A Good Way to Wind Up Dead

J. W. Judge

Available on June 10, 2025

I am a lawyer by day and a writer in the early morning hours before the sun breaks the horizon. My writing is fueled by strange dreams and an overactive imagination.

A Good Way to Wind Up Dead is scheduled for release on June 20, 2025. This novel tells the story about what happens when an inquisitive true crime podcaster (Chase) unknowingly befriends a contract killer (Samantha Ray) who has just killed her father and is at the outset of navigating taking control of the family business and fending off the people who want her dead.

My fifth novel, Watch Party (suspense/mystery), came out in 2024: Alex and her co-workers survive a plane crash only to begin disappearing one-by-one on a deserted island in the Caribbean. "Lost meets Agatha Christie! This suspense-filled tale of island castaways and murder keeps you guessing until the very end." -- Lisa M. Lilly, author of the Q. C. Davis Mysteries

I have been writing creatively for more than 25 years, but I didn't write my first novel until 2020, when a particularly vivid and unusual dream coincided with some unusual life experiences to set the stage for the writing of Vulcan Rising. I had expected it to be a standalone novel, but as I approached the end of that book, I realized the story had more legs. That decision led to the writing of my second and third novels, Seeking Sanctuary and Forging Bonds. All three of those books comprise The Zauberi Chronicles. I envision writing at least two more books in that series, but those aren't in the slate of books to be written next.

My fourth novel, Casual Business with Fairies, was my first true standalone. I really enjoyed the departure from the previous the prior story line, though readers of all four books will find some character overlap. After a podcast interview with author Kevin Tumlinson, I decided that it would be more interesting and lead to unexpected interactions and crossovers if all my fantasy novels occurred within the same world.

If you're a busy person with aspirations of writing a novel, my non-fiction book, Write Your Novel One Day at a Time, will help you make that a reality.

Finally, I co-host the podcast, The Write Approach, with USA Today bestselling author Barbara Hinske. You can check out all the episodes on our website, listen to them on your favorite podcast app, or watch the show on our YouTube channel.