Today we welcome author Beth Hoffman to Author Exposure! She will be available all day (starting at 9 AM) to answer your questions, so please post them in the comment section. Beth is offering a SIGNED copy of her debut novel, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, to one lucky winner! Have a question or comment for our guest? Chime into the discussion and you will be entered in the drawing. Be sure to include your email address so we can contact you if you win. Good luck and enjoy!
53 comments:
Good Morning, Beth. I loved your book! Thank you so much for joining us today. How are you?
Hi Libby, I'm great and I hope you are as well. I'm so glad you enjoyed CeeCee's story, I loved writing it.
How long did it take you to write this novel? Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process?
Hi Beth! Why do you think Southern Fiction is so popular?
lwilson6@nc.rr.com
It took me 4 years total - 3+ years to write and then a solid 9 months of editing. I wrote every day and was quite disciplined. I knew the editing and polishing phase was vital, so I worked hard to make certain my manuscript was the best it could be before I sent my query letter to literary agents.
And what I found amazing was how much I liked editing. Instead of being anxious to send off my manuscript, I delayed and kept editing until I forced myself to just stop and let go of the manuscript.
I really fell in love with the characters. I have to ask, will there be a sequel? I would love to find out how CeeCee is doing.
In just the past 2 weeks I've received hundreds of emails asking that I write a sequel, so I must admit that I'm seriously considering it!
I'm so glad you loved the characters, Libby. Did you have a favorite?
Hi Beth, You know my favorite character :-) -anyone who has an outdoor bath tub is tops in my book!
I want to know about the traveling bra--how did you have that idea? Blessings, Karen
I'm so excited to see that your book is doing so well, Beth, because I just loved it! I can't wait to meet you in a couple of weeks!
Hi Kathy, Thanks for stopping by. Do you have a favorite character?
Hi Karen!
Yes, Thelma Rae Goodpepper has a lot of fans. LOL!
The bra scenes came by accident. When Oletta and CeeCee were in the pool, I was living CeeCee's life so strongly that I saw the bra as if I really were there. And then I thought "what should I do with it?" That's when the idea took off.
I had no idea where it would lead but it made me laugh out loud. And it seemed perfect because it was a great way for a 12-year-old to get even with nasty Violene!
Hi Kathy,
I am so excited to meet you too! It's coming right up! And just in time to celebrate CeeCee's arrival on 4 bestseller lists and the OKRA award too! We'll dance and make perfect fools of ourselves!
Wow! A live chat! This is so much fun. Love the name "CeeCee". This book sounds like a good one!
Best of luck with you book.
GL
My favorite characters are probably CeeCee and Oletta. I really enjoyed everyone, though. I even felt bad for Miz Hobbs. How did you come up with the slug scene? So funny!
Hi Lynn,
I think Southern fiction allows the author to explore eccentric characters so freely. In the South, we celebrate our eccentric family members and friends, so I suspect that's part of the charm.
Also, the South is so steeped in history that it makes an excellent backdrop for an author.
Beth, I am SO excited for you! "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt" has made it on New York Times, SIBA, and the Heartland Indie Bestseller lists. Congratulations!
Hi Gale,
Thanks so much. It's an exciting time for CeeCee and me, no doubt about it. If you read CeeCee's story, I hope you enjoy!
Thanks, Libby. I can hardly believe it. My gosh, the book just launched on Jan 12th and all this is more than I can get my arms wrapped around. I'm feeling so blessed.
Libby, the slug scene actually came from a real life incident! Nobody was hurt but some slugs were flipped over a fence into a nasty neighbor's yard! HAHA!!!
LOL...that is really funny. Thanks for sharing.
But the bra scenes came from my imagination ... I promise that I never flounced around Savannah with a bra stuffed in my pocket!
Beth~ How fun to have a live chat all about Saving CeeCee Honeycutt!! Congrats on all of the accolades the book is receiving...they are well deserved!! As you know, I loved the book and it was a highlight to be able to meet you last month at a local book signing!
My favorite characters are CeeCee and Oletta but Thelma Rae Goodpepper was oh so entertaining! I loved her spunk and humor. I just loved how all of the characters were so unique and they each brought something of their own to have a positive influence on CeeCee's life. I can't wait to re-read the book as my book club has voted and we will be discussing Saving CeeCee Honeycutt for our March meeting that I am hosting.
I'm fascinated by the many female authors who have come into writing as a second career. Why do you think you waited to write your first book, Beth, even though you were clearly born to write?
This would make for a great book club pick!
Hi Bonnie,
It was such a treat to meet you and Stacy in Hudson! You gals really put icing on that night for me.
I'm tickled that you loved CeeCee's story and I thank you for all the support you've given me!
Other than CeeCee, Oletta is probably my favorite character too. I purely love her and aspire to be more like her. I'll admit that Thelma Rae is a character that I really enjoyed developing. She always made me laugh.
Bonnie, thank you for selecting Saving CeeCee Honeycutt for your book club's March meeting! That's wonderful news!
Hi Claire!
I was so enmeshed into interior design that I just didn't see how I could leave all my clients. And I was also concerned that writing would never be more than a dream and I might not ever get published.
