CAROLINA DREAM - Regina Rudd Merrick - One Free Book

Welcome, Regina. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I guess I could say that my main character, Sarah, is who I would have liked to have been at one point in my life. Slim, beautiful, athletic, musically gifted, and successful in everything. What IS part of myself is her love for music, her grandmother’s piano, and her constant feelings of inadequacy and pondering if there isn’t something out there that would be better for her, job-wise.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I’m not sure if this would qualify as “quirky,” but I recently discovered two things about myself as a writer. 1. I need something to look at – preferably nature, not people. People are a distraction. 2. I need background noise. Music with lyrics distract me. People talking distract me. So I thought about what I listened to growing up that was relaxing, yet inspiring. Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. I found all my dad’s old albums on YouTube videos, so I can have music playing on a tab on my computer while I type away!

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed writing. I scribbled away as a child. As a teen, I began a sequel to Gone With the Wind. I should really look for that one . . . College was easy when it came to writing papers, and I found I enjoyed writing devotions and inspirational bits. Then I found Fan fiction, which led me to my good friend Lorna Sielstad. We were on the same site, and started corresponding along with some other ladies who were interested in pursuing publication. She led me to ACFW, where I made many friends. Kay Dacus kept telling me, “You need to meet Kathy Cretsinger,” and I did. At the time, she simply had an interest in writing and getting her book published. A few years later, she and her husband formed Mantle Rock Publishing, and published my first book! So to answer the question – I’ve never NOT been a writer!

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

A good book is a good book. My first love was Laura Ingalls Wilder. From there, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I discovered Janette Oke early in my young adulthood and devoured them and any “bonnet” book I could find. I exhausted the Victoria Holt, Grace Livingston Hill, and Emilie Loring books in my library. I like Zane Gray westerns, mysteries, suspense, thrillers, and in Christian Fiction I love any romance – contemporary, historical, western, suspense. I’m one of the few that doesn’t prefer Amish, but there are some out there that I love!

I’ve been through all those authors you mentioned. A missionary friend of mine introduced me to Emilie Loring novels. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Pray, read my Bible, Pray, and Pray. It’s the only thing that keeps me grounded. Trying to work, write, and publish is a daunting task. I’m a church musician, as well, so there isn’t a lot of downtime. Sometimes I just have to build some in – and PRAY.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

It’s really quite arbitrary. I chose “Sarah” because I love that name. It was on the short list for both our daughters. I chose Jared because it sounds good with Sarah! Since Carolina Dream and the upcoming Carolina Mercy are set in South Carolina, I dug until I found some good Southern surnames. I love that type of research.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?

There are many things I could name, but for me, it has to be the publication of my first novel. Signing the contract was amazing. Finally writing “the end” at the tail of my manuscript was exhilarating. But opening that first box of books was truly humbling. God has been good to me, and I don’t appreciate it nearly enough. He lets me BE proud of this accomplishment!

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

This is funny. I just took one of those personality tests today, and was not surprised by my results. Every time I take one, I am some kind of dog. Today it was Golden Retriever. Once it was a Burmese Mountain Dog, which, after looking it up, was quite a compliment! LOL

What is your favorite food?

Chocolate. And Roast beef and mashed potatoes. But what I worry about most, when I run low, is running out of chocolate.

The critique group that meets in my home is often called the chocolate group, because we always have dark and milk chocolate bowls on the coffee table. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

My greatest issue has always been time and consistency. Since I work full-time as a library director, I write in spurts, when I have a few hours alone. I can get 2-3K written in an afternoon – when I have an afternoon. It helped when I had a deadline! I just simply knew I had to complete it, and that I had to put other things aside. I am very fortunate to have a husband who pitches in and takes care of the mundane like cooking, laundry, and vacuuming!

James is a laundry and house cleaning husband. What a blessing! Tell us about the featured book.

Carolina Dream is book 1 in my contemporary Southern Breeze Series set in South Carolina. Here’s

a blurb:

Sarah Crawford wants more from life than to attend the wedding of her ex-fiancée. An unexpected inheritance in South Carolina comes at the perfect time, just as Sarah is willing to use any excuse to get out of town.

When she meets potential business partner Jared Benton and discovers that a house is part of the inheritance, she is sure that God has been preparing her for this time through a recurring dream. But will a dream about an antebellum mansion, many rooms to be explored, and a man with dark brown eyes give her the confidence to take a leap of faith, leaving friends, family, and her job behind?

Please give us the first page of the book.

March

The house was quiet. The crowd that had milled around the main floor of the mansion finally dissipated around five o’clock that afternoon, and Jared Benton was finally alone. He took in the polished mahogany sideboard and table, the formal velvet drapes, the gleaming hardwood floors. It wasn’t the same without Alex. It had been a haven – a place where he knew acceptance and generosity.

Now? Now it was just a big house full of memories and would be passed along to the next owner. He took off the well-tailored suit jacket and laid it across a dining chair, then pulled at his tie. It felt like a noose around his neck after an interminable day.

His attention was caught by a soft sniffle.

“Bright Eyes?”

Jared looked up to see Prudie, still in her black funeral dress, just inside the dining room archway of Alex Crawford’s 1859 mansion. He stood there a minute, his half-smile aimed at the old woman. He saw that her hankerchief was still in her hand, where he’d seen it earlier. She dabbed at her nose and eyes as she tried to erase evidence of that sniffle. He laid the letter back on the table and walked over to her. “Prudie, I thought I told you to go on home.”

“I couldn’t leave until I’d seen you again.” She turned her face to him with a watery smile and put her hand on his arm. “Amazing how time flies, isn’t it? It seems like just yesterday that I saw a skinny teenager poke his head in the back door looking for a glass of water on a hot summer day. Now you’re a man grown.” She patted his arm and swiped a tear from her eye. Her head shook with frustration . . .

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Purchase links (Amazon.com):

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Dream-Southern-Regina-Merrick/dp/1945094133/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1492616087&sr=8-1&keywords=carolina+dream+regina+merrick

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Dream-Regina-Rudd-Merrick-ebook/dp/B06XF1HK4L/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1492616087&sr=8-1

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regina-R-Merrick-512257938964888/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/trmerrick64

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reginamerrick/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rmerrick/

Website: www.reginamerrick.wordpress.com

Publisher Website: https://mantlerockpublishing.com/

Thank you, Regina, for sharing this book with us. I’m eager to read it.

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com