tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57772913859993523972024-03-13T09:07:43.361-04:00Melissa Ann GoodwinMelissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-46301791237930841172023-12-04T13:00:00.000-05:002023-12-04T13:00:12.032-05:00Reading a Passage from Candles in the Windows<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here is a video clip of me reading a passage from </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Satisfy; font-size: x-large;"><i>Candles in the Windows, A Christmas Romance</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Enjoy!</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jKzpNWPS8uY" width="320" youtube-src-id="jKzpNWPS8uY"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-33543104381835271282023-12-03T16:54:00.000-05:002023-12-03T16:54:14.621-05:00<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Candles-Windows-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0CNSP5W3V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OV5NWYZOCD6K&keywords=candles+in+the+windows+goodwin&qid=1701640043&sprefix=candles+in+the+windows+goodwin%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1cXmz_t-y_PlBV-mhUsoTA-D3yrJhVkSa0InxZgNzeSx7xIu0zOrIXMiis1Ey3xXniLltuGzz0hPNh5uKlK3kcdRpGRnmYmMOp9r7EDza0KlWN0_EOu0bu_jhnZKj6aUZWo38UY4_CIM-W7zEXKP6SKhTzk1R3VvaeWy5a1gsCWn_GLao8b7Ml4bt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1080" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3FlYycXmz_t-y_PlBV-mhUsoTA-D3yrJhVkSa0InxZgNzeSx7xIu0zOrIXMiis1Ey3xXniLltuGzz0hPNh5uKlK3kcdRpGRnmYmMOp9r7EDza0KlWN0_EOu0bu_jhnZKj6aUZWo38UY4_CIM-W7zEXKP6SKhTzk1R3VvaeWy5a1gsCWn_GLao8b7Ml4bt" width="234" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>I'm so excited to tell you that my new book</b></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Satisfy; font-size: x-large;"><b>Candles in the Windows</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Satisfy; font-size: x-large;"><b>A Christmas Romance</b></span></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>is now available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Candles-Windows-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0CNSP5W3V/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1700951795&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon.com </a> i</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span>n paperback, </span></span><span style="text-align: left;">eBook</span><span style="text-align: left;"> for Kindle, and hardcover. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Just click on the <i>cover image</i> below to go directly to the page on Amazon. </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Candles-Windows-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0CNSP5W3V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OV5NWYZOCD6K&keywords=candles+in+the+windows+goodwin&qid=1701640043&sprefix=candles+in+the+windows+goodwin%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2757" data-original-width="1840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzNGmt2cbv68QWV1LrBQLGqWYmSW0SbXTeQwHUL5WbTamO-FDtVYeZMHbyhjps-2viLGKU8-HtOpNtJL6D8G0-N7IM5OXaJhCfSHBHkwRF2Zwd9fwYYog6nkku-miDAqahB0ShZH-parBys7nut7pknRnMsmCljo7Ox7z1LiyS2FrWMELMen03NtC-fHb/s320/Candles%20in%20the%20Windows%20front%20cover%20for%20Reveal.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-87921098973110022932023-11-19T13:47:00.000-05:002023-11-19T13:47:11.972-05:00COVER REVEAL FOR Candles in the Windows, A Christmas Romance<p> <b style="font-family: "Dancing Script"; font-size: x-large;">GOOD MORNING!</b></p><p style="text-align: center;">Today marks another exciting step toward the release </p><p style="text-align: center;">of my new book,</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: #0c343d; font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Satisfy;">Candles in the Windows, A Christmas Romance</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">It's time for the </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>COVER REVEAL!</b></i></span></p><p>But first, a few <i>tidbits</i> about the release and an invitation to my virtual book reading!</p><p>My book will be available for purchase on Amazon.com in paperback, hardcover, and as an eBook for <i>Kindle. </i>You can also ask any bookstore to order the book for you.</p><p>I'm targeting <b>November 25th</b> (Black Friday) for the release date - fingers, toes, and eyes crossed! The final, final, final proof is being final-proofed, <i>finally</i>, even as we speak...</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><i>AND.</i></b>..</p><p>You are invited (please, please, please, please, please come) to my <b>VIRTUAL BOOK READING</b> on <i><b>November 29th at 7pm ET. </b></i></p><p>It will be via <i>Zoom,</i> courtesy of <b><i>The Yoga Sanctuary.</i></b> I will read a few tantalizing excerpts and take your questions about the book, the writing process, or anything else!</p><p>It's being hosted by my beloved friends at <i><b>The Yoga Sanctuary,</b></i> but it's for <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b><i>EVERYONE!</i></b></span> (Yes, <i><b>YOU!</b>)</i> </p><p>It's <i>free,</i> and all you have to do is register and show up! Here is the registration link - just click on it, then follow the arrows to November 29th, scroll down until you see the event, and VOILA! So easy!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.theyogasanctuary.biz/the-yoga-sanctuary-class-schedule/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Virtual Book Reading with Melissa Goodwin</span></a></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>And now, without further ado...