Warm Morning

Artist Susan Merrill’s work is mostly as a painter. Warm Morning is her first novel. She has previously published two children’s books, I live in Stockbridge and Wash Day. In Warm Morning she tells a series of stories about growing up on a farm in Maryland. Told from a child’s point of view, these lighthearted stories come together to reveal a darker picture. Susan Merrill began writing this book because Lyn Austin of the Music-Theatre Group forgot that Susan was a painter, not a writer, and insisted she read a story for a “Berkshire Writers” evening. The experiment was a success, and Susan began writing down her family stories for her daughter Daisy. Then Gail Ryan, owner of the Williamsville Inn, asked Susan to be part of a series of storyteller dinners. These readings proved wildly popular and were a regular event. Susan continues to read her stories aloud for many audiences. As the stories accumulated, they turned into this book - Warm Morning.