Beth Carpenter Books

They Called it Moosicide is a fun, Nancy Drew type mystery set at Christmas in Anchorage Alaska, and at Goodreads, you can win signed copy. Goodreads Book Giveaway They Called It Moosicide by Lisa Deckert Giveaway ends December 09, 2013. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

I'm so excited! On Halloween, October 31, the famous journalist I.B. Nosey will be interviewing me! I.B. Nosey, winner of the famous Pukelitzer Prize, is know for his, let's say, unconventional interviews. Please stop by Feeling Nosey?  and leave a comment. I.B. loves comments - he takes them all as compliments.  I'll see you there!

I’d like to write a Christmas short story – in fact, I’ve started it. I have the characters, and the setting, and the plot, even the main working scenes and an idea for the cover, and yet for some reason, the story just doesn’t want to go anywhere. I don’t know if it’s because there isn’t any snow yet, or if the characters aren’t inspiring, but I can’t seem to focus on them, to make them real in my mind, and I figure if I can’t get excited about them, a reader certainly won’t. In the meantime, the idea for another full-length story popped into my head this morning. I can picture the opening scene, picking blueberries on Powerline Pass near Anchorage on a rare sunny day in August. Of course, the only ones who love blueberries more than people are bears, and they’re not good at sharing. This story wants to be written.   So, I figure I’ll go with the muse and start the new story. I’ll take notes and plan the story, writing little scenes as I picture them. I’ll spend some ...

How important is the setting of a romance? Setting is central to historical romances, but I think it’s almost as important to the story as character development in contemporary romance. Our surroundings reflect who we are, and contrasting a character against the setting helps define her or him. I know setting is vital in my Choices series. In  Recalculating Route , Marsha and Ben are on a journey of discovery, both literally and figuratively. After thirty years of marriage, Marsha and her husband had great plans for retirement, but he died, and Marsha finds herself struggling in unfamiliar territory. Ben, too, is reassessing his life, after selling his company. The two come together on a road trip, and as they explore and discover America , they learn about each other, and about themselves. Just as Seattle and Sedona can be so different, and yet both so beautiful, so can different people inspire love.  Shades of Sedona would be a different story elsewhere. Rebec...

My earliest memories include dogs. Laddie had his place in the family long before I was born. He was a big, fluffy, yellow dog. At least I thought he was, but when I’ve looked back at old pictures, he wasn’t nearly as big as I remember. I have no idea what breeds might have gone into his makeup, but he was beautifully patient with a small girl.     King was my dog, not that my family got him for me especially, but he chose me as his favorite person and kept me company as I grew up. Another fluffy dog, he was probably part sheltie, part shepherd, and a lot of other things. He met the school bus every day and escorted me to the house. King was smart and eager to learn new tricks or to run along beside my bicycle. He hiked along when I roamed around the farm where I grew up, and occasionally killed a snake. When I read that Native Americans attached a travois to their dogs when they moved camp, King let me rig up a harness and drag and pulled around my dolls without compla...

“And the award for Best Supporting Actor goes to ….” We need our leading man and lady, but where would Scarlett O’Hara be without Mammy? (Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar that year).  Without Mammy to lay down the law, Scarlett would have nothing to rebel against, so how would we get to know her feisty side? Luke Skywalker needs Han Solo for contrast and conflict. Romance is a genre built on characters. Boy meets girl (usually) and the story revolves around their relationship, but we need family, friends, enemies, and even strangers for them to play off if we want to get to know their true personalities. There’s a reason superheroes have sidekicks. The best friend who encourages the heroine to take a chance is a staple, but sometimes the friend instead urges caution and the heroine must convince her or even defy her. Either way, we get conflict and contrast, a sounding board. Perhaps our heroine must stand up to a controlling mother, or make up for a distant one, and that s...

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