-Author, Director and Vocal Teacher-
Susan Moore Jordan
THE CAROUSEL TRILOGY
How I Grew Up
(The Carousel Trilogy, Book One)
"... a real page turner with a memorable lead character."
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"You'll Never Walk Alone." The words from that song in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel hold an especially poignant meaning for Melanie Stewart, who goes on stage in the leading role of Julie Jordan mere weeks after her parents were victims of a senseless murder, perpetrated by her own sister's troubled husband. She is just eighteen, a high school senior who dreams of Hollywood stardom and her first real kiss. With the support of her two older sisters, who have problems of their own to deal with in the lingering aftermath of the horror, and her good friends, Mel auditions for her high school's spring musical the week after her parent's funeral. Rehearsals for the production begin almost immediately. In the weeks leading up to the performance, Melanie learns she is stronger than she knew, and being involved in the show helps her begin to heal. The story takes place in small-town America in the mid-twentieth century.
Eli's Heart
(The Carousel Trilogy, Book Two)
"... the kind of story which would translate into a good movie."
In the nineteen fifties, ELI LEVIN, a brilliant teenage pianist born with a serious heart defect and not expected to live past the age of thirty, meets KRISSY PORTER on a visit to a small town in the Southeast. They play piano duets, talk about baseball, eat banana splits. A budding romance is ended by interference from Eli’s family, but they find their way back to each other three years later. They marry on Krissy’s twentieth birthday while they are both college students. The music they share is a vital part of their life together. Once he begins his career, Eli’s rise in the music world is meteoric. Although they are devoted and intensely passionate from the beginning, the couple must struggle with never knowing when the various repairs to Eli’s heart might give out.
You Are My Song
(The Carousel Trilogy, Book Three)
"You don't have to be a musician to appreciate the lyricism and passion ... "
The nineteen-fifties. Elvis is wearing Blue Suede Shoes. The Grand Old Opry reigns supreme in Nashville. But in a small Tennessee town Jamie Logan--a good-hearted young man with a superb tenor voice--stars in his high school's musical theater production and begins an unlikely, almost magical journey that could take him to the pinnacle of the opera world. The path is far from simple. Jamie just wants to sing. He is ill-prepared for the jealousy, rivalry and politics he encounters on his way. Personal tragedy, family crises, even a hate crime sidetrack him and threaten to undermine his journey. Jamie has the desire, but he also seeks to understand who he is, not only as an artist but as a man. The people he loves are vital to him and he strives to find a way to balance his professional life and his personal life. Jamie has a voice beautiful beyond belief -- and the love of a woman who inspires him to believe in himself. Will that be enough? You Are My Song is about Jamie Logan's journey in “opera world” and the choices he has to make along the way.
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Jamie's Children
(The Carousel Trilogy)
“. . . beautifully written and moving, flowing like a well-orchestrated symphony with interludes and counter melodies . . . "
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"It's more than music: it's light. It's love. It's life."
Laura and Niall Logan, children of a brilliant musician, have gifts of their own. First born Laura, child-prodigy violinist, suffers from emotional problems that haunt her well into adulthood. Niall, talented singer-songwriter, is tormented by the demons of bipolar disorder. Supported by the people they love and the power of music, they seek to overcome these daunting challenges as they strive to claim their own place in the spotlight.
Jamie's Children is a sequel to You Are My Song
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