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Jessica Nelson: 'Singing in a Silo' & Giveaway

3/11/2012

48 Comments

 

This week we welcome Jessica Nelson to Author Memories.

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Jessica Nelson, in keeping with her romantic inclinations, married two days after she graduated high school. When Jessica is not chasing her three beautiful, wild little boys around the living room, she can be found staring into space as she plots her next story. Or she might be daydreaming about a raspberry mocha from Starbucks. Or thinking about what kind of chocolate she should have for dinner that night. Whatever she's thinking, one thing is for certain, she is blessed with a wonderful family and a lovely life.


Singing in a Silo
by Jessica Nelson
Singing in a silo is sound and beauty and echoes enveloping you in a heady, swirling rush.

When I was a young girl, maybe ten, my sisters and I visited our grandma in Iowa every summer. Grandma Charlene lived in what felt like the country. Now that I’m an adult I’ve discovered she was but a few miles from the nearest town, but as a child familiar only with the closed-off skies of the south, it felt like Grandma’s farm had been plunked down in the middle of nowhere, on the edge of a dirt road, surrounded by corn fields I couldn’t see across and a sky that never seemed to end.

No neighbors to play with, only sisters on a farm.

During those summers, I remember wild days of doing whatever we wanted. Grandma had stacks of books from her book club lined against the wall: I was in heaven. Big, round metal things served as our horses. To this day I have no clue what they were, but we rode like the wind when we were on them. Then there were the cats. Shy creatures we could never quite catch. Lightning bugs teased us in the night. Those were easier.

And then the silo.
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This looks similar to Grandma’s Iowa silo but I think hers was connected to a barn of some sort and there were less trees, more corn.
A mysterious and smelly place in which we discovered the wonderful treasure of our voices uniting together, like paint strokes, harmonious and free. It was an old one, no longer used, we thought. Pigeons roosted at the top and left their droppings at the bottom, a place we rarely ventured. Instead we poked our heads through the opening and let loose.
We sang hymns like Amazing Grace and On Eagle’s Wings. We sang about going down by the bay and seeing a bear combing his hair. Whatever came to mind, we sang. Alto or soprano, in tune or not, it didn’t matter. In that joyous cadence of melody, we belonged together.

The memory makes me smile.

Three sisters in a silo, young and carefree. Happy.
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(L to R) Josie, Jenni and Jessie on our first day of school. Yes, it was the eighties, hence our stylish jumpsuits.
Those were long ago days and I don’t know if those little girls still exist. I hope  somewhere deep in our hearts, they live on. I’m not sure if that silo still stands, but the farm still still stands and so does Grandma. She visited lately and I couldn’t believe how young she looked.

Maybe Grandma has been singing in the silo too. I wouldn’t be surprised.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Mar 18th
to be entered in a draw for a copy of 
Jessica Nelson's debut release, Love on the Range
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Love on the Range, Love Inspired Historical, Apr 2012
Available now at www.harlequin.com, pre-order at www.amazon.com
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Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero known as Striker, then she'll never have to depend on anyone ever again.

Rancher Trevor Cruz can't believe his secret identity is being endangered by an overly chatty city girl. But if there's one thing he knows, it's that Gracie's pretty little snooping nose is bound to get her in trouble. So he'll use her determination to find "Striker" to keep an eye on her…and stick close by her side.

Read Excerpt

You can find Jessica online at:

her website:
http://www.jessicanelson.net/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessicaNelson

48 Comments

Anne Greene: My Best Christmas and Giveaway

12/18/2011

28 Comments

 

This week we welcome back Anne Greene to Author Memories.

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ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. After falling in love with several countries and their people, Anne set a number of her books in exotic locations. She and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene, have visited twenty-five countries, including three communist countries. When she’s not deployed with her husband, Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Two of her four children live nearby. Tim LaHaye led her to the Lord when she was twenty-one and Chuck Swindoll is her Pastor.

My Best Christmas
by Anne Greene

Do you have one Christmas that stands out in your mind? I’d love to say that my best memory of Christmas was one in which I did the giving. But it wasn’t. I was ten years old and thought I was quite the grown-up.

Though we always had enough to eat, had a roof over our heads, and sufficient clothing, my family was poor. So, Christmas for me consisted of too much anticipation before the grand day, but then pretty much disappointment the morning of.

That particular Christmas time I’d played in the snow, sang the Christmas carols our small town played throughout our downtown area in snowy Ohio. Spent my meager savings on gifts for my family members, and counted down the hours until Christmas morning. Though I knew Christmas for us wouldn’t amount to much, I loved the season. Though I wasn’t a Christian and didn’t know the real meaning of Christmas, I loved the idea of a Child born in a stable and laid in a manger. The whole idea sent my imagination soaring.

But that Christmas a whole new world opened for me. My older sister and I rushed down the stairs. There weren’t a lot of presents scattered at the base of the lighted tree and each present looked similar in size and shape. So, the initial glance didn’t seem too promising. We always took our time opening gifts, carefully unwrapping and saving the paper for the following year. We savored each gift, making the experience last.  
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I opened the first present, and it was a book. Just the right color (blue), just the right size, and ummn just the right smell. Excitement mounted inside as my sister and I discovered each gift was another book in the series. I literally jumped for joy. I’d never heard of Nancy Drew, but those books looked too good to be true. I spent many hours reading and rereading those books. And Christmas continued through the year because my mother took me to visit a tiny book store. Halfway up the stairs to the Book Nook I could smell the enticing odor of fresh print on pages. Then there were tables and shelves with stacks of books to browse through. That year, every spare cent I earned took me back to that magic wonderland.

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So, why the picture of a Grandfather clock? My favorite Nancy Drew mystery was The Mystery of the Old Clock. Children today don’t seem to be as interested in Nancy Drew mysteries, but back then I had no cell phone, no computer, no video games, and life was simpler. We had family, we had love, and we had the whole, wide world of books.

And, I didn’t discover the real meaning of Christmas until I was twenty-one. But that’s something I’ll have to tell you about at another time. For now, find yourself a book you’ve always loved, a treasured companion, curl up in a chair by a roaring fire and experience another world.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment with a valid email address by midnight, Dec 25th
to be entered to win a copy of Anne's giveaway, a free download of her ebook,
A Texas Christmas Mystery. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Texas Christmas Mystery, White Rose Publishing, available now.

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A lady Coastguardsman searches for a killer.

An oil rig troubleshooter accused of murder races to clear his name.

 The murderer strives to silence them both.

As Amber Meredith seeks to arrest Derrick Darbonne, sparks fly. She needs to solve her first case. But the handsome Cajun suspect makes her heart race and her toes tingle. Derrick has worked all his life for his high-paying, adventurous job. When his past threatens his future, will he endanger the woman he loves?

Read an Excerpt
Read The Gift, Anne's previous visit to Author Memories.

Read Anita Mae's Book Review for her thoughts on Masquerade Marriage,
Anne's award-winning Scottish historical romance which was a direct result of  
Anne and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene's visit to Scotland - only one twenty-five countries they have visited.

A Christmas Texas Mystery is available as a downloadable ebook.

Masquerade Marriage is available as an ebook or a print copy.
 
Both are availabe at www.whiterosepublishing.com   


To learn more about Anne Greene and view pictures
from her extensive travel, visit her at
 
www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com 
28 Comments
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