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Do you ever wonder how much of an author's real life actually ends up in her stories? Well, Beth Westcott, one of my fellow authors from the Pets Amore collection, is here to chat about just that today. Her story is delightful and I can't wait for you to learn more about it (and her).  At one time, I thought I’d become a schoolteacher but didn’t. Perhaps, if I lived my life over, I’d earn my teaching degree. I taught one year in a Christian school, homeschooled for twelve years, and substituted as a teacher’s aide for a couple of years in public school. I also taught Sunday school classes and Bible clubs. Brianna Kinney loves teaching her third-grade students. However, when her school downsizes, she loses her job. Twenty-seven years old, a widow, and now without employment, Brianna desires change. She moves to Juniper Falls and becomes a bookstore clerk. Although she enjoys her new job, she misses her students. Maybe one day she’ll teach again. Brianna and I share a love for books. I worked in a library to help pay my way through college. I never worked in a bookstore. Working briefly as a clerk in a gift shop discouraged me from seeking further retail jobs. Snowflakes and Puppy Love is my first attempt at creating romantic comedy and a novella. Although my contemporary romance novels have light-hearted moments, none of them can be considered comedies. My stories are for grown-ups, but I like to include children as characters. Children create humor just by being themselves. Innocent, naïve, they are without pretense, not always aware of what’s going on and how they affect adults. (Sometimes, they know exactly what they’re doing.) Brianna loves children, yet she has none of her own. She hasn’t thought a lot about remarrying, but she’s open to considering it. To the right person. Living alone in an apartment, she adopts a puppy to keep her company. Puppies can be sweet and funny, like children. I’m not saying Brianna couldn’t connect with Cooper Stiles without the children and the puppy. However, their assistance adds interest. Cooper is a carpenter by trade, and he volunteers as a fireman. Closing in on his thirtieth birthday, he’s been the focus of several match-making schemes by concerned women in Juniper Falls. Right now, his three- and-four-year-old niece and nephew, Lexie and Noah, are Uncle Cooper’s priority. He’s their guardian. They provide a reason (excuse) for him to set aside dating and romantic relationships, although the right woman might change his mind. When he meets Brianna in the bookstore—well, he’s interested but not ready to commit. When Noah and Lexie meet Brianna with her puppy, Cricket, in the park, Uncle Coop’s days as a bachelor may be numbered. I believe a little of me appears in all my stories. Juniper Falls is an imaginary town based on my experiences living in small towns. I think it would be a delightful place to live. Friendly people, the annual Snowflake Festival, and Valentine’s Day activities give ample opportunity for a romance to develop between Brianna and Cooper. The park is a boon to the town, an inviting place for families or individuals. Will you join me for a hike up to the falls and enjoy the outdoors and nature? How about sledding, skating, or building a snowman? Maybe you’d like to participate in the snow sculpture contest or perform in the community talent show. What about sampling the jack wax or enjoying one of Brianna’s snowflake sugar cookies? I had fun creating the characters, setting, and plot of Snowflakes and Puppy Love, and I hope you’ll read it and enjoy it along with the other novellas in Pets Amore.  “Snowflakes and Puppy Love” by Beth E. Westcott--When Cooper Stiles walks in the door of Archer Books, his stunning blue eyes and friendly smile pull at Brianna Kinney’s heart. He’s the first man she’s attracted to since becoming a widow. The new clerk in Robin Archer’s bookstore catches Cooper’s eye. Brianna’s love for children and her cute puppy are captivating, but he doesn’t have time for dating. His current priority is caring for his nephew and niece while their mother, his dead brother’s wife, fulfills a work commitment overseas. And he’s not going to get caught up in any more match-making.  A life-long lover of books and reading, Beth’s first Christian romance novel, Meadow Song, debuted in 2018 with Mantle Rock Publishing, republished by Scrivenings Press in 2020. Scrivenings also published her Three Sisters Series, Heart’s Desire, A Heart’s Journey, and Her Heart’s Longing. Lillenas Drama published some of her church holiday manuscripts in their Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving Program Builders. Several devotions appeared in Penned for the Heart and one in The Secret Place. Her short story “Sadie and the Princess” is included in Heart-warming Horse Stories on Amazon.
Beth and her husband have three adult children and five granddaughters. Their grandson is in heaven. She enjoys reading, music, gardening, sewing, and photography. With Child Evangelism Fellowship and in pastoral ministry in several churches, Beth worked alongside Frank for 38 years. She taught Bible classes to children, teens, and women, and participated in church music ministry. A 4-H member for nine years, she became a 4-H leader when her children belonged to 4-H, and she home schooled her children for twelve years. She now resides with her husband in Otego, New York. Snowflakes and Puppy Love is Beth’s first novella. Social Media Links www.bethewestcott.com https://www.bookbub.com/profile/beth-e-westcott https://www.facebook.com/bethewestcott https://x.com/BethWAuthor https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29201094-beth-westcott
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This is a place for me to tell you about what I'm writing, talk about the process or where some of my ideas came from, or even have other authors come in and talk about their books.
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