Local Lady Interview: Author Marissa Brim

Marissa Brim, Local Author

As providence should have it, I was recently reunited with an old acquaintance turned novel-writer, self-published author and all around go-getter, Marissa Brim. A friend loaned me a copy of her first book, Daughter of the Red Isle. I was intrigued by this new author's writing and her publishing process. Marissa agreed to a Local Lady Interview which is transcribed below. Thank you, thank you, Marissa!

Here we go:

What's your best Richmond/Indiana memories?

"When my mother first moved us to Richmond, her hometown, my grandparents helped to raise us and make us feel a part of the community.  They helped enroll us in Seton Elementary School in Richmond, and really gave us as much as they possibly could.

One memory in particular is of my grandfather, Leroy Atkins, taking me to Paulee's for breakfast, and then to the Farmer's Market next to the Depot, under 9th St. bridge.  It was great quality time with my grandfather.  He bought me a small cactus, which actually thrived for a few years, until my mother and I somehow managed to kill it.  Since then, I've been enchanted by the Depot district, and I'm so excited to see it coming back to life, as well as downtown."

How did you set off to become a writer?

"I can't say that one day I just woke up and said to myself "I'm going to be a writer now."  I can say I've always been a dreamer, and have read books & imagined stories that seemed to make my childhood more interesting.  I've always been an "in-my-head" type of person, as I'm not a great social speaker.  I can't formulate witty responses on the spur of a moment, but I can come up with a whole conversation if I'm left alone with a piece of paper, a pen and a situation.

Mostly, I decided to start writing again after elementary school because a story had started forming itself in my head, and it was taking up too much of my thoughts.  So, as a "cure," I decided to write it down, just to get it out of my head.  The initial outline was somewhere around ten thousand words.  I put it away for a while, until a tragedy in my family spurred me to finish the story."

Could you tell us a bit of what your book is about?

"Daughter of the Red Isle is a novel with two story lines: Lexi, a homeless young woman struggling to make it on her own and Leo, a wealthy businessman, learning life's lessons through tragedies.  While Daughter begins with tragedies, I think the main focus is on the characters surviving and learning to live through their hardships. Within the first chapter of the book, Lexi learns that her mother has finally succumbed to her addiction, dying from an apparent drug overdose.


Leo's story, on the other hand, is revealed much later.  He is the author of some "love letters" in the beginning of the book, and his tragedy hits closer to home with a lot of readers, myself included."

The Cover of Marissa's First Book

How did you go about publishing your book? You're a novel writer & self-published to boot! That's impressive!


"The publishing portion of the book was actually the easiest (once I decided I was going to go the Indie route, that is). I looked up several different options, including contacting one of the local printers in Richmond to print copies for me.  After all was said and done though, I started with an eBook, available only through Amazon Kindle.


After a few months, I decided to get a paper version as well, as people who either didn't have eBook access, or didn't have a Kindle, kept asking me for paper copies.  I used CreateSpace, a sub-company of Amazon, to publish the book.  It had multiple options, including a generate your own cover for the book feature, that really appealed to me."

Your book, although titled as somewhat of a romantic novel, touches on some big issues.
What inspired you to delve into things such as homelessness, drug abuse, etc.?

"For lack of a better explanation, personal (not me) experiences.  Substance abuse was a big player in my father's side of the family, mostly alcohol, but some drug use as well.  My grandmother had also a cousin who had lived on the streets of New York City for a time. He built his own business, and the last I heard, was a millionaire, living on the same island as Julio Iglesias.  

While they had some personal relation to me and my family, more people can relate to these issues.  Homelessness affects more people every year, and substance abuse seems to be within nearly every family.  They are tough issues, but people can survive and overcome them.   I have known for years that my father was an alcoholic, and knowing that, I was determined to never fall into that kind of addiction.  I have no desire to drink and drink and drink.  I'd rather spend that money on yarn for knitting!"

What's next on your agenda. I hear this may become a series?

"Yes, actually I'm somewhere around thirty thousand words on book 2 of The Isles series. The title is Son of the Emerald Isle, and focuses more on Lexi  finding "new" relatives, and it will explore further social issues. I'm working on the end of the book, and I have actually surprised myself with the end.  There's a lot going on. This installation in the series feels different than the first book. 

I'm also working on a few other things. Most notably an urban fantasy-type novel, which is published entirely on my blog, as I write, chapter by chapter.  The title is Death of a Fairy, a modern fairy tale, but it's not like any fairy tale I've ever read.  After it is finished, I will publish it on eBook and in paperback so others can read it as well."


Thank you again Marissa for your time and your company! I wish you much happiness and success in your writing career! May you sell many books and dream many more stories!

<3 the Local Gal

For more information: You can follow Marissa Brim, the author on Facebook Here.
Here Debut Novel is available at Two Sister's Books & More, as well as Richmond's local Hastings store.