</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span> </span><span> </span>Well, maybe a little bit of ado...</b></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b><i></i></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><i><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and a drumroll please....</b></i></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ta Da !</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>The cover and back cover text for</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b>Candles in the Windows, A Christmas Romance</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB0CvGviA6W-9oIPiz9QQgbFPNYX-cCBhUDXwYsDDV4cwMnBxNC0yNQiiyGb5ywtQdhLneHbhob_OPvrYtZIpcbBwxwX1pYzb8wHVQTH7rUAp_O1qvPAeMZguwOWr-fj0z2-fCjepcRC-bM-tR3KZ-iwevNyCHTxRIDmyDdVgFkKlq_EnLk4WGGIgpm-I/s2757/Candles%20in%20the%20Windows%20front%20cover%20for%20Reveal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2757" data-original-width="1840" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB0CvGviA6W-9oIPiz9QQgbFPNYX-cCBhUDXwYsDDV4cwMnBxNC0yNQiiyGb5ywtQdhLneHbhob_OPvrYtZIpcbBwxwX1pYzb8wHVQTH7rUAp_O1qvPAeMZguwOWr-fj0z2-fCjepcRC-bM-tR3KZ-iwevNyCHTxRIDmyDdVgFkKlq_EnLk4WGGIgpm-I/w428-h640/Candles%20in%20the%20Windows%20front%20cover%20for%20Reveal.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;">This beautiful cover was designed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"> by my niece, artist Olivia Hart</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;">Storyline</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; font-style: italic; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Thirty-two-year-old interior designer Michelle Gordon has returned to her New England hometown for a fresh start<i>.</i></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i>But her homecoming is bittersweet</i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Her parents are gone. The house she grew up in looks unloved. The town is changing.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><i>And they're planning to tear down her beloved Stone School, where happy and carefree childhood memories were made.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Michelle's childhood classmate, Steve Corbin, now runs his own construction business after realizing that a job on Wall Street wasn't for him. <i>Ever since his wife's death three years ago, Steve has been living a quiet and lonely existence.</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Michelle makes it her mission to save Stone School, and enlists the help of old friends, neighbors, and classmates, including Steve. <i>But with Christmas just around the corner and the demolition clock ticking, do they have any chance of succeeding?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">The attraction between Steve and Michelle is obvious and their affection deepens as they work together to save their school. <i>But will Michelle's feelings for an old crush come between them? And is Steve truly ready to move forward and open his heart again to love?</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">Join Michelle, Steve, and their families and friends as memories of Christmases past bring new hope for love in the present.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><br /></p></div>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-55517578416209872142023-11-14T06:14:00.004-05:002023-11-14T06:16:38.719-05:00NEW BOOK RELEASE COMING FOR THANKSGIVING~<p> I'm excited to share that my new book, <span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Candles in the Windows, A Christmas Romance</i></b></span>, will be released at the end of November! </p><p><i>Today, I'm sharing the storyline as it will appear on Amazon.</i></p><p><b>NEXT WEEKEND</b>, I'll do a <b>COVER REVEAL</b>! (Very exciting - the cover was designed by my niece, Olivia Hart, who is an art major at Pratt Institute School of Art.)</p><p>And on the evening of <b>Wednesday, November 29t</b>h, I'll be doing a <b>VIRTUAL BOOK READING EVENT</b>, <i>online via Zoom courtesy of The Yoga Sanctuary</i>! </p><p><i>Mark your calendars for 7pm and stay tuned for how to register.</i> It's free, of course, and just like a regular book reading event, only online! I hope I will see your face there!</p><p>I am so excited about this book, which is different from anything I've done before. It's a wholesome cozy romance, and something of a love letter to my hometown, the people I grew up with there, and one very special school we shared. It's light and fun, current but nostalgic, and I hope, will move you in all the right ways. </p><p><i>Here's the description that will appear on Amazon:</i></p><p>Thirty-two-year-old Michelle Gordon has returned to her New England hometown just before Christmas. She's thrilled to be back after a long absence and eager to reconnect with old friends, reboot her interior design business, and make a fresh start.</p><p><i>But her homecoming is bittersweet.</i></p><p>The untimely passing of both her parents five years earlier means she has no home base and no one to welcome her back with a warm, embracing hug. The house she grew up in looks unkempt and unloved by its new owners. The Main Street storefronts have all changed, a restaurant is moving in where her favorite bookstore had been, and the old Post Office is now a bank.</p><p><i>To top it off, the town plans to tear down Michelle's beloved Stone School, where happy and carefree childhood memories were made. The thought of it breaks her heart, and she vows to do everything in her power to save the school. </i></p><p>Michelle's childhood classmate, Steve Corbin, now runs his own small construction business after realizing that a job on Wall Street wasn't for him. When Steve and Michelle bump into each other, the attraction between the ruggedly handsome construction worker and the dark-haired beauty is obvious.