Marian P. Merritt | Never Say Never

How many times have you said, “I’ll never do/say ______ (fill in the blank)?”

Only to find yourself in a position where you have to consider doing exactly what you said you’d never do. Or worse, doing it.

I can’t begin to count the times in my past where this has happened. One thing I have learned—to never say I’ll never do or not do something!

Cheryl Broussard, the heroine in THE VIGIL, my Women’s Fiction novel vows she would never be in an abusive relationship and would never return to her small Louisiana hometown. But one broken vow leads to the other and she finds herself back home facing the demons that drove her away thirteen years ago.

Too many times facing our demons is something we run away from instead of marching forward to conquer and put them behind us. This is what Cheryl’s life has been like. But now that she is forced to return home, she is given an awesome opportunity to put the past permanently behind her and move forward.

After all, how can we grow unless we can confidently move forward sans excess baggage from past hurts, misconceptions, and betrayals?

Also, who wants to read a book where the main character is already perfect and nothing ever happens to her? Boring. Right?

Having a character that is not perfect and harbors deep-seated hurts from her past makes her real. Many of us can relate to her. Isn’t that what we’re looking for in fiction? Characters we can relate to, root for, and remember after we’ve turned the last page.

When I first started writing THE VIGIL, I had a clear image of the main character, Cheryl and set out to tell her story as I saw it. BUT, as I began writing, Cheryl wanted her story told as she knew it. Once I learned to trust the character and got to really know her, the story unfolded and revealed an exciting twist.

Secondary characters became real, with their own ideals, misconceptions, and beliefs. As the story developed, I knew how important it was to really get to know my characters well before ever writing the first sentence.

The fun part about writing THE VIGIL was placing the characters is real South Louisiana settings and have them eat authentic Cajun foods. I hope it’s a small way to have the reader feel like they’ve actually been to South Louisiana or at least stir their desire to visit one day. So often reality TV takes a unique locale and exploits all the extremes. That doesn’t really tell the true story. Hopefully, readers will feel the authenticity of the area as they follow Cheryl’s journey.

As I work on my fourth Christmas Novella, I’m having fun with two unlikely-paired characters, one from Louisiana and one from Colorado, set in the quaint Italian village of Cavazzale, Italy. You can bet I did extensive character sketches for each and am trusting where they take me with the story!

Look for my second Women’s Fiction release Summer of 2015 –

THE MOON HAS NO LIGHT. Two mothers. One son. Twenty years later, can the adopted son of one be the abducted son of the other?

Giveaway

Readers, when have you said "never" and been wrong? Leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of THE VIGIL and a $10 Starbucks gift card!

About THE VIGIL

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?

About Marian P. Merritt

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 the author of, Deep Freeze Christmas, A Cajun Christmas Miracle, and Southern Fried Christmas.

Her latest release, a Women’s Fiction novel, THE VIGIL, can be purchased at online retailers.

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

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy and an accounting certificate from the University of South Alabama. This Louisiana native writes from the Northwest Colorado 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

Purchase her books