Writing

Themes: family dynamics, the human condition, connection to nature, and responsibility to the planet to ensure generations to come

while restoring connections in fractured communities

Awards: Lloyd E. Penland Scholarship recipient (2012), honorable mention for short story “Cicada Crescendo” in the 2020 CRAFT Elements Contest (2020),

third place in The Bucks County Short Story Fiction Contest (2017), and winner of The Bucks County Community College Haiku Contest (2012).

Publications: CRED Philly Magazine (2012), The Sun Magazine (2013), PhillyVoice (2015), Ignatian Literary Magazine (2022), Evening Street Review (2022)

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Children's Books

Like The Sun Holds The Moon: A Children's Book

AVAILABLE NOW!

amazon.com/author/joywaldinger

Synopsis: A little girl comforts her younger brother with a story about how their parents met and why they cannot stay together. This story is meant to broach the topic of separation (divorce or adoption) with young children in a magical and kid-friendly way. It can allow for conversation about a subject that can be very challenging. It is meant to comfort and inspire.

TRASH CRAB

AVAILABLE NOW wherever books are sold!

http://littlecreekpress.com/bookstore/trash-crab-soft-cover/

Synopsis: A day at the beach turns into a search and rescue mission when the Taylor sisters stumble upon their first trash crab. Instead of shells, these hermit crabs use plastic bottle caps, cans, and other trash to protect themselves since their environment has changed. Juniper Rose and Katerina Mae save countless ocean creatures along the shoreline and put their heads together to solve this serious problem!

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Novels

Like The Sun Holds The Moon: A Novel

AVAILABLE NOW wherever books are sold!

http://littlecreekpress.com/bookstore/like-the-sun-holds-the-moon-a-novel-hard-cover/

Audiobook available now wherever audiobooks are sold!

https://www.audible.com/pd/Like-the-Sun-Holds-the-Moon-Audiobook/B0BQT6C2PW

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Ava Luna puts her future on hold to care for her mother in the days leading up to a risky surgery. Coinciding with the seasons and cycles of the moon, the four parts of this novel tackle family dynamics and mental and physical health as it follows Ava Luna’s quest for independence, assertiveness, and wholeness.

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Short Stories

3rd Place in Bucks County Short Fiction Contest (2017)

"Waldinger’s story about a young narrator’s longing for a truly intimate relationship is marked by a “lively voice,” “the uniqueness of its language,” and its moving depiction of a “missed opportunity for deeper intimacy,” Benton noted."

PRESS

http://newtownpanow.com/2017/11/29/winners-bucks-county-short-fiction-contest-announced/