Paperback ISBN: 978-1-61188-038-0
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61188-039-7
Publication Date: June 12, 2012
450 pages
Trade Paperback Pr $18.95
E-book pr $6.99
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Meet the Characters
Betty Craven
Fifty-eight year old Betty Craven is the quintessential “hostess with “the mostest.” A former Texas beauty queen, Betty has the looks and the life that most people would envy. On the surface, everything appears etched in perfection. However, all is not what it seems. The truth is that Betty is hanging onto her world by a shoestring. After the devastating loss of her only child, a son, to a drug overdose, Betty was mired in guilt and regret. The death of her career military husband followed and she found herself suddenly all alone and questioning her identity. As a growing furnace of umbrage grows in her belly, Betty is ready to make a huge change in her predictable life. And that enormous change will require her to alter everything about herself, her beliefs, and her friendships.
Jeff Carroll
The owner of The Hippie Dippie Health Food Store, Jeff is the calm center to Betty’s storm. He is the antithesis of Betty and seems to have an understanding about her that nobody else has had the guts to discover. But will Betty be willing to let down her guard and allow this free-thinking man into her life?
Peyton
Peyton comes into Betty’s life at a critical juncture and helps her define her new life. It doesn’t hurt that he looks oddly like her late son and has many of the same qualities that endear him to Betty.
Betty Craven is the epitome of elegance, class, and perfection.
Her prize-winning garden is the envy of her neighbors; her impeccable manners and epicurean skills have made her the “hostess with the most-est.”
But all is not what it seems.
The truth is this fifty-eight year old’s seemingly idyllic world is quickly disintegrating. Widowed and left with a modest income, Betty’s Colorado gourmet chocolate shop has gone belly up, leaving her floundering for purpose and meaning. Tied to a house in disrepair that she can’t sell, and mired in unrelenting grief for her dead son, this patriotic former Texas pageant queen comes to the shocking and debilitating conclusion that her entire life has been wasted. As that realization hits her hard between her well-manicured brow, the rebellious spirit that Betty has silently kept under lock and key explodes to the surface.
When that happens, her staunch conservative world changes drastically, causing Betty to question every belief and opinion she’s ever had. The path she chooses is paved with secrecy, eccentric characters, toe-curling love, life-changing events, and a connection to her unconventional garden that she never could have imagined. No matter how hard she tries, Betty Craven will never be the same again.
Author Laurel Dewey – known for her gritty crime thriller series featuring Detective Jane Perry – has created a dynamic, funny, romantic, heartbreaking and controversial novel that will both enlighten readers and challenge them with its unique and timely subject matter.
Read an excerpt here.
Praise for Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden
“Betty's (Little Basement) Garden is a wonderful novel full of characters we see every day…. This would be an excellent book for a reading group or a book club. There is life and laughter, love and friendships, and a spark of the paranormal that brings it all together.”
– Blogcritics
“Compelling, emotional, at times humorous, controversial, heart wrenching, inspirational, and definitely leaves the reader confronting one’s own personal viewpoint after the last word is read. Highly recommend!”
– CMash Loves to Read
“Funny and warm and wonderful. Get to know Betty; you'll love her.”
– Lis Carey’s Library
“The end result is not only a successful and compelling novel, but also a springboard for important conversations all across America.”
– David Fiedler
“This is a book everyone should read and think about, an issue I truly believe in, and something I believe more people should learn about. Read this book!”
– Now is Gone
“Pick up Betty’s (Little Basement) Garden by Laurel Dewey and prepare yourself for some thought-provoking reading. See what gems you can pick up.”
– Single Titles
“No matter what side you are on, this book is interesting and will have you shedding a few tears and smiling a few smiles.”
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