BLOGWORDS – Thursday 22 January 2026 – CHAT THURSDAY – MARIAN MERRITT
BLOGWORDS – Thursday 22 January 2026 – CHAT THURSDAY – MARIAN MERRITT
CHAT THURSDAY – MARIAN MERRITT
Please give a warm feathered welcome to author and friend, Marian Merritt.
rem: Hullo Marian, and welcome. Tell us three random things about yourself.
MARIAN:
1) I grew up on the “bayou” in South Louisiana.
2) I’ve walked on the Great Wall of China
3) My grandparents and parents spoke Cajun French. I learned at a very young age. When I was growing up, it was frowned upon to speak “the Cajun French” so I didn’t have the opportunity to share the language with others as I grew older.
rem: Oh, I’d love to learn Cajun Frendh! What is your favorite quotation and why?
MARIAN:
“Today I will be happier than a bird with a French Fry.” This simple quote is on canvas on top my bookcase in my office and reminds me: 1) that happiness is a decision, and 2) that even the smallest things can be a source for happiness if we choose them.
rem: So often we overlook the little things in pursuit of the “grand prize.” When reading, what makes or breaks a story for you? Your fiction pet peeve?
MARIAN:
That would have to be the characters. I love well developed characters and will follow them anywhere! They must have depth, be real, and relatable. If they’re too perfect and never make mistakes they’re hard to relate to. I also like to see introspection in characters and love when they come to realize what the journey of their story has been trying to show them. To me this is the most enjoyable storyline and is more true-to-life.
Pet Peeve: Perfect characters with no depth.
rem: Oh, I’m definitely character driven, including dialogue and how they speak. What are you reading right now?
MARIAN:
Currently, I’m reading a non-fiction book that I’ve been wanting to read but with the holiday season has been difficult to find time to sit and read.
It’s called: Trusting God by Jerry Bridges.
I’ve just started it and it’s good so far.
rem: And trusting God is sometimes so hard to do. Tell us a little about your writing journey.
MARIAN:
A little…LOL. I’ll try. As I’ve said before, I grew up basically at the end of the world in south Louisiana. Because I grew up in an isolated place, I read A LOT. I could go places, meet people, and have adventures I could only dream about in those stories. I knew from an early age I wanted to write, but it wasn’t until years later, I’d read the Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers that God placed the call on my heart to write for the Christian market. I knew this because I typically don’t read historical fiction especially Biblical historical fiction. I loved that series and devoured those books! I started my writing journey in 2003 by attending a Writer’s Conference in Asheville, North Carolina.
rem: And when He places a calling on our lives it’s there for a reason. What genre(s) do you write and why?
MARIAN:
I write Women’s Fiction and Romance.
These are the stories closest to my heart. I love building a world where readers can see that not all has to be perfect to end well and satisfying. Also, that sometimes, true love comes in the least expected ways from the least probable people.
rem: All so true. Tell us a little about your latest book? What is your current project?
MARIAN:
Well, currently there are 5 unfinished novels swirling through my brain and are in various stages of completion on my computer. The one that’s been nagging to be finished is, Four Weeks in Tuscany, it’s a women’s fiction novel that is set in Italy for most of the story. It deals with a woman, Avery, who is very unhappy in her marriage because of an event of the past that she and her husband have not resolved. Her time in Tuscany throws her into a situation that puts her at a crossroads as to whether or not to be true to her marriage vows.
rem: Marriage trouble—it doesn’t get much more real than that. What is YOUR favorite part about the book or why do you love this book? Why should we read it?
MARIAN:
My favorite part is writing about the Tuscan country side and how it affects the main character, Avery’s, heart. It’s a story I’ve loved writing, yet it’s been the most difficult because I feel a deep-rooted obligation to portray her correctly and it’s hard to do when your character is contemplating betraying her marriage vows because her heart is awakened by someone else. Yet, it’s a situation (not always the same circumstances) any one of us can be in at any time in our life. It reminds us of why it’s so important that we be grounded in our faith and know God in an intimate way. Our relationship with Christ doesn’t make us perfect, but it should at least make us aware of that gentle and sometimes persistent nudge in our heart that makes us think before we jump headfirst into something new and exciting that may not be God-ordained.
rem: Oh, Marian, that’s so powerful. Sin is so devious, slipping up on us unaware until usually it’s too lage. What is one take-away from your book(s) that you hope readers identify with?
MARIAN:
Even if it’s only one reader, my prayer is that she/he sees from the journey of the characters that God is our redeemer and will never abandon us no matter how far we stray.
rem: He absolutely is, and I pray that readers will find Truth in your storiesl One more and then we’ll close. Do you have a life Scripture?
MARIAN:
Just one? LOL. I have a few, but my very favorite is the first part of:
Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God.”
Many times, when I’m rushing through life this verse reminds me that in order to really know God and to be in relationship with Him, I can only hear His still voice when I’m still.
The New American Standard Bible translation says:
“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
This hits hard when I think about it. I’m reminded to quit trying so hard, God’s got this and He, who is over nations and the earth, can do a much better job with whatever I’m struggling with than I can.
It’s also a reminder to let God work through me.
rem: In a world that promotes self and autonomy, in the midst of all the noise and constant distraction, “be still” is such a foreign concept to so many. But we can’t hear His (or any other) still small voice in the midst of chaos. Anything you’d like to add?
MARIAN:
Thank you, Robin for allowing me the privilege to be showcased on your blog!
rem: My pleasure, Marian, and thanks again for chatting with us on my blog today!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marian P. Merritt grew up in South Louisiana in a small community south of New Orleans. Her love for the written word began while sitting on her grandparent's front porch swing reading books.
The stories allowed her to meet interesting people, took her to faraway places, and made her think beyond her own world. Her desire to write Southern Women's fiction keeps her grounded in her roots and the hope that one day she can do for someone what many of the authors of her childhood did for her.
Marian has a Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy and an accounting certificate from the University of South Alabama.
Marian writes Inspirational Women's Fiction and Romance from her home in Colorado.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marian-Merritt-Author/395714820494287?ref=hl
Where the Bayous Meets the Mountains
#Blogwords, Chat Thursday, Interview, Marian Merritt, The Great Wall of China, Trusting God, Jerry Bridges, Mark of the Lion Series, Francine Rivers, Four Weeks in Tuscany, Psalm 46:10
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