Author Spotlight: Judith Works

I decided to enroll in law school in mid-life. After receiving my degree, I wanted to change careers. Through a stroke of luck, I learned about a position in the United Nations in Rome and got the job. My husband and I moved there and spent ten years full of adventures and misadventures in the Eternal City. Now retired, we live in a small town on Puget Sound north of Seattle. Besides writing, I am active in various literary associations in the area.

My writing journey began when I woke up one dark rainy February morning longing to be back in Rome where I’d spent ten sunny and delicious years. I had lots of stories to tell about adventures and misadventures and so began work on my memoir. Several years later after it was published, I realized there was much more to tell about the challenges of expat life. I began to develop a novel about a young woman who looks for more as she struggles to find herself in the Eternal City. The result was published by The Wild Rose Press last November.

My preferred genre is women’s fiction where I can write about the life events affecting us. I’m working on a new novel and at the same time exploring flash fiction and poetry as a way to enhance the creative process.

Alessandro and I met twice a week. To control my raging emotions, I stayed away from subjects

which could be misconstrued as provocative. I asked questions about Rome and told him about

life in the United States. I honored his request to tell him how patients like to be spoken to in

America by imagining how I would want to be told.

I struggled, wanting to be with him—not to talk about the newspaper headlines or hamburgers

but to learn the details of his life and his hopes for his future. Not cardiology but other matters of

the heart. It wasn’t hard to sense he too was finding our meetings ever more difficult as he

began a sentence on some innocuous subject then stuttered to a halt. As the space between

our discussion topics lengthened, the tension increased.

One day he said, “Nicole, you never talk about you, what you want in life. Let’s not talk about

American food anymore.” He placed his warm hand over mine. I could feel his pulse beating at

the same rapid pace, throbbing throughout my body.

I wanted to tell him I needed love, comfort, and encouragement but couldn’t articulate the

words. I wanted to say it was important to be a good mother, and I wanted to say some time I’d

make up for dropping out of school—become a professional like most of my friends who’d gone

on to graduate and start careers.

To break the dangerous spell, I reached for my coffee with the other hand, but accidentally

knocked over the cup, spilling it on the table. He withdrew his hand to wipe the mess away.

“Will you come again next week?”

I mumbled, “Yes.” He gathered his books and hurried away. I was rooted to the chair, my mind

racing with anticipation I could not tamp down.

****

When I got back to our apartment Martin was home. “Where were you?”

“Working on my Italian. I need the language if you want me to manage here.”

“There’s laundry in my suitcase.”

I could feel my face contort in anger. He looked alarmed and added, “Nice to be home. What’s

for dinner?”

It didn’t quell my rage. It was easier to manage without his presence, and I hoped

he’d be off again soon.”

Purchase links:

   Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-measure-of-life-judith-works/1146224295?ean=2940185988794

   Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-measure-of-life-1

   Apple: Available

Coins in the Fountain.

Presently self-published.

     Pasta! Vino! Hill Towns! It’s all here in the story of a couple who said “NO!” to middle age boredom and made a dash from a small-town in Oregon to cosmopolitan Rome.

     Purchase link: