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I will be traveling to Phoenix, AZ in February, 2025 to accept this award at the Grand Gala.
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My first three children's books won BookFest awards in 2024
That's me, jumping for joy at my local Barnes & Noble bookstore. I'm excited to share that my first children's book is also a Book Excellence Award Honoree for 2024!
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Dear John (The Birthday Gift—Book 2) debuted on Amazon in December 2022 as a bestseller and hot new release. It is also a 2023 Book Excellence Award Finalist.
The Birthday Gift (Book 1) debuted on Amazon in December 2021 as a bestseller and hot new release. |
The Birthday Gift (Book 1) is a recipient of the 2022 Book Excellence Award, a global celebration of literary excellence. The press release announcing the award was picked up by several national media outlets including FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, and USA Today affiliates.
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The Breaking Point launched in April, 2022 as an Amazon #1 bestseller and #1 hot new release which has been endorsed by Les Brown. Betty is one of the 20 co-authors in this anthology.
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In 2022, Paulette Harper and the 20 co-authors of The Breaking Point were featured on a billboard near Atlanta, GA visible to vehicles traveling east on Interstate 20.
Their press release with Les Brown's endorsement was picked up by major platforms including ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and many others. Betty is featured on the top right billboard. |
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For Such A Time As This - Amazon #1 Bestseller
In my first collaboration in an anthology, I was one of only two featured authors in For Such A Time As This, which showcased 20 gifted contributing co-authors. The book was compiled by visionary author, Paulette Harper, and debuted on Amazon in November 2021 as a #1 Best Seller in 9 different categories.
~ Faith & Spirituality
~ Personal Transformation & Spirituality
~ Conduct of Life & Spirituality
~ Business Conflict Resolution & Mediation
~ Breast Cancer
~ Psychology of Suicide
~ Spiritual Growth
~ Men’s Christian Living
~ Chronic Pain
In my first collaboration in an anthology, I was one of only two featured authors in For Such A Time As This, which showcased 20 gifted contributing co-authors. The book was compiled by visionary author, Paulette Harper, and debuted on Amazon in November 2021 as a #1 Best Seller in 9 different categories.
~ Faith & Spirituality
~ Personal Transformation & Spirituality
~ Conduct of Life & Spirituality
~ Business Conflict Resolution & Mediation
~ Breast Cancer
~ Psychology of Suicide
~ Spiritual Growth
~ Men’s Christian Living
~ Chronic Pain
Click picture to read review and see award
SHOWgrins - Gold Medal Winner in the Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest
I attended the 2013 annual awards ceremony in Miami and brought home the gold. Over 250 authors and guests from as far away as Singapore, India, the UK, Pakistan, and Australia attended, including contestants that range from first-time self-published authors to New York Times bestsellers, as well as Hollywood celebrity authors.
This award-winning book was nationally-acclaimed by the Sjogren's Foundation CEO, Steven Taylor in 2013 and remains one of the most popular Sjogren's books on the market.
I attended the 2013 annual awards ceremony in Miami and brought home the gold. Over 250 authors and guests from as far away as Singapore, India, the UK, Pakistan, and Australia attended, including contestants that range from first-time self-published authors to New York Times bestsellers, as well as Hollywood celebrity authors.
This award-winning book was nationally-acclaimed by the Sjogren's Foundation CEO, Steven Taylor in 2013 and remains one of the most popular Sjogren's books on the market.
SHOWgrins - #1 Best Seller at the Sjogren's Foundation National Patient Conference (2013)
This book will captivate you as you read the five inspirational stories of courage, determination and spirit from women who refuse to define themselves as only Sjogren's patients. Join them on their journey of self-discovery as they reclaim their lives and find new purposes and meaning to how they can make a difference and be the women they always wanted to be.
~Steven Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sjogren's Foundation
This book will captivate you as you read the five inspirational stories of courage, determination and spirit from women who refuse to define themselves as only Sjogren's patients. Join them on their journey of self-discovery as they reclaim their lives and find new purposes and meaning to how they can make a difference and be the women they always wanted to be.
~Steven Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sjogren's Foundation
Living Inside The Testimony (3rd edition) debuted on Amazon in 2022 as a #1 bestseller in 3 different categories.
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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Living Inside The Testimony (3rd Edition) is a work of non-fiction in the Christian literature subgenre. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Betty Collier. The book sees the author candidly share the ups and downs of her life, showing how her faith in the Lord has guided her through the twists and turns of a life well lived. By approaching her life with gratitude for the things that God has given her, she has been able to survive the darker parts of life, and by sharing the experiences she gained along the way, the virtues of a life guided by faith become apparent. I was delighted by this book; by the author, by the message, and by the way in which I was spoken to as an equal throughout. Author Betty Collier wisely avoids the pitfalls of a lot of religious literature by not trying to dispense ideology from a self-appointed position above the reader. Instead, she has written her story as one would speak to a friend or relative. The stories shared throughout the book are touching in nature, each one a personal anecdote shared with an admirable degree of openness to let the reader draw the parallels to their own life. The power of the text, however, comes from the insight the author shares in those stories, discussing how her faith elevated her even higher in moments of victory and saved her in moments of defeat. It is this insight that makes Living Inside The Testimony such an important read, and one that I recommend to all readers. |
Click picture to read review and see award
Living Inside The Testimony (2nd edition) - award finalist in the Readers' Favorite Book Award Contest (2012)
Reviewed by Molly Edwards for Readers' Favorite
I had the pleasure of reviewing Betty Collier's book, Angel In My Room, and was absolutely pleased with the outcome of that book. She truly touched the heart from the start and kept it locked in a gripping manner until the end. So, taking the chance on another of her books, I dived right in with a smile on my face, and hope in my heart. Once again, my heart was filled and the message was extremely moving.
This book is not your everyday read. It's far from it. It's a wonderfully amazing story of Ms. Collier's walk with God. It's her living testimony, her daily struggles, her daily acceptance that she is walking with her Father.
Ms. Collier's testimony is told with exuberance and love, helping people to understand that there will be trials along the way, but having faith and hope in your heart will help you to over come any obstacle. From her ups and downs with her high school boyfriend, to marrying him, and living life as a wife, to work and pregnancy and family, Ms. Collier shares tragedies, and milestones.
I loved the way Ms. Collier presented the book in a heart felt way. She doesn't preach, or talk down to her readers. She shares with them. She helps them embrace their hope and faith in a new way. With humorous moments here and there, Ms. Collier keeps the book engaging for her readers, as she tells her story.
I definitely recommend that you take a moment or two of your time and grab a copy of this book. Though humorous at times, and a fast paced read, this is not a book that should be taken lightly. It's anything but that, and will keep your wheels turning and your heart filled. Amazing job, Ms. Collier!
Reviewed by Molly Edwards for Readers' Favorite
I had the pleasure of reviewing Betty Collier's book, Angel In My Room, and was absolutely pleased with the outcome of that book. She truly touched the heart from the start and kept it locked in a gripping manner until the end. So, taking the chance on another of her books, I dived right in with a smile on my face, and hope in my heart. Once again, my heart was filled and the message was extremely moving.
This book is not your everyday read. It's far from it. It's a wonderfully amazing story of Ms. Collier's walk with God. It's her living testimony, her daily struggles, her daily acceptance that she is walking with her Father.
Ms. Collier's testimony is told with exuberance and love, helping people to understand that there will be trials along the way, but having faith and hope in your heart will help you to over come any obstacle. From her ups and downs with her high school boyfriend, to marrying him, and living life as a wife, to work and pregnancy and family, Ms. Collier shares tragedies, and milestones.
I loved the way Ms. Collier presented the book in a heart felt way. She doesn't preach, or talk down to her readers. She shares with them. She helps them embrace their hope and faith in a new way. With humorous moments here and there, Ms. Collier keeps the book engaging for her readers, as she tells her story.
I definitely recommend that you take a moment or two of your time and grab a copy of this book. Though humorous at times, and a fast paced read, this is not a book that should be taken lightly. It's anything but that, and will keep your wheels turning and your heart filled. Amazing job, Ms. Collier!
Living Inside The Testimony and Angel in My Room were both contest winners in the 2015 Xulon Press Christian Choice Writing Contest (excerpts below)
Both short stories are featured in a Xulon Anthology, "Letters to America"
~ LIVING INSIDE THE TESTIMONY ~
Graduation day was soon approaching. William and I were about to go our separate ways without ever really working things out or gaining some closure to our unfinished love affair. But the Lord had other plans for us that we were unaware of at the time. We would not be separated. In fact, we would be drawn so close together that we never separated again. Till death do us part, and death almost did.
