by Bette Lee Crosby | Feb 23, 2015 | In the News, Literary Awards
Passing through Perfect is a Reader's Favorite
Reviewed By Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
Passing through Perfect: The Wyattsville Series, Book 3 is a historical fiction novel written by Betty Lee Crosby. It's the story of Benjamin Church, a young African American who grew up and lived in Grinder's Corner, Alabama, in the 1940s and 1950s. He served in the Air Force during World War II and became an ace mechanic. When his tour was up, he went back home to Grinder's Corner. While he was serving, his mother died, but his father, Otis, was still alive and working the small farm that the family leased. Benjamin quickly realized the difficulties Otis was having keeping up, and he began to take over the hard work. Fearing that Benjamin was forgetting to enjoy his youth, Otis encouraged him to go to dances and meet young women. One of those young women, Delia, a parson's daughter, caught his eye and Benjamin knew right away that he would marry her.
I was entranced reading Betty Lee Crosby's historical novel, Passing through Perfect: The Wyattsville Series, Book 3. Crosby deftly brings to life a family and a culture, and the devastating impact that the separate and rarely equal ideology of the deep South had on African Americans in the 20th century. Benjamin is such an inspirational character. While the color of his skin kept him from achieving his dream of learning to fly in the Air Force, the mechanic skills he learned while serving are the building blocks that, together with his hard work and dedication, make his mark in society. He's not the only unforgettable character in Passing Through Perfect. Otis, known as Daddy Church to Delia, and the Klaussners are just a few of the bright stars shining in this historical fiction of what were very dark times for African Americans. Crosby's writing is fluid and careful never to slip into sentimentalism. Passing through Perfect is very nearly a perfect novel and, indeed, often exceeds that very exacting standard. It was the first book written by this author that I've read, and it will by no means be the last. Passing through Perfect: The Wyattsville Series, Book 3 is most highly recommended.
[mybooktable book=”passing-perfect”]
by Bette Lee Crosby | Sep 3, 2014 | In the News, Literary Awards
Press Release: Miami Book Fair to feature Crosby's Award Winning Novels
Bette Lee Crosby is known for her heart-warming, award-winning, bestselling books. Over the Labor Day Weekend she added two more awards from Reader's Favorite: Cracks in the Sidewalk Gold Medal Winner in Women's Fiction and Previously Loved Treasures Silver Medal in Southern Fiction. Both books will be featured at the Miami Book Fair November 22nd, 2014.
To add to the excitement, Cracks in the Sidewalk has made the top ten list of books picked by Wind Dancer Films for consideration to adapt the novel into a movie.
Crosby, author of eight novels and winner of nineteen literary awards including the multiple Royal Palm Literary Awards for Women’s Fiction, has carved out a unique niche in writing stories about older women facing real life challenges. Her protagonists are sassy, smart and Southern. They deal with issues like unwanted children, loss of a spouse and financial ruin. Readers identify with Crosby’s characters and have turned her books into a #1 Bestsellers on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Bette Lee Crosby’s novels are online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo in eBook and paperback. Her books are currently selling in five countries.
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To arrange an interview, call 772 249 0022 or email Coral Russell, Publicity Director
Bent Pine Publicity bentpinepublicity@gmail.com
To download a media kit, visit:
https://betteleecrosby.com/about/media-kit-bette-lee-crosby/
Find additional stories at the author’s website: https://betteleecrosby.com
by Bette Lee Crosby | Jul 16, 2014 | In the News, Literary Awards
It's raining book awards – Two books are Reader Favorite!
Reviewed By Samantha Rivera for Readers’ Favorite
Elizabeth is a woman whose sole purpose in life is to be a good wife and mother. She has no care in the world but to accomplish these goals and she works hard at them despite the treatment she is given at the hands of her husband. When Elizabeth falls ill suddenly during her pregnancy with their last child, her husband determines to have nothing to do with her. Unfortunately that means her children (including her newborn son) will also have nothing to do with her. It’s almost a year before Elizabeth is finally able to see her young children again, but even then things are not what they might seem in Cracks in the Sidewalk.
Cracks in the Sidewalk is the type of book that you can’t stop thinking about long after you put it down. Elizabeth is a woman that any woman would be proud to be. She is able to roll with the punches and even when people behave in a reprehensible way towards her she is incapable of truly hating them and can only feel sorry for the love they don’t have. Her plight is one no mother would ever want to find herself in, but at the same time it is one that will draw you in. This is a heart-wrenching story but it is also a beautiful one of love and devotion and forgiveness. For Elizabeth’s children and her mother it is also a story of miracles and of overcoming any obstacle life may put in your way. An excellent book by Bette Lee Crosby.
Reviewed By Suzanne Cowles for Readers’ Favorite
Previously Loved Treasures by Bette Lee Crosby is a heartwarming fiction story, book two of the Serendipity Series, about protagonist Ida Sweetwater, a recent widow. Left alone with little money and forced to come up with creative ways to finance the professional services of a private investigator, she uses odd jobs and socking away pennies from her daily chores to fund the dream of finding her estranged son who walked out years ago. She slowly fills a big empty house with paying boarders, one of which is her shifty brother-in-law. In getting to know the tenants and tending to their needs with true southern hospitality, she discovers that she has a granddaughter. The promise of a new relationship quickly replaces her hope of ever finding her son. The two form a close bond as Ida teaches Caroline how to cook and encourages her to finish writing her novel. Amid the hubbub at the house, Ida befriends a thrift-store owner who is a peculiar fellow. The gentleman solves problems she does not know she has, then tragedy strikes leaving Caroline all alone to run the house.
Betty Lee Crosby uses her skill with colloquial phrases and mannerisms to describe a world reminiscent of depression era times, when a dollar went a very long way. In Previously Loved Treasures, Crosby alternates third person chapters with various characters’ personal thoughts as a creative device. This makes it easy to get to know and love the diverse characters. Dispensed throughout are plenty of feel-good moments, small moral triumphs and personal victories, all the while leading to a happy conclusion.
Pick up these two books now on Amazon!
