Guest Blog: Priscilla Bettis and Whispers of a Southern Moon

Dear Readers,

Please forgive me. My stepmother, Sara Virginia Zimmerman, passed away last week and I only got back home last night. Today was the first day of classes and I've been scrambling to catch up. I hope all of you are well. Expect some of Granny Sara's recipes in the upcoming weeks on Wednesdays. She was known for her kindness and her cooking.

Now, please join me in celebrating our guest author, Priscilla Bettis.

Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they meet you.

I’m Priscilla Bettis from small-town Texas. (My neighbors include cows and chickens.) I enjoy writing short stories and poems inspired by my awe of God and love for fellow human beings. People say I walk fast, but in my defense, the hubster has really long legs, so I have to walk fast to keep up with him!

Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb?

Whispers of a Southern Moon is a short-story and poetry collection. The back cover blurb:

An artistic, new collection of inspirational fiction and poetry by Priscilla Bettis.

Includes the award-winning story “Fix Your Face,” a “wonderful Southern Gothic piece akin to the work of Flannery O'Conner!” —Brooke Dreger, Editor, Solid Food Press

A simple man in rural Alabama risks his sanity to keep his sister alive. Lines of poetry celebrate the symphony of a Southern night. A sentient house deep in Virginia’s Great Dismal Swamp lures those it seeks to protect.

In Whispers of a Southern Moon, Priscilla Bettis intertwines short stories and poetry to create an inspirational collection of literary fiction and verse. Bettis explores questions about faith, love, and our perceptions of reality, and she does so with an elegant but fierce grip on the reader. This collection spans everything from Southern Gothic prose to Biblically inspired haiku. By the end of the collection, readers will be encouraged that even in the most twisted circumstances, God is present, and we are loved.

Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book.

A dear, experienced Christian fiction author said people won’t be interested in my book because it has no romance. I tried to write romance, I really did, but it’s just not my jam.

Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two?

Besides cows and chickens, I’m surrounded by sturdy prickly pear, inhospitable mesquite scrubland, and vast expanses of sand and parched grass. Some people find it dull and wish for mountains or redwood trees, but I think every place, including our rugged West Texas landscape, has its own beauty. What kind of beauty do you see where you live?

Share your social media and buy links!

Priscilla is a reviewer at The Well Read Fish, a Christian fiction review blog.

She chats about life and writing on X.

Find Whispers of a Southern Moon on Amazon.

Thank you, Priscilla, for being a guest!