Marian P. Merritt, Author: Who is This Southern Belle?

Today I want to introduce you to a new friend of mine, who is absolutely fantastic. You’re gonna love her from the get go. Her name is Marian P. Merritt, and she writes Christian Romance, and Woman’s Fiction, which is my favorite of her work. But, I’ll get to that later. For now, I want you to know who she is and what she’s about.

 But first, I want you to see why I wanted to highlight this amazing woman...

When Charleston Charly Maynard loses her job just weeks after her fiancé calls off the wedding, she decides to visit the cottage in the quaint village of Cavazzale, Italy she’s inherited from her grandmother. She’s hoping the time there will help her to decide what to do about her future. When she meets André Lagneaux, a handsome man from Bayou Country, who is visiting his brother in Cavazzale, Charly ignores the attraction. After all, she's not looking for romance. When André Lagneaux’s parents set up a family trip to Italy, André is eager to spend Christmas with his brother and godchild. Meeting the beautiful American woman at the airport adds to his excitement. He'd loved to get to know her, but her cool demeanor tells him she's not interested. Will she let down her guard and allow them to get to know one another? When Charly finds a prayer in her nonna’s diary that makes her realize God may have His own plan for her future, she must learn to trust. But, what if His plan includes the dark-haired Cajun?

How awesome is that? Right?

Q. You don’t appear to be from Boston…

A. Hardly! I grew up in South Louisiana in a small community south of New Orleans. Although there were times my Cajun accent was mistaken for one from the Northeast. Go figure…

Q. So, you’re one of those bayou gal’s who was always saying, “You know how those uppity folk are. They live way up north in New Orleans?”

A. Yes, I’m officially from “down the bayou” and New Orleans was considered “town.”

Q. I take it you love the South?

A.  I love a lot of things about the South. Especially the food and the people!

Q. You lived for a while in Colorado, and I gather you really enjoyed your time there.

A. Yes, I’ve lived in Colorado for the past eight years and while I missed so much about the South, I learned to appreciate so much from that state.

Q. You now live in Texas. How did that happen, and do you feel like Texas is as much of a home as Louisiana?

A. My husband was transferred by his company to Houston. We’ve lived here before so we were glad to come back to reconnect with friends. While I’m happy to be living back in the south closer to family and fresh seafood, I do miss the mountains, cooler temperatures, and low humidity of Colorado!

Q. Writing is clearly a passion for you, and it’s something you dearly hope will help inspire others. What was the key book you read as a kid that sparked for you?

A. I’m not sure there was one book in particular. I read so many books growing up “on the bayou.” The Island of the Blue Dolphin and Chita: A Memory of Last Isle were two books that have stayed with me. The characters were so vivid that I felt I was in the story with them. I appreciate the authors giving me that experience.

Q. You attended the University of South Alabama. What was your field of study and how does it influence your writing?

A. I have a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy. My medical background gives me another dimension to add to my characters.

Q. I saw on your fabulous website, http://www.marianmerritt.com, “While this bayou girl is glad to be back in the south because she loves her Southern roots, doesn't wear white after Labor Day, says y’all and can make a killer roux, she misses living in the mountains with it's low-humidity air and white Christmases! That's why you'll find a Louisiana/Colorado connection in each of her books.”

I have to admit, I was immediately reminded of the old television show, Designing Women, which was set in Atlanta, NOT Louisiana. I know that show was much before your time, but which of the characters mostly closely mirrors you?

A. Actually, Travis, I remember the show well. It was one of my favorites! I relate with Mary Jo. I know what it’s like to be a single mom trying to earn a living. I can also relate to her sharp wit.

Q. What is your favorite Christmas memory?

A. Going to my grandparents house and getting the wonderful Christmas fruit baskets they had for us each year.

Q. What is your deepest regret?

A. Deepest regret? Hmmm….I try really hard not to dwell of things of the past. I believe God wants us to live in His plan for our future and if we do, there’s no room for regrets.

