For this month’s Christmas Reads profile, I’m delighted to invite two-time national award nominated singer/songwriter and freelance writer, Sally Meadows, to tell us about her music and newly published stories. I had the privilege of meeting Sally at this year’s Write Canada conference.
She’s from Saskatoon and just had her first two short stories published in two different anthologies. This fall she is also promoting her Christmas CD Red & White, which is fabulous. Take it away Sally…
Sally:
Thanks so much for hosting me, Sandra! This fall marks the publication of my very first short story, called “Love, Shania and the Whispered Wish” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada, which has been #1 on The Globe and Mail’s (Canada’s national newspaper) bestseller list for the last two weeks! My story starts on my wedding day – I was married shortly before Christmas, 27 years ago – and the very first feedback I received on my story was that it is “very romantic”! Here’s a scrapbooked photo of my husband and me coming down the aisle just after we said our vows.
My story was inspired by my very first wish as a newlywed – that one day I would sing and play the piano in beautiful settings, just like the lovely brunette who serenaded us with Christmas music at the honeymoon resort. Little did I know back then, that not only was that whispered wish going to be fulfilled, but maybe – just maybe – the singer who inspired me all those years ago was none other than one of Canada’s most beloved stars, before she was discovered.
My story ends with a mention of my Christmas CD Red & White, so it’s so cool that I can promote these together this fall! My Christmas album includes four original songs and eight Christmas classics, so there’s something for everyone. I am especially proud of my song “This New Year”, which was shortlisted for a 2014 Word Award in the category of song lyrics.
While my story “Love, Shania and the Whispered Wish” is all about the joyful aspects of my musical journey, my story “Choosing to Praise”, which appears in the book “Organized Obstacles: An Underdog Anthology”, has a more serious note as I discuss the challenges I have faced in music ministry. But it also has a happy ending, as do all the stories in this book. Each story inspires and provides hope as the author chronicles how he or she has turned his/her stumbling blocks into stepping-stones, rising above “underdog” status to become an “overcomer”.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing these stories and songs, and my sincere hope is that you as reader and listener will enjoy them too! Here’s how you can connect with me: I’d love to hear from you!
https://www.facebook.com/SallyMeadowsMusic
http://www.youtube.com/SallyMeadowsMusic
Twitter: @SallyMeadows
Sandra again: Sally is giving away one Free download card for her CD “Red & White”–the full album. To have your name added to the hat, please leave a comment or question for Sally and let us know your favorite Christmas song.
A name will be randomly chosen from all comments on Sat. Nov 22nd.
You can also find the books and music CD at Amazon and Sally’s webstore: http://sallymeadows.com/store
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White Christmas is my favorite, but I love all Christmas music.
Oh, and we woke up to snow this morning. So guess what I did? Put up Christmas decorations. 😀
Julie, I have included White Christmas amongst the songs I will be singing live at our local Indigo store this weekend!
Thank you for sharing. I love all Christmas music, but my favorite songs are Little Drummer boy and Mary Did You Know. Christmas decorations don’t usually go up before the first week in December. I try to hang on to Fall/Thanksgiving as long as I can 🙂
Ooh, Little Drummer Boy is so fun to sing. Here in Canada, our Thanksgiving was already a month ago, so…with snow on the ground (sort of) and Christmas carols playing in the stores…we’ve lost our grip on Fall. 😉 But I hear ya!!!
Lori P Little Drummer Boy is one of my all-time favourites too. I wanted to include it on my album but I was sticking to royalty-free pieces along with my originals. So instead I wrote my own song that is somewhat along the same lines as LDB, at least the beginning of the song, where the singer acknowledges she really has nothing to bring the baby King. Love Mary Did You Know – such a powerful song. I learned it a few years ago but seem to have misplaced my sheet music!
Oops forgot to mention that the song is called “Red & White”.
Hi Sally, How wonderful your story and music can complement each other as they release. A double blessing!
Thanks so much, Katy Lee! It is truly something only the Lord could have orchestrated!
Wonderful to see our Sally becoming increasingly the ‘pride of our alley’ – your career is going from strength to strength and deservedly so. Please exclude me from the draw as I have this lovely, atmospheric album already. You speak of ‘fall’ but it’s very wintry right now, all over northern N. America (I’m in Boston, writing this.) Definitely time for the hot apple cider, which they have in the lobby downstairs, and a listen to ‘Red and White’ which we have in the car.
Yes, we woke up to a whole lot of snow here in Niagara this morning, too!
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Bobbie! And thank you for your encouragement, it is very much appreciated!
I always love to hear the songs I’m used to hear, sung by different artists. Mary’s Little Boy Child (Anne Murray’s version) has been my favourite for quite some time. I think it’s the beat that gets me every time. I’d love to hear you, Sally, sing that one! Blessings!
Oh, I can still remember the first time I heard Joseph’s song was the Christmas after my first daughter was born, and then the following year, was Mary’s song, just before my son was born. 😀
Renee-Ann, Mary’s Little Boy Child is a lovely song. I couldn’t find Anne Murray’s version on YouTube, but the memories flooded back when I listened to Andy William’s version! I’ll have to see if I can find lyrics and music on the Internet – otherwise when I can squeeze in the time, I’ll write it up myself!
Sally’s story of faith, perserverence and how God is blessing her in her ministry to him are an inspiration.
I love Christmas music and my two favourites are O Holy Night and Mary’s Boy Child.
Tandy, thanks for your feedback on my story “Choosing to Praise” in Organized Obstacles: An Underdog Anthology. O Holy Night is one of my favourites too and I do a “jazzed-up version” of it on my CD “Red & White”. In the past, I had always sung it very classically, but I decided just before recording that I wanted this version to be full of joy. So we added a bit of swing beat and went with that interpretation instead!
I love all Christmas music but I think my favorite is “O Holy Night”. Hope you all have a blessed Christmas season.
Marg, O Holy Night is definitely one of my favorites! And may you have a wonderful Christmas season too!
Thank you to all who left comments for Sally. Katy Lee is the winner.
Congratulations, Katy Lee! I will be in touch with you shortly.
And thank you for everyone who entered this contest!