Nettalien VanDerPoel Is the author of two books, the Very Sad Story of Betty O'Dare and the upcoming title How to Make Buzzberry Pie.

Nettalien VanDerPoel Q & A

Is Betty based on a real kid?

There are bits and pieces taken from many of the children in my life, particularly my little sister, whom I helped raise and to whom the book is dedicated. However, I believe there is a little bit of Betty in all of us. I have had some very "Betty" moments myself, everyone probably has. And for that reason parents and children alike can relate to The Very Sad Story of Betty O'Dare.

Do you have a favorite character from the book?

Well, I love them all, but I think I have the most admiration for Jimmy Sarduchio. He meets this girl who is just a total mess and he sees past all of that to find Betty's true personality. He had the patience to discover the real Betty and that is something we should all aspire to.

If you were Betty's mother, how would you have handled her rebellion?

I like to think that I would have lasted a little longer than Betty's mother did. But, as a mother of three children, (all stubborn), I have experienced similar moments of frustration/defeat. I think the story will encourage parents to stay the course and not be defeated by their strong-willed children. Sometimes letting a child "learn the hard way" is not the best solution.

Did you choose the person who would illustrate your book?

Max Eagar, the illustrator, is my brother-in-law. Max is a versatile artist and he took an interest in my writing very early on. He started doing some sketches for Betty O'Dare and when he brought them to me, I absolutely loved them. His artwork is a perfect visual representation of the story. The chemistry that Max and I have as a story telling team has given us opportunities that we probably wouldn't have found individually. So much so, that when I first submitted my manuscript to Windstorm Creative I enclosed one of Max's illustrations, (it worked!) Thank you, Max!

Will we see more of Betty in the future?

I'm not quite sure, but it would be funny if Betty had a child with a toothbrushing phobia or a foot odor problem or something like that. I think we would all enjoy seeing Betty get a taste of her own medicine! I'll have to think on that for a while .