Meet the award-winning author of books for children, teens and adults

I'm fortunate enough to be cyber-friends with author Betty Jo Schuler. She taught primary grades for twenty three-years, remedial reading classes twelve of those summers, and tutored several children privately. She writes books for children, teens, and adults, and her books have been published in print and e-book form. Her young adult novel, Camp Cheer, was an EPPIE 2001 Finalist in the YA category, and her romantic comedy, Winning Chance, was a 2002 contemporary romance EPPIES nominee, and her YA book, NO RAIN, NO RAINBOWS, was a 2003 EPPIES anthology nominee.

Here's your opportunity to meet Betty Jo!

AH: I know you write in several genres? What do you like best about
writing for children?

BETTY JO: The opportunity to hook kids on reading and enjoying books. Children are open-minded and imaginative, love humor and dialogue, and enjoy a fast-paced story; what could be more fun to write? However, their attention spans are
short and you must capture their interest right away, making it an exciting
challenge.


AH: When children hear an author speak, they always ask, "Where do
you get your ideas?" Where do you?

BETTY JO: I watch and listen to people. I collect character names, potential titles, bits of conversation, action, dialogue, and humorous situations. My
grandchildren who lived on a cul-de-sac with twenty-one kids in a St. Louis
suburb inspired me to write BABY FOR SALE and SECRET TILL WE'RE GROWN (DiskUs Publishing). These e-books will soon be available in print, by the way.


AH: Do you pattern your characters after real people?

BETTY JO: A characteristic, physical feature, gesture, etc., may come from someone I know or have seen, but a total character is never consciously patterned
after a real person.


AH: What do you feel makes your books unique or stand out from others
in your genre?

BETTY JO: Each of us looks at life through a lens formed by our own experiences, so my perspective is different from the next person's. I love children and know a lot about how they think and talk. I taught school for twenty-three years, had four kids of my own, and have grandchildren, so I have lots of stories
to tell.

AH: What's in the works with you and where can we find out more about
your books?

BETTY JO: I just finished a book targeted for a new teen line called SMOOCH and my fingers are crossed I'll hit the mark. To learn about all my published
children's books, visit my website
http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/bettyjo.html or for a one-stop look,
go to my spotlight page at http://www.bookswelove.net/SCHULER.html. I also
have a children's Safe-Surf website at
http://home.webworks2000.net/bschuler/children.html