LeeAnn Betts Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.
A. I am a Canadian by birth, American by choice. I have four younger siblings, and am an accountant by training. I moved to the US in 1999 to marry a man I met on the internet, and we’ll celebrate 17 years in a few months.

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. I was about 8, and the teacher wanted a one-page story. I wrote 4 pages.

Q: Could you give us the highlights of your professional writing career including how you got your first writing break?
A: My first professional writing break came as a result of attending a writers conference and meeting an editor who had a special project coming up. She liked my samples, and asked me to submit some for her project. At another conference, I met a book packager who was putting together devotional books and he invited me to submit; I did 2 deals with him. At another conference, I met my first agent, and when that relationship ended, contacted another agent I’d met at the same conference who took me on. My alter ego, Donna Schlachter, met a friend at a conference and got invited into a proposal group which recently published their novel.

Apart from that, I write most every day. I write stories for contracts, but more importantly, I write heart stories that cannot stay within my head.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Hidden Assets?
A: This is number 6 in my By The Numbers series featuring Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant. Carly visits a friend in Wyoming who is in the midst of a nasty divorce. Her friend thinks her soon-to-be ex is stealing assets and hiding them so he won’t have to split them with her in the divorce, and asks Carly to look into this. When the ex turns up dead, Carly’s friend is suspected. Toss in a body thrown from a train, and Carly is up to her nose in trouble again.

Q: Where did you get your inspiration for Hidden Assets?
A: A friend told me about a train ride she took from Denver to San Francisco, which supplied me with enough information for the opening of the book. I needed a story to bridge the gap between Carly’s previous adventure, Broke, Busted, and Disgusted, and the one that will take place on an Alaskan cruise, so I came up with this one.

Q: What is the main thing you hope readers remember from this story?
A: That our God is bigger than our past.

Q: What is your favorite scene/chapter from the book?
A: I love the part where Carly sees the man thrown from the train. Very Alfred Hitchcock-ish.

Q: What inspires you to write?
A. The stories are inside my head, and if I don’t write them down, I feel like I will bust. And I keep reminding myself that God dictates, and I transcribe. Keeps me (mostly) humble.

Q: How has being a published novelist differed from your expectations of the profession?
A: I thought it was all glamour and awards ceremonies, book tours and speaking assignments. I was really glad when I found out it isn’t like that, because I’m an introvert. I wasn’t up for all that public persona.

Q: What advice or tips do you have for writers who are just getting started?
A: Write what you love. Go to conferences. Join a writers group. Get involved in a good critique group.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. My next book will be the 7th featuring Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant: Cold, Hard Cash. It will be set aboard an Alaskan cruise, and releases late November-early December.

Q: When you’re not writing what do you like to do?
A. I edit and ghostwrite for others, so I guess that’s still writing, isn’t it? I also proofread legal transcripts. Oops, still writing. I blog. Nope, that’s still writing. Maybe a better question would be: do you do anything except write? I guess the answer is: sometimes. I read. I play board and card games. I’m active in an international ministry.

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?
A. www.LeeannBetts.com
www.AllBettsAreOff.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://bit.ly/1pQSOqV
Twitter: http://bit.ly/1qmqvB6
Books: http://amzn.to/2dHfgCE

Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
A. I really appreciate your readers who take the time to stop by and leave a comment. It’s so hard to write in a vacuum, and I am always blessed to hear from readers. Also, reviews on sites like Amazon.com and Goodreads are like gold. Thank you for taking the time to post those. Finally, I appreciate the opportunity to reach out to your readers, Susan, and thank you for trusting me with their time.