</p><p><i>But the path to falling in love is not clear.</i></p><p>Ever since his wife's death three years ago, Steve has been living a quiet and lonely existence. And the presence of Tom McNulty, a charming and successful architect who was Michelle's childhood crush and is Steve's lifelong best friend, complicates the situation. Even as their affection deepens, Steve worries that Michelle will succumb to old feelings for Tom, and Michelle has doubts that Steve is truly ready to open his heart again to love. </p><p><i>And with Christmas fast approaching, time is running out for Michelle and her friends to save Stone School from the wrecking ball.</i></p><p>Can a small group of determined former classmates save their beloved old school? Can broken hearts mend and love again? Join Michelle, Steve, Tom, and their families and friends, as memories of Christmases past bring hope for new love in the present.</p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-32039655067227383782023-06-17T14:25:00.001-04:002023-06-19T14:48:21.761-04:00Come Fly with Me<p style="text-align: center;">Announcing my new picture book, <b><i><span style="color: #674ea7;">Come Fly with Me</span>, </i></b>now available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Come-Fly-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0C51W78XS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QDNMIKXUSZ2U&keywords=come+fly+with+me+goodwin&qid=1687200486&sprefix=come+fly+with+me+goodwin%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon. </a></p><p>This book also came out of the pandemic, when I decided to try creating illustrations for a children's poem I wrote a long time ago. I was so pleased with how it came out that I turned it into a picture book.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Come-Fly-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0C51W78XS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26N3CEU4ZMPDP&keywords=come+fly+with+me+goodwin&qid=1687025437&sprefix=come+fly+with+me+goodwin%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1&asin=B0C51W78XS&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Come Fly with Me</span></a></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>by Melissa Ann Goodwin</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Take my hand</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">and fly with me</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">The wind will whisk us</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">o'er the sea,</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">We'll float above the clouds so high</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">and soar across the evening sky</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">Like meteors and shooting stars,</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">we'll zoom past Jupiter and Mars</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">We'll sail forever and a day,</span></b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;">until we touch the Milky Way.</span></b></i></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Come-Fly-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/B0C51W78XS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26N3CEU4ZMPDP&keywords=come+fly+with+me+goodwin&qid=1687025437&sprefix=come+fly+with+me+goodwin%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1&asin=B0C51W78XS&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2534" data-original-width="3378" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5UP5zRQfRKCvE8DRUFdqQrWuHJkYBMwZRVZaWOugUa1z3294IIYV_PzllTQMQy5M7Tf8JPjaXzVU5KbAuPxiZH3br6ccOsxbQiaHNd_fYmVnZk8VGtRrHrURS2J51i9IlHB0cs8fwM0wzN-qvuwJ6ukfs44xxYqQT02PUWUvcmjvFXaRPWtJjQxQhQ/w640-h480/FWM%20photo4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>A little sample from inside:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYo-_bWGVPh-1lfvOT4W4R4ds6sJdnxJYkGP6jTMJmtVMwdC2d72CGqY_r2ZAXzo2Gn4r9r_P9zAAw_jjeKbc4Eth0S2qao1r-t1yrcNB--wyAu7toppUPzQM7TCh3anQEGxzcmQuGqrEPUgaG_IroQPWlJuiD2w2cF_vSVupxtT4Xw7KwjMDQl6uHQ/s3699/FWM1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2042" data-original-width="3699" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYo-_bWGVPh-1lfvOT4W4R4ds6sJdnxJYkGP6jTMJmtVMwdC2d72CGqY_r2ZAXzo2Gn4r9r_P9zAAw_jjeKbc4Eth0S2qao1r-t1yrcNB--wyAu7toppUPzQM7TCh3anQEGxzcmQuGqrEPUgaG_IroQPWlJuiD2w2cF_vSVupxtT4Xw7KwjMDQl6uHQ/w640-h354/FWM1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD2v77QF17OBK36ol7qfJ4xBLGSe3uahfUoA_GAJlD7bL6yZODGFrxYTfGrNSUAIbej14zb2dtFp6K81jXCjIt37f1kXG2oZKlfjoUp7dFCP6ZGY_7NjKq6e56oXornU_VBJriiheNsoirzVTcfGB0NAsc8ZU8US83fPeTB87G3TeegZ7WYg7c7yXaw/s3608/FWM%20photo%205.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2501" data-original-width="3608" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD2v77QF17OBK36ol7qfJ4xBLGSe3uahfUoA_GAJlD7bL6yZODGFrxYTfGrNSUAIbej14zb2dtFp6K81jXCjIt37f1kXG2oZKlfjoUp7dFCP6ZGY_7NjKq6e56oXornU_VBJriiheNsoirzVTcfGB0NAsc8ZU8US83fPeTB87G3TeegZ7WYg7c7yXaw/w640-h444/FWM%20photo%205.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-69663723642350620622023-06-14T09:12:00.004-04:002023-06-14T09:22:52.062-04:00Announcing My New Poetry Chapbook<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.2in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></i></b><b style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"> “</span></i></b><i style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;">Open your sticky
