In “Secrets in the Hollow,” I paid homage to grandmothers, mine and Nessa’s. I wrote about Danny visiting his grandmother’s apartment and seeing many of his aunts, uncles and cousins. Readers might not realize that Danny’s large extended family of eighteen aunts and uncles is my father’s family. At the center of the family was my grandmother, Elizabeth Donahue Brown.
One of my characters, Nessa Martinez, is fortunate that her grandmother, her Abuela, lives with her family. I created Abuela in the likeness of my Grandma Brown, a tiny woman of few words with a huge heart. I was the oldest granddaughter (of over forty grandchildren) and Grandma wrote a special letter to me when I went to college, including a dollar bill for me. I knew that giving me that $1.00 was taking something away from her. I cried knowing that I wouldn’t be visiting her every weekend any more.
Both Grandma and Abuela loved to cook. I remember on Thanksgiving at her house when one turkey would come out of the oven as another went in! There were a lot of people to feed. I guess food was their love language.
And Grammie? That’s me! Food is not my language; words are. I love my visits, video calls, and funny texts now that they’re getting older. In a way, the happy parts of my book are a kind of memoir that I hope one day they will read, and know how much their Grammie loved Sleepy Hollow!
Reviews wanted! I never realized how important reviews are to authors, especially new ones. Even just a few sentences are appreciated and helps new prospective readers make decisions.
