VBT# Don't Let The Secret Out - Jessamine Rose

Today's VBT# is author Jessamine Rose and her memoir "Don't Let the Secret Out".

Synopsis : Don't Let the Secret Out - Jessamine Rose - November 2010

Jessamine Rose offers readers a glimpse into her life. She was born in 1937, in a small town in eastern Kentucky. For many her upbringing will seem foreign but for some it will sound all too familiar. The family's cabin was cold, the cracks in the floor made it impossible to heat. The bathroom was an outhouse. Her father often beat her mother. Her father shot her mother to scare her. At one point the family lived under a cliff. In the hills of eastern Kentucky "you could shoot a dog and spend a year in jail, shoot a man and nothing." She faced sexual abuse, beatings, neglect and yet rose above it all. She was a mere 6 years old the first time she was raped. Her mother gave away her young brother and sister. Jassamine made her escape in the back of an ice truck, she was less than 14. She ended up living in a park in Ohio.

Her teen years weren’t much better suffering at the hands of authority. Her life finally changed for the better when she met the love of her life and life began anew. Jessamine searches for her family and tries to reconcile her past memories with those who had wronged her. Jessamine faced many hardships in her life. Yet her memoir is upbeat, despite her childhood beginnings.

Excerpt From Don't Let the Secret Out :

Spring came and mommy had Edna Cora

She was named after my Daddy’s sister and also was the sibling I nicknamed Flukey. Daddy decided to join the Army and instead of Mommy getting allotment for us kids, he put it in Aunt Cora’s name. She owned a little country store and was supposed to give us food. Almost everyday we’d walk to her grocery store and she’d be kind enough to give us a load of bread with some applesauce. However, she greedily kept most of the money for herself.

After I grew up I came back to Incline, Ky to face Aunt Cora for keeping most of the money and not giving us food in exchange. As we were driving up the dirt road, I could see Aunt Cora in the garden working. She was all bent over hoeing a row of beans. We parked the car, got out and walked toward her. I was so mad and planned to do more than yell at her; I wanted to hit her. As I got closer to her she stood up and she was all crippled from arthritis. Needless to say I felt so sorry for her, so I couldn’t be mad at her. We talked for about an hour and I left. I was so hurt I couldn’t even cry. I never say Aunt Cora again.

Guest Post :

Hi Susie,


Most people just retire and travel or enjoy their families. What made you decide to become a published author and why did you pick this topic of your memoirs over any other genre. Was there a special message you wanted to leave for future generations?
After we retired we decided to build a house in Nicholasville, Ky. We always wanted to move back to Ky where we were both born; kind of like the elephant returning to their burial ground, that is how I felt. I was 62 at the time. I spent much of my time planting roses and trees in the yard and decorating the house making it our home.
I had always had bad dreams about my childhood. For some reason the dreams became worse. Husband suggested I should write down all my dreams. Then later he read what I had written. He said it might keep me from dreaming about my childhood.
I had my 70th birthday, I was sitting by the window writing down my dreams and I could see a little white hair girl playing in the yard. I realized it was I as a child. Then the words just began to flow like a raging storm. I didn’t plan on being an author, it just happened. Next thing I knew at the age of 73 I had become an author of “Don’t Let The Secret Out.”
When people read my book, I want them to know nothing is impossible, you can do whatever you set your mind to, but most important, is to always have a dream.

Jessamine Rose started writing at the age of 70. She has two books published and is working on her third novel. Don’t Let the Secret Out is her debut novel. When she is not writing she can be found in her rose gardens enjoying life with her husband and sharing stories with her grandchildren.

About The Author

You can find Jessamine at www.jessaminerose.angelfire.com