DIY Novel by Author Regina Rudd Merrick and Book Giveaway!

Throw those paint brushes in the water bucket, swipe the paint off your nose, and perch yourself on a metal stool while we get to know this week’s author, Regina Rudd Merrick. I’ve just started her book, Heart Restoration, since I’m such a DIYer, I couldn’t resist. So, let’s get to know her a little better.

 

PT: Hi, Regina! Let’s get the basics out of the way. Tell us what genre you write in and if there’s ever been another genre you’ve always wanted to write in and why?

RRM: I mainly write Contemporary Christian Romance, although I released a Christian Historical romance last spring. I would LOVE to write RomCom, but I always end up putting a serious plot in there, somehow!

PT: What region of the United States has most influenced you in your life? Midwest? Eastern seaboard? Rockies? Appalachian? West Coat? Southwest? Which region do you hail from?

RRM: I’m from what you’d call the mid-south, I guess—the western part of Kentucky. From Nashville, TN, go north for an hour and a half, then turn left! Most of my writing features either characters from my home area, or one who has relocated to the beaches of South Carolina, which is definitely my happy place!

PT: Ah, the beach. I am so with you there! Now, what directed your life toward writing? Do you have another job besides being an author?

RRM: I’ve always been a writer, although it’s just been in the last ten or so years that I’ve written with the goal of publication. I started with fanfiction online, and met some other writers there who were using fanfiction as a means to prepare for the “real” world of writing Christian fiction, and the die was cast. At the time, I was the library director at our local library. Now, I write full-time but just finished a season of caring for and losing elderly parents.

PT: Oh, my. So sorry to hear of the loss of your parents. But speaking of seasons, what season is your favorite and why?

RRM: If it’s winter, I’ll say spring, but when fall comes? Then it’s fall! LOL! Overall, though, I think it would be spring, primarily because the older I get, the more I hate winter weather, and daffodils!

PT: Are you and your family a rural-type or urban type? Any animals that grace your home?

RRM: Rural, definitely. My husband and I both grew up on farms, in small communities, and we now live on a 3-acre plot just outside the city limits of a small Kentucky town which is considered a “rural city!” LOL! Our only farm animal is Cedric, our 16-year-old dog!

PT: I’ve got to tell you I am really excited about your series, RenoVations, being a die-hard DIYer myself. I just finished painting one deck, staining another and freshening paint around the exterior of the house. Is there a reason why you chose this topic?

RRM: I love watching HGTV, and when I was younger, before HGTV was a thing, I watched This Old House faithfully. When I started thinking about a series featuring a family of contractors, the name Reno came up, and with my love of word-play, RenoVations was born! Being able to set up a fictional community in my home county has been so much fun!

PT: Are you a DIYer yourself? If so, what’s one of your current projects?

RRM: My dad could fix anything, and my mom was an expert homemaker, so let’s just say I grew up thinking everyone was supposed to be a DIYer! I do what I can, but I like to think I know my limitations—and my husband’s! 😉

PT: Give us some info your new book coming out in November and where it is set. Give us all the juicy details.

RRM: I’m very excited about 12 Days of Mandy Reno, RenoVations Inc., book 2, releasing November 14, 2023! It’s my first Christmas novella that’s not part of a collection.

In this contemporary romance, Mandy Reno, cousin of Lisa Reno from book 1, is back home in Clementville, KY, on break from law school for Christmas. Her parents, on a six-month mission assignment, are delayed departing Brazil because of a natural disaster that affects the people for whom they’ve come to minister, and won’t be home for the holidays. Working at the local café, Mandy finds herself telling young Sheriff Clay Lacey her frustrations, and he hatches a plan, secretly, to make sure Mandy has an amazing Christmas. He just hopes that when she finds out, their five-year age difference won’t be a factor in her enjoyment of the season—or her opinion of him.

If you want to get caught up on the storyline, Heart Restoration, book 1 of the RenoVations Inc. series, released in September!

PT: Tell us 3 things about Regina Rudd Merrick that have nothing to do with writing.

RRM:

1. At age 6, my first TV crush was Fess Parker on “Daniel Boone.” I’ve been fascinated with Daniel Boone ever since -good thing I’m from KY, right?

2. My husband was at my parents’ wedding – he was two, so …

3. I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Library Science at the age of 33 after three majors, two children, and moving sixty miles away from our hometown.

PT: Is there a third book in the RenoVations Inc. series? If so, what direction are you going in next? If not, what’s the next project?

RRM: Yes! Rebuilding Joy, Book 3 in the RenoVations Inc. series releases in February, features Lisa Reno’s brother and Mandy Reno’s cousin, Del Reno. There’s a mystery at the Clementville Café, and Del is determined to keep widow Darcy and her twin preschoolers safe, if it kills him.

PT: Sounds like a great direction! Where can readers find you?

RRM: I can be found on Facebook and lurking on Instagram, and at https://www.reginaruddmerrick.com – or at home watching all the Star Trek TV shows and movies in chronological order! 😊

So great to have you Regina. And now, the giveaway... Regina is giving away a reader's choice of an eBook OR sign print book (US only) of 12 Days of Mandy Reno! Click that link if you don't want to wait for your copy, otherwise, talk to us in the comments and leave a email. Or you can use our contact form.

Regina Rudd Merrick is a multi-published author, church musician, wife, mother, former librarian, lover of all things fun, beachy, and chocolate, and grateful follower of Jesus Christ. Married to her husband of 40 years, she is the mother of two grown daughters and lives in the small town of Marion, KY. Connect with Regina on Facebook, Instagram, or on her website at https://www.reginaruddmerrick.com.

Purchase Link: https://scriveningspress.com/book/12-days-of-mandy-reno/

Social Media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Regina-R-Merrick-512257938964888/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reginamerrick/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rmerrick/

Website: https://www.reginaruddmerrick.com

Scrivenings Press, LLC Author Page: https://scriveningspress.com/regina-rudd-merrick/

Amazon Author Page: https://tinyurl.com/AmReginaRuddMerrick

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Join Regina and I with several other authors at Just Read Author Rendezvous in St. Louis on Nov. 17th! Find out more at JustRead Publicity Tours.