eyes to sunlight</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"> weaving a path through the leaves,</span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14pt;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> just to caress your face..."</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 1.2in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; margin: 0in 0in 0in 1.2in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ4oFDMrzRarOhP-mhnuqz8Qk2aCn78FUUndSCb_jPkYaEEle88UuWbDv4ZhY0lniIckF3MhHugyD3l-sd1m7uxAEOzWNuadJed5GyQuttMvYcwUrElc1iaFC3bvv6Fl3hZiUvdxkpb8hcAKTTufXCuGMoChuuV2W_6NVfTzLMPxyl3ZZhYDYVesL7w/s3000/Cover%20Image%20The%20Brook%20in%20the%20Woods%20Behind%20Our%20Old%20House.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ4oFDMrzRarOhP-mhnuqz8Qk2aCn78FUUndSCb_jPkYaEEle88UuWbDv4ZhY0lniIckF3MhHugyD3l-sd1m7uxAEOzWNuadJed5GyQuttMvYcwUrElc1iaFC3bvv6Fl3hZiUvdxkpb8hcAKTTufXCuGMoChuuV2W_6NVfTzLMPxyl3ZZhYDYVesL7w/w213-h320/Cover%20Image%20The%20Brook%20in%20the%20Woods%20Behind%20Our%20Old%20House.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I'm excited to announce the publication of my first poetry chapbook! This short collection of poems is available now in paperback on Amazon.com: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brook-Woods-Behind-Our-House/dp/B0C5YTH4RD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=313YGQAWCELZJ&keywords=the+brook+in+the+woods+behind+our+old+house&qid=1686747499&sprefix=the+brook+in+th%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #6aa84f;">The Brook in the Woods Behind Our Old House.</span></a></div></div><p>The collection includes <i>Are You My Mother</i>, which won honorable mentions in both the 2021 <i><b>Prime 53</b></i> poetry competition and the <i><b>Vivian Shipley Award</b></i>, <i>The Wings of Familiar Songs,</i> which won a top award in the <b><i>Oprelle</i> <i>Bigger Than Me</i> </b>competition, and the title poem, <i>The Brook in the Woods Behind Our Old House,</i> which won second place in the 2022 <i><b>Coming Home</b> </i>competition. My collective work also earned a top spot in the 2022 <i><b>Oprelle </b></i><b>Poetry Masters </b>competition.</p><p><b><i>And, stay tuned for another announcement of something completely different - Coming Soon!</i></b></p><p><br /></p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-18300551075552307532022-05-24T18:11:00.008-04:002022-07-16T16:33:26.147-04:00POETRY AWARDS<p> <b><u>2022</u></b></p><p><b><i>Fifth Place, Masters Poetry Contest, Oprelle, included in the 2022 Oprelle Masters Poetry II Anthology</i></b></p><p><b><i><br /></i></b></p><p><b><i>The Brook in the Woods Behind My Old House</i></b> - <b>2nd Place</b>, <i><b>Oprelle </b></i><b>"Coming Home" Poetry Competion</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b><i>Hubbard's Cove </i>- Finalist, <i>Oprelle </i>"Bigger Than Me" Poetry Competition. Included in the <i>Oprelle</i> <i>"Bigger Than Me" Poetry Anthology</i></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><u>2021</u></b></p><p><b><i>Are You My Mother? </i>- Honorable Mention, Vivian Shipley Poetry Award</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><i>Are You My Mother?</i> - Honorable Mention - <i>Prime Number Magazine</i> Poetry Competition</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><u>2010</u></b></p><p><b><i>Poppies</i> - Top Ten Award Winner, <i>Writer's Digest</i> National Poetry Competition</b></p>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-55086472409769157442016-11-14T09:57:00.002-05:002016-11-20T19:42:16.606-05:00Because We Need a Little Christmas<br />
Here is a little excerpt from my book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Village-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/1463646259"><span style="color: red;"><b><i>The Christmas Village</i>.</b></span></a> Over the next few weeks, I'll post snippets of it, so come back and check. The book, and its sequel<b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Return-Canterbury-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/1492348872"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Return to Canterbury</i></span></a>,</b> are available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle.<br />
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And, just fyi, the book is not just for kids - it's for <b>US</b> too.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
Excerpt from <b><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Village-Melissa-Ann-Goodwin/dp/1463646259"><span style="color: red;">The Christmas Village</span></a></i> </b>by Melissa Ann Goodwin<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Grandpa held a cup
of steaming coffee in one hand and a biscuit in the other. A plate of butter
and an open jar of strawberry jam sat on the table in front of him. “C’mon over
here and join me in one of Granny’s buttermilk biscuits,” he said, pulling a
chair away from the table. “These things just melt in your mouth.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Wait, Bart,” said
Grandma, “there’s something I want to show Jamie first.” She took Jamie’s hand
and led him down the hall. “I finished that secret project I was working on
this morning.” They stopped in front of the living room doors. “Now close your
eyes,” Grandma ordered. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Jamie obeyed. He
heard the doors creak open.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Okay, now you can
look.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
The sweet scent of
pine floated on the air. A fire roared in the magnificent stone hearth and
threw its heat across the room. The mantel was decorated with evergreens and holly.
