Welcome to the website of award-winning author Judith Marshall. She is the owner of the publishing imprint Kelso Books. Her debut novel, HUSBANDS MAY COME AND GO BUT FRIENDS ARE FOREVER, is available on Amazon in print and as an ebook. Her upcoming novel, STAYING AFLOAT, the story of a devoted wife and mother who morphs into a sex-starved adulteress, will be available soon. 

To see what motivated her to write her first novel, check out a video of her TV Interview on Midday Arizona.

Click on her blog for the latest news!

	Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever (Kelso Books) is the winner of the Jack London Prize awarded by the California Writers Club. The story is a celebration of fresh hopes, second chances, and the anything-but-simple art of relationships.
	Set in a small town in Northern California, in the spring of 2000 when the dot-com boom was at its peak, the story centers around Elizabeth Reilly-Hayden, 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 trusted 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.
	“The women in Judith Marshall’s book are memorable… reminding us that friendship, though fragile at times, can withstand calamities, especially the ones we create for ourselves.”—Teresa LeYung Ryan, author of Love Made of Heart “A rich, funny, deeply-felt story of sisterhood, loyalty, and the human heart.” —Frank Baldwin, author of the novels Balling the Jack and Jake & Mimi “Judith Marshall has written a book that, once you start it, you will not want to put down, and once you finish it, you will want to read again. It makes you remember that there is nothing quite so important as good friends.”—D.W. Buffa, author of Breach of Trust and many other legal thrillers.
	Born in the Napa Valley, the only daughter of warring parents thrown together out of need rather than love, I learned early to escape to the movies to shelter myself from the chaos at home. Slumped down in the dark, I dreamed of one day becoming a writer, someone who could express her feelings on paper. But soon life got in the way and it wasn’t until years later, when I had finished reading Rebecca Well’s book, The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, that I slammed the book shut and exclaimed, “That bitch wrote my book!” (No offense, Ms. Wells) Anyway, I left my job as an HR executive and turned my attention back to my childhood dream. Inspired by the support of a group of lifelong friends, I sat down at the computer and began to write a story I’d had in my head for years. When the first draft was complete, I joined the California Writers Club, found a critique group, and never looked back. Five years and three revisions later, my first novel, Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever, was born.

I continue to hone my craft by attending writing classes, workshops, and conferences, all the while reading a wide variety of fiction. “You must read to write well,” is my motto. 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.