Ready to find out about Beth Albright- her #literarycrush, her #literaryconfessions, Southern writers that she just gushes over? Grab a salty margarita and get ready to find out all that and so much more!
Author Spotlight with Beth Albright
Beth, when you are not writing- what are some of your favorite things to do?
I love to take pictures! I am never without my camera and literally have thousands of photos, many of my son, but also so many of nature! Living in California, the dramatic scenery beckons and I am always trying to capture it! If not taking pics or writing, you can find me at the movies! I am a movie fanatic!
Could you tell us some of your favorite authors?
I love Mary Kay Andrews! Also Dorothea Benton Frank and Patti Callahan Henry. I read them regularly. And who doesn’t LOVE Janet Evanovich? Early on, when I sent the book to family and friends, so many of them told me I sounded just like a Stephanie Plum novel!! One of my best compliments ever!! I was reading Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank when I scribbled my first words down. She was an inspiration. Also, I have nearly all of Mary Kay’s books. Hissy Fit was an early inspiration as well. I also love Emily Giffin’s novels. Also, I just LOVE humorist Celia Rivenbark! Have every one of her books—sidesplitting, I swear- you will wet your pants!
What book (or books!) will you always make room for on your shelf?
The classics, so I can look at them and pretend I read them ALL!
Do you have any #literaryconfessions?
I have so many! I always wanted to read ALL the classics– alas, when I am in the ever- after, I will have time.
(See question above 🙂 )
Do you have a #literarycrush? (Joe Morelli from Stephanie Plum series is one of mine!)
OMYGOSH, he is mine! But then there’s Ranger…MMMMMM! I like those mysterious chivalrous types. But truly, I love my own hero of Sonny Bartholomew so much. I found myself flying when I was writing about him…getting out 5000 words a day! He makes me very excited!
What are some of the books that will be in your beach bag for 2013?
Just bought the new Dorothea Benton Frank novel, The Last Original Wife, just finished Patti Callahan Henry’s new novel, And Then I Found You. Adding Mary Kay’s new one, Ladies’ Night. And oh yeah, I’ll be working on my next trilogy, first one due in the fall.
What was your favorite childhood book?
Loved Charlotte’s Web. So emotional. I read it several times, over and over.
Was there a person or a book series that helped start your love of reading?
I would say it was Dorothea Benton Frank and all her Low Country tales. I wanted to be just like her. I was not a big reader till I stopped talking…for a living! Haha. When I left talk radio, I started reading and I wanted to read Southern books. I began with hers and migrated to include Mary Kay Andrews. Now my first review, from Booklist, May 1st, actually compares me to Mary Kay Andrews! I nearly had a fit!!!
If you were not an author, what would you want to be?
Okay, I know this is crazy, but if I had anything to choose from, I would love to be one of the professional dancers on Dancing With The Stars! Also, I would go nuts to act on Broadway…which I could soooo do, if I wasn’t in a musical. Nobody wants to hear me sing!
If you could be a character in a book, who would you be? Why?
I can’t even narrow it down. All the typical ones come to mind, but I like some of the female characters in Emily Giffin’s novels too. I like strong women but I like really feminine women who are ok with being a woman and letting the man be the man, like Stephanie Plum! Oh, too many to choose from.
Being a former Days of Our Lives actress and now an author- how different are the worlds? Did your Days experience give you insight into writing? Into meeting fans and other people?
The worlds are very, very different. While I did love acting, I missed the live audience of talk radio. That’s why I love stage acting so much! The audience is right there and I love the live element of both the stage and talk radio! Days Of Our Lives didn’t really give me any insight into novel writing, but it did help with script writing—two very different things.
Talk radio best prepared me to meet the readers as I did so many live broadcasts in malls and everywhere from local to remote shows broadcast live from Hollywood, CA. I loved those Hollywood shows where I would do my show live with, who else…Soap Opera stars! I loved the idea of playing a bad girl and never messing up my make-up!
#Giveaway time! A copy of The Sassy Belles could be headed your way (perfect for that beach vacation or just lounging by the pool!) To win a copy of The Sassy Belles– tell me one thing you love about Southern Belles! The #giveaway is open to US only (sorry!) and you MUST provide your email in the comment section. You may use (AT) and (DOT) (example: iheartbooks (AT) gmail (DOT) com) as you write your email in the comment section. Comments without an email will not be considered in the #giveaway.
The #giveaway will run from Friday June 21- through Friday, June 28th at 11:59pmEST. Winner will be notified by email on Monday, July 1.
Beth Albright, author of The Sassy Belles, can be found tweeting to her fans on Twitter, talking on her Facebook page, or hanging out at her website. The next 2 books in the series are Wedding Belles (out July 30th) and Sleigh Belles (to be released later in 2013).