The story behind the story...

Cyndy was recently interviewed about the inspiration for the Friday Afternoon Club. Read her answers below for a behind the scenes look at this great group of friends.

1. What was your inspiration for the Friday Afternoon Club?
 
I am so glad you asked! The inspiration for the Friday Afternoon Club series came from my own group of friends. (We are picture here with our husbands -- minus three of our members.) We’ve been getting together on Friday afternoons for about 17 years. And yes – we call ourselves the FAC.

We have no agenda, no crafts or no service projects. It’s just a chance to chat with people who have come to know and love me for who I really am. We started meeting when our kids were toddlers and now a couple of us are grandmothers. We’ve gone through career changes, divorce, death of parents and spouses, illnesses, marriages—just about every major life change you can imagine. I count the friendship of these women as one of the most precious blessings in my life.

I came up with the idea for the mystery series when our group was taking one of our “road trips.” We spent ten hours on a train to Chicago and laughed the entire time. On the trip home, I thought it would be a great premise for a mystery. We ended up plotting a story with the help of several passengers and the conductor who happened to be a part-time mortician. Although the trip inspired the series, that particular story hasn’t been written… yet.

2. The six women in the FAC are all unique. Which character do you most identify with in the novel?

I definitely identify with Liz – wanting to be that ”marvelous mom” and “wonderful wife” but always feeling like she falls short. A peek in my laundry room will tell you why I often feel the same way. My only solace comes from Genesis 2:25, “They were naked and not ashamed.” (My family is pictured here on the right -- with clean clothing.)

3. So do you have a dog like Daisy?

Yes! And her name is Daisy, too. Here's her picture. You can just see the mischevious look in her eye. She's probably plotting how to get into my new "pet proof" trash can. 

4. How important do you think it is for us to have friends in our lives like the Friday Afternoon Club?

As I mentioned earlier, I count the friendship of my FAC group as one of the most precious blessings in my life. We have been together through the hilarious – “Stop! Before I wet my pants!” times to heartbreaking periods of grief and anguish. My last child was born prematurely and died shortly after birth. During my recovery period, my friends brought me meals, flowers -- even chocolate. They sat by my side, cried with me – and eventually helped me to smile. I’m not sure where I would be without their support. This type of friendship doesn’t just happen. While I think that we, as women, long for these types of relationships, we don’t make it a priority build them. The most common excuse is that we’re just too busy with family and work responsibilities. Or we feel guilty about taking time for ourselves. I also think some women are hesitant to reach out because they were wounded by the pettiness of other women in the past. It’s my hope that readers will see the value of investing in friendship – and be motivated to start their own FAC groups.