Meet Marianne Jordan | Author. Playwright. Speaker.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Marianne Jordan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marianne, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
What makes me happy? My answer depends on who’s asking.

If my granddaughters asked, I would tell them gardening. Working and playing outside. Our pets. Swimming with them. Reading and writing books. And most importantly, they do. Being their Nannie makes me happy. Now, if their older brother was to ask what makes me happy, I’d get a little more specific. Dirt therapy. Swimming. Animals. College sports, especially the ACC. Cooking. Taking pictures. Reading. And writing. (Especially finishing a manuscript.) And him. He makes me happy.

But since you’re the one asking, I’ll be very specific.

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to be happy. But I know people who seem to find it difficult. They have what I’ve come to know as the ‘Eeyore Syndrome’. That pessimistic, doom and gloom outlook on life. Laughter and enjoyment seem foreign to them.

Please don’t get me wrong. I know there are those who can’t help it. They are truly depressed and genuine happiness is almost an impossibility without help. Many even give up on ever finding it and life becomes too difficult to handle. The thought of waking up every morning only to face another day of hopelessness is unfathomable. And the helplessness of those loved ones and friends who have to witness it is gut wrenching.

For me, personally, I’ve had to check that square on a doctor’s form that asks if I’ve ever been treated for depression. And full disclosure, for the first time I’ll publically state, I take Cymbalta for anxiety and fibromyalgia. I am in no way endorsing it, I’m just saying that at times I too, need help.

But when it comes to happiness, I feel it’s an emotion that comes and goes. We can’t be happy all the time. Life won’t allow it. The same with sadness. Anger. Fear. For most, these emotions are fleeting. They’re not naturally an everyday occurance. What I feel instead is contentment. That feeling of whatever life throws at me, I find, at some level at least, a constant. Regardless of the emotions that can overtake me, the ups, the downs, the joys, the sorrows, I do my best to find that steady baseline.

Successful? Not always. I get down. Angry. Sad. But contentment is what I strive for regardless of the emotions I’m experiencing.

I once heard a quote and it often crosses my mind. I’ll paraphrase.

We are all either GOING INTO something that can interrupt our lives, IN THE MIDDLE of something that has changed our course. Or COMING OUT of something that has altered our path. A crises. An upheaval. A life altering surprise. We’ve all been there.

The question is how do we react to it? What is it that gets us through to the other side?

For me, it’s contentment. Having a consistent straight line on my life’s graph, no matter how many other lines curve or form jagged edges. But where do I find it? How do I achieve it? For me it comes down to two things.

FAITH and GRATITUDE. Believing in something bigger than myself, and being grateful.

As a Christian, I believe in God and my savior, Jesus Christ. As a woman, a wife, mother, and who I am in all my other relationships and situations, I believe there is always something to be grateful for. Something as simple as seeing the first hummingbird of spring. Finding the right words when writing. Drinking a great cup of coffee on the porch especially when my husband Bill makes it for me. Nothing complicated. Just being grateful for small things. The things that are easily taken for granted.

But there are big things too. I think about how blessed I am that though doctors thought it very unlikely after going through a miscarriage and cancer, I had a daughter and have been able to watch her grow up and have children of her own. I’m grateful to be able to experience life through all my senses. For having a roof over my head and food on the table. Those are just a few examples. My list is never ending.

Emotions can change. Sometimes in a skinny minute. But true contentment is hard to shake. It is a state of mind. A way to live. Not easy to do, but worth the effort.

There is an old hymn I don’t remember not knowing. I’ve been singing it since childhood. But the lyrics could not be more true as an adult. In fact, it has taken many circumstances in my life to fully grasp them. The story behind its author, Horatio Spafford is amazing. I encourage you to read it. Its message emphasises what I’ve been trying to convey.

It is a true reminder for me that faith plus gratitude equals contentment.

IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

When peace like a river attendeth my way.
When sorrows like sea billows roll.
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say, It is well,
it is well with my soul.

In other words, I’m content.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I love to make up stories.

I wrote my first play when I was in the seventh grade. That was the beginning of my writing career. And except for a few other plays and school projects, it was also the end. Or so I thought. It never occurred to me that I might one day write professionally. At least as an author.

I graduated from Radford University with degrees in speech telecommunications and business. Due to my my choices of occupations in public relations, development, sales, and broadcasting, I was always writing in some capacity. But being a published author… not even on the radar. I’d have laughed if you told me I’d be one someday.

When we moved to NC, my drama roots came back and I performed on our adult drama team at church. I also became the director of the youth drama team. And that’s when my writing came full circle. I began writing plays for them to perform.

In 1999 the kids were asked to perform a Christmas production. I went through script after script and couldn’t find anything that hadn’t been frequently performed or one that had enough parts for twenty four young people. So I locked myself in a room at the local Holiday Inn Express and after two days walked out with a manuscript.

The First Christmas Carol was born.

I wish I could add “…And I never looked back,” but I can’t.

My problem was I not only looked back but kept looking all the way back to my darkest times. I’d skip over my successes and accomplishments and only focus on my disillusions, deficiencies, and debacles. I’d begun to want to write, but had no confidence, self motivation, or guidance.

When the Christmas performances were over, friends and family who’d seen the productions encouraged me to write the story living in my head. To create the characters I envisioned, not the ones I had to create for roles in a play. To not limit myself to the sets that had been built for the stage but to write about the world in which my characters lived. I tried. And tried. I’d write some, then shelve it. A month later, I’d try again, only to put it away. I’m ashamed to say this went on for years. But the weird thing was, and I know this will sound really strange, it was as if the characters kept calling me. They wanted their story to be told. I just couldn’t leave them alone.

Finally, Bill and our daughter Jessica told me to basically poop or get off the pot. (I paraphrase.) But I still found it impossible to think of myself as a writer. And the war between my heart and mind continued, paralyzing me from moving forward.

Yet, the story still wouldn’t go away. The characters seemed to haunt me. I felt them. I dreamed about them. I saw their faces. I was afraid of writing, but felt out of sorts when I didn’t. It was a fearful compulsion. Like in a scary movie when the actor feels compelled to open a door but is afraid of what’s on the other side.

As I stated earlier, I’m a Christian. My life is centered around my faith, family, and friends. Those closest to me kept encouraging me to write. However, I forgot about the spiritual part of the equation. I later came to understand that’s what was missing. That’s where the fear came in. The unease. The lack of belief in myself. I had no spiritual encouragement. At least that’s what I thought. But I was so very wrong. He’d been there the entire time. I just wasn’t listening. I forgot to pray.

He believed in me. Why couldn’t I?

Once I accepted this realization, things began to change. Don’t get me wrong. It was a slow process. A very slow process. But I began to make progress. Finishing my manuscript took several more years and many writers’ conferences to learn about the craft and how to make my writing better. It also required getting turned down when I would pitch the story concept. The rejections would dispel dreams of ever being published and undermine any confidence I had acquired. My insecurities gave me thin skin.

But finally being spiritually bankrupt turned to trusting and it became stronger than my fear and doubts.

So I edited. And edited. But again, I became my own biggest obstacle. I’d write one day, then when I got back to it, I’d reread what I’d already written to get into the flow of the story again. But then I’d wouldn’t like what I wrote the day before so I’d start editing the former pages rather than moving on. That added to my delay of getting anything finished.

But finally in 2013, A MISER. A MANGER. A MIRACLE. THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CAROL*** hit the shelves.

The sad part about it was that my mom died that same week. I don’t remember much about the book launch. But people were there to help me get to where I needed to be and they assured me I didn’t say anything stupid. It was amazing however, to see how many people needed to hear about perseverance. To keep going even when your heart is breaking.

But I could never have done it alone.

I thank God I didn’t have to.

I think that’s one of the most important parts of overcoming any challenge. If we reach out, we never have to face anything alone.

Now, I’m feeling excited about what lies ahead. I’m not afraid of the keyboard and blank screen. I’m editing a new novel. I’ve written a children’s series. And hopefully, I’ll attempt a screen play. Who knows? The point is, I’ll have my faith, family, and friends beside me regardless.

*** I want to clarify one thing. Unlike the the initial play, the title of my novel is a bit misleading, as it isn’t just about Christmas. It’s just as much an Easter book and so much more. Some of the subjects discussed between the covers are just as relevant today as they were 2,000 years ago. For instance, judging others when we don’t know their circumstances or the heartbreak of being judged ourselves. The trials of raising a special needs child, the cost of healthcare and the loss of loved ones. The high financial, mental, and emotional costs of living under a ruthless government. And the pain and burden of poverty and the physical and emotional havoc it wreaks on families and marriages. It is also about being spiritually empty, and life’s questions that seemingly go unanswered. A Miser. A Manger. A Miracle. is about people who live without hope. But it’s also about faith. Strength. And for some, it’s about finding redemption.

Every one of us can be found somewhere in its pages.

Afterall, don’t we all need to be rescued from something?

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the small town of Fuquay-Varina in SW Wake County, North Carolina. We’ve called it home for over twenty-five years. But it won’t be long before our town is no longer small. We’ve lost more tobacco, cotton, and soybean fields than I know how to count. Not to mention all the trees. They’re being replaced with homes, condos, apartments, shops, restaurants, and new roads. The growing infrastructure is a good thing for the community, I guess. But I hate to lose all the natural beauty and small town feel that used to envelop us.

If you’re interested in Science, technology, or the medical field The Triangle in the North Carolina Piedmont is a great place to settle. The Research Triangle Park is the largest of its kind in the country and growing bigger every year. It is a major hub for technology and biotech companies. The medical field is also thriving here, with research, health care, pharmaceuticals, and education.

If you are a sports enthusiast, there’s no better place to visit than the NC Triangle. Our area consists of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill with towns and communities connecting them all. It’s called the Triangle because of the close proximity of these three major cities. College rivalries are intense. We have the University of North Carolina, NC State University and Duke University in our back yards with just a few miles in between. Wake Forest, Davidson, and East Carolina are also close by. Basketball, football, and baseball are embedded in the lives of our citizens. Your heart has to belong to one of these schools. If not, you’re not from around here.

