READ THE REVIEW & AN EXCERPT from DOG BONE SOUP: “THE BUICK,” too! ~ Bette A. Stevens
REVIEW EXCERPT by N.A. Granger, author of The Rhe-Brewster Mysteries as well: Dog Bone Soup is a gem of a book, fast paced, entertaining, and moving. I loved it and devoured it in two sittings (I had to stop to eat!). Bette Stevens is a talented storyteller and I hope we will have another book from her soon.
I grew up in New England the 1950s and ‘60s, and Bette Stevens has written a coming of age novel about a life I wouldn’t recognize. Call me lucky. Shawn Daniels, the oldest of several children, lives in poverty. His father is the town drunk and beats his mother, who struggles to keep the family together in an unfinished, tar papered house with no indoor plumbing, running water, and heat. They have a TV but that’s for the enjoyment of Dad. Shawn and his brother Willie do all his chores: cutting and stacking firewood, hauling water into the house, and helping mind their two younger sisters. Despite the curtailment of a real childhood, the brothers still find a way to have adventures in small pockets of time, fishing for one, with a home-made pole and a safety pin for a hook. Dog bone soup, made from the marrow in left…
Inspired by nature, I love to walk to down the brook. It’s only a quarter-mile from “The Farmstead” here in Central Maine and no matter the weather or season, the sights and sounds of the water and the abundance of nature’s bounty always manage to refresh my soul and often inspire the writer child within me. The photo for the poem Brook Songs was taken last fall. As the autumn season nears a new dawning, I put pen to paper for a draft before designing the poem on the computer. ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator
Take a “Look inside” all of Bette’s books on YOUR AMAZON.
You’ll find more of Bette’s poetry right here on her blog
I am a writer inspired by nature and human nature.
I love people, nature, art, music and literature.
I advocate for kids and families, childhood literacy and for the protection of monarch butterflies and their threatened habitat in my books, my poetry and on my blog. My blog supports Indie and traditional authors, features great books and poetry and provides tips for writers and readers as well. Be sure to check out the tabs at the top of my blog and leave a comment or two. Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit. I look forward to chatting with you. — Bette A. Stevens
Brief Bio: Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies—an endangered species (and milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).
Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming of age novel. MY MAINE, inspired by The Pine Tree State —Maine’s diverse landscape, natural beauty, rural communities, and independent people—the author’s 150 haiku poems, along with her photographs, reflect the Maine she knows and loves.
BOOK BLURBS:
“My Maine, Haiku through the Seasons takes readers on a poetic journey through the state’s four distinct seasons. Whether you’re a native Mainer or from away, Stevens’s short story poems and photographs will resonate. The collection opens with Maine Pines and People. The journey continues with the rejuvenating spirit of Spring Awakenings and Summer Songs; then on to more of Maine’s extraordinary places and people in Autumn Leaves and Winter Tales. In addition to its poems and photographs, My Maine includes state symbols and interesting facts about The Pine Tree State.”
“DOG BONE SOUP is not only a fabulous title for a novel, it’s also the staple diet of the young hero, Shawn Daniels . But it takes more than an impoverished family life, exacerbated by a drunken father, to keep our Shawn and his brothers and sisters down.” Survival, struggle and the human spirit rising above it all—a 1950s and ’60 coming of age adventure.
“PURE TRASH is an emotional and soul-searching short story read. Compassion is a beautiful thing.” A single day—a lifetime of lessons.
Inspire the kids to follow their dreams with AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning Monarch Butterfly picture book adventure! (ages 4-11).
CLICK, LOOK & LISTEN as author Pamela Beckford reads AMAZING MATILDA for United Way’s Childhood Literacy Program:
Encourage the kids (elementary and middle-graders) with THE TANGRAM ZOO & Word Puzzles Too!—a great resource for home or school. Puzzles, poetry, reading, research, writing and projects too!
I would love to hear from you (comments below).
Find out more about author Bette A. Stevens and take a “Look inside” her books atYOUR AMAZON.
Paperback copy of THE TANGRAM ZOO & WORD PUZZLES TOO!—Yvette M. Calleiro
Welcome to Rave Reviews Book Club’s “BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY” at author Bette A. Stevens’s website/blog 4writersandreaders ONLINE! Location: Hartland, Maine where five (5) awesome prizes will be giving away today—September 10th!
Hi and thanks so much for visiting my blog and joining RRBC’s September “Book & Blog Block Party” today. To ENTER today’s GIVEAWAY, simply read along and leave a comment at the bottom of this post. You’ll get a glimpse into my books and find a short author bio too. As a writer inspired by nature and human nature, I continue to advocate for children and families, for childhood literacy and for monarch butterflies and their environment. To find out more about my books and poetry I invite you to explore my blog. I feature fellow authors and their books, share helpful writing tips and inspirational posts from my writer/blogger friends too. I hope you enjoy your visit! ~ Bette A. Stevens
Prizes Bette’s giving away today!
