InBetty, the author traces her mother’s childhood and the Cherokee heritage that defined it.
What is the first thing ever that you remember writing?
But one of those very early books would have beenThe Big Bad Toothbrush.
Credit: courtesy tiffany mcDdaniel
I wrote it when I was six.
It was about two toothbrushes who were twins, one of which was evil.
It was a mean one, it was."
The evil toothbrush would do things like turn people’s teeth black.
The story ended with the toothbrush going to toothbrush heaven.
One of the early series I wrote was based on that cat.
There were about four books written just about his stinky socks, all titledMy Cat’s Smelly Socks.
What is the last book that made you cry?
And books likeThe Giving TreeandDonkey, Donkey.
Which book is at the top of your current To-Read list?
I read more non-fiction than I do fiction.
Science, and planetary science, in particular, is fascinating to me.
Where do you write?
But it does tend to be in the company of my cats: two brothers named Grand and Fielding.
Which book made you a forever reader?
Growing up, my mother Betty made sure books and reading were part of our lives.
From the time my sisters and I were born, Mom was reading to us.
And it became a bedtime ritual as we grew older.
That’s what made me a forever reader.
It goes back to her father, my papaw Landon, who was a storyteller, too.
Landon is an important character and part of my bookBetty.
He was someone who had grown up with several generations of his family in one household.
What is a snack you couldn’t write without?
It becomes a snack that is always a reminder of summer and the harvests from the garden.
If you could change one thing about any of your books what would it be?
What is your favorite part of thisBetty?
My favorite part is that it features my mother Betty and her story.
This book is a personal journey for me and the generations who have come before me.
It’s why this book will always cast ripples in my life.
What was the hardest plot point or character to write?
Any time you’re reflecting on and writing about trauma, you reflect on the individuals who experienced that.
You feel the grief of what she experienced, and you feel the echoes carrying through each new generation.
Write a movie poster tagline for the book:
“A girl comes of age against the knife.”
It’s the first line of the novel.
I think it captures the entire journey of the book.
