Beth Anderson Comes Out
December 11, 2008 | Friends
Hi, Everybody!
First, let me congratulate our Hostess with The Mostest, Sloane Taylor, on her nine thousandth birthday. She conceals it well, doesn’t she? Happy Birthday, my friend, and a whole new year of even more success, which I know is coming to you!
Okay, I’ll start by telling you I’m Beth Anderson, not that this means a whole helluva lot to you, probably, unless you’re one of my kids, all of whom call me “Oh, it’s just Mom.” I decided that instead of boring y’all with a bunch of links and me blathering on about my books, I’d bore y’all by letting one of my lead characters in each book tell you something about each of their books. Just a little, I promise, unless they get carried away, and I know a couple of them, at least, probably will try.
My first sub-contracted blog guest today is Joe Barbarello, the hero in my first Amber Quill book, NIGHT SOUNDS. Okay, Joe, take it away!
Hey, Folks, this is Joe, and I want you to know Beth Anderson dragged me through one of the most traumatic experiences of my whole life, which I still think about from time to time while I’m sitting alone, playing on the white baby grand piano you see on my cover. I also want you to know that while this is a murder mystery, it’s still erotic in quite a few places, because the main theme of the book is my overwhelming sexual obsession with a woman named Zoey.
Zoey, when the book starts, is gorgeous beyond belief, and very rich, which I am not, being a struggling jazz pianist in Chicago trying to make it big with my group. She is also, as the book starts, the prime (and only) suspect in the knife murder of her newly departed lover up in her Gold Coast penthouse just five days before this July night. Having been busy with my band rehersals and lousy at keeping up with the news anyhow, I had missed that little detail, doesn’t that figure. Anyhow, I walked off the stage and introduced myself to Zoey, wined and dined her, then went home with her where we…well, what didn’t we do, but we spent three days and nights doing it. When we came up for air, I found myself, compliments of two hard-nosed but entertaining (if you’re not me) Chicago detectives, who had already decided I was Zoey’s co-suspect. They weren’t one bit interested in my side of the story, that I hadn’t met Zoey or even known about her at the time of the murder. That’s how it began. Then–
Yo, Joe, that’s enough for this time. I hope they all want to know what happened to you and they’ll go take a look. My next co-guest is Marty, also a Chicago detective. (Do I have a hot thing for detectives? Well, read on, because I fell madly in love with this guy myself.) Marty of MURDER ONLINE, over to you, and keep it short and sweet, okay? I can’t hold up Sloane’s readers too long, they all have things to do this close to Christmas.
Okay, people, hi, I’m Marty. Unlike Joe, who was only 28, I’m 53 when this book begins and I meet the mother of a young female murder victim in my Chicago precinct as she’s coming to collect her late daughter’s belongings. As you all probably know, it’s not good form to go falling in love with any relative of any victim, but in my defense I didn’t even know it was happening, for a while anyhow. It was just one of those ‘everybody knew but me’ things.
I wasn’t looking for romance. Far from it, I was looking to retire in three years and go fishing off the coast of Florida and out of the cold chicago winters that kept my knees wanting to lock. Then Claire walked into my office and for the first time, I was completely unable to stay detached, as a good detective must. But there she was, and I was gone. I think it was the blue sweater that got me, or maybe it was the shoes she was wearing, which reminded me of my mother. Whatever it was, I found myself wanting to run downstate at every opportunity to talk to the vic’s mother. Claire really gave me a run for my money because she was hellbent and determined to solve her daughter’s murder HER way, disregarding the fact I was determined to solve the murder MY way, which of course was by the book. So–
Stop, Marty, don’t tell them any more! I know you love to talk, but I have to move on to SECOND GENERATION. This time I’ll let my heroine, Leigh, tell you a little about her story. Leigh, it’s your stage, make the most of it. Not that you won’t.
Hello, folks. Beth’s just sniping at me because I knew when I was only eight or nine that I wanted to be the first female President of the United States, and so did she, but she never went after it. This book isn’t only about how I got as far as I did, it’s the story of a woman–me–who has to contend with one tragedy after another on my way to the White House. It’s about the three men who meant most to me at different times of my life. It’s about discovering sex at a very young age, and the repercussions that followed and dogged me all the way through my story.
