Guest Author: Judy Ann Davis and A Musical Christmas Series

For most of my life, this time of year has always been full of music. I participated in my school’s band and orchestra and sang in the choir, as well as the choir and handbell group at church. I directed countless Christmas programs as a music instructor and as a church choir director. And now, I’m back to performing as an oboist. So when Judy Ann Davis, a member of one of my author support groups, announced her Musical Christmas Series, I knew I had to read them, and I asked her to visit us to share her inspiration for the three novellas in the holiday series. Here she is!

Hello to all from the mountains of Central Pennsylvania where this time of year, we look forward to the chance of snow to make the holidays white and bright. I’m a big fan of the Christmas season with its colorful sparkling lights, mouthwatering holiday foods, the colors of red and green, and holiday stories with a happily-ever-after (HEA). But most of all I enjoy the music—the carols, hymns, and the old and new songs of the season. My enthusiasm for the music was the spark that launched my idea for a “Musical Christmas Series.” The series consists of three novellas with three female characters who play different instruments and find their true love at last.

My first two novellas have been released this year: JUNE ~ The Pianist was released in October, followed by ADELENE ~ The Violinist, released in November. How did I choose the instruments? To be honest, I briefly played the piano, like my main character, June, but I also played the violin for nine years so I can relate very well to Adelene. Although both books are available, I’m featuring JUNE ~ The Pianist today. And what will be the third novella? Well, the main character is LUCY, but it’s a secret what she plays until next fall.

Do you—or did you—play a musical instrument? Give a shout out in the comment section below. Or tell me what your favorite holiday song might be.

Blurb for June – The Pianist
When concert pianist June Westberry inherits her late grandfather’s music shop, she returns to her small hometown in New York to renovate and run it. But she never expects to clash with the town’s ornery old music teacher, Nettie Jones who demands she find a lost, fifty-year-old holiday musical score.

Single parent and contractor, Leo Ciaffonni, enjoys restoring old buildings, and the A# Music Shop with its pretty new owner is no exception. When he’s injured, June finds herself caring for Leo and helping his little daughter bake cookies for her class.

As the holidays close in and the shop’s renovations continue, the problems June tries hard to solve only seem to become more chaotic. A# Sharp Music Shop is broken into. A harvest recital for her new students requires multifaceted planning. And the perpetrator and the lost musical score have not been found.

Will she be able to find peace and order in her new life this Christmas—and the love she’s always dreamed of?