Holiday Gifts Spotlight on Betty Jo Schuler

December 2003

Ayden: Betty, thank you for joining me today. Once I started reading Gracie's Holiday Hero, I knew this interview would be really fun.

Let's start with something simple... Why writing?

Betty Jo: It's something I always wanted to do. I've written at various times and couldn't wait until I could stop teaching to write full time. People fascinate me, and I love creating stories that help readers discover things about themselves and their lives. I like to make them laugh and hope to touch their hearts.

Ayden: Your holiday romance, Gracie's Holiday Hero, was a very moving tale and one I know I'll be rereading throughout the year. Could you tell us a bit about where the idea for this story came from and the actual writing?

Betty Jo: Needy families are a reality at Christmas and a wealthy family selflessly helping isn't that unusual, but when I thought of their son being the guy a young girl idolized-I saw the potential for a heartwarming story. I know a couple who insist they have a "Christmas ghost" and that added an interesting touch. I loved Kirsten and found her fun to write. The story just seemed to grow as I discovered more about the characters, and I've thought of writing stories about Gracie's sisters, Hope and Faith, but I haven't yet.

Ayden: You are a multi-published author with titles in many different genres. Would you tell us a bit about all of your novels and where they can be found?

Betty Jo: I have two children's books with Writers Exchange, the publisher of Gracie's Holiday Hero. Randy O'Rourke is a young inventor who wants to build a robot that will do his homework and chores. Every kid's dream; right? He names the robot "Brain" because he's so smart. Brain Man is the story of Randy's success and stress when Brain does everything he wants him to... and more. Double Trouble Ditto Box is another "Randy story," with Randy inventing a box that copies everything he puts inside, including his pesky little sister, Suzy, and wow, his parents are mad. www.writers-exchange.com/epublishing

Baby for Sale and Secret Till We're Grown are stories about "the cul-de-sac kids" and their adventures. When their families have a block yard sale, the kids on Greenwillow Lane learn about treasures and trading, with Megan who's trying to sell her brother learning the biggest lesson of all. In Secret, the boys experience an out-of-this-world adventure they don't want to share with their parents.

These middle-grade books are available from DiskUs Publishing along with Vanilla, Plain, and Shy, a book about a girl who takes a modeling course and overcomes her shyness in front of the whole world.

My other DiskUs is Second Chance at Love, a romance for teens with a secret about a heart transplant. I also have three quick picks (short reads) there and one is a holiday romance, Love and Mistletoe. www.diskuspublishing.com.

Winning Chance, a romantic comedy available from Treble Heart Books, was a 2002 EPPIES contemporary romance nominee. Lori Hayes never takes a risk, but when someone enters her in a TV show contest and she wins a Dream Date with gorgeous hunk, Chance Dawson, sparks fly. www.trebleheartbooks.com/SchulerSynop.html.

Male Wanted is a romantic comedy published by Hard Shell Word Factory. When Taylor Gayle advertises in The Town Crier for a male to date, Max Stuart misprints her ad to indicate she's looking for a "sadomasochistic male to mate" and includes her address. To atone for his mistakes, Max becomes her live-in protector.

Hard Shell Word Factory is also my publisher for Camp Cheer, an interactive mystery and 2001 EPPIES young adult book finalist. Stacy Knight stumbles into danger at this eerie cheerleading camp and *you* lead her to safety. Remember the old pick-a-path books where you made a choice and turned pages to find the next segment? It's much more fun to click on the hypertext and be zoomed along! Look for both at www.hardshell.com.

No Rain, No Rainbows, from Atlantic Bridge, was an EPPIES 2003 anthology finalist. These eight fictional stories are so true to today's lives, I hope they'll help middle-graders and teens to steer clear of potential problems and cope with those that are unavoidable. www.atlanticbridge.net/publishing/rainbows.htm.

Ayden: Why so many different genres? Most authors write in one genre, venturing into related genres, rarely romance, children and young adult.

Betty Jo: I enjoy variety and like exploring relationships at various ages. I started writing children's books and worked my way up to adult. Romance entered the picture with my first young adult book, Heartthrob, written for the Bantam Sweet Dreams line.

Ayden: Is it harder to change your thought pattern as you write the different genres? Obviously, you're going to write differently for children than you would for adults.

Betty Jo: Not really. I'm able to identify with the voices and thoughts of different ages. I taught elementary school and teach an online course for Writer's Digest and will soon be teaching one for Barnes & Noble University about writing for children. I'm volunteering at an alternative school for teens. Staying in touch with different ages helps.

Ayden: The majority of your novels are available through Epublishers. Do you feel you have more freedom to write what you want with an epublisher versus a more traditional publisher?

Betty Jo: I do feel you have more freedom with Epublishers. Print publishers have various lines, each with a narrow scope. You can cross the lines between genres with e-pubs, and this allows you to create more interesting books.

Ayden: What are your thoughts on the future of epublishing?

Betty Jo: I think its time is coming! It's caught on with many people but most don't know about it. I blame the electronics industry for not coming out with a reasonably priced handheld reader and widely promoting it. The ability to read e-books on certain PDA's isn't even mentioned in ads.

Ayden: Let's take a moment to discuss your Pick-A-Path mysteries. Are they easier to write than your other books? Or is it difficult to come up with so many endings?

Betty Jo: Camp Cheer was one of the hardest books I've ever written. Keeping track of so many different paths is tricky. The book has eleven endings, but I've never calculated how many ways there are to reach each of them. I do think e-publishing is a perfect medium for pick-a-paths.

Ayden: I loved the way you captured the Christmas spirit in Gracie's Holiday Hero. One can only surmise that you love it just as much as Grace; what's your favorite part of the holiday season?

Betty Jo: I love attending candlelight Christmas Eve church services, then going to my mom's for a celebration, and afterward, by the lights of our tree, my husband and I enjoy a relaxing drink while exchanging special Christmas ornaments we've bought for one another.

Ayden: All authors are different when it comes to the way they write. Do you prefer to plot everything out beforehand or let the characters have their own way?

Betty Jo: My characters and imagination lead the way. Plotting everything would take away the magic of writing, but I do wish I could outline a book ahead and feel good about it. I write a few ideas and character descriptions before I start and after three chapters, make more notes and that's it.

Ayden: And last but not least, the holidays are fast approaching and we all have our favorite holiday foods. What is yours?

Betty Jo: My grown kids love this hors d'ouevre. I multiply this recipe by four since we have a big family.

GARLIC SAUSAGE

1 pound lean ground beef
1 ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika, divided
1 teaspoon each: basil, salt, coarsely ground pepper and mustard seed

Mix or process beef, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika and the remaining ingredients until well blended. Shape in 2 smooth, 10-inch long sausages. Wrap, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Place sausages on rack in broiler pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour or until very firm and brown. Cool, sprinkle with remaining paprika. Wrap airtight. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 weeks. To serve, cut in ¼ inch slices.

Makes 2 sausages, 32 slices each.

I serve these on a warming tray with party rye bread and dill pickle chips on the side. Provide toothpicks to assemble little sandwiches.

Ayden: Betty, thanks again for joining me. I had a wonderful time.

Betty Jo: So did I. Happy Holidays! And thanks for letting me share. I really enjoyed writing Gracie's Holiday Hero and hope others will too.

Ayden: For more information about all of Betty Jo's available and upcoming books, be sure to visit her website: bettyjoschuler.net/bettyjo.html.

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