 Q. If you could live for one year in any place on this Earth…

A. Wow, there’s so many places I would love to live. My number one place would be on a farm/vineyard in Tuscany, Italy.

Q. Is outer space something that interests you?

A. No. I’m a bit claustrophobic so the space suit would really freak me out.

Q. Is there another creative passion in your life?

A. I love photography and pottery. While I get to play with my camera often, I don’t get to use my wheel as much as I’d like.

Q. Who was your secret teenage crush?

A. Oh wow…blushing. That would be Donny Osmond. Big poster on my bedroom wall and all the Teen Beat magazines that he was on the cover.

Q. Sweet tea or coke?

A. Neither. I try to avoid sugar so I go with Unsweetened tea.

Q. How far back do your Southern roots go?

A. Good question. At least 6 maybe 7 generations or more. I haven’t actually counted. But I know there are several generations of grandparents buried in the same cemetery in the bayou town where I grew up.

Q. If you could go back and visit with your younger self, what age would it be and what would you say?

A. Twelve. I’d take myself to lunch and say, “No matter what. Don’t settle for anything less that your dream no matter how impossible it may seem.”

Q. Let’s talk about your books. Which of your novels is your favorite?

A. Now Travis, that’s like asking me which of my children is my favorite! I like each of them for different reasons. The Vigil is a story close to my heart because God sent me so much of that story in the middle of the night.

I'm going to insert ONE small sentence from the description of The Vigil. It was hooked immediately: "While reading a dying patient's Korean War love letters, family secrets shatter Cheryl's beliefs about her family and herself and shed light on the reason she fled her hometown."

Q. Why do you choose your current genres? Is there a genre you want to explore?

A. I love reading Women’s Fiction and can relate to those characters so it was a natural path for me to write those stories. I may have a mystery swirling through my brain that may one day materialize on the page.

Q. What’s next for you?

A. I’m brainstorming another Christmas novella. This one set in the fictional town of Bijou Bayou where The Vigil is set. Some of those characters will make an appearance.

I’m also working to complete a Women’s fiction story set in Tuscany, Italy and Mandeville, LA.

Lightning round!

Q. List 10 things you like:

A. Here’s is the list I have on my website:

Jesus

My Family

Sunshine

Rain

Snow – only when it's falling

Baby Giggles

Puppies (who doesn't love puppies?)

Optimism

Vintage Sports Cars

Saints and Broncos Football

Q. What? You got something against the Dallas Cowboys?

A. Sorry, Travis. They are not on my list of favorites.

Q. List 10 interesting things about you:

A.

I cried when I saw Michelangelo's David.

I drive a truck.

I've climbed Diamond Head in Hawaii.

I've owned two Harley Davidson motorcycles: A Sportster 883 and a Road King Classic.

I believe in pursuing your dreams.

I can shuck an oyster.

I graduated with a degree in physical therapy at thirty-four.

I've walked on the Great Wall of China.

Most of my childhood was spent running around barefoot.

I "kinda" speak Cajun French. (I can understand a lot and speak a little.)

Q. What’s the best way to follow you?

A. I have a readers group on Facebook that I share information with my readers.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/marianpmerritt/

Marian Pellegrin Merritt writes stories that blend her love of the mountains with her deep Southern roots. Her tagline, Where the Bayous Meets the Mountains, grew from both loves.

She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Women's Fiction Writers Association.

This Louisiana native writes her Christmas romances and Southern women’s fiction with a Louisiana/Colorado connection from the Texas home she shares with her husband and a very spoiled Labradoodle.

Connect with her through Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Marian P. Merritt's Readers Group

Buy links to Marian’s Books: http://www.marianmerritt.com/#!/cnec

Sara Vinduska and The Drowning Man

An Interview with Sara Vinduska

The Drowning Man is an intense romantic suspense/thriller that will grab you by the shirt collar from the very first pages, and will plunge you into a world of fear, regret, and revenge before surfacing into a very satisfying victory. This incredibly well written book will make you hold your breath so many times—you might need oxygen therapy in order to survive. That's how intense this book is! I've long maintained that Sara Vinduska is one of the best writers I've ever encountered, and this book confirms my assertion. So, what's it about?

