Press Release for Remembering Your Roots
REMEMBERING YOUR ROOTS
The first thing every writer learns is, write what you know; but how many actually do it? If we go by the bookshelves lined with action packed crime drama, vampires and alternative worlds, we’ve got to say the likelihood is few. The truth is suspense, mystery and fantasy are big sellers and they all but dominate the NA Market. But is there still room for that tug-at-your-heartstrings tale of kids in trouble and family disasters?
According to USA Today Bestselling Author Bette lee Crosby, the answer is a resounding yes. She claims it is The Greatest Generation of Readers—the grandmas, retirees and stay-at-home-moms. “They are the women who have the time to read and the money to buy books.” Crosby says. “These women put family first. They know life is full of hard knocks, and they appreciate stories that can find a redeeming factor in even the most heart-wrenching tragedy.”
She is quick to point to the demographics of BookBub, the industry’s most widely followed listing of sale priced and/or free books. Their audience is 85% female, three-quarters of them married or living with a partner and a whopping 80% are over the age of 45. “These are my people,” Crosby says laughingly.
This is an audience that Crosby has targeted with pinpoint accuracy. They represent over 90% of her growing fan club; they buy her books, talk about her books and follow her on all of the social media sites. They don’t just follow her, they friend her, and she friends them back. She reaches out and connects with her audience. She talks to them on Facebook and Goodreads, answers questions and shares tidbits of her own life. This interface is one of the reasons her fans are rabidly loyal. A grandma herself, Crosby is one of them.
Her novels are unquestionably heartwarming but they also give a sizable nod to the elements of fantasy, mystery and suspense; that’s what keeps readers turning the pages. “Life is not perfect,” Crosby says, “and if you don’t show the violent ugly side, you won’t be able to appreciate the heartwarming good side.”
A #1 Nook Bestseller and a #1 Amazon Family Saga Bestseller, Author, Crosby digs into her southern roots to create stories that show the gritty dark side of the South with all of its flaws. Where she differs from many authors is the way she creates characters. You can easily believe every one of these characters are real and that she has at some point in her life known them. They steal, cuss and lie, but they do all this with such Southern charm that you find yourself squarely in their corner. Despite tragedy, abandonment and even murder, Crosby manages to wind her way around to a believable heartwarming conclusion.
Although her stories are often compared to John Grisham and Fannie Flagg, Crosby is unique in the way she tells the story. She brings readers into the heart of the character then forces them to imagine the setting. She wastes few if any words on descriptions of clothing, furniture or countryside settings. “Readers fall in love with a character, not a sofa,” Crosby says. “No one cares if a sofa makes it through the story, but once a reader becomes invested in a character, they care about what happens to them.” Obviously there is truth in this because a love of the characters is the most oft-repeated theme in the reviews of her novels.
Winner of over fifteen Literary Awards, including the Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Royal Palm Literary Award and the FPA President’s Book Award, Crosby will be signing her USA Bestseller “Spare Change” in the Author’s Autographing Area at Book Expo America on Thursday, May 29th from 2PM to 3PM. Rumor has it that she will also be handing out samples of her newest release, Previously Loved Treasures.
