Today, we are visiting with Marian Merritt, an author from Louisiana, currently living in Colorado, who likes to mix the two areas in her novels. Her new book, Vigil, releases TODAY. But, she had time for an interview.

Jim: Tell us a little about your latest release, The Vigil that releases today!

Marian: Like all my stories, there is a Louisiana/Colorado connection. The connection in The Vigil is subtle and happens near the end. The story is set in the fictional town of Bijou Bayou in south Louisiana. Here’s the book blurb:

Cheryl Broussard made two vows: She’d never fall for an abusive man, and she’d never return to her Louisiana hometown. But she’s learned all too well the lesson of never-say-never. Now, back in Bijou Bayou after fleeing from an abusive boyfriend, Cheryl finds work as a Hospice nurse. 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. When the Broussard family secrets are revealed, can Cheryl deal with the truth and accept the blessing of a second chance for relationships with her family, old friends, and with the God she never really knew?

Jim: If you weren’t a writer, what would be another dream job?

Marian: I think I’d like to be an architect. I love pouring over floor plans and designing functional ideas for new houses. If only in my dreams! I also do the same when I’m working on a book.

Jim: What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing? Hobbies, etc.?

Marian: I enjoy motorcycle and four-wheeler riding in the mountains (summer time only). I also enjoy gardening, photographing, and exploring the benefits of Essential oils.

Jim: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Marian: Many times the characters seem to go off in a direction that’s surprising. At that point I have to get to know that character a little better. I usually do an extensive Character Interview before I start writing, but sometimes I get a little surprise!

Jim: Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

Marian: Yes, I do read my reviews. I feel if someone took the time to write something about my book then I should read it. But I do not respond to them—good or bad. It’s the person’s opinion and they’re entitled to it. If it’s a blatant error and they’ve reviewed the wrong book, I may respond. Otherwise, I won’t.

Jim: Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before and is it a place you’d set a story?

Marian: I’d love to visit the south of France and yes, maybe set a story in the Provence Region one day.

Jim: Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?

Marian: Growing up “at the end of the road on the bayou” gave me a lot of free time alone. Books became my gateway to new and fascinating worlds and people. It was a way to travel for this Cajun girl. So I read voraciously. Making the leap to writer was a natural progression. If I can do for one young woman, what the authors of my childhood did for me then I’ve succeeded.

Jim: What can we expect from you in the future?

Marian: I’m currently working on three books.

Writing:
A Women’s Fiction set in Mandeville, Louisiana and Tuscany Italy tentatively titled, Four Weeks in Tuscany.
A Christmas Novella set in Cavazzale, Italy – The Christmas Bells of Cavazzale

Editing:
A Women’s Fiction, The Moon Has no Light. The story is set in Louisiana and takes the reader to Colorado. Two mothers. One son. Can the adopted son of one woman be the abducted son of another?

Look for it Summer 2015.

Jim, thank you for having me here on The Author’s Blog!

Jim: To get an idea of the setting in the Vigil and to get recipes from the book visit the Pinterest board she set up while working on the book.
Pinterest Board.
To buy this just released book, Click here.

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