Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge

Possum Love

2012-02-14T15:06:00.001-08:00

Sleigh Bells and Ink Wells on Moonlight Ridge

2011-12-15T16:15:00.000-08:00

Welcome to all the Blog Hoppers and visiters! In this joyous season of celebration, I'd personally like to celebrate all the wonderful books being written and the talented authors who write them!

Let me introduce myself: I'm Ramey Channell from Leeds, Alabama. My debut novel, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, was published in 2010 by Chalet Publishers LLC.

Here I am with my book, the first in a series of four Moonlight Ridge novels.

I'm currently working on the next installment.
Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge is a work of fiction, based on remarkable real-life characters from my childhood and family history!
Filled with magic, music, laughter and a little touch of the supernatural,

it's a special story about two precocious children who take matters into their own hands,
solve a mystery, and save the day!

The next blogger after Moonlight Ridge is Leah Shalleda!

http://www.leahshelleda.com

Thanks so much to our sweet and talented Smoky Zeidel for all the work she did to pull this great idea together.

Autumn on Moonlight Ridge

2011-11-15T12:55:00.000-08:00

Ramey and all the Moonlight Ridge Possums have been very busy during this changing of seasons. With speaking engagements, book signings, and book talks in Vestavia, at the Mountain Brook Emmett O'Neal Library, and with The Pensters of Fair Hope, Alabama, we have met so many sweet folks who are interested in the magic and music on Moonlight Ridge.

Hope to have pictures posted soon, and good news is just around the corner! The second volume in the chronicles of Moonlight Ridge is in the works! News about the upcoming sequel will be posted here.

Wishing everyone Happy Reading for the holidays!

The Songs of Moonlight Ridge

2011-08-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I hosted a contest here on Moonlight Ridge. Originally, I asked three questions about some of the songs featured in Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, with a free copy of the book, like a carrot on a stick, to the first person to get all three answers!

Then, upon considering the possibilities of short-term memory loss and the possible unfairness of excluding those who had not yet read the book, I changed the rules (It's my contest, I can do that) so that anyone who left a comment was entered in the drawing for the free book.

Shelley who blogs at

http://bookfare.blogspot.com/

was the winner and has received her copy of SMOMR!

So, for anyone who may still be curious about the songs in question, here are the answers.

1- After chasing the hunting dogs, Rich Man and Poor Man, out of the house, what song did Great-granddaddy W.T. Greenberry sing to his marsupials?

Great Granddaddy W.T. sang Dona Nobis Pacem,
but in his version the words were "Oh, don't I know this possum?"

2 - What is the origin, title, or some of the words, of the strange song the children heard while they were in the woods near Grind Rock Spring?

Lily Clair and Willie T. heard somone singing Desdemona's Song, also known as Willow, Willow, from William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice.
.

3 - What song did Willie T. sing when he was in the hole?

Willie T. sang Au Clair de la Lune, (to the tune of Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms) as it had been handed down from Paw Paw Jack Levert, a Cajun from South Alabama who played poker for a living and made homemade fiddles on the side.

So, as Heny Hope would say, there you have it. If you want to find out more about these, and other alluring tunes from the mountain, get yourself a copy of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, and join the fun!

Author Interview from Smoky Zeidel

2011-08-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

SMOKY TALKS AUTHORS

It was my good fortune to be interviewed by Smoky Zeidel, an enormously talented writer and editor, on her website, Smoky Talks Authors. She is so easy to talk to, and such an interesting individual, she made the interview as easy as sweet potato pie!

Click the link beow to read the entire interview.

http://smokytalksauthors.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/a-talk-with-ramey-channell/

Contest Rules, They Are a'Changin'

2011-07-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

Hey, y'all! Since it appears that we are struggling to remember the songs involved (!) I'm changing the rules of the contest. I can do that!.

Everyone who makes a comment on the Music on the Mountain post will be entered in the drawing for a free, autographed copy of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge.

