Merida Johns's Blog: Searching for Merry-Go-Rounds, page 5

Blackhorse Road Featured in WFWA ReadOn Newsletter

Thrilled to announce that my novel Blackhorse Road is featured in the September 2020 issue of the WFWA (Women's Fiction Writers Association) reader-focused newsletter ReadON.  Check this out at https://www.womensfictionwriters.org/...

10 Quotes to Live By

10 Quotes To Live By are highlighted today on the book tour for my novel Blackhorse Road! Thank you to Joanne for giving me the opportunity to share these from the characters in the book to use as fuel to power up your week https://joanneguidoccio.com/2020/08/1...

Over the Moon

Blackhorse Road just got its first Amazon review--5 stars!  Check it out on Amazon.

Blackhorse Road is Going on Tour!

Blackhorse Road is on tour!  Get the latest scoops from my interviews at each of the stops on the tour.  Find out more about where the ideas for Blackhorse Road originated, who my favorite characters are and more!  Visit the following reviewers and bloggers who are hosting Blackhorse Road between August 10 and September 4.

 

August 10: Locks, Hooks and Books
August 11: Rogue's Angels
August 12: Readeropolis
August 13: Viviana MacKade
August 14: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
August 17:...

What are Readers Saying About Blackhorse?

Since its release two weeks ago, I've been receiving emails and texts about readers' reactions to Blackhorse Road.  A theme that seems to be running through the messages is that this is a compelling story that has something in it for everyone.  The characters, events, location, and plot affect readers differently—but there is no doubt that each has come away being transported to an unexpected place within themselves.

 

Here is a place for readers to post their comments and reactions and to sha...

Need Some Inspiration?

Blackhorse Road A Novel—Quotes to Live By—On Twitter @MLJohnsAuthor

The Development of Luci in Blackhorse Road

At the virtual launch party for Blackhorse Road held on July 21, one of the beta readers elaborated on the maturity and perceptiveness of eighteen-year-old Luci, the story's protagonist.  We didn't have the time during the launch to discuss what informed me about Luci's character, so I'd like to share the insights that led me to develop a character who had this type of awareness at such a young age.

 

A few years ago, my husband and I were visiting with friends who had two teenaged children—a ...

Secrets Behind Publication of Novel Blackhorse Road Revealed at Pre-launch Parties

Was I ever excited about the pre-launch virtual parties for Blackhorse Road.  They sure lifted the web of mystery about the development of the novel!

 

I know that most readers of fiction aren't privy to the publication process—but they have a hunger for getting answers to questions about the story behind the story. And that's why I designed the pre-launch—to give readers at a peek at who the people are who made Blackhorse Road possible and to satisfy readers' curiosity by of things that are n...

Authors Write About What They Know

It is said that authors write about what they know—I guess that might be true. In my novel, Blackhorse Road, I've included a place that resonates with history, memories, and spirits, and some of my own memories, too!. After reading the excerpt below from Blackhorse Road, click on the link and view the pictures to see why Luci loves Fort Malden so—I promise, you will feel its energy and vibration, and maybe even feel the spirits of long ago.

"Nevertheless, the manicuring and modernization could ...

Searching for Merry-Go-Rounds

Carousels play a significant scene between two sets of lovers, separated by sixty years, in my novel Blackhorse Road. One of the things I love about writing a novel is where the research takes me in tracking down specific facts—one of these journeys was locating an old carousel that existed on Bob-Lo Island in 1900 and one that existed in Fairmont Park, Riverside CA in 1966. Here is a picture of Mountain Dancer that Luci rode in Fairmont Park—a ride that changes her life. https://carousels.org/psp/CrossroadsV...