1106 Grand Boulevard

What a great read, Betty! 1106 Grand Boulevard did not disappoint. It just shows the versatility of this extraordinary writer. Betty has shown her skill over a wide swath of genres: V.O. comes to mind; see my review on that one. 1106 is a page turner. I was immediately caught up in the exciting life of the protagonist, Billy Jean. Betty's descriptive words and phrases provide an easy read that keeps ones eyes glued to the scenes as they unfold; making snow angels, a near fatal encounter with an enraged spouse. I could go on, but I refuse to spoil the grip this book will have on each person who picks it up. Suffice it to say you the reader will not be let down. Richard Neal Huffman - Author of, Dreams In Blue: The Real PoliceDreams in Blue: "The Real Police" 1106 Grand Boulevard

Some books grab you with an action-packed opening and hook you right in from the first paragraph. Other books reveal the richness of their story a layer at a time. Betty Dravis' "1106 Grand Boulevard" does both. Firmly rooted in small-town America, it ranges through more than sixty years and across the country from Ohio to Arizona, Nevada and California. Sixteen-year-old Billie Jean Sloane takes center stage as she runs screaming from her young husband's jealous rage, headlong into an amazing matrimonial career. Billie Jean's family, already disapproving of her marriage to Cal, shield her from his remorse and entrust her to the care of her Aunt Tommie where she learns a more calculating approach to relationships -- without losing her sometimes naive desire to marry for love. Fortunate in the love of her large family, Billie Jean is not so fortunate in her marriages. Time after time she marries in haste only to be disappointed in her search for the lasting "love of her life," yet her energy and optimism shine through the author's words. Billie Jean's parents, sisters and brothers circle through her story in a way that made me appreciate the importance in my life of my own family. This book is fiction based on fact, and how I'd like to meet the author's sister (the "real" Billie Jean) and the rest of the family. What a great bunch! Betty Dravis portrays all of her characters lovingly but doesn't sugar-coat them, and their personalities are never overshadowed by the events of the story. They could be your next-door neighbors. This book reminded me of "Standing in the Rainbow" by Southern author Fannie Flagg, having a similar span of time, small-town focus, and entrancing, strong-minded woman as a central character. Billie Jean's personality is very different from that of Flagg's Neighbor Dorothy, but both women live their lives with a consistency and honesty that has the ring of truth -- both are people you'd like to know. Both claim the attention of everyone in their sphere and work hard for everything they achieve. I love a story that somehow comes full circle, referencing and resolving the themes that run through it. This book certainly does that (read it for yourself to find out how!) and it's that resolution that lifts the story, and the telling of it, out of the ordinary. To see the pattern and context in a long, vivid life is a gift, and "1106 Grand Boulevard" gives us that. If it were a movie -- and it should be, with the lead played by somebody easy to like, Sandra Bullock for instance -- I'd be there with a box of tissues in my lap, expecting some tears and lots of smiles. A great story, interesting characters, costumes and interiors from the thirties through the seventies -- what could be better? Betty Dravis' beautifully paced book kept me reading late into the night, fingers crossed that the irrepressible Billie Jean would find the true, satisfying love we all yearn for. If you believe in second chances, you will

Of all the books that Betty has written so far (The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley, Millenium Babe: The Prophecy), this one has to be my favorite. From the opening scene when Cal storms into the kitchen in a jealou rage, you are drawn into Billie Jean's world, a world that goes from deep despair to the ultimate in joy, seemingly at the drop of a hat. Speaking as a parent, we have the need to protect our children from the evil in the world no matter the cost to all involved. Parents some times believe that they know best and act accordingly. If Billie Jean's parents hadn't brought her home after being shot by Cal and her mother's choice notto give Billie Jean Cal's letter, we would not have had this wonderful story that shows the many depths of human nature. With every relationship that followsCal, Billie Jean is looking for the magic that she had with him, but she does not find it. Each relationship is a learning experience for Billie Jean and a chance for her to grow further. As each relationship ended, you feel the pain and anguish that she felt from another failed attempt to recapture that magic. Billie Jean was happy in her own way during all of these relationships but was not truly complete until she reunited with Cal once more. As Cal stated near the end of the book, if things had not happened the way that they did between him and Billie JEan, they never would have found their way back to each other as they did. If they had not found each other all those years later, we all would have missed out on a very special love story that brings a smile to your face as you remember it. A belated Happy 90th Birthday to Billie Jean.

. Dear Betty Dravis, I sincerely hope you enjoy the thought of living in New York City and being the Head Writer on a Television "Soap Opera" daytime drama, because I think this will be your happy fate after the daytime television fans take note of your "1106 Grand Boulevard" novel....and consider the glorious possibilities of your novel as a soap opera! Best Wishes, John Michael O'Loughlin PS --- How I loved to watch the daytime drama "Ryan's Hope" back in the 1970's and the 1980's...my friends and family and I would be glued to the TV set and on the edge of our seats each day! Here's a "heads-up" to all those aging "Ryan's Hope" fans who are always hoping to discover a worthy sequel to their favorite show --- Ladies and Gentlemen, I have found what we seek!!! There is enough basic material in this one book to provide the plot outline for a good ten years of thrilling daytime television. Those who are fans of RH and AMC and all the other wonderful soaps both past and present understand that time in the soaps can speed up, and one year of real time can sometimes be five years of TV time. Example: A baby this season can be a toddler next season and a teenager the season after --- in three years the baby can start High School....This book is absolutely perfect for these situations where the adults age slowly and the children age much faster. Just like the Ryan family, there are tons of family members with intricate stories. Some might think I'm making subtle fun of this book by saying it's perfect to be made into a daytime television show.....I am not! I love the soaps (especially RH and AMC...Ryan's Hope and All My Children, to those of you reading this who are not fans of the soaps...), and "1106 Grand Boulevard" is to the soap opera genre as GWTW (Gone With The Wind) was to the epic movie genre of the 1930's.... I ain't kidding, folks. And, if you're a soap opera fan, then you should do yourself a tremendous favor and get this book right away! You'll thank me for this recommendation, I guarantee! I'm ready to begin watching this wonderful "1106 Grand Boulevard" daytime drama soap opera as soon as the first show airs.......primarily because it'll be the finest family television drama since "Ryan's Hope"! And, to all my fellow RH fans.......I wouldn't tell you all this and get your hopes up if I didn't know it to be the one hundred per cent truth! You're going to absolutely fall in love with Billie Jean and everyone in this novel...

This is the most real-to-life love story I've ever read. But it should be billed as a love/thriller because it's got lots of action. As a stunt double that's what I like--ACTION! Love the strong (yet vulnerable) heroine! That nostalgic-appearing home on the cover drew me like a magnet. Reminded my of my own childhood home back in Georgia. The house drew me, but the Sloane family and the beautiful Billie Jean kept me reading! What a story! What an author!