As the old saying goes, “authors write what they know.” This could not be more true for Beth Albright, Tuscaloosa native and University of Alabama graduate, whose new book series “The Sassy Belles” depicts life in Tuscaloosa, from its glamorous Southern charm to Crimson Tide football.
“I grew up in Tuscaloosa and graduated from The University of Alabama,” Albright said. “I wrote the first book of the series during a nostalgic time in my life. I had followed my husband to a job out of state and had to close my acting school, and I found myself homesick for Tuscaloosa and the smart, sassy women who raised me.”
Albright’s brother, Bruce Albright, said she always had a “flair for drama and telling stories.” Not only is “The Sassy Belles” based in her hometown, but the books are littered with influences from Albright’s own life. Several of her characters are based on her own family, friends and old boyfriends, while some of the funny scenes in the books are flashbacks and anecdotal stories from her own life, she said.
“My mom is kind of crazy and unconventional,” Albright said. “One time when I was in seventh grade, I was eating a piece of toast in the car, and the crumbs were going everywhere. I told my mom that I wished I had a plate, and she just pulled one out of her purse. Looking back, it was such a funny, unique experience, so I included it in my book.”
Albright’s mother did more than simply inspire a scene in her daughter’s book. Albright attributes her mother’s encouragement as the impetus that inspired her to finish the first installment of the trilogy.
“I began writing ‘The Sassy Belles’ in 2004 simply for my own sanity,” Albright said. “I would email parts of it to my mom, but I wasn’t serious about finishing it. Eventually, she told me that if I would finish the book, she would pay to send me to the writers’ conference, which is the best way to get books published. I couldn’t afford to go on my own, so I finished the book as my mom’s Christmas present in 2010.”
Now, her books are representing a lesser-known genre in modern literature.
“I would describe ‘The Sassy Belles’ as ‘Sex and the City’ meets ‘Steel Magnolias,’” Albright said. “The books feature strong, employed women who are fashionable and glamorous, yet funny and relatable.”
Albright does not only cater to the female audience with her trilogy. Albright, whose grandfather was a play-by-play announcer for Crimson Tide football, said she could not write books set in Tuscaloosa without including one of the most prevalent aspects of its culture: football.
Growing up in Tuscaloosa and attending the University, Albright is no stranger to football culture. One of her favorite aspects about Tuscaloosa was seeing the town come alive on game day, she said.
All in all, Albright said her main goal with the books is to make people laugh.
“The country is in a state where we really need to laugh,” Nancy Berland, Albright’s publicist, said. “We’re fed up with the government and financial hardship. We need books that will make us laugh, and [Albright] definitely provides that.”
“The Sassy Belles,” “Wedding Belles” and “Sleigh Belles” can be purchased from Barnes & Noble, Amazon and eReaders.
