[Day After] Release Day Guest Author: Amy Craig

Hi friends! Today we welcome Amy Craig who wrote a truly lovely post for ALBTALBS <3 Her book A Winter Rose just came out yesterday (July 28, 2021 – yes! A post in real time at ALBTALBS! Put this on your calendar! 😉) This is her first time guesting at A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet, so show her some love! 

On A Winter Rose

The first time someone “published” my writing was middle school. Everyone in my class wrote a poem, submitted their poem to an anthology, paid a fee, and received a paperback copy. When I received my copy, I read my friend’s poems, reread my poem, and knew we’d been had. The anthology was a total scam that preyed on doting parents and ambivalent kids. 

A few years later, my high school teacher asked me to write a piece for the National Council of Teachers of English. I flashed back to middle school, but I sat in the cold computer lab and pecked out a story using terms from my beginning ballet class, bad French, and a perseverance theme. I won recognition, but my teacher’s encouragement stayed with me through college and years of professional doubt.

When The Wild Rose Press accepted A Winter Rose, I dedicated the novel to my teacher. My grandma claimed the first indie publishing dedication, but my teacher roared into second place.

Except she’s nothing like a lion. She’s quiet, helpful, works hard, and sends me Christmas cards. Earlier this month, she came over for a cup of black coffee, told me about her family, and watched while my kids ran amuck. “I found a few errors, but your sentences are beautiful,” she said.

I laughed because her eagle eyes caught the errors my editor missed. Then I thanked her. Every time she handed back a high school writing assignment, the red marks pointed me toward improvement. Instead of “Gotcha!,” her corrections nudged me toward better writing, and I appreciate her steady encouragement.

In A Winter Rose, Eliza has her hands full raising a young daughter and running a flower farm in Washington state. Julien ambles into her life and makes a lasting impression, but Eliza’s mother, Claire, gets some of the best one-liners. Her wry observations convey the same practical advice my teacher doled out in high school. Even though Eliza doesn’t listen to her mother, she learns to appreciate her mother’s intent.

I hope my teacher found humor in the typos and Freudian slips she encountered during her teaching career. These days, I’m happy to turn on the coffee machine, chase my kids out of the room, and listen to her stories. One day, I’ll switch the coffee for wine and convince her to poke holes in my characters. Feel free to pick up a copy of A Winter Rose, leave a review, and beat her to the punch!

Thanks so much for visiting with us, Amy, and congratulations on your newest release! Below is the book information – and guess what? Amy is currently running a new release giveaway where you could win a ebook copy as well as a $25 Amazon gift card! … 😜 ICYMI you can enter here.

Widow Eliza struggles to raise her young daughter and run her Washington state flower farm. Julien, a charming amputee with a knack for business, stops his road trip to help her out of a tight situation. A Southern native, he has no intention of sticking around a sleepy farm town. Eliza’s grit and dedication warm Julien’s wounded heart, but can they look beyond a business partnership and see the beauty of second chances?

2 thoughts on “[Day After] Release Day Guest Author: Amy Craig

  1. Aliquis

    Hi Amy! Congratulations on your new book! I think it’s so nice you still keep in touch with your old teacher and she’s still encouraging you.

    Reply

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