I’m so excited to introduce you to another Scrivenings Press author! Meet Regina Rudd Merrick!
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 her website at reginaruddmerrick.com
Christina: Welcome, Regina! Let’s talk books. What’s your book called?
Regina: Heart Restoration
Christina: When was it released?
Regina: 2023
Christina: Is it part of a series?
Regina: Yes, it’s book 1 in the Renovations Inc. series.
Christina: Renovations Inc. sounds like a great series. Can you share your book blurb with us?
Regina: Sure!
For interior designer Lisa Reno things go from bad to worse when her contractor-brother falls off a ladder and breaks his leg. Now she has to deal with the past coming back to haunt her, an old house with a corpse in the creepy cellar, and her best friend trying her best to fix her up with any man that moves.
Nick Woodward is willing to do his old college roommate a favor−especially since it involves renovating his own inheritance. The last thing he wants is to get involved with anyone. When he lost his wife and unborn child so suddenly, he had made the decision to keep God and everyone else at arm’s length. So far, so good.
Ah, the difference a trip to a dingy basement makes.
Christina: What is the inspiration behind your story?
Regina: This book came about through my love of HGTV and romance. Lisa Reno came into my mind as a slightly clutzy red-haired interior designer in business with her contractor brother, Del, and it went on from there.
Christina: I used to watch HGTV for hours! That’s a great place for inspiration! What’s your favorite part of your writing process?
Regina: Do I dare say it? Edits!!
Christina: No. Really? That’s great. Edits are not my favorite!
If you could give one piece of advice to budding creatives what would it be?
Regina: Whatever your creative bent is, practice, practice, practice.
Christina: Practice is so important.
Let’s try a fun question. Name something quirky in your workspace. Can you give a little backstory about said item?
Regina: A small wooden plaque of a cow. My best friend and I both have a thing about cows, and she gave it to me. It makes me think of my childhood, when we always had a few cows in the pasture.
Christina: Awe. I love cows. Sadly I have no room for them in my backyard.
Okay, what’s your favorite snack to get your creative juices flowing?
Regina: I try to have peppermints on hand. Or M&Ms. And a cup of tea or coffee. I’m flexible! Lol!
Christina: I have peppermints on hand wherever I go! What book are you reading right now?
Regina: I’ve been on a streak of reading new books by friends of mine, but I’ve veered off and am reading Joanne Fluke’s “Pink Lemonade Cake Murder,” book 26 of 30. I have some catching up to do. Just finished Amy Anguish’s “For Better or For Granted,” which was amazing! Highly recommend! Up next? A debut book by an author you might be familiar with, called “Best Seller.”
Christina: It sounds like you’re tearing through your TBR pile. I’ve heard good things about Best Seller! LOL
Okay, let’s talk travel. You just won free tickets to anywhere in the world! Where are you going? And who are you taking?
Regina: I’m going to the British Isles, staying a month, and taking my husband and kids!
Christina: I love how you have your length of vacation already planned. That’s great. A month’s vacation would be perfect.
What will you be working on next?
Regina: I’m currently in edits for RenoVations Inc., book 4, releasing in November (Christmas Rewired), and writing the draft of book 5 (Reframing Trust 2025)! After that, I’ll conclude the RenoVations Inc. series with book 6, Reclaiming Peace, releasing in 2026
Christina: Wow. That’s great. How many unfinished writing projects do you have?
Regina: I have a few. One is a historical, a western with a mystery. I’ve had it on the back-burner for several years. I also have a file of story ideas I visit from time to time.
Christina: I have one of those files too! So, every author gets asked this question, are you a plotter or a pantser?
Regina: LOL – PLANTSER! I started out Pantser, but when you write series, you have to do a lot of plotting, or at the very least, outlining!
Christina: Thank you for sharing with us Regina! I enjoyed getting to know you a little more!
To learn more about Regina’s writing journey or to check out her books, you can connect with her through these links!
Facebook: https://bit.ly/ReginaRuddMerrickFacebook
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
Thanks so much for hosting me, Christina! This was a fun interview!