Betty White: More Fabulous Than She Seems (Part 2)

For Part 2 of my series on Betty White (originally planned as a nonfiction children's book), here's the opening of the book.

Introduction

I’ve been a big fan of Betty White for decades. At one point it had been a few years since she was actively in the public eye. That’s when I spotted her in 1999 as the crazy lady who feeds a ginormous, man-eating alligator like it is a stray dog in the movie Lake Placid. What a perfect, nutty part for her! My fondest memories of Betty come from her roles on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. I loved her as the quirky grandmother in The Proposal, and Betty was the best part of Hot in Cleveland.

She is the definition of a Sassy Dame. You never know what she's going to say, whether it is scripted on a TV show or live on one of the many game shows she participated in over her career. But you could be sure it would be with a twinkle in her eye, very feisty, and always funny.

But there is so much more to Betty White’s life than what we see on the TV or movie screen. And so much more to love! Reading Betty White’s autobiography, Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. Just like Betty, I could spend hours sitting in front of one exhibit and watching the creatures inside. One of the greatest moments in my life was the day a dolphin at Sea World came right up to me at the side of the tank. She lifted up out of the water and opened her mouth to me, just like they do for the trainers. That dolphin stayed there a full minute while I touched her gently on the top of the nose and cooed like a 6-year-old girl. My family had to drag me away because I kept hoping she’d come back. I’m sure Betty would understand.

My teenage daughters are also big fans. Learning that Betty has a room full of stuffed animals in both of her homes, and talks to them like they are alive, did nothing to change this. I freely admit to having a huge collection of mini-plush characters, and I speak to them often. My daughters have been just as attached to their hundreds of “soft friends” since before they could talk. We think a visit with Betty’s collection would be delightful.

As I was considering the general idea of a series of books on amazing women for teen readers, Betty White came to mind immediately. I mean, how many actors out there have had a Facebook campaign set up to get them to host Saturday Night Live? When I asked my daughters if they would enjoy a biography of Betty White, but one written to their age level, interest, and well, attention span, they said that would be great. 

So keep reading, and I hope you discover that Betty White really is more fabulous than you realized.

Upcoming posts (by chapter) will include:

Chapter 1                   Hopes and Dreams

Chapter 2                   Animal Friends

Chapter 3                   Animals at Home

Chapter 4                   Marriage and Family

Chapter 5                   Beginnings of a Career

Chapter 6                   Sue Ann and Rose

Chapter 7                   Facebook and Snickers

Chapter 8                   Hot and Off Her Rocker

Chapter 9                   Stage Fright and Awards Shows

Chapter 10                 Advice and Success

Chapter 11                 Being 90

I guess that last chapter will have to be redone to "Being 100"! I'm sure she'll drop some great quotes about it when the day draws near. 

See you next week!

Betty White: More Fabulous Than She Seems (Part I)

Back in 2012, I started researching and writing a book about the amazing Betty White that would be aimed at young readers. Maybe the kind of book used to research a project on Betty for school. I love the manuscript I ended up with, but publishing it the way I wanted was elusive. The book was picked up by an indie publisher at one point, but the cost and logistics of creating the book led us to mutually agree it wasn't going to work. 

Using so many quotes from Betty herself (from her multiple autobiographies) and paying the quite exorbitant fees for the use of photos made what I had created basically unpublishable. At least in the form of a book. What I've decided instead is to share all the amazing things I learned in the form of this blog. It made me sad to think all of that work would end up sitting in a drawer of my desk for all eternity. 

So over the next 14 weeks, I will be sharing a chapter every Monday morning. You can subscribe to this blog to have them arrive in your email box, or you can just check back every now and then to catch up. Week 14 will coincide with Betty White's 100th birthday. What a wonderful way to celebrate!

To begin, I'll share the fun facts I learned along the way. And in case you haven't been following Betty's illustrious career, at the end of this post is a list of all of her awards over the decades. It is simply remarkable. 

So sign up or join me for a bit of Betty in your week.

Betty looks a bit suspicious of that halo!

 Betty White Basics:

Born:  Betty Marion White, January 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Illinois

Moved to Los Angeles, California, when she was two years old.

Parents:  Horace and Tess White

Ancestry: Germanic, English, and Greek

Height:  5’ 4”

Married:  July 9, 1945 to Frederick Barker. Divorced in December of 1945.

                  November 8, 1947 to Lane Allan. Divorced in 1949.

                  June 14, 1963 to Allen Ludden. Widowed in June 1981.

                  Currently single.

