Fiction / Romance / Historical
Date Published: July 26, 2022
Publisher: Elite Online Publishing
Secrets are cruel challenges.
Especially a secret God gave Sandra that not even He can accept and refuses to tolerate. Sandra is a Mormon girl, but this story is not about Mormons. It is about an explosive secret, racial bigotry, superstition, and bias toward uncommon people-a mixture with the power to transform humanity.
Humorous, thoughtful, sensual, and a gripping page-turner to the end, Sandra's Syndrome gives readers a beloved heroine at a time when humankind needs one like never before. June 8, 1978, a historic date for an entire church that attempted to end racism. For Sandra, it was the first day of battle to end separation and segregation for all special children of God ... and you won't believe the miraculous conclusion.
A love story of true-life fiction.
Interview with Mark Merkley
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Don’t expect to be rewarded, or awarded, for your creative efforts.
What are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to?
I have no idea. I suppose science magazines and research sites.
What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
My praise for their sacrifices. Their forgiveness for my lack of understanding and awareness of their conditions and syndromes. Assurances that I will not harm them because I am now literate, no longer unknowing in regard to the fear I felt toward them from dogmatic tenets which threaten uncommon, minority groups.
What is the first book that made you cry?
Sandra’s Syndrome --- It is personal, nearer to my heart.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Both.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I suppose original. However, I have the reader in mind and desire for them to be knowingly impacted.
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
Curiosity, humor, history. I was on the Board of Directors of the Babcock Performing Readers. (Salt Lake City) I have written, performed and read several pages from the printed word of scripts, novels, poetry, including song lyrics and scriptures to audiences large and small. As well, among children, young adults, students, and elderly patrons.
About the Author
Mark Merkley is an author and retired university instructor. He has a MA and BA in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication from Brigham Young University. Mark was trained formally as a technical writer and has recently delved into the world of creative writing. He believes that humor within creative storytelling possesses greater emotional opportunity to provide readers personal understanding of characters and their experience with complex issues.
An avid reader, Mark first got his inspiration for Sandra’s Syndrome from a character in Kathy Reichs’ bestselling novel, Bones Never Lie. After spending several years cultivating the idea in his head, he decided to start writing it down two days after his retirement. It is controversial. However, religion and science must engage common ground to understand the misunderstood and accept the uncommon. That common ground is the battlefield for the victory of social acceptance and inclusion.
When Mark is not behind a computer, he spends his time playing softball and basketball, and enjoys puzzles and decision-making problems. He is also known for hosting parties and game nights for his friends. They bond over their love for travel, new experiences, fine tastes, and adventure. Love and acceptance are consistent.
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