Meet and Greet: Holly Weiss

Holly Weiss

Book Giveaway Drawing!
Read the details later in this post.


Holly Weiss is a vocal instructor, retired professional singer and a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She holds a Masters in Music from Northwestern University. A polio survivor, she lives in upstate New York with her husband and is an advocate for Eradicate Polio Now. Crestmont is her first novel.


Hello, my name is Holly Weiss, author of Crestmont, a historical fiction novel set at a bustling summer inn during the 1920s. Thank you, Janalyn, for inviting me to do this interview. I’m honored to be here.

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “Barn burned down, now I can see the moon.” Many people have asked me why I turned from singing to writing. I was a professional singer whose career was decimated by the effects of post polio syndrome. Having lost my primary means of creative expression, I asked myself, “What do we do when we no longer can do what we find fulfilling? “The back cover of Crestmont says, “Discover with Gracie that sometimes we must trade loss for happiness,” and that was my experience.

A quote that had been simmering inside me for 25 years came to mind:

“Another opportunity is given you as a favor—

and as a burden.

The question is not:

Why did it happen this way? or

Where is it going to lead you? or

What is the price you will have to pay?

It is simply:

How are you going to make use of it?”

Those wise words were written by Dag Hammarskjöld, who, in addition to being Secretary General of the United Nations for two terms, was a deeply spiritual, reverent man.  How would I make use of this impasse before me? I knew that when God closes a door, He opens a window. Violinist Itzhak Perlman said, “Sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”  So, I waited with an open heart.

Bing! On a lark in November of 2006, my husband and I stayed at the Crestmont Inn in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. Formerly a dormitory for staff built in 1926, our accommodations were refurbished into luxury suites. I began to think of what life would have been like for staff there during the 1920s. A light switch turned on in my head for an idea for the book, Crestmont.

A wonderful experience in writing opened before me. Researching the history of the Crestmont Inn enriched me. My music inspired me to imbue my main character, Gracie, with the desire to sing. A Native American legend says that the Great Spirit flooded Eagles Mere Lake out of anger. I gave that a different twist, wanting to set the tone of grace around which Crestmont is built. In my novel, he cried tears of forgiveness. The eagles joined their tears with his, both mingling together to gently fill the lake called Eagles Tears or Eagles Mere.

Writing was a natural progression from singing. Every song requires a different persona—a unique character the singer develops to make the song real. Inventing characters for Crestmont was an adventure I was well-prepared for after thirty years of creating them in song.

Many people have said that Crestmont is a vacation within a book. That would have pleased William Warner, who built the inn in 1899 for those pummeled by the stress of everyday life.  Here’s a bit about the plot:

                    

“A dream, after all, needn’t be fueled by particulars, only by desire.”

So notes main character, Gracie Antes, who is determined to take control of her life. Gracie leaves her unhappy home in 1925 to pursue her dream of a singing career. On her way to the big city, she accepts a job as a housemaid at the bustling Crestmont Inn. Once there, Gracie finds a life-changing encounter with opera singer Rosa Ponselle, family she never imagined could be hers, and a man with a mysterious past. Relive the 1920s with a colorful cast of characters. Discover with Gracie that sometimes we must trade loss for happiness.

I miss singing, but I am grateful for the years of ministry through song. People used to tell me, “We can see your faith on your face as you sing.” I pray they can see a reflection of Christ in my writing. My life, although filled with physical challenges, has become a re-composition full of unique harmony. God faithfully and creatively led me from the voice of a singer to that of an author. And now, although my barn had burned down, I can see the moon. In my next novel, I hope to explore my experience of One Voice Led to Another.

I love to hear from my readers. Please visit me at http://hollyweiss.com

Follow me on http://Twitter.com/HWeissauthor

Nook  $2.99 http://bit.ly/hkoHk2

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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Book Giveaway Drawing: Holly Weiss will give away a free soft-cover copy of Crestmont to a reader of this blog. To enter, leave a comment to this post. If you are a follower of Book Readers Central and tell me so in a separate comment, I'll give you an extra chance to win.


Please include a valid email address in an anti-spam format (example: youremailhandle[at]gmail[dot]com]) or your entry will become invalid. Entries will be accepted until this Thursday at midnight (Pacific Time/US).


I'll announce the winner on Book Readers Central on Friday. The winner must respond within two weeks of notification. Detailed rules of giveaways on Book Reader's Central are located in the footer of this blog.