PURE TRASH: The Story by Bette A. Stevens (Short Story: 1950′s Poor Boy’s Adventure)
1950s General Fiction: first book for Middle-grade/YA/Adult Audience by award-winning children’s book author Bette A. Stevens
“This short story is filled with images and flavor only better provided by an ice cream cone…PURE TRASH gives the reader pause for thought, and I recommend it to the adult reader and the YA reader alike. ” Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of fiction & non-fiction
The year is 1955. If you grew up in the 1950s and the 1960s, you may be among those who like to recall those good old “Happy Days” of television fame. Even younger generations enjoy watching the old TV reruns to get a peek into what life was like back then.
Nine-year-old Shawn Daniels is ready to embark on a Saturday adventure with his younger brother Willie. They’re off to search for trash to turn into treasure. It’s going to be a great day. Shawn is sure of it. No school and no bullies to remind him that he’s not one of the crowd.
PURE TRASH is a story about bullies and what it’s like to be bullied. It may redefine your concept of bullying. If you were a child who was thought of as “different” in some way, you know what bullying is about: torment, persecution, intimidation, to name a few of its descriptors. For Shawn and Willie, their difference is based upon the social status of the dysfunctional family and the alcoholism and abject poverty in which they grew up.
Find out more about Monarch Butterfly facts, crafts, games, gardening, teacher lesson plans and more by downloading the FREE pdf Fun & Learning with Amazing Monarchs right here at 4writersandreaders. ~ Bette A. Stevens, author of AMAZING MATILDA: A Monarch’s Tale.
Mungai and the Goa Constrictor: A contemporary tale with a timely message for all of us living here on Planet Earth! MEET AMELIA CURZON, one of my favorite authors. ~ Bette A. Stevens
Guest Post by Bette A. Stevens —SHARING WITH WRITERS, The Newsletter of Carolyn Howard-Johnson (March 15, 2013)
The Frugal Book Promoter: Second Edition: How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher. (How to Do It Frugally) Carolyn Howard-Johnson (Author), Chaz DeSimone (Cover Design)
Readers and writers are very busy people, but they love to help promote their favorite authors and their books. Ever try to LIKE one of your favorite author’s books and find that the ‘Like’ button has disappeared from the book’s page? Feel like you’ve wasted your time? Don’t fret. Don’t get discouraged. There’s still plenty you can do while you’re on your author’s book page. Here’s a short list:
Read the reviews and YES the ones that are helpful.
Go to the author’s page (you’ll find the link at the top of the book’s page).
‘Like’ the author page and check it out. You may find other books that you can ‘like’ and more reviews to vote as helpful.
On the Author’s Page, you just might discover some very interesting information and want to find out more. I’ve discovered some awesome authors, contacted them and interviewed some of them on my blog http://www.4writersandreaders.com . Interviewing authors is another way to help promote authors and their books.
If you’ve already read your author’s book, you can leave a review right on the book’s page.
Authors helping authors. Don’t get discouraged, there are plenty of ways to share the love… of our fellow authors and their books!
FREE 2-Day Promotion: March 24-25, 2013 AMAZING MATILDA will be FREE for Kindle, eReaders, Kindle for PC, MAC and other devices. Be sure to get your FREE copy and share the good news. Inspire the kids in your life!
AMAZING MATILDA is a children’s picture book whose plot inspires kids to meet challenges with patience and persistence. When you stop by for a visit, be sure to check out the great reviews! Plus there’s an awesome video trailer debut for Matilda on Stevens’s author page.
Sign up for Carolyn’s SHARING WITH WRITERS Newsletter and find out more about her great books athttp://www.HowToDoItFrugally.com Carolyn Howard-Johnson Instructor for nearly a decade at the renowned UCLA Extension Writers’ Program
Author of the multi award-winning series of HowToDoItFrugally books including the second edition honored by USA BOOK NEWS
Suzanna Williams, author of SHOCK WAVES, a great new sci-fi action and adventure novel for the young adult audience.
Suzanna Williamsis a ‘perpetually eighteen years old’ YA author who lives in the wet and wild, Welsh borderlands surrounded by ruined medieval castles and Celtic mythology where she looks for UFO’s amongst the stars and imagines that all the people she meets have dark secrets.
Reviewers are calling ‘SHOCK WAVES’…
“AMAZING![!] What can I say? Between the non-stop action, in-depth characters, and all the suspense in the second half I couldn’t put it down. Think the movie ‘Speed’, but with teens and telepathy…” (Juan, Amazon review)
Welcome, Suzanna Williams. It’s wonderful to have you here at 4writersandreaders today. I can’t wait to find out more about you and your writing. To start off, tell us a little bit about yourself.
I was born in Warrington, England but I’ve lived among the rolling hills of the Welsh Borderlands for twenty years. I’ve had many unrelated and generally badly paid jobs including musician, shop assistant, telesales, school lab technician and wedding registrar. None of these have used my degree in psychology in any way.
