With seven romance novels behind her, Betsy St. Amant dives into the world of young adult fiction with Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK (Barbour).
“I didn’t grow up as a PK (preacher’s kid),” Betsy shares, “but I did grow up in a large church that my grandparents sort of founded. I knew what it was like to wear a label and feel watched and like you had to measure up to an invisible standard all the time. That’s what I drew from for Addison’s story.”
In the novel, Addison feels drawn to bad-boy Wade, even though there’s a perfectly nice guy at school who’s interested in her. Her childhood best friend is now Miss Popular, her widowed father is dating again, and somehow Addison volunteers to turn the school’s talent show into a charity fundraiser.
Betsy began writing short stories and fan fiction in early childhood, but didn’t pursue publishing until age 18. Now, she squeezes in what writing she can amid her busy schedule. “I have a 3-year-old who is involved in dance, church, AWANA and preschool; a part time job outside of the home; an editing/critique business; part-time job freelancing for my local newspaper; a part-time job through the ACFW as List Hostess; and a fireman husband who is rarely home,” she shares. She still finds time to indulge her passion for reading—and shoes!
Switching to writing for a teen audience was a fun experience for her. “I enjoyed writing first-person for the first time, and really getting inside Addison’s head. I’m 27, but some days I still feel very much 16 or 18 myself, so it wasn’t hard.” She plans to continue writing for both teens and adults.
Betsy considers faith (and romance!) the heart of her novels. “Whether that’s faith in salvation, or faith in God’s sovereignty, or faith in God’s goodness, or faith in God’s justice … whichever angle applies, it’s all about faith.”