Meet Ramey Channell, Author of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge
What inspired you to become an author?
I believe nearly all the credit for my decision to become a writer goes to my family. It really surprises and amazes me when someone tells me they can't remember events in their childhood, because my childhood is the literal birthplace of my writing. I was born into a creative family, and from the beginning I was influenced by the stories told by my grandparents, the books read and discussed by my mother, grandmother and older sister, and the funny songs, rhymes and riddles invented by my father. I remember the Little Golden Books my mother read to me before I started to school, and the first book I checked out from the school library in the first grade; Uncle Wiggly in the second grade, Silver and Cinchfoot by Thomas Hinkle in the third grade, The Twelve Dancing Princesses in the fourth grade, Louisa May Alcott in the fifth grade, Shakespeare in the sixth grade, Daphne DuMaurier, Charlotte Bronte and Bram Stoker in the seventh grade, Edgar Allan Poe in the eighth grade. So, I would say my family and good literature are the two major influences that inspired me to become an author.
How did you come up with the idea for your book Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge?
I grew up in this setting, listening to my parents and grandparents telling stories about the mountain, and experiencing the drama and intrigue of that surreal setting. My cousin and my sisters and I lived and played like wild children in the woods; our day-to-day lives were like an on-going story. So I knew Moonlight Ridge long before I began writing about the adventures of Lily Claire, Willie T., and their families. It’s a magic place where magical things happen every day, and if you live there, or visit there, the magic seems almost commonplace. It’s as much a feeling, an atmosphere, as it is any specific occurrence.
What was the experience of getting your book published like for you?
Thrilling! After submitting my manuscript to about a dozen publishers and agents, having it accepted for publication was an absolute overwhelming joy! I knew the story was good and I knew readers would read it enthusiastically. So I just kept submitting and submitting. I really had no choice but to keep looking for that perfect opportunity. I had a few humorous experiences and a few sad moments before publication. But, I sincerely advise other writers not to give up! If you have a good story and a polished manuscript, never lose hope.
Do you have a favorite topic to write about?
There are several topics that are my favorites! So far, my stories usually involve Native American characters and themes to one degree or another. Animals are always important, especially in my stories and picture books for children. And there’s usually a touch of the supernatural. On the mountain, the setting for Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, what we call the supernatural is almost ordinary. It may be startling, it may be scary, it may be spooky, but it’s virtually an everyday occurrence in the woods and out on the mountain.
What was your favorite book as a child?
So many books were my favorites, it would be hard to name just one. My third grade teacher read Silver, a Western horse story by Thomas Hinkle, to our class, and I liked it so much, she let me borrow the book to read at home. Just recently I searched online until I found a copy of the out-of-print book, and now it’s one of my most treasured possessions. I loved the illustrated copy of The Twelve Dancing Princesses given to me by my sister when I was about nine years old.
What do you hope readers will learn from your books?
There is magic all around us, all the time. If you recognize and acknowledge even the tiniest manifestation of magic, it will begin to multiply, and reproduce and expand, until you’ll see magic happening everywhere. So many children, and adults who have retained that openness of heart and mind, have access to this magic. It’s the basis for everything beautiful and sacred in our life. I want to introduce readers to this presence of magic in our lives, as a source of wonder, beauty and enjoyment.
Are you currently working on other books?
I’m currently working on a sequel to Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge. It will be the Autumn volume of a four volume series. Also, I have a big science-fiction book in the works, and a YA supernatural mystery. I’m working on illustrations for a children’s picture book, and I also write poetry and am working on a collection of my poems.
You can find out more about Ramey Channell and her book by visiting http://sweetmusiconmoonlightridge.blogspot.com.
I believe nearly all the credit for my decision to become a writer goes to my family. It really surprises and amazes me when someone tells me they can't remember events in their childhood, because my childhood is the literal birthplace of my writing. I was born into a creative family, and from the beginning I was influenced by the stories told by my grandparents, the books read and discussed by my mother, grandmother and older sister, and the funny songs, rhymes and riddles invented by my father. I remember the Little Golden Books my mother read to me before I started to school, and the first book I checked out from the school library in the first grade; Uncle Wiggly in the second grade, Silver and Cinchfoot by Thomas Hinkle in the third grade, The Twelve Dancing Princesses in the fourth grade, Louisa May Alcott in the fifth grade, Shakespeare in the sixth grade, Daphne DuMaurier, Charlotte Bronte and Bram Stoker in the seventh grade, Edgar Allan Poe in the eighth grade. So, I would say my family and good literature are the two major influences that inspired me to become an author.
How did you come up with the idea for your book Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge?
I grew up in this setting, listening to my parents and grandparents telling stories about the mountain, and experiencing the drama and intrigue of that surreal setting. My cousin and my sisters and I lived and played like wild children in the woods; our day-to-day lives were like an on-going story. So I knew Moonlight Ridge long before I began writing about the adventures of Lily Claire, Willie T., and their families. It’s a magic place where magical things happen every day, and if you live there, or visit there, the magic seems almost commonplace. It’s as much a feeling, an atmosphere, as it is any specific occurrence.
What was the experience of getting your book published like for you?
Thrilling! After submitting my manuscript to about a dozen publishers and agents, having it accepted for publication was an absolute overwhelming joy! I knew the story was good and I knew readers would read it enthusiastically. So I just kept submitting and submitting. I really had no choice but to keep looking for that perfect opportunity. I had a few humorous experiences and a few sad moments before publication. But, I sincerely advise other writers not to give up! If you have a good story and a polished manuscript, never lose hope.
Do you have a favorite topic to write about?
There are several topics that are my favorites! So far, my stories usually involve Native American characters and themes to one degree or another. Animals are always important, especially in my stories and picture books for children. And there’s usually a touch of the supernatural. On the mountain, the setting for Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, what we call the supernatural is almost ordinary. It may be startling, it may be scary, it may be spooky, but it’s virtually an everyday occurrence in the woods and out on the mountain.
What was your favorite book as a child?
So many books were my favorites, it would be hard to name just one. My third grade teacher read Silver, a Western horse story by Thomas Hinkle, to our class, and I liked it so much, she let me borrow the book to read at home. Just recently I searched online until I found a copy of the out-of-print book, and now it’s one of my most treasured possessions. I loved the illustrated copy of The Twelve Dancing Princesses given to me by my sister when I was about nine years old.
What do you hope readers will learn from your books?
There is magic all around us, all the time. If you recognize and acknowledge even the tiniest manifestation of magic, it will begin to multiply, and reproduce and expand, until you’ll see magic happening everywhere. So many children, and adults who have retained that openness of heart and mind, have access to this magic. It’s the basis for everything beautiful and sacred in our life. I want to introduce readers to this presence of magic in our lives, as a source of wonder, beauty and enjoyment.
Are you currently working on other books?
I’m currently working on a sequel to Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge. It will be the Autumn volume of a four volume series. Also, I have a big science-fiction book in the works, and a YA supernatural mystery. I’m working on illustrations for a children’s picture book, and I also write poetry and am working on a collection of my poems.
You can find out more about Ramey Channell and her book by visiting http://sweetmusiconmoonlightridge.blogspot.com.
Stacie Theis / beachboundbooks@yahoo.com / copyright 2012