A ten-foot-tall Christmas tree shimmered with tinsel, sparkling glass ornaments
and twinkling white lights.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“It’s beautiful,<i> </i>Grandma.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“Now over here is the <i>piece de resistance</i>,” said Grandma, leading him across the room.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“What does that
mean?”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
“It’s a French
expression that means, the Star of the Show, the Belle of the Ball, the . . .
the . . . the Main Attraction!”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Grandma’s Main Attraction
was a village of miniature porcelain cottages nestled in a blanket of
cotton-batting snow on top of a long table. Perched on a knoll overlooking the
village was a white church. Below the church stood a regal pine tree. A group
of carolers gathered in a half-circle beneath the tree, their heads thrown back
and their mouths open in O’s of song. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
A sign on a brick
building read <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Canterbury</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Town Hall</st1:placetype></st1:place> and another
read Canterbury Post Office. Aunt Polly’s Kitchen and The Canterbury Savings
Bank rounded out Main Street, which was lined with streetlamps decorated with
red bows. A statue of a soldier stood in the town square. Scattered about the village
were other buildings: Miss Ida’s Boarding
House, Vanderzee’s Welding & Ironworks and the Canterbury General Store. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
On a hill at the outskirts
of the village, a blue Victorian mansion with gables and two chimneys
overlooked a cluster of cozy cottages. At the very center of the village was a
glass pond on which two figures, a boy and girl, skated. Though they were tiny
– less than two inches tall – Jamie could make out every detail of their
clothing. The girl wore a red coat with matching hat, a white scarf and gloves,
red and white striped stockings and white skates. The boy wore a blue jacket
with gold buttons, gray pants and hat, and a blue striped scarf and mittens. In
a clearing near the pond, a black Scottish terrier with a red plaid bow around
its neck sniffed at a snowman that sported a black top hat and a bright orange
scarf with a large black “P” on one end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Jamie put his arm around Grandma's ample hips. "You're right, Grandma. This is definitely a Piece of Resistance."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">They admired the
village in silence, the snapping of the wood fire and the ticking of the
grandfather clock the only sounds in the room. Then Grandma squeezed Jamie’s
shoulder and said,</span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> “Let’s go have our dinner, shall we?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Later that
evening, Jamie wandered into the living room for a last look before bed.
Crimson embers glowed in the hearth. Grandpa snored loudly but peacefully in
his chair. Jamie tiptoed past him to peer at the Christmas Village. He imagined
the skaters trudging home, their skates thrown over their shoulders and their
cheeks rosy from wind and cold. He pictured the banker closing up for the night
and the welders returning to their cozy cottages after a long day at work. He imagined
a choir practicing in the church and happy families eating pot roast and
biscuits smothered with honey in front of warm fireplaces. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-indent: .5in;">
Jamie imagined how
perfect life would be in a perfect little village like Canterbury. His heart
ached to live in such a place, where nothing ever changed. “I wish I could live
in Canterbury,” he whispered. Then he tiptoed past his snoring grandpa and
quietly closed the doors behind him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-60343405291218065342016-07-26T10:15:00.001-04:002016-07-26T10:15:11.299-04:00A lovely memory from a few years ago, during our year on the road in our motorhome. In July 2012, we spent a month at a campground in Hubbard's Cove, Nova Scotia, just south of Halifax. The town had a sweet little public library where we went to use wifi. They were kind enough to invite me to do an afternoon reading of The Christmas Village for their Children's Hour. A delightful afternoon in a beautiful place with kind people - it doesn't get better than that!<br />
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Here's a photo:<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzcnGuY5hNQ/V5dwC8Ur0HI/AAAAAAAAcP8/Q_uU0MJbv3U5Hr-quDPwQUk1tQTbZBmNACLcB/s1600/1-483917_3351371302419_1847801386_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzcnGuY5hNQ/V5dwC8Ur0HI/AAAAAAAAcP8/Q_uU0MJbv3U5Hr-quDPwQUk1tQTbZBmNACLcB/s640/1-483917_3351371302419_1847801386_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-7814519926340366502016-05-10T18:29:00.002-04:002016-05-10T20:45:00.944-04:00Back in the Saddle<div style="text-align: center;">
We're h<span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span>eading into summer in Florida, which means it's time to get into</div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b>WRITING MODE!</b></span></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;">So I figured I'd channel J.K. Rowling and wear my Harry Potter t-shirt - of course I am Gryffindor!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo-I-sGqNLs/VzJ_P-uzAkI/AAAAAAAAcPQ/oNUxNy7E52UYroHahyUURR-yQXepr0mEgCLcB/s1600/1-13221456_10206157849044536_4969397243797682339_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eo-I-sGqNLs/VzJ_P-uzAkI/AAAAAAAAcPQ/oNUxNy7E52UYroHahyUURR-yQXepr0mEgCLcB/s640/1-13221456_10206157849044536_4969397243797682339_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: purple; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><u><sub><sup><strike><br /></strike></sup></sub></u></i></b></span>
I'm working on my next novel. This one is historical fiction inspired by events in my mother's life at the start of World War II. I've just finished writing chapter 10. It's not a children's book this time though, so maybe I better look for another shirt!<br />
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I'll keep you posted on my progress!Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-22697118765793963492015-09-23T16:01:00.000-04:002015-09-23T16:01:23.698-04:00The Christmas Village is an INKSPOKES 2015 Select Books Award Winner!That's it! That's the post! The Christmas Village is an INKSPOKES 2015 Select Books Award Winner!<br />
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Check out the INKSPOKES website for the list of award winners by category and please support the authors who put their hearts and souls into these books so that we can all have good stuff to read!<br />
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There is a wonderful review of my book, which so beautifully captures my hopes and dreams for how readers would feel about it. You can check it out <a href="http://www.inkspokes.com/inkspokes-select-books/select-christmasvillage/"><span style="color: red;"><b>HERE</b></span></a><br />
