Moving back to Vancouver, British Columbia, she embarked on a real estate career, but continued working on her singing, studying with the late Lila McCormick, retired opera singer. It was there that she met her much-younger hubby, who enjoyed singing while he played his guitar. Tragically, the brilliant, witty, charming Steve died of a massive heart attack at age fifty-seven.
Marlene moved to New York after the long-running, hit musical, Promises, Promises, in which she’d been featured with Tony Roberts and Betty Buckley at the Prince of Wales theatre, in London’s West End, closed.
Having immigrated to L.A. from Vancouver, Canada at nineteen, she worked in film and on stage, preferring the latter. At age six she began performing for neighbors, wearing crepe paper costumes lovingly sewed by her musically gifted mother. In grade five, she wrote, directed, produced and starred in a one-act play, which her teacher allowed her to stage during lunch hours, along with a variety show she cast using talented kids from the lower grades. Side note from Marlene: I’m sure the play was terrible. I don’t think it had a plot!
Also, in grade five, the teacher asked the students to write a short story. Memorably, her teacher insisted she didn’t write the story she handed in. She told her to write another story, while she watched. She did and received an apology from her teacher.
The first time Marlene, as a youngster, walked into a darkened theatre, memorably, she sensed it would be part of her destiny. It’s hardly a surprise then, that her debut novel Angel in Shining Armor features a teenager with ambitions to become a performer, despite her alcoholic and promiscuous Mom dragging her down.
Marlene began writing, while working as a real estate agent in Vancouver, Canada. Her first non-fiction book, titled Gold Nuggets, consisting of inspirational short stories and poems was published in 2007. She booked a number of speaking engagements and book signings at book stores and other venues in Palm Desert, California where she wintered.
Bitten by a burning desire to write, she quit a thriving, lucrative real estate career, and began writing and attending writing conferences, including Mt. Hermon, Florida Christian Writer’s Conference, ACFW in Dallas, Texas and also Speak Up with Carol Kent, etc. She embarked on a mission to write for the glory of God.
Cynthia Hickey of Winged Publications, AZ., USA published Angel in Shining Armor, as well as a novella, Love Found in Manhattan in 2017. This was followed by the publication and release of Sagebrush Ranch Series (3 novels) and The Mystery of Bedford House, a novella.
Marlene adapted Angel in Shining Armor for the screen. It will soon be a major motion picture. She has also written three other screenplays. Her completed memoir On Fire for God is currently being submitted to agents and publishers. She is optimistic that she will soon obtain an agent and contract for the book’s publication.