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Award-winning author Marilyn Turk is enjoying life somewhere between her between her 71st and her 75th year. Even though she’d hit her 55th year before she decided to “do something” about her talent, her first encouragement came at the lovely age of 17. 

"When I was in high school in Honors English, my teacher praised my work and made me think I had talent. However, I never gave a thought to writing professionally. I just thought I could write if I wanted to, but the concept of doing so beyond my classes would have been totally boring to me at that time. I ended up going to college in advertising (which happened to be in the college of journalism)."

But what did the rest of her journey look like? 

“First, I took a correspondence course in children's writing. I submitted one of the stories from that class to Jesse Florea at Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference.”

Submissions can be rejected of course. But did Jesse reject it or accept it?

“He published it,” Marilyn reports.

But one editor and one publication didn’t stop Marilyn from moving forward in what God intended her to do! “I also met Susan King at Blue Ridge. After taking her class, I submitted to The Upper Room and that piece was accepted as well.”

Ah, but two publications didn’t mean Marilyn was done. “In 2010, I submitted to the Guideposts Writers Contest and won. I began writing for Guideposts. At the same time, I decided to write a novel based on prompting and classes at Blue Ridge. That book was published in 2015. Now have over 20 novels and novellas published through Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, Iron Stream Media, Winged Publications, and Barbour Publishing, Praise God!”

Praise God, indeed!

Now Marilyn is a multiple-published, award-winning author. She is a faithful member of Word Weavers Destin, who is blessed to have her talents.

Marilyn’s latest work is being part of a novella collection, Secrets Between the Shelves, published by Barbour, and a novel The Gilding of Minnie Tucker, which was independently published.

When asked to tell us something fun about herself, Marilyn reported, “For the past ten years, I've tried to do something new and different for my birthday. This past year, my husband and I traveled through the United Kingdom, celebrating my birthday in Glasgow, Scotland.”

Wonder where she’ll go next!