This week’s Inheritance Books are from Beth M James, author of a life plan book. 

Hi Beth, welcome to Inheritance Books. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi, Rhoda! Thanks for inviting me today.

I live in the St. Croix Valley that borders Minnesota and Wisconsin with my husband Mike. We’re empty nesters now so I can focus on my writing career. I am a new author of a contemporary romance novel, and I’m working on my second book that will be the first in a trilogy. I also write a weekly blog about lessons learned, and I’m managing all my web accounts. In my other life, I’m a full-time enterprise business analyst for the judicial side of state government. And other big news…I became a grandma for the first time at the end of August!

 Which book have you inherited from generations above? Why is it special? 

The book that I inherited indirectly from my mom is a small paperback called “The Story of Gabrielle” by Catherine Gabrielson. This story is told through the eyes of the mother (the author) about her nine-year-old daughter who died of cancer. This book is special to me because of the bond between mother and daughter. The words are full of emotion and heartbreak, and it still touches me today. I was approximately 12 years old when I found this book to read. My mom owned stacks of books that she kept in the hallway leading to my bedroom. I picked this book to read because of the cover, a portrait of mother and daughter. The daughter looked like me at that age so I was intrigued. The story didn’t have a happy ending, but it did tell me about courage and how mother and daughter coped when struck with a horrible fate. I learned from this book how writing with emotion is important when telling a story, and how one story can stay with you forever. I’ve kept the book in my library for over thirty years.

Which book would you leave for generations below and why?

The book that I would leave to future generations has a similar theme as above, dealing with a disease and learning how to cope. The book is literary fiction and called “The Island” by Victoria Hislop. I like this book because it tells the story about four generations of women and how leprosy affected them and their families. The novel is set in a small village on the Mediterranean Sea during World War II. The story begins when a mother is taken away from her family because she has leprosy. She is forced to move to a leprosy colony on Spinalonga, an island off the north coast of Crete. This is the story of survival, passion, and hope. I believe this book is one to pass down because it provides the history of leprosy, which you don’t hear of anymore, and how individuals and families handled their fate during that timeframe.

 Thanks very much for sharing your Inheritance Books with us, Beth. Where can you find out more about you?

My self-published eBook “Gitana – Life Plan” is about a woman learning to cope with what she thought was her fate. Unlike the ones above, mine is lighter and has a touch of humor. To find out more about me and what I write, including a blog about lessons learned, visit www.bethmjames.com or www.bethmjames.wordpress.com. You can also connect with me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BethMJamesAuthor and Twitter @AuthorBMJames.

Thanks Beth. Good luck with your book!

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