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And <a href="http://www.inkspokes.com/inkspokes-select-books/">HERE </a>is the <a href="http://www.inkspokes.com/inkspokes-select-books/">LINK </a>to the full list of <a href="http://www.inkspokes.com/inkspokes-select-books/">AWARD WINNING BOOKS, Children's Category</a><br />
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<b><i>#READINGBOOKSMAKESYOUSMART</i></b><br />
<b><i>#SMARTKIDSREADBOOKS</i></b><br />
<b><i>#SUPPORTINDIEAUTHORS</i></b><br />
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-91019108626945726912015-09-03T15:22:00.001-04:002015-09-03T15:22:10.394-04:00A Grandma's Review of The Christmas Village<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Review of </span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Chryistmas-Village-Melissa-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B005Y3R8TE/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SSFCM224FMB899GFPAN"><span style="color: red;">The Christmas Village</span></a> </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">from a grandma who is reading it for the second time with her grandson:</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">"I'm reading this wonderful story with my grandson, because he's too young to read it to himself. Despite that, he is on the edge of his seat (or my lap!) and always sighs with regret when we have to stop reading until the next day.</span><span style="background-color: white;">This is our second reading, and we're both enjoying it even more than the first time. We're noticing more details, and feel like we know Jamie, Kelly and Chris, better.</span><span style="background-color: white;">This is a classic for sure in our family, and we have <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Return-Canterbury-Melissa-Goodwin-ebook/dp/B00HMA1TZ6/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1MW8XG1AAYC3E9WPXM35"><span style="color: #38761d;">Return to Canterbury</span></a> </b>ready to read next! </span><span style="background-color: white;">Many thanks to Ms. Goodwin for helping me make more great memories with my grandson!"</span></i><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></i></div>
Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-3933981905264250652015-07-26T17:40:00.004-04:002015-07-26T17:42:42.802-04:00Summer in FloridaIt's the end of July and we're in the heart of the summer heat down here in Southwest Florida. Today it's actually a rather lovely rainy day and I'm enjoying an afternoon on the couch watching <i>Live Free or Die Hard</i>.<br />
<br />
I'm originally from New England, and summer in Florida is kind of like winter up there - it's not so bad at first, but then it lasts just a little too long....We're not at that point yet, but ask me again in September....<br />
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But also like New England winters, Florida summers are a great time for writing because you're stuck inside more often. I'm currently working on my next book - finally gaining some momentum with it after a lot of delays. Such as moving into our new home; such as a trip back to New Mexico to finally arrange for the move of stuff we've had in storage there for three years; such as getting all that stuff put away in the new house (and giving away more than half of it!).<br />
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I need some stability in order to get into the rhythm of writing - that's just the way I am. But I feel it happening now. They say that writers need to write every day, and I think that when you are new to it, that's true because it establishes the discipline that most of us don't have at first. But I also think that writing is like everything else in life - sometimes you have to give it a rest and go do other things for a while. Even though when I'm not writing I always feel like I should be, every time I've allowed myself a break from it, I've come back to it stronger than ever. That's how it feels now. Sometimes you have to give yourself time to miss something and then you can coming roaring back to it....<br />
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I'm using this blog more as a website where folks can come and check out my books and find updates about my writing, so I won't be be posting regularly here. But I am returning to regular blogging over at my original blog - <a href="http://writeryogini.blogspot.com/">WriterYogini.blogspot.com</a> I started that one years ago just for myself, writing about yoga (I'm also a yoga teacher) and life. When my books came out, I had to use the blog for book promotion, but I'd like to go back to my original intent now.<br />
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So pop over there for a visit anytime and stop by here for updates on news about <b><i>The Christmas Village, Return to Canterbury</i> </b>and my next book, whose title I'm keeping under wraps for now.<br />
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Have a great summer!Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-6716005927451455382015-05-05T09:32:00.002-04:002015-05-05T12:48:26.929-04:00Tra La! It's May!<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;">"Tra la! It's May!</span></i><br />
<i><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The lusty month of May!</span></i></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">That lovely month when ev'ryone goes</i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">Blissfully astray.</i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">Tra la! It's here!</i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">That shocking time of year</i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">When tons of wicked little thoughts</i></span></i><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 16px;"><i style="background-color: transparent;">Merrily appear!"</i></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">From "<i>The Lusty Month of May"</i> from <b>Camelot,</b> music and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Lowe</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana;">It's MAY! Where is the year going? That's what I always wonder when May arrives; when it seems like the year just began a </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;">minute</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana;"> ago, but now it is about to be half over....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">When we were kids, we had a record player - you know, one of those things with a turntable and a needle that you lower down ever-so-carefully onto your <i>record, </i>and the record spins and somehow, the needle against the turning record makes <i>music</i>! I know! <i>Magic!</i>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">When you think about it, in its day the record and record player were just as magical technology as being able to download songs to your cell phone is now....