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
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?
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):
Social Media:
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.
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