Interview with Becki Willis, author of Rose by Any Other Name

What can you tell us about your new release, Rose by Any Other Name?

This is Book 10 of the series and was fun to write because it felt more “free.” Most of the loose threads from previous storylines have been tied into neat little bows, so this book could go in whatever direction the characters decided to take it. (They’re a bossy bunch, always taking over my plots and spinning the story in a different direction than I originally intend.) This time was no different, but it came together nicely in the end, and proved that not everything can be taken at face value.

Also, readers keep requesting more page time for the teenagers in the series, so this book has a sub-plot where the teens tackle their own mystery.

What books are currently on your night stand?

I’m a Kindle gal, myself. I have 3 Kindles of my own. My newest, the Oasis, is by my bed and has 120 books on it, with these in my To Read queue:

The Cavanaugh House (Finger Lakes Mysteries) by Elizabeth Mayette – currently reading

Southern Bred & Dead (Southern Ghost Hunters Series #9) by Angie Fox

Gators & Garters (A Miss Fortune Mystery #18) by Jana DeLeon

The Farmhouse (A Hickory Grove Novel) by Elizabeth Bromke

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Never give up. And don’t wait for the “right time” to pursue your dreams; make the time right for you.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

Since the hour doesn’t exist, I think I’ll dedicate it to exercise.

What makes your world go round? Why does it bring you joy?

My family– my husband of 39 years, two children and their spouses, five grandchildren. We live within a three-mile radius of one another and still spend a lot of time together, including holidays and vacations. I’m blessed to still have my mother. My family keeps me grounded!

What scene in Rose by Any Other Name was your favorite to write?

Any scene with Granny Bert is fun to write. She’s an 81-year-old spitfire who’s not afraid to say what she thinks, and she makes no apologies for being herself. She has a lot of quotes (most came from my own grandmother and my father), but one of my favorites from this book is:

“There are two things you can never change: your family and the past. You can learn from both, or learn to overcome them both, but there’s no use in pretending they don’t exist.”

Becki Willis is the author of the new book Rose by Any Other Name.

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