I’m so excited to welcome Bailey Merlin to the blog today. We are celebrating the upcoming release of her newest title, A Lot of People Live in This House.
Embracing Connection Through Communal Living
I never set out to live communally. When I moved to Boston after a big breakup, I had every intention of finding a cute apartment near a subway stop. But with every failed apartment interview or budgeting error, my standards fell. I landed in a Craigslist hole that had me bumping shoulders with scam artists and creeps aplenty. Amidst the cesspool was a shining jewel: “6BD/5BA, pets okay, intentional community.” Little did I know five years later, my life would be changed forever. I would have friends that felt closer than family, homes across the world, and my new novel, A Lot of People Live in This House.
Although skeptical at first, I decided to take a leap of faith. After all, my options were limited, and I yearned for a fresh start. After a Skype (I know) meeting with the owners and realizing that they probably wouldn’t kill me, I agreed to move into the home, sight unseen, on January 1, 2018.
Moving into the communal house introduced me to diverse individuals, each with stories, dreams, and quirks. The initial awkwardness quickly melted away as I discovered the beauty of human connection. Shared meals, late-night conversations, and spontaneous adventures fostered a sense of belonging and camaraderie I had never experienced before.
Living communally meant never feeling alone in my struggles. Whether offering a listening ear during difficult times or providing practical support, the communal living environment provided a safety net of understanding and compassion. The emotional support I received from my housemates inspired me to explore the depths of my emotions and laid the foundation for my novel’s characters.
Immersed in the vibrant tapestry of communal living, I felt a strong urge to capture the essence of this experience through storytelling. Thus, A Lot of People Live in This House was born. The novel delves into the lives of people who, like myself, find solace and personal growth in a shared space. Their journeys, struggles, and triumphs mirror my own, and the novel became a tribute to the transformative power of communal living. In a world often dominated by isolation, couldn’t we all use a little more connection?
About the book:
Book title: A Lot of People Live in This House
Author: Bailey Merlin
Publisher: Book Brilliance Publishing
Publication date: May 26, 2023
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
The ad: 8BD/7BA Historical Home and Intentional Community. Pets Okay!
When Rachel arrives at the house on the hill, she’s greeted by new roommates who smile, bring her cups of tea, and seem happy to have her. She hates it.
Not long after, her husband, Job, is trapped in India by a virus that’s grounded just about every plane in the world. As she falls apart, her new housemates rally to find a way to get Job home.
Everything Rachel thought she knew about living with others flies out the window and leaves only one remaining truth: Life can be a lot at once, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Purchase links:
Signed Copy: https://www.baileymerlin.com/books
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lot-People-Live-This-House/dp/1913770648/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-lot-of-people-live-in-this-house-bailey-merlin/1143362208
About the Author:
Bailey Merlin is a talented writer with a rich background in fiction and media, medicine, and health. She holds an MFA in fiction from Butler University and an MS from Harvard Medical School, and her writing has been published in numerous literary magazines, The Lascaux Review, ellipses…, Honeyfire Literary Magazine, Bandit Fiction, Anti-Heroin Chic, Chantwood Magazine, Drunk Monkeys, Dime Show Review, Streetlight Magazine, Into the Void, Crack the Spine, among others. In addition to her writing, Bailey has co-performed a spoken word short story album, Bug Eyes, with award-winning jazz guitarist Richie Smith. She is also the librettist of the opera ¡Dime! An Opera in Four Acts. Based in Boston, Bailey lives in an intentional community with a dynamic cast of humans, a toddler, a dog, a cat, and a friendly ghost. You can find her work on baileymerlin.com.
Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bamaram_merlin/
TiktTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bamaram_merlin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bamaram_merlin
Blog: https://www.baileymerlin.com/blog