Marilyn's Musings

Hi Marilyn. Thank you for allowing me to visit with you and your readers. I have exciting news!—my latest novel, HEALER , is now available on Amazon, or at my publisher’s website: Oak Tree Press. HEALER is the heartwarming story about 16-year-old Billy Anderson. Billy has experienced more than his share of tragedy in his young life. Made fun of in school because of a birth defect, he first endures the loss of his mother, and then his father dies in the war. One day, as Billy attends Mass, his life takes a dramatic turn. An elderly woman dies in his arms. But before she takes her last breath she tells him, “Receive the gift of healing.” Those words instantly change his life. However, Billy has no idea whether his supernatural ability will be a blessing or a curse. Also part of Billy’s journey is Police Officer Sheila Chambers, who comes into Billy’s life after answering a call about a teen out past curfew. Sheila instantly senses Billy is troubled, and without giving ...

    John Wills has been both a regular attendee and presenter at the Public Safety Writers Conference and I'm proud to count him as a friend. I've read his other books, which I enjoyed, but The Year Without Christmas is outstanding. I asked him to tell me--and everyone who reads my blog--what inspired him.   Why I wrote this book: Having read a number of Christmas novels over the years, I have always been moved by them. My favorite stories come from Dan Walsh, a Christian writer. He inspires me to write with emotion. This year I had the urge to write a Christmas novel myself, and I had a number of ideas in mind as I sat down to share my story. In The Year Without Christmas , the protagonist, Officer Doyle, is a cop—a darn good one—on a small department in Michigan. He unfortunately gets involved in a tragic shooting. Despite having followed his department’s guidelines, and even though the outcome was ruled to be a justifiable shooting, the man begins a dow...