All of that real-world experience must have given you plenty of ideas for your writing. How about your family?
I have three grownup children and a ‘nearly’ grandson. I’ve been married for —— years and my husband is a CGI (computer generated images) artist. He did the filming and effects for my book trailer while my son and his girlfriend featured on the book cover.
How wonderful, Suzanna, that your family plays such an active role in supporting your writing career. I really enjoyed all three of the book trailers for SHOCK WAVES. Congratulations on winning the http://yougottaread.com/category/video-contest/. Your three SHOCK WAVES videos are all unique—professional, informative and lots of fun. My favorite is “Shock Waves Tour of Shrewsbury.” I know our readers will love it, too.
Come along and join us on the ‘ShockWaves’ Tour of Shrewsbury with author Suzanna Williams…
How long have you been writing and what type of writing do you normally do?
I could read really well before I started school. Writing stories followed close behind.
After leaving school, my writing went on the back-burner until my children became involved in the local amdram (Amateur Dramatics) group. Starting out as rehearsal pianist, I progressed to director/script-writer and was actually commissioned to write a pantomime for another group. Yes, I got paid for that.
I write YA because I still think of myself as being eighteen years old (don’t laugh) and also because I used to read all my kids’ books when they weren’t looking. There are some really awesome, inspiring YA books in print right now.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of your book?
ShockWaves is about a girl who gets kidnapped by an ex-IRA terrorist who is seeking revenge on the policeman that put him in prison, and about the boy who goes to rescue her. It’s made more complicated by the fact that a traumatic experience causes a telepathic link, or shockwave, between them and there are plenty of traumatic experiences for both of them as the story unfolds.
What prompted you to become a writer, Suzanna?
When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had a list. There was musician, teacher, school lab technician (I like messing with chemicals lol) and author. Well, I’ve been a musician (that was great) and a piano teacher, too. I’ve even been a lab technician. But really, I wanted to be an author. So when the kids left home, I devoted my free time to writing. Holding real paperback copies of my book was a dream come true.
Do you have a favorite line from SHOCK WAVES?
My favorite quote is when Lee tries to explain to Paige’s friends what ‘parkour’ is.
“It’s parkour,” Lee started to explain. “It’s a proper sport.” He turned and jumped onto the bench. “We move from one place to another taking the shortest route.”
“Why?” asked Sonya.
“It’s a buzz,” said Lee.
Sonya arranged her face into a superior sneer. “You should try shopping,” she told him.
Who is your favorite character and why?
My favorite character is Lee. When I was writing ShockWaves, I imagined him as a teenage Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Lee’s the sort who will walk through the fires of hell for the person he loves…and he’s just a little bit sarcastic in the face of danger. Yep, my kind of guy.
What was the hardest part about writing your book?
I spend a long time plotting my stories. That’s hard.
Then I take a long time writing lots of back story for my characters. I’ve got notes on my latest book written from the viewpoints of all the main characters so I know exactly what all their motives are and what they’re thinking. That’s harder because often I have to go back and change my plot again.
Then the actual first draft takes me ages because I edit as I go and I can spend ages agonizing over thinking up the best word and I get impatient. So that’s harder still.
But I enjoy the editing part because the pressure to finish the script is off. If the worst happens, I can just say “It’s finished,” lol.
Do you do anything besides write?
At the moment, I teach piano and work part-time in a shop. This funds my writing habit.
How can my readers get a copy of ‘Shock Waves’?
“AMAZING!! What can I say? Between the non-stop action, in-depth characters, and all the suspense in the second half I couldn’t put it down. Think the movie ‘Speed’, but with teens and telepathy…” (Juan, Amazon review)
I have a sequel to ShockWaves half-written and expect to publish it at the end of 2013. I also have another book that I’m very excited about called Ninety-five percent Human on schedule for release in the spring. Ninety-five percent Human is a sci-fi/action/adventure with a touch of romance thrown in and I’ve really enjoyed writing it.
How exciting: a new book ready for release and the sequel to ‘Shock Waves’ in the works. It sounds like you’ll be right in your element, author Suzanna Williams. We’ll be watching you… Thanks so much, Suzanna, for joining us today at http://www.4writersandreaders Blog. ~ Bette A. Stevens
“Chatting With Sherri” interviews Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens
Sherri Rabinowitz,Host of “Chatting With Sherry” onBlogTalkRadio
This week we will speak to the lovely Bette Stevens about her wonderful children’s book Amazing Matilda; A Monarch’s tale. An inspirational tale of a Monarch butterfly and her meadowland friends.
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
1950s General Fiction: first book for Middle-grade/YA/Adult Audience by award-winning children’s book author Bette A. Stevens “This short story is filled with images and flavor only better provided by an ice cream cone…PURE TRASH gives the reader pause for thought, and I recommend it to the adult reader and the YA reader alike. ” Kathryn Elizabeth Jones, author of fiction & non-fiction
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 03/28/2013