Trish Mercer


Trish 2015 portrait cropped 72SMALLFirst, let’s get a few things out of the way.

Yes, I’m a Christian; I believe in God the Father (the Creator), that He has a perfect and resurrected Son, Jesus Christ, and that the Holy Ghost bears testimony of Them to us.

I also believe in Lucifer (Satan, the devil, the Refuser), the rebellious one who was cast out of Heaven (Paradise) and now tries to make all of us here suffer as he suffers.

I also believe in the scriptures (The Writings) and I believe in prophecy and prophets (Guides). I believe God still speaks to us and delivers revelations because He is unchanging.

I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I attend every week, and I uphold “old-fashioned” morals: chastity before marriage, fidelity after, as well as honesty, charity, patience, and a good long nap on Sunday afternoons.

It’s true that my husband and I have nine children (yes–nine pregnancies, nine births, and no–we’re not sure what kept causing that, so feel free to explain it to us).

I also believe in the concept of Zion—a group of people that are of one heart and one mind, where individuals choose (unlike socialism and communism) to share all things freely so that there are no poor among them, and are focused on improving their minds and increasing their knowledge, not their possessions.

And I also believe creating this kind of society is doable in our future.

And yes, all of those beliefs are going to bubble up in my writing.

And no, I will not, cannot apologize for that.

I wrote this series precisely because this is what I wanted to read, but I couldn’t find it. That doesn’t mean I’m a great writer. (One reviewer said my writing is “clunky.”) It’s a terrible burden, I once heard someone say, to have more ambition than talent and ability.

But oh, has it been so much fun to write! And I’m thrilled to have found so many readers who want characters who cope with a difficult, messy world through prayer, faith, hope, and a clash of swords or two.

Some have found my writing “offensive,” because I write about “religion.” I’ve discovered there are millions of books that don’t discuss religion. If you don’t enjoy this series, you have plenty of other options.

But if you enjoy this series and want to contact me? Go ahead!

Trish Strebel Mercer has been teaching writing, or editing graduate papers, or changing diapers since the early 1990’s. She earned a BA in English from Brigham Young University and an MA in Composition Theory and Rhetoric from Utah State University. She and her husband David have nine children (and adding grandchildren) and have raised them in Utah, Idaho, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina, and Maine. 

13 thoughts on “Trish Mercer”

  3. I love your books. It is sometimes hard to find a book that I feel good about reading because of language, etc. I love the connections to the Gospel that are carried through the books. I am on book 5 now and have enjoyed each of them.

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  4. Thanks for your insightfulness in these books! I found myself doing a lot of pondering and thinking and found so many parallels with what we are facing with education and government. I have a feeling you are a bit like Mahree, aren’t you? When will book 4 come out? I really want to read it!

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    • Yes, Penny–Book 4 should be coming out in spring! (I work, so writing is my fun thing on the side that I have to squeeze in when I’ve got the time.)
      Subscribe to my blog, and you’ll get notices as to the actual release date.
      And I wished I were more like Mahrree. She’s my hero. I’m just a coward who writes in a corner of my bedroom, letting her shout and cause a rumble for me!

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  5. Trish – have read book 1 – can’t wait to get into 2 & 3! The series is so original, which you don’t find very often in today’s world – everybody has copied somebody. Also, as a practicing evangelical Christian I fully appreciate the biblical references, the prominent role of family and the Church, and the reverence for scripture in your writing. I was not expecting to find that (downloaded this to my Kindle on a whim) and it was a very pleasant surprise.

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  6. Thanks for your quick response! It is going to be hard waiting for several months to find out what happens next! Thank you for writing such a wonderful series.

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  7. Trish,
    I just ran across your Forest on the Edge series on Amazon for Kindle last week and love them. I have already ready all three! Can’t wait for the next one! How long before book 4 comes out?

    Gwen in WA

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    • Thanks, Gwen! You’ve made my day!
      I’m afraid book 4 is going to take a few more months, still. But I’ll keep you posted.

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