I was home with my family when my brother suddenly asked out of nowhere if we had heard about “that Collier boy who was hit upside the head and was in the hospital.” My heart dropped as I sank into a deep, dark, gloomy pit of agony, anguish, and despair. I had grown so far away from William that I didn’t even know he was lying in the hospital, possibly dying from a terrible head injury. After hearing this tragic and devastating news, I immediately retreated to my bedroom in total misery. My heart was broken—full of grief, sadness, desolation, and overwhelming sorrow.
I don’t recall anything else about that evening or what actually happened for the next couple of days. I don’t remember any other details except that I ended up at the hospital the next day, totally unprepared for what I may see when I walked through the doors of neurotrauma intensive care. William had undergone emergency brain surgery to remove an epidural hematoma blood clot, and now I had the audacity to show up at the hospital even though I had broken his heart throughout high school.
There he lay, with my shattered heart scattered in thousands of pieces all over his ICU bed. How could it come to this? What happened? Is this how it would end? His bandaged head was so swollen, and there were machines everywhere. Imagine the sight of my eighteen-year-old ex-boyfriend just lying there, looking so frail and extremely ill. I didn’t know if he would even be conscious or not, but he looked up at me with his swollen eyes. His eyes had always been very pretty, but his head was so huge now that his beautiful brown eyes were almost swollen shut. What was he going to say? Would he recognize me? Would he ask me to leave because I had broken his heart? Or worse, was he even able to speak?
Instantly, the hurt feelings and misunderstandings were obliterated, and it felt as if we had never been apart. Sometimes I think back to that time in my life and how it could have been so very different if God had not allowed William to survive that assault. He still carries the four-inch scar across the left side of his forehead as well as the ear-to-ear surgical scar in his scalp that serves as a constant reminder to us of how our lives changed forever.
The Lord allowed him to survive that blow to the head. Had it not been for God’s mercy, William would have gone home after the attack and died in his sleep from the bleeding on his brain which was invisible to the human eye. So many things could have gone horribly wrong, but they didn’t. The Lord saved William’s life that night for me, and nothing else mattered.
I was home with my family when my brother suddenly asked out of nowhere if we had heard about “that Collier boy who was hit upside the head and was in the hospital.” My heart dropped as I sank into a deep, dark, gloomy pit of agony, anguish, and despair. I had grown so far away from William that I didn’t even know he was lying in the hospital, possibly dying from a terrible head injury. After hearing this tragic and devastating news, I immediately retreated to my bedroom in total misery. My heart was broken—full of grief, sadness, desolation, and overwhelming sorrow.
I don’t recall anything else about that evening or what actually happened for the next couple of days. I don’t remember any other details except that I ended up at the hospital the next day, totally unprepared for what I may see when I walked through the doors of neurotrauma intensive care. William had undergone emergency brain surgery to remove an epidural hematoma blood clot, and now I had the audacity to show up at the hospital even though I had broken his heart throughout high school.
There he lay, with my shattered heart scattered in thousands of pieces all over his ICU bed. How could it come to this? What happened? Is this how it would end? His bandaged head was so swollen, and there were machines everywhere. Imagine the sight of my eighteen-year-old ex-boyfriend just lying there, looking so frail and extremely ill. I didn’t know if he would even be conscious or not, but he looked up at me with his swollen eyes. His eyes had always been very pretty, but his head was so huge now that his beautiful brown eyes were almost swollen shut. What was he going to say? Would he recognize me? Would he ask me to leave because I had broken his heart? Or worse, was he even able to speak?
Instantly, the hurt feelings and misunderstandings were obliterated, and it felt as if we had never been apart. Sometimes I think back to that time in my life and how it could have been so very different if God had not allowed William to survive that assault. He still carries the four-inch scar across the left side of his forehead as well as the ear-to-ear surgical scar in his scalp that serves as a constant reminder to us of how our lives changed forever.
The Lord allowed him to survive that blow to the head. Had it not been for God’s mercy, William would have gone home after the attack and died in his sleep from the bleeding on his brain which was invisible to the human eye. So many things could have gone horribly wrong, but they didn’t. The Lord saved William’s life that night for me, and nothing else mattered.
