Welcome author Regina Merrick to my Thursday blog!

Welcome, Regina, to my blog! Tell us a little about yourself.

Hi, Pam! Thanks so much for hosting me today! I’m a wife, mother of two adult daughters, author, former librarian, musician, and vicarious DIY-er (that means I like to watch HGTV where other people are actually doing the work! LOL!). I have a daughter getting married next year, so weddings are forefront in my mind these days––wonder why I thought I needed a wedding in my last two books? 😉 My husband of 35 years is a retired teacher who hasn’t stopped since his retirement. He’s doing different things and trying really hard to stay out of my hair so I can write!

We’re going to talk about your books in a moment, but first, let us know a bit more about you. Do you have an interesting experience to share?

I like to think about what most people call “coincidences,” and I call “God-Winks.” When I first started writing, I was following other people’s blogs, commenting on a few, and positive I could never be published. One of the bloggers I got to know, and got to meet, actually, was Kaye Dacus. We met for lunch one day when I won a box of books from her in a drawing. I remember two main things from that meeting. Two statements. The first was “Tell me about your story.” That was the first time someone, in person, had asked me about my writing and expected a pitch. I learned then that I needed to have a pitch ready! The second was “You’ve got to meet Kathy Cretsinger.” It wasn’t long after that that I was invited to meet with Kathy, Susan Page Davis, and Sandra Robbins, and then the KenTen Writers Group was a huge part of my life. Kathy eventually published her own book, and she and Jerry are now MY publishers! I love when God shows us up, don’t you?

Most writers become writers because they love to read. Who are the authors that influenced you?

First was Laura Ingalls Wilder. Then, as a teen, I started reading Grace Livingston Hill and Emilie Loring, along with a Harlequin writer from the 60s and 70s, Essie Summers. She wrote Christian Fiction before Love Inspired ever came to be! I still read all of those authors over and over again! There have been many since then: Eugenia Price, Victoria Holt, Phyllis Whitney, and now there are SO MANY Christian authors that I follow like Laura Frantz, Dianne Mills, Mary Coneally. An author who had direct influence on me was the late Sandra Robbins. I grab every copy of her books I can find, and I miss her so much!

What are some tools you use when writing?

Kathy Cretsinger put me on to the “Flip Dictionary,” and it’s fabulous! I’m also using Scrivener. I used it for books 2 and 3, and I’m using it for my current WIP, which is a new series.

How do you research for a book?

Google is a writer’s best friend! LOL! I’d like to say I take nice research trips (especially to the beach), but I don’t. I Google and subscribe to blogs and newsletters that pertain to my research. I’ve been on the South Carolina Tourism blog list for a while, and now I’ve started researching more forensics. 

Tell us about your books, their titles and what they’re about.

My first series is the Southern Breeze Series. Book 1 is Carolina Dream (April 2017), book 2 Carolina Mercy (July 2018), and book 3 is Carolina Grace (February 2019). This series takes place mostly in South Carolina, in the Pawley’s Island area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston. It begins with a Kentucky girl and an inheritance, and goes from there, pulling in friends and family. They’re all contemporary Christian romance, and I try to bring to life people with real problems and heartaches but give them hope!

Any works in progress?

I actually have two WIPs! One is book 1 of a new series, and it’s a contemporary romance with a mystery! The second is a novella in a collection with three other Mantle Rock Publishing authors, and they all take place on an island. Mine will actually tie in with my Southern Breeze Series!

You write Christian fiction. What separates your books from mainstream clean fiction?

Clean fiction is great. That’s what I grew up reading, and I would definitely like to write that as well. I guess the difference is that, as a Christian, the Christian world-view is just part of my life, therefore it’s part of my characters’ lives. God matters and is first in their lives, or they’re striving for that level of commitment. I use scripture, but I don’t whack people over the head with it. It has to be organic to be effective, I think.

Is there a particular saying or Scripture that you rely on for motivation or comfort or encouragement?

My first book, Carolina Dream, was centered around this verse: Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4. It’s been “my verse” since I was a teenager, and as the years go by, I’ve realized that it doesn’t mean God is a genie who will grant wishes, but rather that when I submit myself to HIS desires, MY desires change to be closer to God’s.