So you guys stop running around in circles and scratching your heads. Just look at the three winsome pictures and say hi!

August 9, 2011

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

Shelley W.'s name was picked out of the hat by one of my possum friends, who was specifically trained to pick names out of hats in a non-discriminatory fashion!

Congratulations Shelley! Your signed copy of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge will be on its way to you by Possum Express! Send me a message with your mailing address, and let me know if you'd like your website address displayed here.

Music on the Mountain

2011-07-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to all my friends and talented writers from SheWrites, and to all the bloggers in The Blogger Ball #5.

To celebrate today, I'm giving away a signed copy of my debut novel, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge. Below are 3 questions about the songs featured in my book, and everyone who gets all three (easy) questions right, will be entered in a drawing for the first free signed copy.

1- After chasing the hunting dogs, Rich Man and Poor Man, out of the house, what song did Great-granddaddy W.T. Greenberry sing to his marsupials?

2 - What is the origin, title, or some of the words, of the strange song the children heard while they were in the woods near Grind Rock Spring?

3 - What song did Willie T. sing when he was in the hole?

Place your answers in "Comments" for a chance to win a signed (and personalized) copy of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge. Everyone is eligible. I'll contact the winner for mailing address.

If you don't know the answers, ask somebody!

Here's the link to get back to 1st Books.

http://megwc.com/1stbooks/shewrites/

Sweet Music at Springville Road Library

2011-03-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is your personal invitation to join us at the

Springville Road Regional Library

Sunday March 27th at 3:00 PM

for a special book program, discussion and booksigning.

Check out the announcement on the

Birmingham Public Library's Latest News, Reviews & Info

http://networkedblogs.com/eEZfM

Thanks to all my special friends and fans of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge.

I look forward to a fun afternoon with lots of smiling faces and maybe a few surprises.

Springtime on Moonlight Ridge

2011-03-01T13:22:00.001-08:00

Goodness, y'all, it's March already! And in just a few weeks, I'll be inviting everyone for an afternoon program at Springville Road Library in Birmingham. I'll be there for a Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge event on Sunday, March 27 at 3:00 PM.

To check out the announcement, please visit Birmingham Public Library's Latest News at this address.

http://networkedblogs.com/eEZfM

Watch for updates as plans are finalized for this special event; there may be a few surprises as well as a surprise guest or two!

And I'll have a red calico Drunkard's Path Quilt, just like Lily Claire's, on display. The magic quilt fairies have been working overtime to help me get this treasure ready for our March 27th program.

Every time Lily Claire was tired, tearful, or had some serious thinking to do, she found the perfect retreat, on the sweet soft quilt her granny Rilla had given her.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Springville Road Library for this afternoon of discussion, fun, laughter, and a celebration of good Alabama story-telling!

Merry Christmas From Moonlight Ridge

2010-12-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas is coming

The possum's getting fat!

To order copies of

Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge

please contact me at
ramey2001@aol.com

Merry Christmas!

Woni's Wonderful Bookshelf

2010-11-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Saturday November 20th was a fun day in Sumiton, Alabama. I signed copies of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge at Woni's Bookshelf, met some very interesting and friendly book lovers, and just enjoyed the beautiful day.

Here, pictured left to right: Rick Watson, Woni Lawrence, Grace Smith and Jilda Watson. I'm seated in the middle. Dale Short made the photo and we're all looking at him!

Woni's Bookshelf is owned by Woni Lawrence and located at 140 Hull Road, Suite 2 in Sumiton, Alabama. There's always something going on at Woni's: writing classes, book talks, visits from door-to-door veggie salesmen, etc. And the book selection is awesome, along with intriguing and irresistable gifts of all kinds. New books, old books, gift items galore!

Book Review from Alabama Writers' Forum

2010-11-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here we are, heading into the holidays, a perfect time for good books and good stories. Just out is a truly great review of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, posted on Alabama Writers' Forum's First Draft website. I was thrilled by the comprehensive description, and the way the reviewer identified with both the story and the characters. I just had to share this!

First Draft Reviews Online, Alabama Writers' Forum, November 2010
http://www.writersforum.org/

Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge
Reviewed by Perle Champion

In Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, Ramey Channell doesn't narrate as Lily Claire, she is Lily Claire.

For those of you who've had no children, and/or have forgotten what it's like to be one, buckle up. This is not a slow walk of a book. Lily Claire's breathless detailed telling of just about everything that happens in her small world is told as if it was the most important thing in all the world, and you should know it.

Channell steps into Lily Claire's very person and stays there throughout the entire book. You, the reader, are her confidant as she learns of ordinary heroes, and ponders the serendipity of life. You are privy to the secret world of a childhood whose freedom few have known and many today would envy.

Around the mysterious map to an imagined treasure she and Willie T. find in an unlikely place, she weaves her history and that of all the diverse and sometimes eccentric folks and topics that inform her world. All are treated with that light childish and non-judgmental matter-of-factness that is so refreshing and true to the nature of the very young.

There is no heavy hand here about the "Ku Kluxes' " quick-to-lynch mentality or the superstitious nature of rural peoples that make the white lies Willie T. and Lily Claire tell necessary. It's just plain necessary to protect the slow one and the black one in their midst, who are the most likely scapegoats for a crime that was no crime at all.

Channell has the sure cadence of a storyteller that is not only simple, sincere, and to the point, but it's part of the music. Is there music on Moonlight ridge? Yes, but it is not just played, sung, or spoken aloud. It exists in the steady pace of the story, the people, the laughter, the polysyllabic names, and the language.

Having lived in the south off and on for many years, I didn't need the handy glossary at the back of the book to tell me that "boocoos" means "lots." Just goes to show that being raised in the South is useful. This book was not just boocoos of fun to read, it is a gentle reminder of my own idyllic summers when every day held the promise of adventure, just like Lily Claire's.

Perle Champion is a freelance writer and artist.

Thanks so much, Perle, for this wonderful and greatly appreciated review!

Book Program with Castalia Literary Club

2010-09-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 21st, it was my pleasure to meet with the ladies of the Castalia Literary Club. After an absolutely delicious and abundant lunch in the Family Life Center of the Leeds First United Methodist Church, I talked about how I came to write Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, and the characters from my childhood who inspired me.

There were lots of questions, discussion and laughter after I read a chapter, Coming Into This World, which relates the surprising hi-jinks that took place the day the main characters, Lily Claire and Willie T. were born in the little town of Eden, Alabama. Several of the ladies present were so familiar with the rural mountain area near our hometown, which was the inspiration for Eden, we all felt like we were talking about our own childhood home. There were lots of shared memories and stories from the past.

There is truly nothng I like better than sharing a story that brings enjoyment, laughter and joy, and these sweet, gracious ladies were the perfect audience. And rest assured, there was ample discussion about the beloved possums of Moonlight Ridge!

Alabama Author's Debut Novel

2010-09-07T12:57:00.000-07:00

What kind of music drifts across the mountain ridge above the tiny rural Alabama town of Eden, and what are the secrets hidden on the mountain paths, under the ancient trees, and under the mysterious moon of Moonlight Ridge?

Discover a family history filled with a legacy of curiosity, courage and delightful eccentricity, in a setting where the natural fauna and flora of the woods of Alabama create a wonderland for two unusual children.

Can you hear children's voices, singing and laughing as they dance beneath sweet gum, dogwood, and sycamore trees, with the gentle Alabama breeze murmuring leafy music around them?

Wouldn't you like to see what these two precocious cousins see, hear the whispery secrets, and feel the ancient magic in the deep woods and on dusty red-dirt trails, as they look for answers and follow their hearts 'out on the mountain?'

All these secrets and mysteries come to life on the pages of

Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge.

Read it and discover an enchanted world you'll not soon forget.

Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge

ISBN 9780984083688

Ramey Channell

Published by Chalet Publishers LLC