- Please introduce yourself so the readers can get to know you better.
Have you ever been heartbroken? Almost everyone has been at some time in life. My name is R. Nelson Feldmann, and two experiences in my life utterly crushed my heart. Melody’s Broken Heart is about one of those experiences. My father died unexpectedly of a heart attack at the age of thirty, when I was only nine. I never had anyone at school who understood what I was going through. Sometimes, I would break down and cry or couldn’t complete my schoolwork. It was hard to act normal when inside, I was suffering. Years later, I went to college and studied music education. Melody’s Broken Heart came about two years ago after a conversation with a student. Over my twenty-nine years as a music teacher, I’ve had many opportunities to connect with students who, like me, had experienced the death of a parent. But then came Sarah. Sarah lost her Dad at age nine, just like me. She was amid her heartbreak when she told her mother, “I just want to be around Mrs. Feldmann. She understands how I feel.” I knew then that my life had much bigger plans than only being a music teacher. I wanted to write books that would be gentle and hopeful; books that would be a balm for hurting children.
- What is your inspiration behind your book Melody’s Broken Heart?
When my Dad passed away, my twenty-nine-year-old mother became a widow, and she had to get a full-time job for the first time in her life. Since Mom was at work, I rode the bus to my Grandma’s house after school. She was my Dad’s mom. We were both grieving and we became incredibly close. She is the inspiration for my book. It was set during the 1930s when she grew up. The main character, Melody, is fashioned from a school picture of my Grandma when she was about nine.
- When did you realize you wanted to be an author?
I think I’ve always wanted to be an author but didn’t realize it. As a kid, I loved taking old photographs of people I didn’t know and writing stories about them. I’d make up entire families and personalities for them. In seventh grade, one photo became the subject of a “diary” I wrote about a girl whose family traveled across the United States during the 1850s. When I finished the story, I sat at my desk and cried. I didn’t know how to let go of Rebecca and Sarah Jane. I credit that story to be the one that sealed my “fate” to one day become an author.
- Please tell us something about your book, Melody’s Broken Heart?
I’d like to tell you about my illustrator, Heidi Jean. She is quite young and lives in Canada. In a day when everyone is using AI and digital illustrations, Heidi does things the “old-fashioned” way. She created every character in the book on paper and with a pencil. Each and every image is a hand-painted watercolor masterpiece. She researched Bend, Oregon (the setting), clothing, and even wallpaper styles of the 1930s. It’s worth buying the book to simply enjoy Heidi’s illustrations.
- For which age group is your book, Melody’s Broken Heart, suitable?
It is a read-aloud picture book. The target age range is 4-8; however, it was written with the adult reader in mind. If someone reads my book to a child who has just experienced a loss, the adult reader is probably experiencing that same loss. Most reviews mention that my book has also encouraged the adult reader. I’ve included a journal in the back of the book with writing and coloring activities that target grieving. As a child fills these pages in, I hope the adult reader will “mentally” complete them, too.
- What is your favorite Quote?
“When I stopped trying so hard to fix it, my heart started to feel better! I realized it wasn’t my fault that my heart was broken. And it wasn’t my job to fix it. My job was to just be me.”
- What do you like the most about your country?
Diversity! In my music classes, my students have taught ME so much about different cultures. An Indian student demonstrated Carnatic music. Near Veteran’s Day, a Vietnamese student told all about how her parents had grown up in Vietnam and how glad they are to live here now. I’ve also taught students whose families are from Morocco, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, China, Korea, Ghana, and more! My ancestry is Scottish and Welsh. We are all Americans.
- What suggestion do you want to give to parents of little readers regarding a reading habit?
I cannot emphasize the importance of reading in front of kids. They need to see YOU reading in your free time. And, read aloud to them often! Don’t choose “dumbed down” literature, either. Choose good quality, timeless books, and let them stop to ask you questions about the story and the vocabulary. This is how to make lifelong readers.
- What does literary success look like to you?
Well, it’s not a big bank account, although I believe if I’ve written a good book, people will buy it. I just need your help to get the word out! I will feel successful if children and their parents are filled with hope and have a plan for handling their grief after reading Melody’s Broken Heart.
- Lastly, who is your inspiration in life and why?
My Daddy. His short life has taught me to never take a single day of my life for granted. I’ve outlived him now for more than twenty years. I’ve lived to see all four of my children grow to adulthood. I have gray hair, and I’m staring at old age in front of me. These are things he never got to experience. How blessed I am to be alive and healthy! I try to make every day count.
Melody’s Broken Heart can be purchased from www.mortarandpestlebooks.net or other online retailers like Amazon. The author can be reached at mortarandpestlebooks@gmail.com
Sassy Reviews 