Children: three step-children from her marriage to Allen Ludden--Martha, David, and Sarah Ludden

Pets: Currently, Betty has one golden retriever named Pontiac, a career-change guide dog from Guide Dogs for the Blind. Over her life there have been dozens of cats and dogs that came and went.

Religious Affiliation: member of the Unity Church

Political Views: Democrat

Fun Facts:

Betty does not know how to swim.

She was offered a job on The Today Show, but she didn’t want to move to New York. A young Barbara Walters was hired instead.

Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was placed next to her husband’s (Allen Ludden).

She has a wax figure in the Madame Tussauds Hollywood Museum.

She is the oldest person ever nominated for an Emmy Award (in 2012 for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program for Betty White’s Off Their Rockers).

She is hard of hearing, so she likes small parties instead of large groups.

Hot dogs, Red Vines, potato chips, and French fries are her favorite foods. 

She is great at remembering names, but not faces. She may introduce herself to someone, even a big movie star, whom she has met before.

She says that writing is her favorite thing. She prefers to write in longhand. No computers.

Despite jokes she makes in interviews, she does not have an outrageous crush on actor/director Robert Redford, though she does admire him greatly.

Over the decades, she became a regular on many game shows, especially Password (hosted by her husband, Alan Ludden), bringing her sassy attitude and often "naughty" responses.

She loves to do needlepoint projects, and her house is filled with them.

She has at least one room full of stuffed animals.

She likes to be alone. She has a maid, a housekeeper, and an assistant. That’s it.

Significant Awards and Honors:

Honorary Forest Ranger, The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (2010)

Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, California (1955)

Global Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Jane Goodall Institute (2009)

Hosted the Rose Parade for 20 years

Received the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Humane Award (1987)

Women’s International Center (WIC) Living Legacy Award (1988)

Inducted into the Television Hall of Fame (1995)

Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1988)

President Emerita of the Morris Animal Foundation and a Trustee since 1971

People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Icon (2015)

Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award (2015)

Grammy Award for “Best Spoken Word Album” (2012) for the audiobook of her autobiography If You Ask Me (And Of Course You Won’t)

TV Guide Award, Favorite TV Icon (2011)

Two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Hot in Cleveland (2011 and 2012)

Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award (2010)

Television Critics Association Award for Career Achievement (2009)

American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Series for The Golden Girls (1987), Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a TV Series for Ally McBeal (2000), and a Lifetime Achievement Award (1990)

Online Film & Television TV Hall of Fame for Actresses Award (1999)

Emmy Awards: Won 7 Awards, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (1986) for The Golden Girls and several more for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Game or Audience Participation Show for Just Men (1983). She was the first woman to win this award.

Two Viewers for Quality Television Awards for Best Actress in a Quality Comedy Series for The Golden Girls (1987 and 1988)

Nominated for an additional four Golden Globes, fourteen Emmy Awards, sixteen Prime Time Emmys, four People’s Choice Awards, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.

 For a full list, check out her IMDB page.

 

 

Apple Festival Fun and More

My Readers' Group Newsletter was sent out shortly. If you don't subscribe, here's a link to it. The biggest announcement this summer was the upcoming release of my newest book, Bianca: Journey to Ryuugito, Book 2 in the Princess Bianca Series. Watch for a cover reveal coming any day now! 

We had a fantastic time at the Lincoln Apple Festival last weekend. This was a new event for us, and I'm so glad we were able to participate and make so many new friends. 

Meg's Booth at the Apple Festival

Granddoggie Ivar stopped by to visit!
(with our older daughter Amanda)

While we were there, we celebrated the one year book anniversary of The Tigran Chronicles. Taliya has been finding her audience slowly over the last year, but I am still writing stories in that universe and expect to release more in the future--hopefully not in the middle of a pandemic. 

So now my office is in chaos again as we pack up for the massive War Eagle Craft Fair and Festival (October 14th - 17th). We will definitely be in Sharp's Field again (the fair on the mill side of the bridge), and we are usually in the same location in the first aisle across from the bridge. Come by and say hello, but be sure to get there early or be prepared to wait in a long line to get in. Based on the increased activity at every event so far this year, it's going to be a BUSY fair. 

Kimba and Hiro hope we will see you this October!

News!!

Starting on Monday, October 18th, I will be sharing my book for kids about the legendary Betty White, leading up to her 100th birthday on January 17th, 2022. Every Monday, I'll post the next chapter. Watch for it!