But after my brush with death, all that changed. And though it took several years to step toward my life long dream, I eventually decided that I simply had to do it.
I love your “sense of place” video, especially when you said that you had no knowledge of sense of place until you visited your great aunt. I grew up in Ohio and remember my first summer in New England, at the age of eight, when I realized that not everybody lives like I do.
Hi Beth!
Welcome to the blog. So much fun going on here. Pardon any typos my pupils are still dilated.
What author or book inspired you to write?
Hi Christine,
Yes, you're absolutely right. When we're children we don't have a sense of place until we venture out into the world, that's when we see and feel how other towns and States and even countries are in contrast. For a child, it's quite an amazing experience.
Well, the whole world is glad you finally did it, Beth! SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT is such a fabulous book!
Hi Traci,
I had wanted to write from the age of six when I first held one of the DICK and Jane books in my hands, but I eventually chose a career in art and design.
I can't say an author or book inspired me to write per se, but my love of girlfriends and my fascination with mother/daughter relationships sparked the flame of CeeCee's story.
Thank you, Claire! That's wonderful praise coming from you.
Beth, you really captured 12 year old CeeCee's character well. Reading her story brought back so many memories of my own childhood. She made me chuckle so many times with her misunderstandings of double entendres and times of grinning as if she understood. How did you go about developing CeeCee's character? Is there a little bit of you in her?
Yes, there's a wee bit of me in CeeCee - especially her curiosity and penchant for one-liners.
And I love watching and listening to the conversations of girls who are around CeeCee's age. The ages between 10 and 12 really are magical because one minute something so mature and profound can be said, and yet the next minute the child is a child again. It tickles me no end.
Beth,
Congratulations on making the bestseller lists that Libby mentioned. Do you have any tips for marketing your book? Do you enjoy it?
Traci,
I'm blessed to have the marketing team of Pamela Dorman Books/Viking behind me, but I do quite a bit of marketing on my own. I think it's vital that an author have a fabulous website, make connections via social media, and support others along the way as well.
Offering giveaways and connecting with book lovers across the globe is so easy now via the Internet, and I think far too many authors are reluctant to put themselves "out there" so to speak. But for me, even though I'm a tad bit on the private/introverted side, I've found many wonderful new friends and people who are happy to support my book.
So my best tips would be those things I mentioned and not being afraid to step out and meet people.
Hi Beth! I was wondering, what is your favorite kind of food? I wanted to treat you to lunch on March 4th after the interview!
Hi Emily,
I have celiac disease and strange food allergies, so eating is a bummer. But I can have salads (no croutons). LOL!
We'll find a good place! I heard from Shannon Twomey yesterday - told her about the TV interview. How many times have you been on TV now for your book?
Three TV spots thus far and another next week in California. Radio is about the same.
Hi Beth,
Just stopping in to let all these lovely people know that your beauty and talent pour out of you in this WONDERFUL debut novel. Congratulations on all the fabulous reviews and making the Bestseller lists!
My favorite characters have to be: CeeCee as she captured my heart, Oletta as she has so much life lived wisdom, and of course Thelma Rae as she made me laugh out loud.
Hi Marie!
Oh, thank you for your kindness and never-ending support! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed CeeCee's story and glad that Thelma Rae made you laugh out loud.
I know it sounds a bit crazy, but the characters are now totally real to me! LOL!
Beth, what was one of the most surprising things you learned while writng this book?
Among the most surprising things was how the characters came to life and dictated much of the story. They were so vivid, and I could hear their voices in my head so clearly.
I know it's not unique to me and that many, many writers have experienced this kind of creative alchemy, but it really was rather magical.
Beth,
Did the title come naturally to you or did you have do some debating?
Also, what was your reaction when you first saw the cover
Janet
Hi Janet,
Thanks for asking these questions.
The title came rather naturall. I believe all of us wish, at some time or another, that we'd be saved from problems in our lives, and CeeCee was so hopeful that someone or something would help her that I knew the title was right.
The cover was my publishers creative idea. And the architectural element is from a photograph taken of a detail of an old Southern mansion. When I first saw the cover, I was enormously pleased. I loved that the hummingbird was featured as it's so appropriate to the core theme of the book.
I absolutely love the cover design! I know the book has been sold in Italy, Germany, Israel, and France. Have you seen any of these covers?
I haven't seen any other covers yet. It also sold to Israel, Korea, and Poland ... so I imagine it will be fascinating to see what all the different covers look like.
The Readers Guide has some great discussion questions. Here's one that I altered slightly for you:
At several key moments in the story, CeeCee finds that her Life Book is being revised. What are some moments, since your book launch, when you knew an indelible memory was being made? Can you tell us a time during your book tour that you recall thinking, "I'll remember this forever"?
Oh, there have been so many. Looking out into the audience and seeing people cry and laugh is a memory that I'll cherish.
I was recently on TV with graduate students who had read CeeCee's story, and it was incredible how much they embraced the book and how eagerly they wanted to discuss certain passages. To hear my own words being read aloud by those who loved them was amazing.
Beth, Thank you so much for taking some time out of your busy schedule to chat with us today. It's been a pleasure getting to know you better and learning more about your book!
Thank you everyone who stopped by and helped make this author chat a success!
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