Betsy, 90, has a passion for writing, which sparked her ultimate dream of becoming a published author. Throughout her life, she set aside her dreams to raise a family but revisited her passion in 2011 when she finished her first fiction novel, “Summer is Her Name.” Though her work was published, Shirley’s book writing dream seemed incomplete—she never had a proper book signing. For her Wish of a Lifetime, Betsy desired to have a book signing party for “Summer is Her Name” to complete her book writing dream.
While Betsy worked hard on her novel later in life, she dedicated her time to her family and community earlier in life. While her kids were growing up, Betsy volunteered with the Girl and Boy Scouts and the PTA. Betsy also volunteered with the National Forest Service by helping clear hiking trails and collecting surveys. She eventually went to college, earned her degree and started her own real estate agency. Because she focused on being a good mother, she did not have the time to invest in something she really loved—writing.
Writing has always been a favorite pastime of Betsy’s, as she feels that it is a way for her to give back and share past memories. Five years ago, Betsy wrote and published her first fiction novel called “Summer is Her Name.” “Writing a book was a challenge,” Betsy said. “I read a book by a well-known author and thought ‘I could write a book like that.’ Writing and publishing a book is complicated. Establishing the characters, and holding the attention of the reader is hard.” Though the journey has been long for Betsy, she finally finished her book and achieved her dreams—with that, she wants nothing more than to have a book signing.
Wish of a Lifetime and Brookdale Senior Living were excited to send Betsy to a local bookstore, Bookmiser, on July 30, 2016 to have a book signing party. Betsy said that the highlight of this event was arriving at the store, seeing a sign out front and knowing her Wish was becoming a reality. The book signing was a success, which made Betsy feel famous around her community! She had a truly wonderful day.
