Lindas Book Obsession Interviews AUTHOR BETTE LEE CROSBY

Lindas Book Obsession Interviews author Bette Lee Crosby

 

 

Linda:

1. What motivates you to write your stories?

 

 

Bette:

 

I think a need to express my thoughts about a situation or heroic deed. I didn’t start out to be a writer; in college I studied art—which although totally different, is not really all that different. When you paint a picture of something you are showing the world the way you see or interpret it, writing a story is much the same. I take a real life situation and “paint” it the way I see it.

 

 

Linda:

2. Is there anyone in your personal life that you base your characters on?

 

 

Bette:

 

Ha, everyone. I hold onto the likeable (or dislikable) characteristics of almost everyone I know and when I create a new character I take bits and pieces and put them together into a character that is not one someone, but parts of all of those people.

 

Linda:

3. What do you do in your downtime for relaxation (or a hobby.?)

 

 

Bette:

I used to sew, paint, play golf and even tried my hand at bridge, but writing is a greedy master and it has taken over most of my time. I do still love to read and do it every chance I get. I am not big on TV, but the one show I do love is This is Us. I also love a day out with friends doing lunch and shopping. It doesn’t matter whether or not I buy anything, it’s the browsing that is fun.

 

 

Linda:

4. What are your favorite genres to read when you get a chance?

 

Bette:

Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction and Magical Realism. Once in a while I will stray off and read a good mystery or suspense novel, but not very often.

 

 

Linda:

5. What do you and your husband like to do together?

 

 

Bette:

We enjoy going out to dinner together and having time to enjoy one another. We also enjoy movies, plays, going dancing, and traveling. We have been married 30 years, but in some ways we are still like newlyweds and as such enjoy spending time together. We also have a group of friends that we socialize with fairly often.

 

 

Linda:

6. Do you get to travel, and do you use those experiences in your books?

 

 

Bette:

Yes, we do. Summer before last we did a home exchange with a couple from France. We spent 3 weeks in their Paris apartment and while we were there I began writing What the Heart Remembers. It was fun because I was walking the same streets I was writing about.

 

 

Linda:

7. Please tell us something about your dog.

 

 

Bette:

Sugar is my third Bichon. The first one I had was before Dick and I were married, the second was a rescue Bichon, and we got Sugar after we lost our sweet little rescue pup.  Sugar is the most rambunctious of the lot. She loves to play ball and will bring it back an endless number of times. She is also a real foodie and, according to the vet, is 1 pound overweight. When I am working she is usually either in my lap or curled up under my desk.

 

 

Linda:

8. Can you share some of the awards that you have received as a writer? (and your books)

 

 

Bette:

The first award I ever received was for The Twelfth Child and it was as an unpublished manuscript. That award was from the American Association of Pen Women. Since then I have gone on to win over thirty other awards for my books, including the International Book Award, The Indie Next Generation Award, The RONE Award, The Reader’s Choice Gold Medal and the Royal Palm Literary Award. I was very proud of the books in the Memory House Series when in 2016 Baby Girl won the Indie Next Generation Award for Chick Lit and then in 2017 Silver Threads won the same award. It is a very prestigious award and winning it for two years in a row was very exciting.

 

 

Linda:

9. What do you want your readers to take away when they read one of your stories?

 

 

Bette:

I hope that after they’ve turned the last page, they have a warm feeling of satisfaction. I believe that in every life there is good and bad, sometimes more of one and less of the other. But what a person does under the bad circumstances is where the story lies. Yes, my characters sometimes struggle against what might seem like unfair odds, but I hope readers are inspired by how they overcome the odds and turn life around.  My theory is that you should always feel better after you’ve read the book than you did before.

 

 

 

Linda:

10. Where would you like the readers to contact or share with you?

 

Bette:

I would love to have readers friend me on facebook or stop by my shiny new website at http://betteleecrosby.com

 

I have been working on it with my webmaster for the past two months and the site just went live yesterday, so I am anxious to hear what visitors think.  Also, as a thank you gift for stopping by, visitors will receive a free copy of Stories, this is a behind the scenes overview of the books I’ve written, how I came up with each story, a glimpse inside each book and a sampling of the quotes favored by readers.

 

And for those readers who are on a budget, I’d suggest you follow me on BookBub – that way you’re certain to know when one of my books is on sale, sometimes for as little as $.99

 

Follow Bette on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bette-lee-crosby

 

Thank you so much Bette Lee Crosby for sharing so much of yourself. I  deeply appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness in doing this interview!!