Happy Tuesday!
Melony’s back! This time she’s taking over the blog so grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and chat with her!
Thank you Toni for hosting me!
It’s not very likely that I’ll ever attend my high school reunion. When I was writing A Promise to Keep (out Jan 2020) the whole idea of high school reunions and all the feelings they evoke was uppermost in my mind. Most either love the idea of a reunion with school friends, or hate it, because they felt like they never really fitted in. Or perhaps, they fall somewhere in between?
Growing up in South Africa, and moving to Canada twenty years ago seems like another lifetime now that I live in Toronto. Whenever a reunion of sorts is planned I reply with regret that it is a little too far for me. Seeing the photos of those who are able to make it is always a bitter sweet experience. I wish I was there. And yet, I wonder, am I the same person I was back in high school? On reflection, I’m not.
In some ways, life has a way of teaching us lessons, such as compassion, sensitivity and wisdom. As adults who have been around the block a few times (that’s a South African expression) our decisions and experiences have shaped us and hopefully, like a good cheese, we are more mature. Not in a moldy sort or sour sort of way.
As a teenager I was rather loud, and an extrovert extraordinaire. I guess they said I was ‘bubbly’. Looking back now, it was way over the top. I was so idealistic, which was probably a good thing. Optimism can get you through many challenges. Now, I’m more subdued, perhaps more shy, especially in a crowd of people I don’t know. I’m a bit more compassionate and aware of other’s feelings. I’ve got nothing to prove. Unlike the youngster I was, I am no longer searching for approval, needing that proverbial pat on the back.
Looking back at those years, it makes me think of those letters-to-your-younger-self exercises. If I could write a letter to my seventeen year old self, I’d say, “Relax. Stop striving so hard. Enjoy the journey. It will all work out in the end. And…maybe lose the permed hair a bit sooner. Your forty-something year-old self will thank you!”
If you wrote a letter to your teenager self, what would you say?
About the Author
Melony Teague is a freelance writer who believes everyone has a story to tell. As co-author of As the Ink Flows, she loves to inspire and motivate others through her written words. With foamy lattes in-hand, she writes Contemporary Romance with a dash of humor. Though she has no hobbies outside of reading, writing, and eating chocolate, she is a member of ACFW and teaches seniors in her community to write their memoirs. She confesses with no shame that she has a strong belief that pumpkin pie is an acceptable breakfast food since it’s mostly vegetables. Melony was born in South Africa and now lives in the melting pot that is Toronto with her husband, their two teenagers, and two cats who think they’re humans.
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About the Book
Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.
Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.
Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?
Amazon | Anaiah Press | Goodreads
Praise for A Promise to Keep
“A delightful romance sure to please anyone looking for a story about second chances, grace, and hope. This one has all the right ingredients!”
—Catherine West, award-winning author of Where Hope Begins
“With beautiful tenderness, Melony Teague has given us a window into the joy, sorrow, humor, and soaring love of characters that come alive. Be ready to have your heart stolen in this must-read fiction debut.”
—Mikal Dawn, author of the EMERALD CITY ROMANCE series
Toni Shiloh 
Thank you Melony, this is so beautifully said and very inspirational. If I wrote a letter to myself for my teen years , I would say don’t be so shy, and things get much better as you get older, don’t be in a rush to grow up so fast. I enjoyed reading this blog. Your books sound like very good reads and I love the covers, especially the one with the Beautiful Macaw. Merry Christmas to you and your family. God Bless you.
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Alica, thank you for your kind comment! Things do get better as we get older, don’t they? I agree with you there!
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Mel, I suppose “bubbly” is definitely a word we could use to describe your teenage self!!
Wish we had had the same wisdom and insights as we do now. I would have told myself to throw away the box that everyone expects you to fit into!! Life is way too short, the journey an exciting one so relax, walk barefooted on the earth, take time to say the “I love you”‘s …. but above all … love yourself xx
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And you would know my friend. Thanks for being a friend way back then. And you are so right, taking time to say “I love you” is so important!
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Lovely post, Melony! When my daughter was a teenager and going through all the angst and emotions, I told her to write it all down in her journal and in a few years she’d laugh about it and wonder why she thought it was such a big deal. I think it helped her to see that “This, too, shall pass.” She might not have appreciated it at the time, but later she saw it was true.
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What great advice Winnie! That’s awesome!
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