Interview with Local Author, Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge

On a recent trip to Morrison Reeves, my children and I sought out copies of books by local author, Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge. We were delighted by her historical non-fiction! The children especially enjoyed Just Fine The Way They Are a story about the formation of our nation's highway system. Connie and I exchanged e-mails. I'll share some of our dialogue below:

Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge

Connie, you live in the Richmond area. What is one person, place or thing that keeps you living and loving this area?

When my husband and I were considering relocating to Richmond back in 1991, two things about the place really stood out.  The first was Morrisson-Reeves Library.  It was organized, friendly, obviously well-run.  I could see myself spending lots of time there and, as a writer, that was important to me.  The second was the Richmond Symphony Orchestra.  I was stunned and delighted to learn that the community had supported the Symphony for decades.  On that initial visit, knowing nothing about Richmond, both Morrisson-Reeves and the Symphony spoke volumes.  They told me what the people of this area value and what they are capable of coming together to create and sustain.  I knew this was a place I could love being a part of and I wasn’t disappointed.  I’m just finishing a two-year term as president of the Richmond Symphony Board and the folks at Morrisson-Reeves know me.  They know me well!

You primarily write historical non-fiction and children's books. What drew you to these particular genres?

Early on I dabbled in fiction when I wrote for Highlights for Children and Cricket Magazine.  But my first non-fiction magazine article about the friendship of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams was just such a joy to write I knew it was my thing.  I loved not having to worry about the plot:  in both non-fiction and the retelling of folktales (which I also love) the plot is a given.  That frees me up to focus on teasing out the best narrative flow and telling the story in the most engaging way I can.  I also love the research part of writing non-fiction.  Visiting archives where old letters and diaries are stored and actually holding them in my hands (often wearing special gloves!) is thrilling.  I write for children and young adults because they are a demanding audience and I respect the demands they make of me:  honesty, clarity, brevity, and most of all fun!

Do you have a favorite out of your books?

That’s a question I’m asked a lot and it’s a hard one.  I suppose I will always have a tender spot in my heart for my very first picture book Wicked Jack, which came out in 1995.  We had a prickly relationship, Jack and I, and at one point I was determined to just file the manuscript in a drawer.  But Jack wore me down, I sent his story off and it’s become something of a Halloween classic.  I can still hear him saying “I told you so!”

One of your books has an almost local slant “Just Fine the Way They Are” is a story about the formation of our nation's highway system with a slight focus on Old National Road, Highway 40. How did you decide to write a book about this particular subject?

I discovered the National Road right about the same time my family moved to Richmond.  It was the subject of an issue of Cobblestone, a great U. S. history magazine for kids I subscribe to.  I remember thinking “A road.  How boring is that???”  After I finished that magazine, I knew the National Road was anything but boring.  I started reading and researching but, for several years, couldn’t find a story in the middle of all the interesting facts and anecdotes.  Then I came upon a reference to Mr. John Slack, who thought The Road shouldn’t be built because things were just fine the way they were.  Bam!  I had a title and a storyline and I was off to the races!

Another subject of your writing is Edith Wharton, a person and subject you have studied passionately. When did you discover Edith for yourself and what about Edith made you decide to write her biography?

Back in 1995 and 1996, I took some English courses at Earlham College and Edith Wharton’s House of Mirth was one of the books I was assigned to read.  A new Wharton biography (No Gifts From Chance by Sheri Benstock) had just been published, and I devoured it because I liked House of Mirth so much I wanted to know more about the woman who wrote it.  When I finished that biography, I knew Wharton was a woman young people would be interested in.  She was part of Old New York Society, which frowned on novelists in general (let alone female novelists!) but she managed to make her escape from a life of pampered leisure because she simply had to write…stories poured out of her from a very young age.  Her charitable work during World War I (when she was living in Paris and decided to stay rather than relocate to a safer place) also intrigued me.  She had silk sleeves but she was capable of rolling them up and getting to work when action was called for.

Is there another book in the works?

I’m currently at work on a second biography for junior high/high school readers of Emily Post, author of the most well-known etiquette book ever written.  Emily is ten years younger than Edith Wharton and, since they were both upper class New Yorkers, this new book seems almost a historical sequel to The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton.  I also have the bare beginnings of a non-fiction picture book set in the early days of the Roman Republic and a piece of middle-grades fiction sitting off to the side of my desk in case I hit a rough patch with Emily and need a break.

Indeed, Richmond is rich in cultural resources: our excellent public library, orchestras and community arts enrich us all. We are blessed by the contributions made by our local authors, musicians and artists. Thank you so much Connie! I am glad you live here. I am glad you make history come alive for your young readers. 

The Brave Escape of Edith Wharton, a biography of Edith Wharton is a wonderful read, and I can't wait to read and share more of your stories with loved ones in the future!

For more information about Connie and her books, please visit her website.