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Christine Lindsay: Violet Perfume

8/3/2011

12 Comments

 
This week we welcome Christine Lindsay to Author Memories.
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Christine Lindsay writes historical Christian inspirational novels with strong love stories. She doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects such as the themes in her debut novel SHADOWED IN SILK which was the Gold winner of the 2009 ACFW Genesis for Historical.

The Pacific coast of Canada, about 200 miles north of Seattle, is Christine’s home. It’s a special time in her life as she and her husband enjoy the empty nest, but also the noise and fun when the kids and grandkids come home. Like a lot of writers, her cat is her chief editor.

Violet Perfume
By Christine Lindsay

I was 12 years old and my grandparents had just come from Ireland to visit us in Canada. It had been 8 years since I last saw my grandmother, who I called Nanny, and my grandfather, Granda.

They opened up their huge, light blue suitcase and brought out all sorts of gifts for us from the family back home. Then Nanny gave me a small box, and inside was a gift that as soon as I opened it, took me back to those vague days of childhood when I was but 4.

I had been born in Ireland, but when I was 4 years old my mother and father, as well as my baby sister and I immigrated to Canada. Back in the sixties flights across the Atlantic were expensive, so it wasn’t too different for us than it was for those immigrants who’d come over in the steerage of ships. When we had said goodbye at the airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland, all of us thought we’d never see each other again.

But 8 years passed, and each day I thought of my grandparents who I missed terribly, especially Nanny. Letters were never enough.

One day when I was 11 years old I was at a friend’s house playing, and I phoned home. My mother said, “Hurry up, I have a big surprise waiting for you.”

I remember running down the street, wearing a cotton dress and white ankle socks with black Mary Jane shoes like girls did in those days. All the way home, puffing out of breath, all I could think of was, what . . . or who . . . my mother had waiting for me.  

One surprise that would thrill me would be if my grandparents were sitting in the living room when I got home. It had to be them. It just had to be. Had they come from Ireland to visit us at long last?

But when I got home my mother indeed had a surprise for me. I don’t remember what it was. Something nice, I’m sure. But it was not my grandparents. How foolish I felt. Of course they wouldn’t turn up just like that. A flight across the ocean cost a great deal.

The day did come though, the following year. And I was told about it months in advance. My grandparents did fly over.
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And there they were sitting in our living room in Canada and opening up their huge, light blue suitcase to shower us with gifts.

Nanny handed me the little box, and I opened the lid. It was a small bottle of perfume made for a child with the plastic figure of a tiny leprechaun for the lid.

I popped open the lid and brought it to my nose and sniffed.

I remembered!

I was only 4 when we’d left the emerald isle. So many things I couldn’t possibly remember, except the vague, shadowy images of my grandmother especially. But this violet scent was one I had smelled before.

It took me home to the land of my birth, to the family I missed, to those moments with my grandmother.

I was home.

                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Trailer for Christine's debut novel: Shadowed in Silk

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SHADOWED IN SILK, WhiteFire Publishing, 
Gold winner of the 2009 ACFW Genesis for Historical

Click here to read Chapter One  

In Print available -- September 1, 2011 

Available now as an Ebook, Click here on Amazon

Visit Christine at her website  www.christinelindsay.com 


12 Comments
Anne Mateer link
8/2/2011 08:52:43 am

Lovely story, Christine! What a great memory.

Reply
rose mccauley link
8/7/2011 11:32:07 am

I loved this story, Christine and Anita Mae! I think this will become a very popular site! Rose

Reply
Tamara Cooper
8/7/2011 12:43:09 pm

Oh! I'm of Irish descent and LOVED your story. Is that a picture of your Nanny, Christine? She is so beautiful. I just appreciate the tenor of your memories and your wonderful storytelling. I would love to read your book.

Reply
Anita Mae Draper link
8/7/2011 04:24:23 pm

I agree with all of you, it's a wonderful story into Christine's past.

Thank you, Rose. I hope it will too. :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita Mae.

Reply
Sandra Orchard link
8/7/2011 11:03:01 pm

Isn't it amazing how smells bring so many memories flooding back? This was a great story Christine, as is your book. :)

Reply
Myra Johnson link
8/8/2011 01:08:56 am

What a lovely story, Christine! Many of my ancestors were Irish, and I still have hopes of visiting Ireland someday and possibly doing a bit of genealogical research to find out where they originated.

Gorgeous blog and Web site, Anita Mae! Great job!

Reply
Christine Lindsay link
8/8/2011 03:34:52 am

Thank you all for such kind remarks, and to Anita Mae for having me as her very first guest on Author Memories. It was such a delight to answer this question, especially for writers. The sense of smell being such an evocotive one. And it's always nice to run into another Irish person. :o) Being Irish, I can't help but have a lot of the British Isle's in my books.

Reply
Anita Mae link
8/8/2011 04:35:03 am

Anne, Rose, Tamara, Sandra and Myra, so nice to see you all here...
but you need to come back and add your email address <b>in</b> your comment if you want to enter the Welcome Prize Giveaway. For this time only, I'll allow what Seeker Tina calls, a 'drive-by entry'.

Sandra, thanks for reminding me that I've yet to write the review for Christine's book, <b>Shadowed in Silk</b. Yikes!

Thanks, Myra. I have a writing friend who's going back to Scotland for research into her past. From what I've read of her book, 'being there' really adds to the experience.

As does the sense of smell. So important to enhance the story.

You're welcome, Christine. It's a pleasure working with you. :)


Reply
cara lynn james link
8/13/2011 05:16:59 am

Loved the story, Christine! Your book sounds wonderful too. Thanks for sharing the chapter.

Anita Mae, have fun with your blog!!!

Reply
LoRee Peery link
8/13/2011 06:47:32 am

Wonderful trailer, congrats on what looks like a terrific story.
Christine's memory reminds me of Evening in Paris perfume from my childhood, associated with my aunt. My mom sold Avon so there are lots of fragrances that bring her back to mind.
[email protected]

Reply
Anita Mae
8/14/2011 03:23:07 am

Hey, thanks Cara. :)

LoRee, for me it was Moonwood - my aunt's favorite.

Reply
Christine Lindsay link
8/15/2011 04:24:25 am

Perfume sure is one of the most wonderful ways of bringing back memories---especially of those favored aunts. And there's lots and lots of smells in Shadowed in Silk, which was a hoot to write. I've been to India, and while it's much better than it used to be, it does have certain aromas. There was so much to show---the aromas of the food, the stench of garbage and sewers, the heady fragrance of flowers, the sandalwood perfume of Indian women. Oh how I loved writing that book. :o)

Christine Lindsay

Reply



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