Saturday 7 April 2012

#AtoZChallenge - BLOGGERS WERE CHILDREN TOO! - G is for Goodwin, Melissa Ann Goodwin



Hello!

Regular followers and visitors to this site will know I'm using BLOGGERS WERE CHILDREN TOO! for my theme this year. I hope you're enjoying reading about bloggers, some you know and some you may not yet know, as they respond to some prompts I sent out. I've been so grateful for their responses as it helped me to get to know them better, admire their stunning cuteness as babes, and delighted me with random facts.

Thank you Adult Bloggers for your heartfelt responses. Thank you readers for visiting my posts. I hope you'll leave a comment and if you'd like to follow the link to my respondents' blogs they'd be delighted to meet you.

Rock on A- Z Challenge. (Visit more posts here).


Just a quick note - the lovely Juliette @ Chocolate For Writers is giving away free copies of her delightful chick lit 'Sleeping With Paris' over Easter. It's adorable!


Yesterday was Francine Howarth in all her magical childhood glory and...

Today:

G is for Goodwin, Melissa Ann Goodwin - Writer on the Road
Melissa at about 4 years, with a bunny she apparently liked a lot but doesn't remember!
Funny that, our childhood memories are supposed to be about our favourite toys,
but Melissa is the first/only one to mention a toy, and she doesn't even
remember it...


I WAS BORN IN:  Andover, Massachusetts, USA

I GREW UP IN: Andover, Massachusetts

MY FAVOURITE HOME WAS IN: Um...Andover! I loved my hometown and still think it's one of the prettiest towns I've ever seen.

MY BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY IS: Candlelight Christmas Eve services at our church. It's one of those medieval-looking stone Episcopal churches that you see in New England, with rich mahogany pews, hardwood floors and red velvet pew cushions. On Christmas Eve, wrought-iron candelabras, decorated with sprigs of holly and red velvet bows, adorned each row of pews. Everyone got a candle, and at the very end of the service we lit them and sang Silent Night. As soon as we finished singing, the church bells chimed. Standing there in the church with my family, our faces lit only by the soft glow of candlelight, listening to the echo of church bells, felt magical.



MY WORST CHILDHOOD MEMORY IS: I had a ridiculously happy childhood, but in second grade there was a girl who was mean to me almost every day, so that would have to be it. I think that means kids were the hardest part of growing up, and it pains me to see what an epidemic bullying seems to have become, despite all the attention it's getting. I'm tired of meanness.

TODAY I LIVE IN:  Well, this is changing even as we speak! In three weeks we'll be picking up our new RV and plan to travel in it for quite some time to come. Our first leg will be east from New Mexico and then up the east coast to Nova Scotia and Quebec in the summer. I guess you could say that the road will be my home for a while. There is a map of our route at the bottom of my blog: http:writeryogini.blogspot.com
About my book, The Christmas Village: Last fall I released my middle grade novel, The Christmas Village. It's the story of a sad 12-year-old boy named Jamie, who wishes he could escape from his troubles. He fantasizes about disappearing into Grandma's miniature Christmas village, where everything looks so picture perfect. Late one night, his wish magically comes true and Jamie finds himself transported into the village of Canterbury, where the year is 1932. Of course as soon as he gets there, Jamie's greatest wish is to find his way back home in time for Christmas! But everything isn't so perfect in Canterbury either, and Jamie is quickly embroiled in a mystery and adventure that put his plans in jeopardy. Jamie's adventures in Canterbury help him understand some important things about family, friendship and forgiveness. The story is set at Christmastime, but really, it's an adventure with postive and uplifting themes that readers young and old are enjoying with enthusiasm. The target reading age is 9 and up, but it can be read to younger children. One third grade class loved it so much, they all wrote me letters! You can read some of them on my Amazon page.
OH! And I'm working on the sequel, which will be released in 2013. It's called ... no wait, that's a secret for now!
Check out these unsolicited reviews from bloggers, as well as the reviews on Amazon:
Blogger Reviews:

Read the Reviews and Buy the Book on Amazon:
Melissa Ann Goodwin, Author of The Christmas Village 
About Me: I've written many stories, poems and articles for children's magazines. I've also written extensively on aging and caregiving for national magazines such as Caring Today and The Caregiver's Home Companion, and my short memoir pieces have appeared in Guidepost's Angels on Earth and other publications. My poem, "Poppies," was a top-10 prize winner in the 2010 Writer's Digest Annual Poetry Competition. My husband, artist, J.R. Secor, and I will be traveling the country this year in an RV. If you see an RV go by that says DREAMCATCHER on the back and has a big dreamcatcher logo - wave, because that will be us!
 I hope you enjoyed hearing about the childhood and adventurous life of Melissa Ann. Tune in tomorrow Monday 9th to meet/learn more about Donna Hole, a very familiar and much-loved blogger known to most of my regular followers. (She's just agreed to co-host RomanticFridayWriters with me!) 
 


33 comments:

Grace said...

What a challenge to write from this perspective, thanks for sharing this with us. I like her uplifting message and her journeys around the world (close to my cities too) ~

Happy day to you and cheering you for this April month ~

Unknown said...