One $10 Amazon Gift Card
One e-Book copy of DOG BONE SOUP
One e-Book copy of PURE TRASH
One Paperback copy of AMAZING MATILDA
One Paperback copy of THE TANGRAM ZOO & WORD PUZZLES TOO!
Number of winners for this stop: 5!
BOOK BLURBS:
“DOG BONE SOUP is not only a fabulous title for a novel, it’s also the staple diet of the young hero, Shawn Daniels. But it takes more than an impoverished family life, exacerbated by a drunken father, to keep our Shawn and his brothers and sisters down.” ~ Charles Bray (MG/YA/Adult coming-of-age historical fiction)
“PURE TRASH (Short story prequel to DOG BONE SOUP) is an emotional and soul-searching short story read. Compassion is a beautiful thing.” ~Amazon reviewer
“How can so much imagery fit in such a small space? A host of human emotions and an entire era are crammed within a handful of pages. What’s even more impressive, is that it’s all accomplished from the point of view of a simple boy.” ~ Nicholas Rossis
Inspire the kids with AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning Monarch Butterfly picture book adventure! (ages 4-11)
CLICK, WATCH & LISTEN as “Blossom” (author Pamela Beckford) reads AMAZING MATILDA—with permission from author Bette A. Stevens—for United Way literacy campaign.
Encourage the kids (elementary and middle-graders) with THE TANGRAM ZOO & Word Puzzles Too!—a great resource for home or school. Puzzles, poetry, reading, research, writing and projects too!
“I’ve used The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too! in my classroom with students(grades 4-8))—The Zoo is a great resource for integrating research and creative writing into a math or science curriculum. One of the project ideas included in the book is for the kids to create their own tangram animals to add to The Zoo… and write their own rhyming riddles. It’s hands-on learning that’s creative and lots of fun!” ~ Bette A. Stevens
Author Bio:
Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of monarch butterflies—an endangered species (and milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).
Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming of age novel published in January 2015.
You’ll find all of my books on YOUR AMAZON. Once again, thanks for stopping by—don’t forget to share your thoughts and comment below to enter the giveaway. Good luck on winning one of the five prizes! I’ll see you at the next stop of this awesome Rave Reviews Book Club “BACK-TO-SCHOOL BOOK & BLOG BLOCK PARTY” ~ Bette A. Stevens
To read excerpts from Bette’s books, find her poetry and some excellent writing tips or perhaps learn more about monarch butterflies and download some cool freebies about them (top of blog tabs), simply click the link below and explore her blog…
Keep a diary and
one day it’ll keep you.
~Mae West
It is necessary to write, if the days are not
to slip emptily by. How else, indeed,
to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment?
For the moment passes, it is forgotten;
the mood is gone; life itself is gone.
That is where the writer scores over his fellows:
he catches the changes of his mind on the hop.
~Vita Sackville-West
However we go about the process, I believe those of us who write do find it necessary to do so. Perhaps, it’s because “clapping the net over the butterfly of the moment” helps define who we are for ourselves before “life itself is gone” and perhaps to help us know how who and what we are matters in the world. Whatever the reason, as tired as I am, I felt the need to put my fingers…
Butterflies…not quite birds,
as they are not quite flowers,
mysterious and fascinating
as are all indeterminate creatures.
~Elizabeth Goudge
From inside my house today, I’m pretty sure I saw a monarch butterfly fluttering about my yard. This is an occurrence that I look forward to twice a year. For you see from April through June monarchs leave their habitats in groves of fir trees deep in Mexico or in the ancient Mayan ruins of Palenque to begin a journey as far north as southern Canada and in so doing fly over our area. Sadly the monarch’s numbers have decreased tremendously because of the ongoing shrinking of their habitats and the poisoning by farmers of milkweeds (Asclepias) along their flyway. However, I’m still seeing a measure of them every year, and finding these colorful nomadic wanderers in my garden has always been a delightful rite of passage in their dramatic migrations. Monarchs with their burnt-orange and…
Welcome to 4writersandreaders
I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature. You’ll find great books, authors, writing tips and more right here. I advocate for kids & families, childhood literacy and the protection of monarch butterflies and their habitat.Happy reading & writing!~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
I grew up in New England the 1950s and ‘60s, and Bette Stevens has written a coming of age novel about a life I wouldn’t recognize. Call me lucky. Shawn Daniels, the oldest of several children, lives in poverty. His father is the town drunk and beats his mother, who struggles to keep the family together in an unfinished, tar papered house with no indoor plumbing, running water, and heat. They have a TV but that’s for the enjoyment of Dad. Shawn and his brother Willie do all his chores: cutting and stacking firewood, hauling water into the house, and helping mind their two younger sisters. Despite the curtailment of a real childhood, the brothers still find a way to have adventures in small pockets of time, fishing for one, with a home-made pole and a safety pin for a hook. Dog bone soup, made from the marrow in left…
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 09/17/2015