Nancy Veldman’s Magnolia House

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

While visiting our cousin Chris Stewart at her beautiful home at Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, I was given a book she was reading. It was a novel Old Man Rivers by author Nancy Veldman. Chris went on to explain Nancy had a shop nearby in Miramar Beach suggested we stop by there. After reading a portion of the book I decided to make the visit. I was familiar with the Grand Boulevard area because one of my favorite restaurants, Tommy Bahamas, is located there. If I am in the area I never fail to stop and eat there. So I was happy to have another reason to stop in and since I had been told Nancy was a Memphis, Tennessee native I felt it was a must.   

Author, pianist and artist Nancy Veldman refers to her gift shop / bookstore as a gathering place. Nancy was in when we stopped in on a Sunday afternoon and she has indeed made it a most comfortable place to be. Her shop has its own bookstore area which feels like you are in your private library.  There you will find current works by familiar authors including many authors from the coastal area. Like many shops owned by authors there is an amazing effort on their part to promote not only their works but the works of other authors.   

There among all the beautiful things in her shop was an area dedicated to Nancy’s books, CDs and artwork. Nancy has written over 100 songs and released 10 CDs. She has also written seven novels and working on an eighth. It was a wonderful experience to not only see her shop but to meet the author. Nancy spent a lot of time with my wife and me talking about her books, music, artwork and her life. She had the most interesting story of her receiving the Key to the City of Memphis for humanitarian efforts.

Nancy’s goal is to keep on giving. Today Nancy feeds the homeless in the Destin, FL area and ministers to the poor. Her music is played in hospitals, cancer centers, schools and businesses. CEOs of hospitals have flown in to meet her so they could pipe her music in their hospitals. If asked how she does it all her answer is, “We have no understanding of what we are capable of in this life we live, until we allow ourselves to step out and try. As many have said, it is the fear of failure or acceptance of mediocrity in our lives that keeps us from ever becoming.”

Nancy has done a great job in giving back not only to her community but to fellow authors. You can visit her on her website.  She can also be found on YouTube, Facebook, Amazon and iTunes.