Interview with Judith Marshall author of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever

Disclaimer: By posting this interview I am in no way endorsing any of the authors work but rather simply giving a forum so that we as readers can get to know them and the authors can promote their stories.

DLC: I want to welcome Judith Marshall to my blog. She is the author of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

JM: I’m a third generation native Californian, born in St. Helena and raised in Concord. After leaving a successful career in corporate America as a human resources executive, my lifelong dream of writing fiction was realized with the completion of Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, winner of the Jack London Prize awarded by the California Writers Club. The book was recently optioned for the big screen.

I’m an active member of the California Writers Club and a regular participant in writing classes and workshops. I’m currently working on my second novel, Staying Afloat, the story of a devoted stay-at-home wife and mother who morphs into a sex-starved adulteress.

DLC: Your book title is really interesting. Tell us about the story. 

JM: The story takes place in Northern California over a six-week period in the spring of 2000, when the dot-com boom was at its peak. Elizabeth Reilly-Hayden is a successful executive in her late fifties and a divorced mother of two. Emotionally armored and living alone, she wants only to maintain the status quo: her long-term significant other, her job, and her friends -- five feisty women who first met in high school. Yet in a matter of days, the three anchors that have kept her moored are ripped away.

The group of lifelong pals gathers at Lake Tahoe to attend to the funeral arrangements of their beloved friend, and tries to unravel the mystery of her death. Through their shared tragedy, Liz learns how disappointment and grief can bloom into healing and hope.

DLC: Sounds inspirational for those who are dealing with hurt in their lives. Did you find inspiration for your book from personal experiences?


JM: . Like the protagonist in my novel, I too have been blessed with the friendship of a group of women I first met in high school. I always knew I wanted to write a story about enduring female friendship, but life kept getting in the way. I admire people who can write and hold a full-time job. I couldn’t. It wasn’t until I ended my career that I had the time to write.

DLC: That's a bold step to take and I admire it. I ask this of all the authors I interview, what advice would you give to an upcoming author?

JM: Coco Chanel once said, “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is an option.” That’s the attitude you need to be a writer.

DLC: Great advice. I think we already touched a little on this next question. What sources do you draw from when creating a new story?

JM: When I begin a first draft, I start with a real-life situation, develop the main characters, and then let them take the story where they want it to go. I don’t do plotting until I begin the revision process.

DLC: For this story did you face any personal challenges when writing it?

JM: My greatest challenge in writing any story is to silence my inner critic; the voice that says, “this stinks,” “what made you think you could write,” etc.

DLC: I think we have the same inner critic. lol That's why I have such admiration for authors because we all face insecurities and yet work through those feelings and persevere. Judith, I want to again thank you for sharing with us today and I will keep an eye out for the movie trailer. =) I wish you all the best of luck with your career and writing.

For any of my readers who would like to find out more about Judith Marshall's book please visit www.judithmarshall.net or check out Amazon @ Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever.

Blessings,
Daniel L Carter
Author of The Unwanted Trilogy