Betty M Reeves - Author, Betty's Music & Publishing - Betty's Blog

Betty M Reeves - Author, Betty's Music & Publishing

Divided States by Rick Treon

6/10/2021

Divided States by the award winning Rick Treon is aptly named. The novel takes place in what was once the United States of America but now, due to secessions, is in eight Allied Nations of North America. This is not a dystopian story, thankfully, but is rather a scenario involving nuclear weapons, military actions, and politics. Mr. Treon does a great job setting up the story and the conflicts in Part I. Pinnacle. The acronyms used were

mostly lost on me, but the terrain is exceptionally familiar, set in New Orleans, the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Kansas, and southwestern Colorado. In Part II. Empty Quiver and Part III. Nucflash, the excitement escalates with vivid tactical actions including bullets and bodies, extremely well described by the author, and confusion as to who is on which side of the principal dilemma. Part IV wraps up the story satisfactorily, leaving room for the possibility of a sequel. I am pleased to give Divided States the five stars that Rick Treon has earned. Furthermore, I look forward to reading his next book.

One Day Later

6/2/2021

Launch Day was Successful Thanks to You!

Look what you did! Thank you for getting my books, for reading them, for rating them, and for reviewing them. If you have not already done all those, you may do them anytime. Authors depend on ratings and reviews to get more visibility for our books online and in stores.

I prayed for a good launch and this is what happened ...
Amazon ranked these books as being in the Top 100 in the categories you see here: ____________

I sincerely praise God, and
I sincerely thank you.

Now, I begin work on the next book,
Hearts of Three Kings: The Story of Glops, Book 7.

Answer Three Questions to be a Winner

5/30/2021

Read on to see how you can win a free copy of my short story in the Glops series.

Question 1:
Who broke his neck and died
when he heard God's Ark of the Covenant had been captured?

The glops know who,
and here is their clue:
He was seated by the city gate waiting for news.

Question 2:
In the Bible,
who loved to tell riddles?

The glops know who,
and here is their clue:
He killed more men when he died
than he killed when he was alive.

Question 3:
Where did Rahab hide Israelite spies when they were in Jericho?

The glops know where,
and their reason why is here:
If the Israelite spies had allergies,
they should hide here
only in emergencies.

The first ten people who email the answers to all three questions to me by noon (Central time) of Launch Day (Tuesday, June 1) will receive a free PDF of BALAAM: THE STORY OF GLOPS, SHORT STORY 5A.

Email me here: bettymreeves@gmail.com

Tuesday is Launch Day

5/27/2021

TO DO LIST:

You:
Mark your calendars!
Spread the word!
Buy Betty's paperbooks, eBooks, and audiobooks.
Write reviews for Betty.
Post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

Me:
Buy my own books to have on hand.
Advertise.
Make bookmarkers, posters, flyers, business cards.
Make preview videos.
Smile!
Update my website.
Update Amazon, Goodreads, and IndieBound.
Advertise some more.
Remember whatever it is that I have forgotten to do.
Praise God, thank everyone, and KEEP SMILING!

So much to do in such little time.

Seeking Representation

5/13/2021

I've been self publishing for about 21 years. I've learned a few important lessons along the way. One is to not take myself too seriously.

Even though I am "just" me, and my writings are "just" mine, I would like to have a literary agent and a traditional publisher. It's "just" a dream. I have not taken steps in that direction ... until now.

Baby steps. I'm researching agents and agencies that might have interest in Christian Historical Fiction for Children/Middle Grade. So, wish me the best and say a little prayer.

In the meantime, I launch Land of Milk and Honey: The Story of Glops, Book 6 on June 1. Help spread the word about this newest book in the series. By the way, Book 7 will be Hearts of Three Kings. Guess who the kings are!