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">Anyway, as children, we listened to the soundtrack from the original Broadway version of Camelot (the only one that counts in my book), starring Richard Burton as King Arthur, Julie Andrews as Guinevere and Robert Goulet as Lancelot. I listened to this record over and over and I think that even today if you were to quiz me, I'd be able to sing just about all the lyrics to not just this song, but the WHOLE musical.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">The song is about breaking out of winter doldrums into spring and letting loose. When the birds and the bees do their thing and love is in the air. And so it was for Guinevere in Camelot, though her own lusty thoughts brought things there to rather a bad end....</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">Down here is Florida, May is the end of what we call "season." Season is basically the first three months of the year when the snowbirds are here enjoying the beautiful weather. By the end of April they've begun to migrate back to their northern climes and by mid-May they are mostly gone. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">For those of us who stay behind, May is not so much a time of breaking free and making merry, as it is a time of regrouping and figuring out how we will make the hot and humid summer months feel a little less long.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana;"><span style="background-color: white;">I use my stuck-inside summer season for writing. So I hope to make good progress on my two book projects this summer. I'll keep you posted!</span></span>Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-29310002569659418402015-04-30T13:06:00.000-04:002015-04-30T13:06:42.823-04:00Y is for Yes and Z is for ZeroWell, I've made it to the end of the A to Z Challenge, only to be flummoxed by Y and Z. At least as they relate to my theme, which is things related to the novel I am writing based on my mother's WWII experience as an evacuee during Operation Pied Piper.<br />
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So, Y is for YES, I have no Y post and Z is for Zero ideas for Z as well! Thanks to all who came by - I hope you'll stop back occasionally to check on my progress with the book.<br />
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Happy May everyone!Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-2416766372262066122015-04-27T16:47:00.001-04:002015-04-28T09:29:37.420-04:00X is for XiphoidXiphoid means "engraving on wood." There is nothing I could find for X that even remotely relates to my theme, so today, just enjoy the word Xiphoid!<br />
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-5911751249192936672015-04-26T10:14:00.000-04:002015-04-27T10:14:39.133-04:00W is for When Will I Go Home?When 3.5 million schoolchildren were evacuated from English cities in the first four days of September 1939, they were sent to live with strangers in towns throughout the countryside of England, Scotland and Wales. They went with their schools and teachers, not with their families.<br />
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Upon arrival in the towns, the children were lined up and townspeople came by to choose a child or children to bring home to live with them. Almost every account from the children described their feelings of fear that no one would choose them, and they all seemed to think they were the last to be chosen. Of course they couldn't all have been last chosen, but you see this is how it felt!!<br />
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No one knew how long the children would be gone, because WWII had just begun and no one knew how long it would last. Well, the war lasted 6 years, ending in September 1945. Many of the evacuated children never returned home during all that time. Parents were asked not to visit the children or bring them home, as it only made everyone sadder when they had to part again. Some kids had a good experience with their host family, others did not. Some were eventually adopted by their hosts.<br />
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Regardless, it was a sad time for families all around.Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-44708077594805708902015-04-25T09:20:00.000-04:002015-04-25T09:21:20.125-04:00V is for VestibularSo this has nothing whatsoever to do with my theme (which is things related to the book I'm writing), but I had NOTHING for V!<br />
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So, instead, I thought I would tell you about my friend Arthur Wooten's book, <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dizzy-Fictional-Memoir-Arthur-Wooten-ebook/dp/B00AHJEGSQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429967654&sr=8-1&keywords=dizzy+wooten">Dizzy</a></i>. Arthur suffers from a condition called bilateral vestibulopathy with oscillopsia, which is a lot of big long words but basically means it causes you to be very, very dizzy. And it's no joke - this isn't just a little dizzy, it's quite debilitating.<br />
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Arthur, who is an extremely talented author, playwright and humorist, wrote this wonderfully funny and touching novel about a Broadway star who develops this condition. As in all his work, Arthur is able to find the humor in the tragic and his message is always ultimately uplifting.<br />
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He wrote the book in part to call attention to this and other vestibular diseases that can cause so much anguish for those who have them. Please check out his book <i><b><a href="http://bilateral%20vestibulopathy%20with%20oscillopsia/">Dizzy </a></b></i>and other works on Amazon. Just click on the book title:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://bilateral%20vestibulopathy%20with%20oscillopsia/">DIZZY</a></span></div>
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ARTHUR WOOTEN</div>
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Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-67429366129047785342015-04-23T18:57:00.001-04:002015-04-24T06:59:13.743-04:00U is for UniformsWhen my mother attended the Liverpool Blue Coat School for Orphans and Fatherless Children from 1937 to 1940, they were required to wear really dreadful uniforms for church, special occasions and anytime they went off the school grounds (which wasn't often.).<br />
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When we visited the school in 2012, they were dedicating a new school flag and two current students donned the uniforms for the event.<br />
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Here they are:<br />
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Aren't those uniforms dreadful??? We asked the kids what they thought of the uniforms and the young man said, "It's awfully ITCHY!!"</div>
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-16134753291340887202015-04-23T18:43:00.002-04:002015-04-23T18:53:11.054-04:00T is for Thetis<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
