*dances* I've got a visitor! I've got a visitor! And an interview to boot! Please give Beth D. Carter and her suspense novel Petty Thief of Hearts, a warm welcome in today's #TNTConfidential!
Welcome to In A Dream
Beyond, Beth! I believe this is your first visit, so I must ask:
When did you start writing
and why?
Hi! Thank you so much for letting me visit with
you today! The easy answer to this quesion is because I’ve been
creating stories in my head since I was a child. I wrote my first book, written out in long
hand, when I was about twelve. There was
never a time in my life when I didn’t want to be an author. I tried to follow a different path because I
never had confidence in myself, but with the emergence of ereaders, it’s opened
up an avenue for many people to find their dreams. Like me.
Are you a plotter or a
pantser?
I’m mostly a pantser, but I
usually have a vision of where the story is heading and I tend to outline a
little per chapter just to help me keep track of the plotting.
You’re a full time writer
and a stay at home mom. What’s your work schedule usually like?
I drop my son off to school
at 8:15am and then I come
home and work until I pick him up at 2:30pm . In the evening it’s harder to write because
my son tells stories too, and he’s always coming to me to tell me his latest
one. I’m a proud mama.
Your latest novel is Petty
Thief of Hearts, a suspense novel. Have you always liked the suspense
genre?
No, not really. Suspense is hard to write, especially if
there is some kind of murder to solve. I
like writing about the human aspect of what’s going on, whether it’s about zombies,
or ghosts, or just a plain old fashioned love story.
Where did the inspiration
for Petty Thief of Hearts come from?
I actually wrote it for an
anthology call but then decided not to send it in. I dreamed of the first chapter, and then
developed the story as it went along. It
sat in my computer files for a long time before I decided to try Evernight’s
Romance on the Go line. Not only did
they accept it, but it became an Editor’s Pick!
I was thrilled.
Tell us something about the
novel that doesn’t appear on the blurb or the excerpt.
Ethan, the hero, is a sad
case of a boy who ran away from home at age 16 because no one believed him
about drugs found in his possession. Not
even his parents. He was devastated. But now, six years later, all he wants is to
go home. I think there are a lot of kids
like him and I liked finding his voice.
Finally, I read that for
you each story has its own signature song. What’s Petty Thief of Heart’s
song?
“Nothing Else Matters” by
Metallica. Just look at the
lyrics…they’re so perfect for both Jessie & Ethan’s situations.
So close no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters
Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
And nothing else matters
**April
Showers bring…**
What do April
Showers bring? (be as creative as you like ;-)
Allergies. Boring, huh?
A book to
read this month—
Transcendence
by Shay Savage. Best book I’ve read in a
long time.
Raincoat or umbrella?
I live in Southern California .
When it does rain, which we’ve already had our two days for the year, I
use an umbrella.
Do you like
your handwriting?
I like how I
sign my name. Does that sound
silly?
What are you
listening to right now?
Human by
Christina Perri.
Have you ever
played an April Fool’s joke on anyone? What was it?
Yes. My best one was that I used to work with this
woman who parked illegally one day, and she was freaking out the whole day that
she was going to get a ticket. So I cut
a piece of paper that looked like a ticket and wrote “April Fools!” on it and
stuck it under her windshield wiper. She
almost had a heart attack at the end of the day when she saw it but thought it
was hilarious. Of course, she had to get
me back for it but that’s a whole different story!
More About Beth:
I
like writing about the very ordinary girl thrust into extraordinary
circumstances, so my heroines will probably never be lawyers, doctors or
corporate highrollers. I try to write
characters who aren't cookie cutters and push myself to write complicated
situations that I have no idea how to resolve, forcing me to think outside the
box. I love
writing characters who are real, complex and full of flaws, heroes and heroines
who find redemption through love.
I’ve been pretty fortunate in life to
experience some amazing things. I’ve
lived in France Europe , Australia New Zealand Los Angeles
Amazon author page:
I know and you know you want to read an excerpt...
A man fell into the seat next to her, reeking of alcohol and
mumbling under his breath as he bumped into her.
