Q & A | How to Marry Your Husband by Jacqueline Rohen

I’m delighted to be on tour today hosting Jacqueline Rohen in my hot seat chatting to us about her debut novel, How to Marry Your Husband.

Sadly, Jacqueline Rohan passed away yesterday. My thoughts are with her family at this difficult time. Her publishers have released the following:

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our author Jacqueline Rohen on 28^th April at her home in Uganda. The family request privacy at this difficult time. She was so excited to be published and so we will continue with the rest of the blog tour as planned, to do Jax’s lovely book justice. We at Arrow and Cornerstone are shocked and saddened by this news. Our thoughts are with her family and her fiancé Matt at this time.

If you feel you can, please support Jacqueline’s debut novel. x

Author Interview

Hi Jacqueline, welcome to Jera’s Jamboree.

What was the idea/inspiration for How to Marry Your Husband?

The story is loosely inspired by the ‘divorce’ of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall:

“Jagger and Hall got hitched in a ceremony on the Indonesian island of Bali in 1990, but a long legal battle prompted by their split nine years later ended in a court ruling that the union was legally invalid. When Hall began divorce proceedings in 1999, Jagger released a public statement saying they were never officially married.”

Their story stuck with me for years. Did Jagger purposefully dodge a legal wedding? Did he know it wasn’t legal? How many millions did he save in a settlement by doing so? Or did he only find out during the divorce proceedings? I wanted answers!

If you could choose to be one of your characters which would you be? and why?

I would love to be Rachel’s best friend Eva – she’s solid, sexy, fun, dependable! Someone you could have a few cocktails with and be a shoulder to cry on! And she’s got amazing hair!

What scene did you enjoy writing the most Jacqueline?

The ending – no spoilers! I had rewritten the last few chapters several times but the final version felt like an achievement – when everything came together. And then there was the joy of typing the words ‘the end’.

… and the hardest scene to write?

Towards the end of the book there is a showdown between the main character Rachel and her husband David – it’s a horrible row. Arguments bring out the worse in people, and it was awful to place hateful words and spiteful sentiments into their respective mouths.

Do you have a most creative time of day?

I love to write in the morning before anyone else wakes up – I think of it as magic hours – no noise, no interruption. When I was writing the first draft of How to Marry Your Husband I was often writing at six in the morning, and by nine o’clock I’d already done three hours work. I’m easily distracted by a WhatsApp message or Twitter notification – so much so I’ve had to mute them at times!

Pantster or plotter?

I used to be a pantster – I’d have notebooks filled with random ideas, quotes of funny dialogue, and the starts of chapters and would write away and see what happened. But since working with a professional editor – I’ve turned into a serious plotter! I don’t recognise myself!

Do you have a favourite book?

My teenage self would be utterly surprised by this answer, but I have fallen in love with Pride & Prejudice. I hated Jane Austin when I was younger but I love her now. I listen to the audiobook of Pride & Prejudice every few months (the version narrated by Rosamund Pike is the best). I’m unashamedly #TeamDarcy!

What are you reading now Jacqueline? Opinion?

I’ve not long finished In Five Years by Rebecca Searle. Wow, what a book! It was a roller coaster of emotion – not what I was expecting but much more! I cried buckets at the ending.

I’ve just started reading Samantha Irby’s Wow, No Thank You. And I’m only a few chapters in and loving it, it’s so funny. And her love of STUFF is refreshing in this new minimalistic Marie Kondo’d world we live in!

Do you think movie adaptations do books justice?  Do you have a favourite?

That’s a tough question. My personal favourite book-to-film has to be Bridget Jones’s Diary.

I’m not always enthralled by the prospect of a well-loved read being given the Hollywood treatment but I love how films can open the doors on books that may not have had a look-in otherwise. I really enjoyed the adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians. And I loved Greta Gerwig’s take on Little Women.

I’m looking forward to seeing how Daisy Jones & The Six is adapted.

Finally, have you joined any writing groups? 

I am truly indebted to the Romantic Novelists’ Association – and an early draft of How To Marry Your Husband was reviewed through their amazing RNA First Writers Scheme (the scheme opens every January). I couldn’t have done without the support of the RNA Facebook group. They are such a generous group of writers.

Thank you for being my guest. Wishing you success with all your writing projects.

Jackie Rohen is from Essex. Having previously worked in television and musical theatre (BBC Comedy, 2012 London Olympics, and the London School of Musical Theatre), she now lives in Uganda where she and her fiancé have set up the Bulindi Chimpanzee & Community Project to conserve wild chimpanzees by supporting local households living alongside them. She is very much looking forward to the publication of her debut novel, How To Marry Your Husband in 2020. Twitter/Instagram : @dippyjax