May 19, 2008 • Print This Post
This is my first post as an official Brava author - I’m dipping my toe in the pool, y’all. I’ve got an amazing group of ladies around me, not only helping me, but giving me information, turning me when I’ve gone the wrong direction and making me feel like a new sister. *warm and fuzzy feelings*
I thought about what my first blog post should be about and decided it would be a good idea to introduce myself to everyone and tell you who I am. So, here I am, waving howdy.
My name is Beth Williamson and I’ve been writing since third grade. I’m sure y’all have heard that before, but it’s true. My third grade teacher, Mrs. Freudenberg (who I adored) told my parents I wrote “lovely poetry” and that was the beginning of my love affair with writing.
I could create entire stories in my head, act them out and generally make people think I was odd. I got very good at it. LOL.
All though my schooling I knew I wanted to be a writer, I just didn’t know what kind of writer. Then as a preteen I discovered my mother’s Harlequins. Oh joy, oh rapture! You remember that feeling, right? I read those books over and over and fell head over heels in love with romance novels.
I took a detour in college when I trained to be a screenwriter/playright at NYU and romance novels took a backseat to my grand plans. Of course, the grand plans turned out to be a big bust and after college, I worked as a newspaper reporter.
Talk about a low-paying job! I was happy to be laid off after a year, even if I did get to see my name in print a lot. Romance novels came back into my life and I became a regular at the library, especially after the birth of my first son in 1992.
That’s when the lightbulb went off in my head… Hey, I love to read them, love to write, why not write romance novels? Ta-da! It really was an epiphany for me.
I wrote my first romance novel, a western of course, which took place on a wagon train to Oregon. It was full of cliches and clinches, with cartoonish villains and a sweet heroine. Gads, it stunk like bad cheese.
The second novel took me longer, eight years actually, to get right. In the meantime, I had my second son in 1996, moved to North Carolina and became a technical writer by trade. Turns out I am very good at it and get paid handsomely to do it.
In 2004, that second manuscript, The Bounty, was finally published in ebook. I was a published romance novelist! *tosses confetti*
The rest, as they say, is history. I’ve since published about 18 novels/novellas in ebook and print as well as some short stories in anthologies. And now, I’m stepping into the “big” New York publishing world as a Brava author with the amazing kate Duffy as my editor. 
I’m 40 years old, have two teenage sons, a husband, a mortgage, a hybrid car and a burning desire to quit my day job and work full-time as a romance novelist. This truly is the beginning of the rest of my life.
Happy to be here y’all, hope to be here for a while.
Posted by Beth Williamson @ 6:00 am • Filed under: Beth Williamson
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Welcome to Brava, Beth! And congrats on your writing. Dream words to a reader. And your post is a lovely reminder that life doesn’t end at 25, or even 30. There can always be new and exciting beginnings. Good luck on turning your dream of writing full-time into a reality
Thanks Stacy!! And thanks for being my first commenter. I thought perhaps I’d hear crickets in here today - lol!
Glad you got back on the horse and wrote! Wow eight years between your first book and your second? Were you writing during that time (as in romance
)? Any of those become published books?
And THANK YOU to both you and Kensington for writing and publishing WESTERNS!
Everyone go out and buy a western today! You will be happy you did. Or you won’t, but I will and isn’t that what matter?
Hi Beth, you did great, and it’s so nice to see you here. You are one of my favorite western romance autors, and I am slowing making my way thru all your books.
Syb, babe, you da best.
What was I doing those eight years? Raising two boys - they were little guys then and worth at least twice as many kids. LOL! Now they’re teenagers - ‘nuf said.
Ha ha ha - yes, everyone go out and buy westerns!! I did!
Cathy ~ Hey thanks chica!! And thanks for stopping by to say hello - it means a lot to see familiar faces and to get kudos too.
So glad you kept writing. I enjoy your books.
Hi Beth,
Welcome. I’ve heard a lot of good things about your Malloy Family series.
Thanks, Beth, for sticking to writing - I love your Malloy series.
Hi Beth,
Welcome to Brava - glad to see you stuck with writing - and I can’t wait to read your new books!
Glad to have you on board, Beth!!! It’s a fun ride!
Estella ~ Thanks sweetie!
Jane ~ Hey there! Thanks for the welcome.
Lisa F ~ Woo! Thanks so much!
Limecello ~
Karen ~ Thanks Brava sister - it means a lot!
Just dropping in to say Hi, and congrats once again.
*waving*
Awesome to have you here! ((hugs))
Sasha ~ *smooch* Thanks babe!
Sylvia ~ Thanks m’dear - you’ve been amazing in bringing me into the Brava fold.
YAY! A new author to look for! *G* Congratulations.
welcome beth. congrats
Brandy ~ Thanks!! I’m mucho happy to be here.
Kim H ~ Many thanks!
I really appreciate everyone coming by and saying hello.
Beth!! So happy to hear you’re a Brava author now
Hi, Beth! So glad to read your story, and am definitely looking forward to reading your books! Welcome to Brava!
Ali ~ *tackle hugs* Thanks doll - see you in 2 weeks!!
Fedora ~ Thanks for the welcome! I’m purty jazzed to be here.
Hi Beth. Congrats on joining the Brava line!
Thank ya kindly Liza!
Nothing like being late to the party, but it occured to me that I don’t think I’ve actually said congrats anywhere.
So congratulations, Beth! The Bounty is still one of my all-time favorite westerns, and I’ll be stalking my Borders when the time comes to get your Brava! And it’s always very exciting to see westerns getting the NY love.
Ah, heck, Shan, it’s never too late - thank you so much for the congrats!