A Warm Welcome to Penelope Marzec
First tell us a little about yourself.
I grew up in a small town close to a bay beach. Everyone knew everyone else in that little town and there weren’t any secrets. In those days, the windows were open in the summertime because nobody had air conditioners. There were plenty of kids, all baby boomers. Most of the women didn’t work back then while raising their children and my mother was a kind listener who would also hand out good advice if asked. So, many of the women in the neighborhood came over to our house for a cup of coffee and a chat with my mom. Later in life, I told her she should have hung out a shingle proclaiming herself a counselor. Of course, as a youngster I listened to all the chatter, which is why I have lots of stories in my head.
When I was nine, I wrote my first “book” on yellow legal paper with green ink. I illustrated it, too. I knew it wasn’t good enough to be published but I enjoyed the process of writing so much I wanted to continue it. Life got in the way though. I figured writing books was a sure way to starve, so I became a teacher. Then I got married and raised three daughters.
As the age of forty loomed on the horizon, I decided I needed to get busy writing. So, I wrote several books and collected plenty of rejections. Then ebooks came into being and one publisher wanted an inspirational romance. I had one. It was Sea of Hope. I sent it off and it was published. It won first place in the EPPIE contest for epublished books. But that was years before the Kindle came about. The majority of readers had no idea what an ebook was. Still, I continued writing and eventually the rest of the world caught up to the idea of reading digital books.
I’m glad they did!
Tell us about your latest book.
In high school, Bryce loved Evie--enough to want to marry her, but that was before he witnessed her phone in a bogus bomb scare. And only two months before Jack disappeared, Bryce saw Evie aiming a gun at her husband. Can Bryce believe in Evie's innocence when her husband' s body is found in a fishing dredge twenty miles out at sea? Could the most beautiful woman in Shucker' s Point be capable of such a heinous crime? He doesn't want to believe it.
Bryce refuses to let his heart guide the investigation...until someone shoots at Evie. Then he must protect her. But can he protect his heart?
What inspired you to write this particular book?
There were three main elements that inspired The Keeper’s Secret. First, I went to a clam festival in southwestern NJ many years ago. The town had set up easels on a wooden bridge over the marsh, providing watercolor and brushes for anyone who wanted to try their hand at making a painting of the marsh. I thought it was great fun. Although, the scene was mostly sky, mud, a little water, and lots of grass. Of course, there was the aroma of the marsh, too. Since I grew up near a marsh, I don't mind that odor at all.
The festival did not include a ferris wheel, it did have a boat show, and lots of seafood. There was also a giant frog. It was a wonderful adventure. There was a lighthouse nearby, too. With the town surrounded by marshes, there were muskrat crossing signs on the road. I later learned that the town has events where muskrats are fried at the firehouse.
Around the same time I visited the clam festival, a dear friend of mine was going through a heartbreaking situation with her husband. I listened to her and began to understand the type of manipulation some men use on their wives. I incorporated some of those mind games into the heroine’s character.
In addition, I decided to make use of my youngest daughter’s speech problem and give the heroine’s daughter the same difficulty. Of course, my youngest daughter did learn to speak properly after speech therapy, and so I know the heroine’s daughter will, too.
But I found these detailed elements were useful in giving the book depth. That’s what I enjoy about writing.
What do you love about this book? And what do you hope readers will tell others about it?
I love this book for demonstrating how people can change with faith. The hero initially sees life in extremes. Everything is either good or bad in his opinion and other people are forever flawed if they make a mistake in life. He believes the heroine can never be a good person due to her error in high school. He judges her by what happened a long time ago.
He judges the young teenager who comes to work for the heroine. He fails to take into account the other circumstances in the teenager’s life.
So, the hero is the one who has the most to learn. Love and faith lead him to understand his own blindness to the truth.
What themes do you write about?
Forgiveness is a favorite theme of mine and it’s such an important part of being a Christian. Christians are called to forgive just as Christ has forgiven them. Forgiveness is a choice, and it can be a difficult one. Most people like to hold onto a grudge and many want revenge against those who hurt them.
In The Keeper's Secret, Bryce doesn’t trust Evie and doesn’t believe she has changed. He cannot forgive her for the hurt she caused him. Despite being a Christian, Bryce can’t let go of the bitterness and resentment.
What is your writing schedule and where do you write?
In general, I prefer to write in the evening after supper. There are days when I can’t do that since some evenings there are meetings or workshops. Those days I must switch my writing time to the morning or the afternoon, but I like the evening best.
My favorite place to write is on the couch in the family room. I like to sit wrapped in a shawl with my feet up. When there’s editing to do, I usually sit at my desk, but when I’m creating a story, I like to be cozy.
Do you put yourself in your books?
I believe most writers include a bit of themselves in their books but not in the autobiographical sense. My personal values are present in the storylines I choose. So, while I am not the heroine, my heroine will conduct herself with similar ideals.
What are you working on right now?
At the moment, I have a Christmas novella, Making Christmas Again, being released in November and in March, I have a historical Christian romance set in 1903 coming out, Love’s Gift. So, I haven’t had much time to do anything new since I’ve been editing and going through galleys. I am wrestling with another idea but at this point it’s just a bunch of mixed up puzzle pieces and I’m trying to fit them into place.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The best piece of advice I received about writing is never give up. In today’s world, it is nearly impossible to write one book and become an instant success. While that happens occasionally, it is very rare. Most writers write one book, then another book, and continue along in that manner. Writing can be very disheartening at times. Getting bad reviews and low royalties stop many writers from further projects. But if you have stories to tell, tell them. Taking workshops and reading books about writing can improve writing skills, but getting the words on the paper is the important part. Don’t stop. Just do it.
What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?
If I’m not writing, I could be busy painting in oils. I’ve worked with watercolor a few times, but I also enjoy digital painting because there’s no mess to clean up and mistakes are easy to delete. Painting involves studying detail, which is helpful in writing, too. One type of art feeds another.
I also enjoy crocheting. It’s a soothing, rhythmic activity. Sometimes, when I’m stressed, I just want to pick up my crochet hook and make something. I am a prayer shawl minister, so whatever I create will go to someone else in the need of comfort.
BIO:
Penelope Marzec grew up at the Jersey shore, read romances at a young age, and fell hopelessly in love with happy endings. Her books have won several awards including her Christian historical, Patriot’s Courage, which placed First in the Inspirational category of the 2021 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest.
Visit her websitefor more information.
Buy The Keepers Secret
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