Interview with Author Bev Pettersen

Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Kristi Benedict is talking with Bev Pettersen, author of A Pony for Christmas: A Montana Holiday Novella

FQ: Do most of your books take place in northern states like Montana?

PETTERSEN: I’ve written another short story with a Montana setting (cold and blustery) and a longer novel based in Alberta, Canada. But some of my other books were based in southern states like Florida and California. As long as there’s a horse setting that I know and love, I’m inspired!

FQ: When you were writing this book how did you work to make it unique from other “pony for Christmas” stories?

PETTERSEN: I had just finished writing a longer romantic mystery novel when my five year-old niece told me about her expectations for Santa that year. I couldn’t forget her hopeful innocence so had to shift gears and write this novella. I wasn’t thinking of other Christmas books, just this story that quickly filled my thoughts.

FQ: Do your own memories and experiences with horses find their way into your books?

PETTERSEN: Absolutely! I always wanted a pony, for Christmas and every other day. When I was little, I hid a box in the family bathroom, asking visitors to donate money for my pony in exchange for toilet paper. I’ll never forget one kind gentleman who left a generous sum. That helped buy my first horse...seven years later.

Author Bev Pettersen with Nifty

FQ: While the book is aimed at young children, as an adult, I found it a fun read. Was it intentional to make it readable by such a wide range of readers?

PETTERSEN: I didn’t set out to write a children’s book. My eight other books are romantic mysteries. But writing from a young girl’s perspective gave a primary story which seems to have provided this novella with a wider appeal. I was surprised and honored at its reception.

FQ: What are the advantages in your opinion in writing from a child’s point of view?

PETTERSEN: Writing as a five-year-old let me slip into Suzy’s mind and really see the world through her eyes. Children feel so intensely, it was exciting to show her highs and lows and her utter disappointment that bleak Christmas morning.

FQ: Are there any disadvantages or difficulties that you found with choosing this point of view?

PETTERSEN: Suzy’s mother was a struggling widow who caught the interest of a prosperous rancher while Suzy was oblivious to their blossoming romance. It was a little challenging to slide in subtle hints, things that wouldn’t be picked up by younger readers but might be appreciated by adults.

FQ: How do you decide how long a novel should be for it to still be interesting for adults but not overwhelming for children?

PETTERSEN: Children are amazing. They can read almost any length if they find it interesting. And the story naturally played out to its proper length.

FQ: Did you consider writing from more than one perspective for this book?

PETTERSEN: No, this story was best told from Suzy’s perspective. She was such a kind and determined little girl so it was refreshing to show her view of Christmas and her utter faith in Santa.

To learn more about A Pony for Christmas: A Montana Holiday Novella please read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Book Review - A Pony for Christmas

A Pony for Christmas: A Montana Holiday Novella

By: Bev Pettersen
Illustrated By: Kim Killion
Publisher: Westerhall Books
Publication Date: November 2014
ISBN: 978-1-987835-00-7
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: June 9, 2015

From the very first day of each year until December rolls around again there are children everywhere wishing for something special to come from Santa on Christmas morning. In a town in Montana all the children are counting down the days until that exciting morning. For a little six-year-old girl named Suzy Jenkins the only thing she wants this Christmas is something she has asked for the last couple years, a pony of her own. All year she has been reading up and getting everything ready for her new pony including saving a few carrots as treats. She has also made sure to write a perfect letter to Santa and give it to her teacher at school so it can be mailed to the North Pole, because everyone knows that mailing a letter is the best way to tell Santa exactly what you want.

In addition to sending a letter Suzy has also made sure to be extra nice this year with everything she does. She even shared her candy cane with a lonely man named Carl, and she did not tattle on the boys who had bullied her as she thought that Santa probably would not like tattling. Unfortunately, Suzy’s mom does not seem as excited about the idea of a pony as Suzy does, for every time Suzy mentions it her mother says something such as “a pony costs too much to feed,” or “we can’t handle taking care of a pony right now.” Since Suzy sees that getting a pony is upsetting to her mom she decides not to mention it anymore but she does keep asking Santa to make her wish come true. She can feel that this will be the year that some true magic happens and she will find a pony just for her in the barn on Christmas morning.

This was a wonderfully sweet and refreshing read and even though it was not a long book I did enjoy the story. There were a couple Christmases when I was a little girl where I remember wishing with all my might that Santa would bring me a horse so it was easy for me to relate to the thoughts the character of Suzy was having. Thinking about a beautiful pony or horse with flowing mane and tail waiting for you in a barn is something quite magical and Bev Pettersen captures this feeling perfectly as she brings to life a heartwarming story. That innocence of childhood is something that, while it lasts for just a short time, is a memory to be cherished. This book could definitely be enjoyed by any age group and especially young children starting to read early-reader chapter books.

