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Monday, December 16, 2013

Be My Guest - Bette Lee Crosby

Merry Christmas! 
Leaving you a comment enters you to win a copy of Bette's book, Cupid's Christmas. Winner chooses to receive the book in either print OR digital format.
 
Hello faithful readers. Please welcome this month's guest author, Bette Lee Crosby. She and I connected about a year and a half ago. She's got southern roots and a gift for the pen.

Crosby originally studied art and began her career as a packaging designer. When asked to write a few lines of copy for the back of a pantyhose package, she discovered a love for words that was irrepressible. After years of writing for business, she turned to works of fiction and never looked back. “Storytelling is in my blood,” Crosby laughingly admits, “My mom was not a writer, but she was a captivating storyteller, so I find myself using bits and pieces of her voice in most everything I write.”

Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.



Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. Since then, she has gone on to win several more awards, including another NLAPW award, four Royal Palm Literary Awards, The Reviewer’s Choice Award, two FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medals and three silver medals.



Her published novels to date are: Cracks in the Sidewalk (2009), Spare Change (2011), The Twelfth Child (2012), Cupid’s Christmas (2012), What Matters Most (2013) and Jubilee’s Journey (2013).  She has also authored “Life in the Land of IS” a memoir of Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as the world’s longest living quadriplegic.



Cupid's Christmas is the perfect book to curl up with beneath the tree during the holiday season. Let's see what Bette has to tell us about it. ~

Hello everyone! It's wonderful to visit with you today. Cupid's Christmas is a love story for both the young and the young at heart. In a spot somewhere between Heaven and Earth, Cupid is trying to overcome the forces of lust, jealousy and the events brought on by his nemeses — Life Management. 
Cupid matched John and Eleanor thirty years ago, but Life Management stepped in and fouled things up. Now they are both single and back together again, but before Cupid can give them the happiness they deserve, he’s got to come up with some magic, a few miracles and a dog for John’s daughter.



In the words of Cupid… from Cupid’s Christmas:

 Love makes believers of us all—yes, even me. With all the tragic love affairs I’ve witnessed you might think I would by now be disenchanted, but no—I’m the biggest believer of all.

 Love makes anything believable. One zap from me and the impossible becomes possible. Women feel their heart start to flutter and wise men begin to act foolish. Up until today Matthew has registered a zero on the gullibility scale, but now that he’s looked into Lindsay’s eyes, he’s ready to be a believer. I can tell you what is going to happen, but I won’t because it would only spoil the fun. Instead I’ll give you this small bit of wisdom—every human should have a dog because somewhere behind the bark and the wag of a tail is a heart that’s bigger than your own and the truth of what love is all about. 

Christmas is no doubt the most wonderful time of the year, we say it in song and we celebrate it in our heart.  Christmas is a time when people are kinder, food is tastier and good deeds start appearing from out of nowhere.  We start getting ready for Christmas when the first chill tickles our nose and we are saddened when the tree comes down and all the joy is packed away to wait for another year. But wait…why let go of Christmas? I don’t. I have ten fun ways that I carry Christmas with me throughout the year and I’m here to share them with you right now…

  1. Christmas Mugs – I collect them and use them every day, I start the day with my coffee in a Christmas cup.
  2. Night light – I have a bubbling Elf night light in the hall bath, and it remains there year-round.
  3. Christmas Countdown App on my iPhone – Starting on December 26th, one click and I’m reminded of exactly how many days, hours and minutes until the next Christmas.
  4. All year I collect pictures of people I love, because at Christmas I make personalized calendars for family and friends. Each calendar is customized with their family pictures and birthdays.
  5. When the clocks get turned back and days grow shorter, I celebrate the coming of Christmas by lighting a fat red candle and having a glass of spiced wine.  (you have to buy it around Christmas and keep it in the fridge until the following fall)
  6. A pick up dollar store stocking stuffers all year long and fill shopping bags with each person name on it – plus two extras for the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes we do every year.
  7. I freeze slices of fruitcake to have with cinnamon tea n a rainy afternoon.
  8. I buy red tee shirts whenever I see them on sale, in all sizes so there’s always a spare for visitors.
  9. I try to do occasional kindnesses for strangers and act as we all do at Christmastime.
  10. And most importantly, I go to church every Sunday (okay almost every Sunday) to  celebrate what Christmas is all about.
~ Merry Christmas!
Bette


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Don't forget. Your comment enters you in a drawing to win Cupid's Christmas in your choice of either print OR digital format!  
Winner will be drawn and announced Wednesday (12/18).

5 comments:

Jo said...

Love all the Christmas ideas. One tradition we brought from the UK. We do not take down decorations before 12th night, Epiphany or Jan 6. One I don't keep any more is to eat 12 individual mince pies between Christmas and New Years. Not good for the weight.

Unknown said...

We also follow the tradition of leaving our tree up until January 6th.

Just Katherine--Patron Saint of Hot Messes said...

We also leave ours up until the 6th--and we don't put it up until Christmas Eve.

Looking forward to reading Bette Lee Crosby's books. They sound wonderful

William Kendall said...

You're definitely a Christmas afficianado, Bette!

Bette Lee Crosby said...

Thanks for sharing all your traditions. Had no idea so many left their decorations up until the 6th. :)