Author: Camilla

Today we travel to Dallas, Georgia in the United States to chat with Rebecca Marsh. We talk about how gaining life experience, having a family, telling stories on the playground, Francesca Battistelli, the beach, and the local writer’s group come together as part of Rebecca’s past and present life.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Dallas, GA in the United States. I’m a wife, a mother, and an animal lover. I write emotional stories that mostly revolve around healing, forgiveness, and redemption. I first started writing when I was twelve and wrote short stories all through middle school and high school.

A couple years after that, I largely stopped writing for two reasons: first because I didn’t feel ready to write the stories that I had in mind. I needed to gain more life experience. One can certainly write about things that they haven’t experienced personally, but to do a good job, you have to use the experiences you have had as well as using what you have learned from the people you know and the things you have read or seen. There are lots of ways to learn about different human experiences and the emotions that go with them. I needed time to do that.

The second reason was that I had another dream to have a family and I was working on making that dream come true. When my daughter started pre-school, I began to write again. The idea for my first novel had been in my head for years, but it had always been like a scattered puzzle. The pieces were there, but I hadn’t been able to put them all together.

Right before the pre-school year began, though, the pieces of that story started falling into place, so the timing seemed perfect. It was slow since I didn’t get much time to work on it, but eventually I finished my first novel and I’ve continued writing since then. But my journey into publishing my work was also slow in coming since I wasn’t sure I wanted to do it all myself. But after meeting some other local writers who had done it themselves and learning about it, I decided to take that leap.

It isn’t easy and I’m still learning, but every time someone tells me that my book was meaningful to them, it is worth the effort.

In which genre do you write?

I write contemporary fiction. It also fits the mold for women’s fiction, but I don’t really like that genre name because it makes it sound like men shouldn’t read it.

How many published books do you have?

Two with the second released on July 8th.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame? 

I was 12 when I first began to write, but I think it was in me even before that. I was a kid that didn’t make friends super easy and I can look back and remember times when I didn’t have anyone to play with on the playground. I would walk around and tell myself stories.

As far as igniting my author’s flame, well, I guess that varies. A lot of times I don’t really know where my story ideas come from. They are just there. But I think the characters developing into unique people in the story is what I love the most.

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books? 

Spend time with my family would be first and foremost.

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? 

I will be speaking soon in releasing my second book. I don’t love public speaking, but it gets easier each time. One song I repeat in my head in preparation for speaking is Francesca Battistelli’s “The Breakup Song”. It begins with the line, Fear you don’t own me …

If you could turn into one of your characters for a day, which one would it be and why, what would you do?  

That’s a tough one. In the stories I write, the main characters all have some pretty big issues that I wouldn’t ask for. However, there are characteristics they have that I wouldn’t mind having. Beth, the MC from my first book is strong and resilient. Lauren, in my second book, is super dedicated to her craft as an artist (though sometimes to the point of having tunnel vision).

If you could ask your pet three questions, what would they be?  

I would ask my dog: why do you roll around in that same spot in the backyard?, and: why do you bark at some dogs we see and not others?, I would ask my cat: who do you think you’re looking at when you stare at your reflection?

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why? 

Though it isn’t always easy, I’d have to say that the ability to accept constructive criticism and learn from it are the most useful traits that I have developed. It was hard at first and I wanted to be defensive (sometimes I still do), but I find that when I sit back and take in what others are saying about my work, I learn and grow. I get a lot of that from my local writer’s group and I thank them for all their help.

What’s your favorite place to visit in your country and why? 

The beach, any beach. I love how peaceful it is to sit and listen to the waves.

Tell us about your most recent book.

My most recent book, The Rift Between Us, released July 8th on Amazon. It is the story of three estranged sisters who are brought back together by a stipulation in their father’s will. It is a story of a father’s love that moved him to set up such an elaborate plan. And it is a story about how siblings can grow apart because they hold onto old grudges and fail to see the changes in each other. It is also a story of hope and healing. There’s a bit of romance in there as well.

It was wonderful to learn more about you, Rebecca. Thank you for being a part of MTA! – Camilla

Blurb for my second book, The Rift Between Us: 

After a family dinner turns into a bitter fight, sisters Maria, Lauren, and Avery decide to go their separate ways. Their father warns them that someday they will need one another. When he dies suddenly, they learn that he intends to make sure that they do. He’s left them a substantial inheritance, far more than any of them ever imagined.

There’s just one catch. If they want the money, they will have to spend two weeks together at a secluded lake house and follow all of their father’s instructions—no matter how strange.

Their task seems simple enough, but each one is holding onto painful secrets and old grudges the others know nothing about. But if they can learn to trust each other again, they might be able to mend the rift between them and give their father his dying wish.

Where to find the book:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TGF9P4F  and on Rebecca’s website: https://www.rebeccalmarsh.com/

First book:

Blurb for my first book, When the Storm Ends: 

Beth thought her violent childhood was something she left in the past—until she met Erin. Now the abuse of her step-father has returned in terrifying nightmares.

Beth became a child psychologist so she could help children who are broken and hurting, but Erin, the fifteen-year-old who killed her father, is different. If Beth can’t reach her and find out why she did it, Erin will spend the rest of her childhood behind bars. To most people, it looks simple—Erin is either crazy or evil, but when Beth looks into Erin’s haunted eyes, she’s sure that something terrible was done to this girl. Erin, however, isn’t talking.

Beth believes Erin might open up to someone with whom she feels a kinship. Of course, Beth knows she shouldn’t share her own past with a patient, but the clock is ticking toward Erin’s trial, and Beth is out of options.

Little does Beth know that taking this terrifying leap will not only reveal the truth about Erin, but will rip Beth’s past wide open as well—and a connection between them that will shake Beth to the core.

Link to my first book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2pwxCMY

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40807015-when-the-storm-ends?ac=1&from_search=true 

Connect with Rebecca:

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaLynnMarsh/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Website: https://www.rebeccalmarsh.com/

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