Backyard Big Cats

If you follow me on social media or read my books, you've probably noticed my love for cats. This extends to felines of all shapes and sizes, including (and especially) tigers. My newest book, The Tigran Chronicles, is inherently a look at how humans treat animals and if we would be more respectful if they were part human. 

Right now there is action you can take to protect big cats in the United States from abuse at the hands of greedy humans. The Big Cat Public Safety Act is back in the hands of Congress and needs specific support to make the next steps in legislation. 

The Big Cat Public Safety Act for the 117th US Congress Session (2021-2023) has been reintroduced to the House of Representatives as H.R. 263 and has yet to be reintroduced to the Senate. It has been assigned to the Natural Resource Committee in the House.

This bill will accomplish two things. 

First, it will end private ownership of big cats. It is shocking how easy it is to purchase a tiger or lion or other wild cat and house them in your backyard. It is totally legal in many states. Your neighbor could buy a tiger and set up a cage in their yard. Not scary at all! A recent event in Houston, with a tiger escaping the garage where it was being inhumanely held, put a current spotlight on how this can go wrong. Fortunately, no one (including the tiger) was harmed in that escape. This is not always the end result.

Second, it will end cub petting and other hands-on entertainment that humans profit greatly from but is nothing but misery for the cats involved. In any breeding-for-profit scheme, the cats are always the losers. And once they are too old to handle, the cats are usually disposed of. A peek behind the curtain of that industry is truly horrifying. 

The number of reported tigers living in the U.S.A. (unreported not included)

• AZA Zoos – 360 tigers
• Sanctuaries – 500 tigers
• Road Side Zoos – 2500+ tigers
• Side Shows – 1000+ tigers
• Circuses/Safari Parks – 400+ tigers
• Animal Actors – 300+ tigers
• Private owners – 2000+ tigers

CALL TO ACTION: Click here for an easy way to be in touch with your senator and ask for their support for this bill. Every bit of legislation that goes before the Senate needs people behind it, and this bill is no different. Let your senator know you are behind this bill and hope they will be as well. 

This is very personal to me. For the last seven years, I have volunteered at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary for tigers, lions, bears, and other animals who have been rescued from neglectful and dangerous situations. I've seen little cubs who cannot stand because they have a bone disease that results from poor nutrition and inbreeding. Every cat comes with a story, and they are usually heartbreaking. Just in the last couple of months, the refuge has been involved in the rehoming of 68 more "Tiger King" cats--13 of them coming directly to Turpentine Creek. Now they will have a safe home for the rest of their lives, but how many animals still languish in small backyard cages?

 

Click here for more information and to stay up to date on how this bill is progressing.

As you plan your summer vacations, make sure you only support genuine refuges and sanctuaries. If they let you touch the cats, you are in the wrong place. Only as we respect these magnificent animals can we insure their safety for the generations to come.

#predatorsnotpets 

 

Happy 14th Birthday to Kimba and Hiro!!

There will be catnip. And there will be long naps. Maybe a kiss on the head or two. That's about all Kimba and Hiro need to be happy these days. 

Happy 14th Birthday to Kimba and Hiro!!

   

In celebration, you can enjoy the last few days of the 99 cent ebook sale or the paperback sales at Meg's Square Store. Seriously. The prices will all go back to normal by the end of next week. Grab them while you can!

Sunday the 18th is their birthday, and we know this pretty much to the day because when Scott found them they were newly born, cords still attached, and struggling to stay alive. Two siblings in the box with them were not so lucky. 

For those who have not heard the story, Scott was inspired to take Max for his evening walk earlier than usual. He heard what he thought was a seagull but turned out to be tiny Hiro screaming for her life, quite literally, from a box on the steps of a neighborhood house under construction. Our best guess is that the mama cat gave birth in the house but was then accidentally scared away by workers, who put the kittens in the box, hoping someone would take them. We did. 

While Hiro was screaming, Kimba was barely moving. We quickly got recommendations on how to bottle feed them and gathered supplies from a local pet store. That began several weeks of feeding every few hours around the clock, helping them go to the bathroom with the aid of a wet cotton ball, and finally adding two kittens to our household that already contained Max the dog, our daughters' cats Tabitha and Samantha (aka Slinky and Miss Fatty Cat), and El, our very senior tuxie. Buddy was walkabout at this point but would return in a couple of months. 

What would I have written my first book about if Kimba and Hiro had not joined our lives? Who knows! And I'm glad I never have to find out. 

While they are mostly grumpy old ladies now, they still rule the roost, sleep where they want, and make the most of their pampered, cushy feline lives. 

Happy Birthday, Ladies!

