TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Weeki Wachee Tale's Author To Sign Books

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 24, 2007

PORT RICHEY - Delores Walker is a lonely teenager from the Bronx who longs to become a Weeki Wachee mermaid.

How Delores makes that happen - and how it affects everyone from her insecure, resentful mother, to a runaway dad who finds a home with the circus, to fellow mermaids Scary Sheila and Blonde Sheila, to the gentle circus-giant-turned-diner owner T. Rex - is the story of 'Swim to Me.'

On Thursday, readers can meet the women behind the story.
Betsy Carter will sign copies of the novel at 7 p.m. at the Embassy Crossing Books-A-Million off U.S. 19.

Carter's appearance, part of the bookstore chain's author signing series, is sandwiched between today's tour stop in Akron, Ohio, and an appearance at the St. Petersburg Times Festival of Reading.

Carter will be at the festival at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Barnes Pavilion at Poynter Institute, 801 Third St. S., St. Petersburg.

Formerly at Esquire and Newsweek, Carter created New York Woman magazine.

She also served as executive editor at Harper's Bazaar and later New Woman, and in 1999 launched My Generation, a magazine for baby boomers.

Her memoir, 'Nothing To Fall Back On,' chronicles how Carter has persevered in the face of crises: cancer, career crises, a collapsed marriage and a home-consuming fire.

The former Miami resident's debut novel, 'The Orange Blossom Special,' also has a familiar feel for Floridians.

Set in Gainesville in 1958, widow Tessie Lockhart and her teenage daughter, Dinah, chug into town by train to make a fresh start.

As they struggle to find their place and finally settle in, secrets are revealed and the bonds of friendship and family are tested.

For more on Carter, visit betsycarter.net, bookpage .com/0708bp/betsy_carter .html, nymag.com/nymetro/arts/books/12001/, or www .salisburypost.com/area/ 298200002857163.php.

To contact the author, e-mail to betsy@betsycarter.net.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT