Please Welcome My Guest, Jessamine Rose

Today’s post is brought to you courtesy of author Jessamine Rose and her book, Don’t Let The Secret Out.

About Don’t Let the Secret Out

Jessamine Rose offers readers a glimpse into her life. She was born in 1937, in a small town in eastern Kentucky. For many, her upbringing will seem foreign but for some it will sound all too familiar. The family’s cabin was cold, the cracks in the floor made it impossible to heat. The bathroom was an outhouse. Her father often beat her mother. Her father shot her mother to scare her. At one point the family lived under a cliff. In the hills of eastern Kentucky “you could shoot a dog and spend a year in jail, shoot a man and nothing.” She faced sexual abuse, beatings, neglect and yet rose above it all. She was a mere 6 years old the first time she was raped. Her mother gave away her young brother and sister. Jessamine made her escape in the back of an ice truck, she was less than 14. She ended up living in a park in Ohio.

Her teen years were spent suffering at the hands of authority. Her life finally changed for the better when she met the love of her life and life began anew.  Jessamine searched for her family and tried to reconcile her past memories with those who had wronged her. Jessamine faced many hardships in her life, yet her memoir is upbeat, despite her childhood beginnings.

An excerpt from Don’t Let The Secret Out:

Spring came and mommy had Edna Cora

She was named after my Daddy’s sister and also was the sibling I nicknamed Flukey. Daddy decided to join the Army and instead of Mommy getting allotment for us kids, he put it in Aunt Cora’s name. She owned a little country store and was supposed to give us food. Almost everyday we’d walk to her grocery store and she’d be kind enough to give us a load of bread with some applesauce. However, she greedily kept most of the money for herself.

After I grew up I came back to Incline, Ky to face Aunt Cora for keeping most of the money and not giving us food in exchange. As we were driving up the dirt road, I could see Aunt Cora in the garden working. She was all bent over hoeing a row of beans. We parked the car, got out and walked toward her. I was so mad and planned to do more than yell at her; I wanted to hit her. As I got closer to her she stood up and she was all crippled from arthritis. Needless to say I felt so sorry for her, so I couldn’t be mad at her. We talked for about an hour and I left. I was so hurt I couldn’t even cry. I never say Aunt Cora again.

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Four Fun Things about Writing and Publishing My Novel.

1. I have three cats. BJ is 10 years old and thinks she is the meanest 5 lb ball of fur on the planet.  Yes, she rules the family. I was in the middle of finishing up a chapter I had rewritten several times. Just when I had the end in my mind I heard her coming.  She calls me ma. When she wants me to hold her I have no choice. She jumped up on the keyboard, hit delete – and all was gone. She sat on the keyboard for all of one minute for me to pet her.

2. My editor had most of the book edited and she tried out a new program.  When she went back to work on the book, it was gone. After we both stopped crying, I had to round up the story and send it to her again.

3. After I finished the book I didn’t know how to find a cover. I didn’t know the publisher would do my cover for me. I tried drawing a picture. That didn’t work out. Then I remembered a friend had two granddaughters about the age I needed for the cover. George, my husband, asked them if he could take their pictures for the cover. We have an old fence in the back; he asked them to stand in front of the fence. They posed and the picture was taken; it turned out beautiful. Just what I wanted.

4. George had an appointment at the VA for blood work. I had to wait for him in the waiting room. There were several people there. I had no idea how to get my book out to the public. I looked around the room and announced to every one ‘My name is Jessamine Rose and my book, Don’t Let The Secret Out, be for sale.’ I was taking orders now. The price was $10.00. I needed their name, address and $10.00. I mailed them just as soon as I could. I sold several and one of the ladies bought two.  Shortly after, a Doctor came in and asked if Jessamine Rose was there. The lady told them Jessamine Rose the author was in the building.

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Let-Secret-Jessamine-Rose/dp/0982930720/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305952980&sr=1-1

http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2011/05/23/don%E2%80%99t-let-the-secret-out-virtual-book-tour-june-2011/