And maybe I'll see you at one of our upcoming events:

April 23, 24 & 25 Dogwood Festival, Siloam Springs, AR

May 8 & 9 Old Timers’ Day Steampunk Festival, Downtown Van Buren, AR

Alien Rescue Cats Save Earth

 First of all, welcome to all the folks following this blog tour! 

At the end of this post, you can find a list of all the clean fiction indie writers who are participating in this tour. Be sure to check them out!

Now, if you are not familiar with my books but are just following the blog tour, you're probably wondering about the whole "alien rescue cat" thing. My middle grade Cats in the Mirror Series follows my own rescued house cats in their made-up alien lives. 

To start, here's the books in the series:

This series all started with my rambunctious cat Kimba and her shy sister, Hiro. My husband found them in a box on the steps of a house under construction when they were only a day or two old, and we hand-raised them with bottles and loving care (see kitten images on sidebar of blog). Cats raised without a feline mother are often a bit odd and don't really understand how to cat well. Kimba and Hiro are no exception.

 

After years of their nutty antics, I started to get some ideas and began jotting them down.

One of the mantras for writers is to "write what you know," and I did just that. As Kimba grew up, I started writing short stories about her and how she is really an alien sent to monitor us and ultimately save us from an alien cat invasion. Those stories developed and developed until I realized I had a whole book series in the making. My daughters' rescue cats, Miss Fatty Cat and Slinky (not their real names), were worked into the series, and companion books about our dog Max and my daughter's dog Dottie found their own life as well--though the dogs in the books know nothing about the whole alien cat thing and just have adventures of their own. Each of the dog books is a stand-alone story, though you'll find fun tie-ins if you know the cat books. 

Being middle grade books and aimed at younger readers (though I have lots of adult readers as well), the whole series is squeaky clean. Or would that be meowy clean? 

If you'd like to check out any of these books, I've had a few deals going on this spring while I participate in conferences, blog tours like this, and prepare for Kimba and Hiro's 14th birthdays. Yes, 14! They've come a long way since those kittens the size of mice we found abandoned.   

All of my ebooks are 99 cents at all the sites that carry them, and if you look outside of Amazon, you can probably find Book 1, Why Kimba Saved The World, for free. Tap here for the link to my Amazon page. 

Bianca: The Brave Frail and Delicate Princess is another of my middle grade clean reads, but we don't have time to go into her lengthy story (that started when I was in 5th grade) in this post. 

And since I haven't been able to do any in-person events of any size for a year now, I have some paperback sales going on at my Square site. Copies are $7 or $8 each, and there are special package deals. 

I'm always happy to Zoom-meet with homeschooling families or groups, so feel free to be in touch with me. You can also watch me read all of Max's Wild Night at YouTube--my first offering to families sheltering at home during the lockdown. 

Thank you to Story Quest Academy for including me in their blog tour of clean books for young readers. 

Story Quest Academy is a creative writing academy that focuses on
building essential skills through writing short stories and reading
books. Our goal is to help homeschooling tweens and teens to become
better writers. We want kids to LOVE stories, cultivate their creativity,
and boost their imagination.

Check out the other stops on the tour, and be sure to comment and share each post to be entered to win the prize pack filled with ebooks and a scholarship to Story Quest Academy! Tag @StoryQuesters so the host can see each of your entries.

March 1st Story Quest Academy

March 2nd Ellie Naomi

March 3rd Julie Gilbert

March 4th Jasmine Natasha

March 5th Liz Delton

March 6th Mark Hansen

March 7th Ian Vroon

March 8th Story Quest Academy

March 9th Nicholas Kotar

March 10th J.M. Hackman

March 11th Mark Hansen

March 12th Courtenay Kasper

March 13th Debbie Schreffler

March 14th Story Quest Academy

March 15th Steven Guglich

March 16th Laurie Lucking

March 17th Julie Gilbert

March 19th Nicholas Kotar

March 20th Courtenay Kasper

March 21st Story Quest Academy

March 22nd Molly Casperson

March 23rd D.J. Edwardson

March 24th Marty C Lee

March 25th Molly Casperson

March 26th Mark Hansen

March 27th Allison Tebo

March 28th Story Quest Academy

March 29th Debbie Schreffler

March 30th Nicholas Kotar

March 31st Molly Casperson

FREE Book: At the Corner of Magnetic and Main

In support of the Women in Publishing Summit this week, my paranormal women's fiction novel At the Corner of Magnetic and Main is FREE on Kindle from March 2-6th only. Grab a copy while you can!!