Golfing fans are also in luck. There are thirty-eight beautiful courses across the Triangle. Seventeen of them are in Wake County alone. Best of all, Pinehurst, the mecca of the golfing world is only an hour away.

We also have the Hurricanes, our professional hockey team, and the Triple A Durham Bulls baseball team. Soccer is another sport that is embraced in The Triangle.

If sports aren’t your thing, we have a nationally acclaimed zoo less than two hours outside of the Triangle. There is an art museum in Raleigh that rivals many of those in larger cities. Several others worth noting are scattered throughout the area. Raleigh also prides itself in being the home of the North Carolina Museum
of Natural Sciences, The North Carolina Museum of History, and a spectacular children’s museum called Marbles just to name a few.

Other museums across the Triangle include the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, and the Morehead Planetarium 
and Science Center in Chapel Hill.

If you love plants we have quite a number of public gardens to enjoy across the Triangle. The North Carolina Botanical Gardens, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the Raleigh Municipal Rose Garden, the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens in Durham, the Coker Arboretum in Chapel Hill, and the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.

Eating is big in the Triangle. You can’t come to NC and not try our BBQ. We have two types of sauce to smother it with. Tomato or vinegar based. The argument of which is best will continue ’till the end of time. Restaurants of all kinds abound across the Triangle. Regardless of where you are, small towns or our state capital, your choices are endless.
Food trucks to wine bars. Cafes to elegant eateries. Fresh seafood, Ethnic foods. Pub fare. Famous hotdog stands. You’ll find those and everything in between in the Triangle.

Speaking of seafood, one of the best things about living in the Triangle is that we’re less than three hours from the coast. Our beaches are clean, clear, and less crowded than many of the other east coast beaches. And beach music, the soul of Shag, is the heartbeat among the die hard salt lovers.

Only a slightly longer drive going west takes you to our beautiful mountains.People ask about why we call the Blue Ridge mountains blue? Simple answer. Because when you gaze across the landscape and see their curving peaks they appear blue. And with our mountains comes the Blue Ridge Parkway, “a 469-mile scenic road that runs through Virginia and North Carolina, connecting the Shenandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s the longest and highest continuous route in the Appalachian Mountains, with elevations ranging from 649 ft at the James River in Virginia to 6,047 ft at Richland Balsam in North Carolina. The parkway is managed by the National Park Service and is known as ‘America’s Favorite Drive.'” If you’re in a hurry, don’t get on the parkway. It’s two lanes with lots of scenic pull offs. But it wasn’t built to get you from point A to B. It was built to be experienced. To slowly take in the beauty, serenity, and majesty of your surroundings. To have the assurance that there is something out there bigger than ourselves. There are also hiking trails everywhere for climbing, walking, running, or mountain biking.

We also have gorgeous lakes all around the Triangle. If you enjoy boating, fishing, or other water sports, we have you covered. There’s also lots of history surrounding the area. If you enjoy learning about our nation’s past, it’s all around us. You can drive to Winston Salem and visit North Carolina’s version of historic Williamsburg. Greensboro and Charlotte aren’t far away either should you manage to get bored. But how could you? There’s just too much to do and see.

Rental properties of every description can be found wherever and whenever you choose to visit. Cabins. Condos. Resorts. Hotel chains. Historic Inns. Bed and Breakfasts. We have them all. You’ll never run out of options.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am without my family’s support, encouragement, and love. They’ve been amazing and have emotionally held my hands to the fire. My fingers on the keyboard. They continue to give me hope and confidence to keep writing, telling me it’s worth the effort because it’s part of who I am. To keep writing even when I don’t think I’m good enough.

Others who’ve made a difference in my writing life make up quite a list with way too many to try and name. Everyone from best selling author David Morrell who motivated me with a verbal kick in the pants in a Santa Fe parking lot to Rusty Shelton, who was the first person to listen to my thoughts on a potential novel while at my first writers’ conference in Dallas, Texas. Jonathan Clements, an agent from Nashville, Tennessee took me on as a client after meeting at another writers’ conference in Ridgecrest, NC. He made the publication of my novel happen.

Finally, I couldn’t NOT mention our church youth drama team Rubicon, who performed my original play, THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CAROL, which led me to write the book by the same title. I had the privilege to direct them and work with their parents and other church members to make a true difference in people’s lives. Theirs. Mine. And all the wonderful people who took part in the production. From those who built the sets, sewed costumes, fed us, and worked behind the scenes, to the visitors who never would have stepped inside a church if it wasn’t Christmas.

It was the experience of a lifetime.

Website: A Miser. A Manger. A Miracle. The First Christmas Carol Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Miser-Manger-Miracle-Marianne-Jordan/dp/1938499735/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4565BIIO6Ua8Fj3t3ovMdw.oVSmAQWYapQTSUuazF4VfqM8e-BMHAdad7snjeSy6_4&qid=1718842864&sr=8-1

Instagram: MarianneJordanAuthor

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Other: Email: radiomarianne@gmail.com

Image Credits
Front cover design:

Urosh Bizjak, uroshb.prosite.com and

Ted Ruybal, www.wisdomhousebooks.com

Book Design: The Fast Fingers, www.thefastfingers.com