Close-Up Talk Radio spotlights author B.D. Tharp

While the family has always been defined by a husband and wife and their children, today "non-traditional" families have become the norm. If you share in love and responsibility for each other, anyone can be your family.

B.D. Tharp is the author of Feisty Family Values. First published in 2010, the novel tells the story of cousins Regina, and Annabelle, along with their friend Tillie, make up an unlikely and unconventional family, to say the least. Wildly different personalities thrust together by circumstance; together the women confront abuse, illness and an unexpected surprise at their doorstep. Tharp’s compelling voice and rich characters have made the book a favorite among readers.

“When I started the book, I had no concept of who the characters were going to be, but they typically develop from people I know,” explains Tharp. “I had all these puzzle pieces I needed to put together. Annabelle is a composite of my grandmother and other mother figures in my life. I saw Feisty Family Values as an opportunity to explore a character who has a hard time standing up for herself.”

Indeed, the Baby Boomer Generation represents about 28 percent of our total population; thirty-eight million women just like Annabelle, many of them vulnerable to physical, emotional and financial abuse. Tharp’s experience as a reporter for Active Aging magazine inspired her to further examine the subject of elderly abuse, a recurring theme throughout Feisty Family Values.

“That kind of abuse is just not talked about,” says Tharp. “I felt very strongly about addressing this subject and making sure people become aware. I so admire cultures that revered their elderly. If we don’t respect and protect our elders, we can’t learn from them.”

Fans of Feisty Family Values will be excited to learn Tharp has completed her second novel, a sequel to Feisty Family Values, tentatively titled Patchwork Family, to be published in March of 2014. The novel picks up a year after the events of Feisty Family Values.

On revisiting her characters, Tharp says, they just weren’t done telling their stories.

“I liked the idea of looking at another character in the family and exploring how their lives had changed amidst all the upheaval. It’s a book forgiveness and tolerance. They’re each unique, they all have flaws, but they’re a family.”

Close-Up Talk Radio will feature B.D. Tharp in a four-part interview with Jim Masters on March 8th and March 15th at 4pm and with Doug Llewelyn on March 22nd and March 29th at 7pm EST.

Listen to the show www.blogtalkradio.com/closeuptalkradio. If you have a question for our guest, call (347) 996-3389.

For more information on B.D. Tharp, visit http://www.bdtharp.com.