Award-winning author Bette Lee Crosby is originally from New Jersey, but now makes her home in Southern Florida where she lives with her husband Richard and a feisty Bichon Frise named Katie. A highly entertaining public speaker, Bette makes frequent appearances to support the various charities of women’s groups, and schedule permitting, she will join book talks and book club discussion groups.
In 1997 Bette abandoned the fast-paced world of advertising and embarked on a career as a novelist. Her books, frequently written in a Southern voice, cover a wide spectrum of locales and personalities as they tell tales of courageous women overcoming life’s obstacles. Her novels were first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. In 2007 she won the National League of American Pen Women’s First Place Fiction Award for her novel Girl Child; and in 2009 her latest novel Cracks in the Sidewalk received the prestigious Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association; and in 2011 it won the FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. Bette has recently completed an biography of Lani Verner Deauville, the samazing woman who is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest living quadriplegic. This book, scheduled for release in February 2012 is titled “Life in the Land of IS…the Amazing Story of Lani Deauville, the World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.”
Before redirecting her talents to works of fiction, Bette enjoyed a noteworthy career in advertising and marketing working in a diversity of industries ranging from financial services to collectibles. She served as Editor-in-Chief for Innovations, a new product development publication, and as Contributing Editor for numerous trade publications including Giftware News, Supermarket News and Packaging Digest.
As the U.S. Marketing Director for the distributor of world famous M.I. Hummel figurines, Bette served as a company spokeswoman and public relations figurehead. Much of her career, however, was spent in the challenging environment of advertising agencies—including a five-year stint as co-owner and Creative Director of the award-winning OTK Advertising Agency.
To contact Bette Lee for a speaking engagement, please go to the “Let’s Connect” page
Purchase Cracks in the Sidewalk
Purchase Girl Child
Purchase Spare Change
Award-winning author, originally from New Jersey now living in Southern Florida. An active public speaker who makes frequent appearances to support various charities and women's groups. Schedule permitting she will join the dicussion of book clubs who have read "Cracks in the Sidewalk" or "Spare Change", either in-person, by phone or by computer teleconference. 
Bette Lee Crosby
Hello Bette,
It’s wonderful that you are now blogging, you will find that it’s a lot of fun and a great way to express yourself. Looking forward to reading some more of your thoughts.
Its a p;easure to know you and read your books. I will keep coming back to read “cracks”
It is such a pleasure to be able to see what you are writing and where you are speaking. Your books are so true to life and a real pleasure to read. For those now reading this, if you haven’t read any of Bette’s books you will thoroughly enjoy them. If you are like I am, you will not be able to wait a week for each chapter and will have to purchase the book so you can sit and read it in one day, like I did. Bette is an amazing author.
Hi Bette:
Just wanted to put in my 2 cents worth….I think this blog is a great idea and I LOVE your books.
“Cracks” is every bit as good as “Girl Child”. I haved loaned my copies to others, who also say how much they enjoyed reading them and that you are an excellent writer with HEART.
My sentiments exactly.
I plan to let other Pen Women know about your blog.
All the best,
Pat Wilson
Please add my email address to your weekly updated….looking forward to Chapter 3.
I thought I had left messages on your blog, but I will leave one on this page also. I hit the tab “about” because I was curious as to which person in the group of pics that you posted was you. I guessed wrong. I also was looking for Mary Ann Keller in your group. She is in our group in Brick, NJ and I knew she belonged to one in Florida, so I thought it was yours but perhaps she wasn’t at that meeting. Mary Ann is the one who e-mailed me about you and then I forwarded her e-mail to all my friends who love to read. I have heard back from two who thanked me and are loving the book too. I probably will go out and purchase your book because only getting to read one chapter a week is too slow moving for me. Although, I am reading other books at the same time.
~Pat Cerro
Hey Bette:
Just checking your blog again and what a tremendous improvement you have made in it!
There’s something for every reader and writer. You sure
do like to whet our literary appetities!
Kudos and keep the literary tidbits coming.
Your pen woman pal,
Pat Wilson
Dear Bette Lee,
I read the article about you in “The Florida Writer.” As a result I went to your website. Chapter 21 was enough of a hook for me so I went into the archives and read from Chapter One. I am very impressed by your writing and would like to use your book as Book of the Month for my my e-zine, THE INFINITE WRITER. Please visit the URL so you may be assured of the quality of the e-zine.
I would appreciate hearing from you if you are initerested in having your book featured in August. If so, I would need a jpg. photo of you and one of your book cover. Also, a brief bio.
Thank you for your courtesy; I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in the name of good writing,
Dahris H. Clair – WGL – Pasco Regional Writers
“The House on Slocum Road”
Just lokked you up. You gave me your info on our cruise during breakfast. So great to have met a famous author in person. We sure enjoyed our cruise and wish you the very best with your new book. Joe & Imelda Smith