Greetings Bettye and welcome to APOOO!

In 140 words or less, tell us a little about you.

I’m Bettye-Lynn Griffin Underwood, a native of Yonkers, New York, who spent nearly 20 years living in Jacksonville, Florida, two in Waukegan, Illinois, and who is now happily living in Kenosha (also known as “Ke-Nowhere”), Wisconsin.  I always wanted to write and had small nonfiction articles and short stories published before getting my first book published at the ripe old age of 41.  I hope to be telling my stories for years to come.

In 140 words or less, tell us why your book would make a great addition to our personal library.

Because, and I’m being as modest as I can, it’s a damn good story.  I enjoy writing about people caught in sticky situations, and this one is a beauty.  (What would you do if the man of your dreams, handsome, successful, kind, considerate, rich, who can provide you with everything you ever dreamed of and more . . . bores you in bed?)  It also goes deeper than just the romantic triangle, delving into the relationship between mothers and daughters, long rivalries, old friendships, resisting temptation, and the classic internal tug of war when tussling between what’s right and what you want.  There’s plenty of humor in the book as well, so it’s not this big, you know, angst-ridden conflict-fest.

When you write, do you develop the plot or the characters first?  Why?

The plot usually comes to me first, because that’s the backbone of the book and what will ultimately make it sell.  An interesting character can be dropped in just about any story.

What’s the main message you want readers to take away from A New Kind of Bliss?

I’m not really a message person, but I guess it would be “to thine own self be true.”  That William Shakespeare knew everything, didn’t he?

Describe a day in the life of Bettye Griffin.

I usually start by checking off the things on my Day Timer that I got done the previous day and scowling if I see that there are still things left undone. I devote at least an hour to taking care of household business; write for a couple of hours, maybe run an errand or two. If I’m working that day (I work “flex,” 8 hours but not five days) and have no errands to run I’ll make dinner in the morning as well, since I work the afternoon/evening shift and don’t get off ’til 9PM.  This usually involves seasoning a piece of meat, shoving a thermometer in it and sticking it in the oven while I do my thing, or putting ingredients in the crock pot.  If cooking involves stirring or turning meat, I’ll set up my laptop in the kitchen so I’m not just standing there watching a pot.  After work, I hang with my husband, whom I haven’t seen since he left for work 14 hours before.  After he falls asleep, unless I’m dead tired myself I usually get up, sometimes for work, sometimes for a soak in the Jacuzzi with a good book.  I’m usually up past midnight (last week I was on a roll with my writing and stayed up until 2AM) and am up at about 8AM (unless I’m up really late).

Working evenings has opened up a new world for me.  I never knew before that Jay Leno of the Tonight show is a really funny guy.  In terms of my schedule, in addition to cooking dinner at 9AM, I usually grocery shop after work at 9PM (fortunately, the 24-hour market is just five minutes from our house), and I sometimes vacuum or do laundry very late as well.

If you had to name a smell that always makes you nostalgic, what would it be? What sorts of memories does the smell evoke?

The scent of gingerbread baking always reminds me of my childhood.  My mom, with 5 kids, practically lived in the kitchen in those days before microwaves and oven roasting bags.  Although she baked cakes and pies as well, the gingerbread always smelled the best.  We just couldn’t wait to get through with dinner so we could have dessert.  Mom really knew how to get us to eat our beets.

Of all your favorite foods, which one would you find the most difficult to give up for the rest of your life? Why?

Okay, Yasmin, I’ve gotta tell you that the “what-if” type of question doesn’t work for me when dealing with real life.  I’m a realist at heart; I save my imagination for my books.  The truth is it’s just isn’t likely that I’d ever have to give up any food choices.  (At this point of my life I think it’s too late even for late-developing allergies!)  I feel this way – I work really hard, even when I don’t actually go to work.  I don’t believe in denying myself anything.  Sorry.

Other than your mother or a female family member, what other female has been a mentor/role model? Why?

I always admired the older sister of one of my dearest friends, who pursued a career as an attorney in the 1970s.  Most of the women I knew went into traditional careers:  teaching, nursing, social work.  She was the first one I knew who did something different.  She had the potential, and she went for it.

If you were to choose any fictitious world in any piece of literature, which place or book would you live in and why?

Since I included a few mentions of the Kenosha/Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin area in my own Once Upon A Project, can I say that?  Seriously, I do love it here.  This past winter was a little rough, even after three years of living in the general area (our house is just 20 miles north of our former apartment in Illinois), and the winter probably isn’t completely over just yet – they’re talking snow flurries for Tuesday and near 80 on Friday – but the spring, summer, and autumn are lovely, the people are nice, and my husband made good on his promise that it would be much better for us here than in Florida, so why not?

Bettye, thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to hang out with APOOO!

I always enjoy talking to you, Yasmin!  Thanks bunches!

Related Posts

• On the ‘Net with Author Jeannie Eneh
• On the ‘Net with Author Winkk
• On the ‘Net with Author Connie Briscoe
• On the ‘Net With Author Altonya Washington
• On the ‘Net with Author Rachel Berry