If only my father hadn’t stolen all those emeralds… If only I hadn’t given in to that overwhelming urge so early and paid for it so soon… If only I hadn’t forced the university to let me try for a law degree when women just didn’t do such things… If only–
Thank you, Leigh! Folks, this one was the book of my heart and it took me a long time to get it right. It’s also won five awards and many, many people have loved it. Maybe not as much as I do, because it takes you through the womens’ movement from the fifties up through the eighties, and it has a torrid, sweeping love story that runs almost all the way through it. What will she choose, and will she win?
This link is for both Murder Online and Night Sounds, one of Amber Quill’s famous Amber Pax collections, which are all e-books. You can find this inexpensive little gem right here:
http://www.amberquill.com/SalePax_Anderson_SuspensePax.html
For separate buy links, I’m gonna try to make this very easy for all of us. To see any of these three books, NIGHT SOUNDS, MURDER ONLINE, and SECOND GENERATION, including excerpts, reviews, and clickable buy links for both print or ebooks, not to mention my photo and general ramblings, here’s the link to my Amber Quill bio/books page, where you can find, at the bottom of the page, clickable thumbnails to all three books.
http://www.amberquill.com/bio_Anderson.html
Or you can go straight to Amazon.com and find most of the same information there. Just type in Beth Anderson and pick out the Amazon link you want to follow, Easy, ain’t it. (I can hear Sloane Taylor’s exasperated sigh now.)
While I’m at it, my website contains loads of writing information on my “Lectures” page. http://www.bethanderson-hotclue.com/lectures
(Yanno, now that I’m looking at all this, it would probably have been easier to put a link beneath each book description. Just think of this as me helping you burn more calories over the holidays. Moving your fingers DOES burn calories, doesn’t it? Statistics, anyone?)
Hey, Happy Holidays, everyone, and Happy Birthday again, Sloane. Loved being here with all of you. Stay safe, stay warm (for Sloane’s readers, stay HOT, and you will, guaranteed!) Most of all, stay happy.
Love, Beth Anderson
http://www.bethanderson-hotclue.com
(I’ll let you figure out for yourselves why my alter ego is called Hotclue.)
Beth, you wild woman, thanks for posting today. I love your characters and your unique sense of humor. Soon we have to have HotClue over for a visit.
For those of you who don’t know, Beth is my mentor and taught me everything I know. Of course, Studs is eternally grateful!!!!!
On December 11th, 2008 at 8:26 amHey there, Beth! Love the visit with your characters. I remember each of these stories very well. I loved, loved them all. I find myself thinking about Joe whenever I hear good jazz and Marty when I am online late at night and things are starting to get creepy. Of course Leigh popped in my mind when I saw this spectacular emerald necklace in the window of jeweler on Wabash earlier today.
Anyone who is reading this must go and get these books immediately. They are engaging, provocative stories that really stay with you.
On December 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pmFolks, read that last paragraph 500 times and memorize it so next time you go book hunting you’ll remember what Mel said, because she’s so absolutely right. And don’t tell Beth I said this, she’ll kill me.
Toodles!
On December 11th, 2008 at 2:57 pmHotclue Herself, who wants to wish y’all a Happy Holiday.
Hmm, sounds like you’ve got a thing for Hot dicks, err, detectives. Yeah, that’s it, hot detectives.
On December 11th, 2008 at 3:47 pmI agree with Melissa, your books are a bloody good read. Tell Hotclue, Hello!
Very original blog! Loved it.
Pam
On December 12th, 2008 at 11:23 amHey, Pam and Yasmime, thank you, and I’m so sorry I didn’t get back to you all till tonite. Too much Christmas cookie and fudge making, I’m afraid. Actually, I’m afraid to eat it! 😉 Sloane, this was fun. Let’s do it again next week. (Not!)
Love y’all, and Yasmine, yeah, I love those bad boy detectives. They all have a certain look in their eyes.
Beth
On December 12th, 2008 at 9:26 pm