Quill says: A heartwarming story that brings together the wonderful innocence of children and the magic of the Christmas season.

For more information on A Pony for Christmas: A Montana Holiday Novella, please visit the author's website at: www.bevpettersen.com

Books In For Review

Here's another great selection of books that have just arrived for review.  Check them out and then stop by our site in a few weeks to read the reviews!




Petticoat Surgeon: The Extraordinary Life of Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen by Maureen Thalmann Petticoat Surgeon tells the extraordinary life story of Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen. Born in 1863, the pioneering female surgeon was raised on a farm in South East Michigan and followed her calling in medicine to the University of Michigan. With a successful obstetrical and surgical practice in Chicago, Bertha worked tirelessly for the advancement of women in medicine. In 1915,she became the founder and first president of the American Medical Women's Association. Bertha's life story includes many firsts, international recognition, an abiding love of family and a commitment to advance and improve the lives of women.  

 Six-year-old Suzy Jenkins desperately wants a pony for Christmas. And she's certain Santa will deliver. After all, she's been on her best behavior for months--not tattling on the bullies and even sharing her only candy cane. Besides, this year she has everything ready, including a cracked water bucket and several wizened carrots. Suzy's mother struggles just to put food on the table. Life has been challenging since her husband died, and any pet—especially a pony—is impossible. However Suzy's unflagging belief in the importance of being kind serves as a catalyst, sending ripples throughout her snowy Montana town and bringing love and happiness to more than just a big-hearted little girl.  

Undercover Bride: (Undercover Ladies) by Margaret Brownley Pinkerton detective Maggie Cartwright is tasked with going undercover as a mail order bride. Her “fiancé” is widower Garrett Thomas, aka the suspected Whistle-Stop Bandit. No sooner does Maggie arrive in Arizona Territory when she’s confronted with an early wedding date—the clock is ticking on her detective work or she may end up a criminal’s wife! As the day of the wedding draws near, Maggie begins to panic. The problem is that the more she gets to know Garrett and his two adorable children, the harder it is to keep up the deception. Can a man as kind and gentle as Garrett really be the Whistle-Stop Bandit?  

Doodle Lit by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver Now kids can celebrate classic literature in doodle form! With Doodle Lit, artists can use their imaginations to complement favorites such as Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, and many more. Kids can follow the entertaining prompts provided and put pencils to work doodling such things as • Mr. Darcy’s dog • Bob Cratchit’s Christmas tree • Tattoos on Queequeg’s arms • Anna Karenina’s hairdo • Dress designs for Elinor and Marianne Sprinkled throughout are also designs with perforated edges, perfect for popping out and crafting! Illustrated in the same colorful and playful style as the acclaimed BabyLit board book series.  

InterstellarNet: Enigma: Omnibus Edition by Edward M. Lerner Humanity once feared that we might be alone in the universe. Now we know better. And we’ve learned there are worse things than being alone... Joshua Matthews has the opportunity to write the definitive history of InterstellarNet. In that history he plans to focus attention on the improbability that an interstellar community even exists. But somehow, returning home from the party thrown to celebrate his good fortune, he has lost a month of his life. Everyone is certain he’s been on an epic bender. And so, rather than promoted, he is disgraced, unemployed, and unemployable. Firh Glithwah, leader of the Hunter clan Arblen Ems, schemes to liberate her people from two decades of ignominious internment and isolation on a remote moon of Uranus. And in the process to take vengeance against their human oppressors. Reporter Corinne Elman and United Planets intel agent Carl Rowland, each in their own way, remains scarred and haunted by the bloody fiasco that was the Hunter invasion of the Solar System. And none of them suspects that their tribulations have only begun, or that their lives will entwine—across time and space—to confront the InterstellarNet Enigma.  

The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts Based on a true story.  1885.  Anne Stanbury. Committed to a lunatic asylum, having been deemed insane and therefore unfit to stand trial for the crime of which she is indicted. But is all as it seems? Edgar Stanbury. The grieving husband and father who is torn between helping his confined wife recover her sanity and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life. Dr George Savage. The well-respected psychiatrist and chief medical officer of Bethlem Royal Hospital. Ultimately, he holds Anne’s future wholly in his hands. A deep and riveting psychological thriller set within an historical context, packed full of twists and turns, The Medea Complex explores the nature of the human psyche: what possesses us, drives us, and how love, passion, and hope for the future can drive us to insanity.