Candy O'Terry and Colleen Esposito are a mother-daughter duo with a shared passion for writing. 

 

Widely known as Boston’s Beloved Radio Voice, Candy O has spent nearly 35 years on the air in Boston and was recently inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame.  The winner of 70 local and national awards for women’s programming, she has interviewed nearly 1000 women from every walk of life. The host of The Story Behind Her Success weekly podcast and radio series, Candy is also a regular contributor to Pink Chair Storytellers Magazine. A lifelong singer, voiceover talent and budding songwriter, she is featured on the Nelson’s Garden theme song.  In 2024, Candy’s devotion to the fight against breast cancer was reignited when she heard the words “you have breast cancer” and credits early detection through mammography with saving her life. She and her husband Tom have 5 grown children and 8 grand babies and live about a mile down the road from where Nelson McNutt once tended his beautiful garden.  

 

After graduating from Assumption University with a degree in English and Communications, Colleen carved her own path in PR and Social Influence, working for one of the country’s top advertising agencies.  Shortly after her first daughter, Belle, was born, she decided to take a permanent maternity leave to become a stay-at-home-mom.  Now the mother of Belle and Rosie, Colleen is also the creator of The Belle Curve Blog. She lives in Mansfield, MA with her husband, kids, 7 chickens and her dog. During the warmer months you can find her in her garden.

 

The idea of writing a children’s book together was planted one summer day as Candy and Colleen walked baby Belle around the neighborhood in her stroller. Candy said, “Do you remember Nelson McNutt? The old man down the street who would tip his hat as we’d drive by? I think we should write a book about him.” 

 

….and from there, Nelson’s Garden began to bloom.