books, and the freelance business you read about earlier.

“Mid-life” brought the divorce I sought, and those bookstore years in New Jersey, Delaware, and Florida. Nowadays? Keeping active as an ecology volunteer, along with community theater, poetry, spoken word, and book groups. I also offer workshops and programs geared to prose, poetry and publishing.

In addition to the novels you’ll read about under titles:

Non-fiction. More Challenges for the Delusional. Personal essay selected for inclusion.

Philadelphia magazine. Article nominated for National Magazine Award.

New Jersey Outdoors magazine. Successful early query.