Wow, what a happy life you've had. I just love that you are going to be traveling. Sweet.

Theresa Milstein said...

Nice to see Melissa here. What a cute little girl photo! Andover isn't too far from me now. Sorry you were bullied for a short time, but how nice to know you had a good childhood.

Zan Marie said...

Melissa,
The Christmas Village sounds wonderful! I wish I had gradchildren to purchase it for! Enjoy your travels!

Kittie Howard said...

It's nice to read about a happy childhood, except for that bullying in second grade. And I must agree, Andover is one of the prettiest towns in the U.S.

Dawn Embers said...

A great childhood memory. We used to sometimes go to my grandma's church for Christmas night's mass, even grandpa who is Mormon would go. There we would get little candles to hold and would all sing, and it leaves a very good memory. Like the look of your book as well, oh and hello.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Safe travels in the RV! Bet those Christmas Eve services were really pretty.

Anonymous said...

I wanted to host Melissa after I read her book. You don't have to buy it just for your grandchildren or some other child. I'm 71 and I LOVED it.

And I love this childhood Christmas memory, Melissa. So beautiful!

Here's to JOY in your travels. I'm waving as you pass me by in my East Coast (Virginia) home!
Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs

Sarah Tokeley said...

I'm looking forward to sharing Melissa's adventures on the road :-)

Doesn't that Christmas service sound magical?

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Everyone! Please forgive my tardiness in getting here - this is our 3rd night in the RV and our 1st on our own at a campground. We've had so much to do - can't count the number of visits to Walmart we made yesterday and today, and then had to get set up here at the campground -so much to learn!!! And I drove the RV for the 1st time today - OMG!!! Well, I lived to tell about it. Thank you Denise for hosting me. We've only just settled in now at the campground for a few days and this is the first time I've had to fire up the computer. I'll be updating on my blog - hopefully tomorrow if we have good Wifi, with pictures. Love to all, Melissa

The Poet said...

Hello Denise, hello Melissa.
What a lovely "getting to know you" post. Good luck Melissa & happy travels.
Thanks for sharing.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Denise and Melissa .. good to read about Melissa and her early days .. they sound very happy. Good luck on your travels .. I'm following you round and am looking forward to a tour of the States as you go on your travels .. Melissa - your book seems to ring true with the kids ..

Cheers and Happy Easter and travels .. Hilary

Jane said...

Wishing you many happy and safe travels in your RV!

Jane

Talli Roland said...

This is such a great theme! I love Melissa's candlelight memory. Fab!

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Thank you for the kind comment, Andy :D

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Jane, thanks so much.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Talli, I can picture it the minute I close my eyes. Denise came up with a great theme and it was so kind of her to extend the invitation to visit here.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Grace, it's a delight to meet you.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Clarissa, I've been very lucky. But there were certainly long stretches when I didn't feel happy - yet, now overall my impression is of having been very blessed. Most of my troubles were of my own making! Thank you for the well wishes - they are much appreciated.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Theresa! I think we all got bullied by someone somewhere along the way. I'm glad mine was just a little second-grader girl! Yet, it's amazing how the memory never goes away...

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Zan, thanks for the kind words (read what Ann Best has to say - it's not just for the kids!):-D

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Kittie - nice to hear from someone who knows Andover!

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hello to you too Dawn! I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner -we've started the RV adventure just this week and I've been out of commission! Yes, those kind of memories are magical and they feed into my stories.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Alex - thank you, and they were just beautiful, they really were. I can still picture/feel/hear them.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hello Ann, thanks for your comments here - you can still host me :D. I'll be reading your book soon too, once we settle into our road trip in May. And I'd love to host you as well. I will definitely wave, and if you see an RV that says DreamCatchers on the back - that will be me!

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Hi Sarah! Look forward to having you along for the trip :D

Denise Covey said...

Hello all! I'm back after enjoying my little Easter break. It'ls still Easter Monday here, public holiday, back to work tomorrow.

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement to Melissa. And thank you Melissa for using the Reply button!

If I haven't said it before, Happy Easter! And Happy Trails, Melissa! (Australia is full of who we fondly call Grey Nomads, who're driving around Oz in their SUVs or caravans and trailers. Good on them.

Denise

Anonymous said...

Reading about the candlelight xmases brought back memories, great memories! It's something I really miss here in Australia, with Christmas so close to the "summer solstice".

Denise Covey said...

Yes Iris, it must be a bit upsy downsy is you haven't lived here all your life. But I love the Carols by Candlelight events, especially near the beach. D.

Unknown said...

I adore that pic on the sofa at 4 years old, Melissa!

Denise, I'm truly loving your theme.

Look forward to your challenge run…
--Damyanti, Co-host A to Z Challenge April 2012

Twitter: @AprilA2Z
#atozchallenge

Denise Covey said...

Thank you Damyanti. You're sweet. I'm enjoying yours too! D.

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Thank you Damyanti!

Melissa Ann Goodwin said...

Thanks so much Denise! I'm sorry I wasn't here as much as I'd have liked right off - this change is a whirlwind!!