Following is the latest press release on my speaking engagements…the release tells what I spoke about, but the real joy in this speaking engagement was the wonderful people I had the chance to meet and an unforgetable luncheon. A special shout-out to Helga McCahan for her delightful company and hospitality.

Crosby is shown here with Helga McCahan

Three-timeaward-winning Author, Bette Lee Crosby was the guest speaker at the May luncheon meeting of the Vero Beach Yacht Club Ladies Group. She spoke about the joy of writing and the real life situations that inspire her work.

Crosby, who is well-known for her sensitive portrayals of family relationships, delighted the audience with stories of her own Southern heritage, and the true-to-life experiences that bring poignancy to the stories that readers easily equate with their own lives. She spoke in depth about her latest release, Cracks in the Sidewalk, the novel that received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writer’s Association. “This story,” Crosby told the audience, “is taken from a tragic incident that happened in the life of a dear friend. The loss of this woman’s grandchildren was such a moving tale that, once told to me, it stayed in my mind for nearly ten years before I summoned the courage to actually write about it. Yes, in some ways this is a sad story, but in the end it’s life affirming. It’s the type of story that proves just how much a single person can change the lives of so many others.”

In 2007 Crosby’s first release Girl Child received the National League of American Pen Women Award for Fiction. She now has two other novels that are awaiting publication – What Matters Most and Spare Change, the novel that in manuscript form won a 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award for unpublished fiction. A prolific writer who spends a good part of every day at the computer, she is currently focusing on the collection of family stories and inspirational thoughts being published on her blog and on the biography of Lani Deauville, the world’s longest living quadriplegic. “Lani’s story,” said Crosby “is one that will inspire virtually everyone. She is a perfect example of the If you can dream it, you can do it philosophy. Injured in a diving accident when she was only seventeen, she overcame unimaginable challenges and achieved successes that most people only dream of, both in her business career and in her personal life.”