"Land of Milk and Honey" blurb

4/30/2021

The Israelites were preparing to enter Canaan and take it for their own. After the great leader Moses died, the warrior Joshua led the Israelites into “the land of milk and honey” that the LORD promised to their ancestors. The people were to have faith in God and obey Him or they would not reap the bounty of their fertile land. Disobedience to God led to battles, wars, and slavery. The

LORD provided judges and prophets, again and again, to help His people. The unlikely, imperfect heroes included Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Eli, and Samuel.
The fictional, shape-shifting glops help the reader stay engaged by voicing the concerns and feelings that are invoked by the true Bible stories. They elaborate on important historical facts and traditions. Chief messages throughout the series are that our Father God wants us to know and love him, He always keeps His promises, He always answers our prayers, and His plans are infinitely better than our own.
The Story of Glops series strikes the perfect balance between reality and fantasy in the genre of children’s literature. The writing style and photos are appropriate for school-age children giving them opportunities to imagine how life was in Biblical times. There is depth to these stories, but the author presents them in a way that captures the imagination of anyone of any age who reads them.

Social Media and Smartphone

4/30/2021

I read the article, "Should you even be on social media?" by Ricardo Fayet, of Reedsy (an online author services firm). Even though the article is mostly about the current craze, Clubhouse, I found this one paragraph revelant to me:
“You can’t build a following on a social medium if you don't interact with other users and share the kind of genuine content that works on that specific platform. Believe me, this isn’t something you can fake. People will see right through it — more importantly, you'll get bored after a few days, because you won't feel comfortable on the platform.”
Perhaps that view explains my experience on Facebook, my own website, and this blog. I like to let everyone know when I have written a new book, or when I have something else to celebrate. Otherwise, I get busy with life and do not even think about getting on social media. I seldom stop to "check" what's happening online. Perhaps it's an experience shared by others. Perhaps, it's just me.
Having said that, I enjoy seeing what's going on in the lives of my friends and family who use Facebook for that purpose. I like all the updates through photos, especially photos of their children who seemingly change overnight.
I love my smartphone! I have it with me wherever I go. I text more than I call, and I get more texts than calls, too. It is so versatile! Instant connection!
Gotta go, someone just sent a text.

Land of Milk and Honey

4/23/2021

This is the next book in
The Story of Glops series.
It will be published soon.
Stay tuned for the launch date!

The Israelites were preparing to enter Canaan and take it for their own. After the great leader Moses died, the warrior Joshua led the Israelites into “the land of milk and honey” that the LORD promised to their ancestors. The people were to have faith in God and obey Him or they would not reap the bounty of their fertile land. Disobedience to God led to battles, wars, and slavery. The LORD provided judges and prophets, again and again, to help His people. The unlikely, imperfect heroes included Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jephthah, Samson, Eli, and Samuel.
The fictional, shape-shifting glops help the reader stay engaged by voicing the concerns and feelings that are invoked by the true Bible stories. They elaborate on important historical facts and traditions. Chief messages throughout the series are that our Father God wants us to know and love him, He always keeps His promises, He always answers our prayers, and His plans are infinitely better than our own.
The Story of Glops series strikes the perfect balance between reality and fantasy in the genre of children’s literature. The writing style and photos are appropriate for school-age children giving them opportunities to imagine how life was in Biblical times. There is depth to these stories, but the author presents them in a way that captures the imagination of anyone of any age who reads them.

New Knees

12/12/2020

On November 11, I had total bi-lateral knee arthroplasties. Both knees are doing well. I was in hospital two nights. Then, my wonderful husband, Glenn, took me home. He’s a wonderful nurse, if a bit indulgent. I love that man! It’s good that I only have to go through this once. That’s the way I wanted it.

It's been a month, and recovery is proceeding as expected. I still hurt some, but I'm diligent with the physical therapy. I'm walking well with a cane. By Christmas, I may be dancing!

God is good, all the time. He is the great Healer. I trust that God will see us through this, as well as through all the COVID difficulties. So many lives. So much hurt. So much pain.

May God be with you all. Amen.

YouTube Channel

9/26/2020

Check out all my videos on my YouTube Channel:

All in one convenient place.

"The Story of Glops" © Copyright 2018 until now "Melody Street: Story and Illustrations" © Copyright 2000, 2018 "Guitars & Folk Songs: An Anthology" © Copyright 2018 All rights reserved. This website © copyright 2012. www.bettyspublishing.com "The Story of Glops" series © Copyright 2018 until now "Melody Street: Story and Illustrations" © Copyright 2000, 2018 "Guitars & Folk Songs: An Anthology" © Copyright 2018 All rights reserved. This website © copyright 2012. www.bettyspublishing.com