H.M.S. Thetis was built in the early days of submarines. In 1939, it was being prepared for the expected war with Germany. Less than a year after her initial launch in Liverpool, the submarine was lost in a terrible accident. 99 sailors aboard as well as several civilians were lost when she sank on June 1, 1939.</div>
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H.M.S. Thetis was towed to the coast of Wales and grounded at Traeth Bychan beach on the very day that England went to war with Germany. It was only then that the bodies aboard the submarine were recovered and buried in Maeshyfryd Cemetery in Holyhead, or sent home to be buried by their families.</div>
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A memorial service is held at the cemetery every June.</div>
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The sinking of the Thetis will somehow factor into the book I'm writing about my mother's evacuation to Wales in September 1939. I don't know how it will yet, but ... somehow ....</div>
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Read more about the tragedy <a href="http://www.desertwar.net/hms-thetis-n25.html">HERE</a></div>
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Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-2536312252124334862015-04-22T06:45:00.000-04:002015-04-22T06:45:28.464-04:00S is for St. Marys and St. Nicholas ChurchSaint Marys and Saint Nicholas Church in Beaumaris, Wales is a medieval church in a medieval town. Beaumaris is a small town on the Isle of Anglesey North Wales. The church was built in the 14th century. It holds a number of tombs, including that of Princess Joan of Wales, who was the daughter of King John of England and who was married to Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales.<br />
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When my mother's school was evacuated to Beaumaris in 1939, they attended this church Every Sunday, the students paraded through town in their Blue Coat uniforms, marched into the church and became the church choir.<br />
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-57248664476101426582015-04-21T09:40:00.002-04:002015-04-21T09:40:33.564-04:00R is for RulesAt the Liverpool Blue Coat School for orphans and fatherless children, where my mother was a student from 1937 to 1940, there were lots of rules. (<a href="http://authormelissaanngoodwin.blogspot.com/2015/04/b-is-for-blue-coat-school.html"><span style="color: red;">See B is Blue Coat School</span></a>)<br />
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Boys and girls were strictly segregated<br />
Boys and girls were lined up - separately of course - by height, and marched into the dining hall or to the chapel<br />
No talking during meals<br />
No talking to, smiling at or waving to a brother (if you were a girl) or sister (if you were a boy)<br />
On Sundays, when mothers were allowed to visit, no hugging goodbye<br />
No leaving the school grounds unless as part of a formal outing<br />
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Discipline included gating (being kept in) or caning (being whacked with a cane). Even minor infractions met with discipline.<br />
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-64348529518608321282015-04-20T12:22:00.003-04:002015-04-21T10:28:46.690-04:00Q is for the Queen's GuardsIf you go to London, you really can't miss heading for Buckingham Palace to watch the changing of the Queen's Guards. Melissa says that when she went to England at the age of 15, you could walk right up to the guards very close to the palace. But that's changed due to all the concerns about security. Now you have to watch from behind the iron gates. And instead of rifles, the Queen's Guards now carry automatic weapons. That's a little sad and a little scary.<br />
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Still, it's a great show and not to be missed. Here are photographs from our recent visit. We got there very early so we were positioned right behind the gates.<br />
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The palace behind the gates:<br />
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Me outside the gates<br />
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<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-27212143441353801952015-04-17T08:29:00.000-04:002015-04-18T11:12:19.360-04:00P is for Pied PiperOperation Pied Piper is the name of the secret plan developed by Winston Churchill to keep the children of England safe should the country go to war. The plan called for schoolchildren in the cities to be evacuated to the relative safety of the countryside because it was expected that the cities would become targets for German bombings (which they did).<br />
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During the first few days of September 1939, 3.5 million English schoolchildren were evacuated. My mother was among them.<br />
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You can read more about Operation Pied Piper <a href="http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/operation-pied-piper-the-evacuation-of-english-children-during-world-war-ii/">HERE</a><br />
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Pied Piper is also the name of the novel I am writing that is inspired by my mother's experience.Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5777291385999352397.post-34010410537632671452015-04-16T07:04:00.000-04:002015-04-16T07:04:18.781-04:00N is for NaughtyThe Liverpool Blue Coat School for orphans and fatherless children was a very regimented and strict place when my mother was there in the late 1930's. Minor infractions were met with punishment that might include caning or "gating." Caning meant to be whipped with a cane and gating meant to be kept in when the other students were allowed out.. Of course, kids will be kids no matter the environment, and many found ways to have fun and be a little Naughty.<br />
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But remember, this wasn't a boarding school for BAD kids, this was a school for POOR kids. In most cases the childrens' fathers had died, or else they had been called up for military service. The mothers often had several children and had to work to house and feed them, so it was a blessing for those families to be able to place a child in the school, even though the child being placed may not have thought so! It was very regimented and the kids hardly ever went off the grounds. Former students from those old days often referred to their time there as "my incarceration."<br />
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The top favorite Naughty activity at the Blue Coat School, which was attempted by many but accomplished by few was:<br />
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CLIMBING THE CLOCK TOWER</div>
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Well come on, who could blame them! You'd want to do it too, wouldn't you??</div>
<br />Melissa Ann Goodwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02330223648248769380noreply@blogger.com0