Well, after watching his best friend drown when they were children, Kansas City firefighter Trent Barlow has devoted his life to saving others. Twenty years later, Dr. Caroline Newberry still blames Trent for the death of her son. Pushed over the edge by not being able to save a young child at work, Caroline abducts Trent, intent on retribution. Essentially, she snaps and executes a diabolical plan to drown Trent in retribution. Relying on her skills as a doctor, she drowns him, resuscitates him, only to do it again. And again. And again. How long can he endure before finally giving up?

But, Trent is not forgotten. A savvy police detective, Lora Tatum, refuses to give up hope. She can see Trent as more than a victim, and believes in him. But, Lora carries her own baggage as well. Can she save Trent? Can she save herself in the process?

This novel offers so much more than intensity. There is depth and meaning to this story, and, despite the dark subject, there is a message of hope and healing. And it’s so well written! This book deals with adult topics, so I’ll let you know, it is rated R for language, violence, sexual content, and sheer grittiness.

Rather than me offer you a review of the book, I thought maybe you’d rather hear from the author, herself. So, I asked her a handful of questions:

______________

Sara, I loved your newest release, The Drowning Man! This book kept me guessing and never let me relax. You’ve become a master suspense author. I truly could not guess how you were going to end your novel until the very last few pages.

Thank you! I especially appreciate that coming from a talented writer like yourself!

Q. Tell me, why do you write about such dark topics?

I believe that the more the characters are tested, the more challenges they have to face, this is what makes them become the man or woman they are destined to be. It also makes for more interesting reading and makes it so rewarding when they do triumph over all the obstacles in their path.

Q. You tell much of this story from a firefighter’s point of view, and you actually make me believe you have first hand experience on a ladder company. How much research went into your story to make it so believable?

A lot! I first did extensive online research and watched every firefighting movie I could get my hands on. After that, I toured a firehouse in North Carolina where I was living at the time. That was a great experience, they let me sit in the truck, try on all the equipment, and patiently answered my questions.

Q. You place your main character in a position to be drowned and resuscitated multiple times as a torture technique. Why did you choose this method to tell your story, and how much research did it require to make the story so believable?

The basic concept of this story, a man at the bottom of a tank, being drowned over and over actually started out as a dream I had. I know it sounds like a nightmare, but I woke up and immediately thought, I have to write that down. Then came the research.

Q. PTSD is a real struggle for so many people, and your characters each experience some form of PTSD as the story progresses. How does this shape the story and define the characters?

Overcoming their own struggles with PTSD is definitely a fundamental part of the story. The main characters have to become strong enough on their own before they can have a relationship. And by opening themselves up to each other, they continue the healing process.

Q. How much of this story reflects the life of Sara Vinduska? In what ways did you weave elements of your personal life into your story?

Very little actually. That’s the fun for me of being a writer; I get paid to make things up. I do think the one thing I want to resonate in my writing and that is a big part of my life, is that true love can overcome any obstacle.

Q. Could you tell us a little about your first novel?

Sure! Reflections is the first in a romantic suspense series that centers around Lash Brogan, an Irish actor, and his friends and acquaintances. It is much grittier than your typical romantic suspense book, but it sets up the rest of the series and future characters.

Q. What other genres have you tinkered with?

I’ve written a few articles and played around with writing a book about my journey starting out on a farm in Kansas, to wanting to get away from rural life, to finding my way back to it.

But mostly, I write what I love to read, which is romantic suspense.

Q. What’s next for you?

I am finishing the next book in my Lash Brogan series that picks up where Reflections left off. I hope to have it done by the end of the year.

Q. You are a very diverse woman, and you have a second career selling homemade products. Could you tell me about your other hobbies?

I love making natural bath and household products and sell them at our local farmers market. I am a registered yoga instructor. I also love cooking, wine tasting, and K-State football. And chocolate. I’m going to take a master chocolatier class starting the first of the year.

Q. What is the best way for people to follow you or contact you?

My email is scvinduska@yahoo.com and I can be found on twitter @scvinduska