What hobbies do you have?

Music is my biggest hobby. I’ve been playing piano in church since I was 13 and now play organ and keyboard for our services, and for our praise band. Otherwise, I love to watch HGTV and plan renovation projects. I always dreamed of being an interior designer, but how many of those do you really need in Western Ke;ntucky? So, I plan projects for my own house, and occasionally I get to do them! 

Do your personal interests or experiences find their way into your books?

Oh, most definitely! In book 1, Sarah was a pianist, and Jared was a real estate mogul, another HGTV interest of mine. My current WIP has a brother-sister team who owns a construction company specializing in old house renovation and restoration – that stems from both HGTV AND the fact that I own a 100-year-old house!

As a writer, I know that sometimes you can get discouraged. How do you work through the down times?

Honestly, down-times are rough. As an introvert (yes, really), I have to have my alone-time. I get discouraged when I’m over-booked and overwhelmed. Like weeks leading up to Christmas or any other major event. This year I’m also playing for a family friend’s wedding, and my daughter is looking at wedding venues while they’re here from NYC. I’m already feeling overbooked! Sometimes I just have to take a day off and take care of what’s keeping me from writing. Yesterday, in fact, I was feeling pressure from all sides, so I wrote a little bit, got stumped, and decided to work on music for the wedding. It was hanging over me, so I needed to eliminate something. It helped! I feel better about writing when I eliminate the things pressing on my mind. It’s my hope that eventually I’ll be able to write through all the other stuff that weighs on me. I’m still working on th

Anything you’d like to add? Just that you, Pam Harris, are another of my favorite authors and my favorite editor!! You have made my editing process so painless that I actually look forward to seeing what you have to say because you let me keep my voice. Thanks for making me a better writer!

Aw, you’re sweet to say that! I enjoy editing our books because I enjoy reading them! Thanks again, Regina, for participating in today’s blog;, and readers, continue reading to find helpful links and read more about Regina’s book.

Book Blurb:

She’s always gotten everything she’s wanted. He thinks he has to give up everything. 

Her best friend’s wedding is foremost on Lucy Dixon’s radar. Her biggest concern is once again meeting Tom Livingston, who has ignored her since an idyllic date on the boardwalk of Myrtle Beach the previous summer. 

At least, it is her biggest concern until tragedy strikes. Where is her loving, merciful God, now?

When Tom Livingston meets Lucy, the attraction is instant. Soon after, his mother is diagnosed with an untreatable illness and his personal life is pushed aside. His work with the sheriff’s department, his family – they are more important. He knows about the love of God, but circumstances make him feel as if God’s mercy is for everyone else, not him. 

Can a wedding and a hurricane – blessing and tragedy – bring them together?

Bio:

Short:

Regina Rudd Merrick is a writer, church musician, wife, mother, former librarian, and grateful follower of Jesus Christ. Having lived most of her life in Western Kentucky, she dreams of the sound of crashing waves and sandy beaches. Married to her husband of 35 years, she is the mother of two grown daughters, and the keeper of a 100-year-old house where she lives in the small town of Marion, KY. She is the author of three books: Carolina Dream (Apr. 2017), Carolina Mercy (July 2018), and coming in Feb. 2019, Carolina Grace in the Southern Breeze Series. 

Longer:

Regina Rudd Merrick began reading romance and thinking of book ideas as early as her teenage years when she attempted a happily-ever-after sequel to “Gone With the Wind.” That love of fiction parlayed into a career as a librarian, and finally to writing full-time. She began attending local writing workshops and continued to hone her craft by writing several short and novel-length fan-fiction pieces published online, where she met other authors with a similar love for story, a Christian worldview, and happily-ever-after. Married for 30+ years and active in their church in Marion, KY, Regina and her husband have two grown daughters who share her love of music, writing, and the arts. Visit Regina on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or on her website at https://www.reginaruddmerrick.com.

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: https://www.reginaruddmerrick.com 

Publisher Website: https://mantlerockpublishing.com/

Sale Links:

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945094532/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1530227728&sr=8-2&keywords=Carolina+Mercy 

Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Mercy-Southern-Breeze-Book-ebook/dp/B07DYXW1G2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530227776&sr=8-1&keywords=Carolina+Mercy