"Three Blank Pieces of Paper" by Joy York

 – the kind of love that fills up

A legacy of never giving up inspired the eulogy penned with only moments to spare.

Joy York lives in Greenwood, Indiana. Her inspiration for writing came from her grandmother’s tradition of oral storytelling. Joy has been writing for fifteen years and is currently a member of the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She self-published her first book, The Bloody Shoe Affair: A daring and thrilling adventure with the jailer’s daughter, a young adult mystery/coming of age novel, in 2015. Genuine Deceit: A Suspense Novel was released in May 2021 on Amazon.

Author’s Talk

Joy York

My inspiration for storytelling came from listening to my Mama Leavie tell fascinating stories to me and my cousins in the evenings while sitting on her porch in rural Alabama. She sat in a swing telling tales to her wide-eyed audience of grandchildren gathered at her feet, all of whom hung on every word. The scarier the story, the better. Years later, I carried on that same tradition with my young son as we sat in his favorite place, the center landing of the staircase, and I spun my own tales of princes, flying houses, ogres, and gargoyles, always making my son the conquering hero.    

Although my career has mostly been in retail management, I began writing about fifteen years ago. I quickly realized there was a big difference between telling a story or having an amazing idea for one and writing it in a cohesive and engaging form that readers would enjoy. In other words, I had a lot to learn. That is when I began joining professional writing organizations that would provide workshops, conferences, critiques groups, and the support I needed to hone my craft. When I retired in 2013, I began writing fulltime. 

I have always heard that you should write what you know, so that is exactly what I did with my first self-published book, The Bloody Shoe Affair: A daring and thrilling adventure with the jailer’s daughter, a young adult mystery/coming of age novel in 2015. This book was inspired by trips to visit my cousin who was the jailer’s daughter. My uncle was a deputy sheriff and manager of a county jail in rural Alabama. Their family lived in a brownstone house that was connected to the jail. My cousin was a vivacious prankster who loved adventure, and I was the shy, never-break-a-rule opposite. She frequently visited with the prisoners to play checkers and sneak them tobacco. Playing jailer and locking me in an empty cell was one of her favorite games. One time when we were in the creepy basement of the jail, she told me there were lady’s bloody shoes in the evidence room from a murder scene. At night, you could hear her calling out for her shoes. Years later, the fictional tale of The Bloody Shoe Affair was born. 

Genuine Deceit: A Suspense Novel was released last May on Amazon. I am currently editing another mystery/suspense novel, Protective Instincts.—Joy York