Judi wrote this bio herself in 2001. I have left it intact just as she wrote it so the reader could get a feel for what a special lady she was.
As you might have guessed, Pandora is not my real name, although when I choose to write, I strive to become that mythical creature. I long to unleash the horrors of the miasma upon the world by way of my imagination. I was born Judith and by marriage became Goff. Not an especially romantic name, Judith Goff. Hence Pandora. At present, I live alone in an apartment in trendy Carrollwood, a suburb of Tampa, Florida. The décor is a blend of Asian and Art Nouveau with a sprinkling of thrift store funk, which I find exceedingly comfortable. This is forever subject to change, like life itself. I live surrounded by well-loved, well-read books, half-finished craft projects and manuscripts in various stages of completion, amid clutter and dust-bunnies. Martha Stewart I am not; after all, dull women do have immaculate houses. My constant companion and sometimes muse is Sammy, aka Son of Sam, my black and white homicidal cat.
I write dark fiction. My fascination with the dark side began at the tender age of six at local drive-in theaters, where my wonderful mother took me to screenings of such classics of the genre as Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula. Of course, she thought me tucked safely in the backseat with my eyes shut tight, but I, precocious and disobedient child that I was, sat peering from between the front seats at Karloff's monster and Lugosi's Count. What a delicious initiation! From there I went on to devour as much dark fiction as I could lay hands and eyes on, both written word and cinema, and I am doing so still.
My favorite authors are Joe R. Lansdale, Poppy Z Brite, Kathe Koja, and Robert McCammon, all geniuses in the genre of horror in their own right. But I also enjoy the writing of Connie May Fowler, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. I am exploring the spiritual teachings of Gary Zukav and Deepak Chopra along with the wisdom of Jesus and Buddha. I love Voltaire, Lord Byron and T.S. Eliot. Reading is more than a pastime; it is my greatest passion.
Musically, my tastes are diverse, ranging from Mark Almond, ZZ Top, Enigma, Creed, A/C D/C, and Black Sabbath, to Sarah Brightman and Cowboy Junkies. My roots go back to the likes of Led Zepplin, Iron Butterfly and the Doors. I was a child of the 60's and 70's. I love good jazz and smoky blues, Vivaldi and Cajun Zydeco. Again, there are many more. The Beatles and most folk singers bore me.
As for the other loves in my life, I have two sons and two grandchildren and a myriad of good friends; I love them all. I love moonlight, sunsets, electrical storms and a good hard rain; the sound of waves crashing on the shore, the smell of newly mown grass and new cars. I love horses and cats and new-born babies (before they grow into children and break the spell). I love walking on the beach, gathering shells and that delicious coconut scent from suntan lotions grown ripe and intoxicating in the warmth of the sun. I love Captiva Island. I love football (GO! BUCS!), Christmas trees and all that glitters and sparkles, all of the glitz and the glam of old Hollywood. I love Louis Icart, Aubrey Beardsley, Bessie Pease Gutman, black & white photography and Kewpie Dolls. I love old silver, amethysts and pearls, the way they look and the way they feel against skin. I love movies, magnolias, peonies, Antonio Banderas, Adrian Paul, and John Goodman. I love flannel nighties, satin, fireplaces, candles that run over and drip wax on my candlesticks, coca cola, and my home-made chili. I love long passionate discussions with my literary friends, traveling with Mark to his gigs, having two-hour conversations about everything and nothing, listening to Black Sabbath and Pantera (yeah, right) and playing at promoter (hey guys, it's working!) I love being a part of it all!
I believe in the Wiccan Rede 'An ye harm none, do what ye wilt', though I am not a witch, and the concept of our choices in life determining our experiences. I believe in tolerance, forgiveness and random acts of kindness. I abhor rudeness, hatred, bigotry and narrow-mindedness. I hate self-righteousness and smugness and cruelty and egotists, and I believe what we put out into the world will come back to us, be it goodness or evil, the law of three 'Whatever you do will return to you threefold'. I believe God is not a vengeful, vindictive God. I believe in free will.
I spent all of my employed incarnation in the retail arena, managing first a Frederick's of Hollywood(such fun!), then a video store and my final foray was in jewelry, a position I adored! What woman wouldn't want to spend her days fondling diamonds, pearls and precious jewels? Alas, the flesh is weak, indeed, and I was forced into retirement. Fortunately, that has allowed me to pursue my writing on a more concentrated basis. Perhaps, one day, I will join the ranks of the published, one can only live in hope.
I have written several short stories set in and around the Tampa Bay area, excerpts of which can be found here. I have several novels in various stages of completion. Only one is completed and I am still rewriting every time I do a read-through. Is a novel ever truly finished . . . I wonder! Bite! is a contemporary vampire novel set in Tampa's Latin Quarter, Ybor City. It is a story of a fledgling's obsession with her maker and his reluctant obsession with her. At the center of the story is a desire for revenge and a rogue's desiccation of so called 'vampire groupies'. You will eventually find a few scattered chapters here. It was great fun to write.
There is another novel I have been working on for several years, 'Amarantos', a vampire romance. It concerns a vampire and his evil sister, and his involvement with a mortal woman and the tragedy that ensues. There is an excerpt to be found here. And I have begun a new project, a sort of Faustian tale with a very unusual twist. More on that later.