~ ANGEL IN MY ROOM ~
In Lillie's heart, she believed that God designed marriage and there was nothing in between. She knew she had failed in that area after conceiving a child outside of marriage. God does indeed forgive sin, but sin has consequences. Lillie punished herself daily, but this was purely self-inflicted chastisement. As soon as she had confessed her sins before the Lord many months prior, he had graciously forgiven her. The problem was that she could not forgive herself, not until she really began to sincerely pray.
After finally coming to the realization that her sins had already been forgiven, the true journey began. She started bonding with her unborn child, and nothing was going to interfere with her taking care of this baby she had longed for. She realized that God had forgiven her, so she forgave herself.
Although she no longer felt like a bright, scarlet letter A was plastered across her chest, she would occasionally retreat back to the feelings of guilt and shame. However she was definitely on a faith journey with the Lord, and knowing that he had already forgiven her, she was finally able to accept his forgiveness and move on. The only condemnation came from within. Even though she sometimes felt all alone and forsaken, she knew she wasn't. God showered her with much love and compassion, as only he could. Still refusing to be comforted by others, she knew God's perfect plan was marriage and then children, with nothing in between. But how could she not look forward to the birth of her first child.
Twelve hours and thirty-one minutes after he was born, Derrich was gone. That beautiful, bright-blue sky from a mere thirteen hours earlier had tuned into the darkest of days. Lillie was absolutely devastated and consumed with an irreparable broken heart. Excruciating sadness, agonizing sorrow, and total brokenness threatened her very desire to love. Her baby had been here, but now he was gone. That's when the agonizing pain and extreme depths of hopelessness truly began.
The pain was still so very great, but God helped Lillie to realize that he loved her unconditionally and that he had forgiven her. God was right there with her during the entire cataclysmic ordeal. Not only did he assure her that her baby was in heaven, but he also sent an angel to her room so that she could see for herself which gave her indescribably peace. Her baby appeared as an angel, a little messenger sent from the Lord to assure her that everything was all right. Only God could give that kind of comfort, but Lillie also carried around a guilty conscience for allowing herself to fall out of fellowship with the Lord. It's not easy to understand the depth of the Lord's love when we are at our lowest point.
It was then that her spirit was revived, and Lillie was fully committed to picking herself up from the miry pit. At long last, Lillie truly accepted her complete healing and deliverance. She accepted God's unconditional love for her and received his priceless salvation.
After finally coming to the realization that her sins had already been forgiven, the true journey began. She started bonding with her unborn child, and nothing was going to interfere with her taking care of this baby she had longed for. She realized that God had forgiven her, so she forgave herself.
Although she no longer felt like a bright, scarlet letter A was plastered across her chest, she would occasionally retreat back to the feelings of guilt and shame. However she was definitely on a faith journey with the Lord, and knowing that he had already forgiven her, she was finally able to accept his forgiveness and move on. The only condemnation came from within. Even though she sometimes felt all alone and forsaken, she knew she wasn't. God showered her with much love and compassion, as only he could. Still refusing to be comforted by others, she knew God's perfect plan was marriage and then children, with nothing in between. But how could she not look forward to the birth of her first child.
Twelve hours and thirty-one minutes after he was born, Derrich was gone. That beautiful, bright-blue sky from a mere thirteen hours earlier had tuned into the darkest of days. Lillie was absolutely devastated and consumed with an irreparable broken heart. Excruciating sadness, agonizing sorrow, and total brokenness threatened her very desire to love. Her baby had been here, but now he was gone. That's when the agonizing pain and extreme depths of hopelessness truly began.
The pain was still so very great, but God helped Lillie to realize that he loved her unconditionally and that he had forgiven her. God was right there with her during the entire cataclysmic ordeal. Not only did he assure her that her baby was in heaven, but he also sent an angel to her room so that she could see for herself which gave her indescribably peace. Her baby appeared as an angel, a little messenger sent from the Lord to assure her that everything was all right. Only God could give that kind of comfort, but Lillie also carried around a guilty conscience for allowing herself to fall out of fellowship with the Lord. It's not easy to understand the depth of the Lord's love when we are at our lowest point.
It was then that her spirit was revived, and Lillie was fully committed to picking herself up from the miry pit. At long last, Lillie truly accepted her complete healing and deliverance. She accepted God's unconditional love for her and received his priceless salvation.