For more than a decade, Betsy Iler was the voice behind the stories that defined the Lake Martin community. As the former editor-in-chief of LAKE and Lake Martin Living magazines, she chronicled the triumphs, the tragedies and the quiet beauty of Tallapoosa and Elmore counties.
But now, as she prepares for a new chapter in her life, Iler is stepping into a different role: that of a published novelist. Writing under the name Elizabeth St. Germain – a nod to her full legal name (Elizabeth St. Germain-Iler) – she has just released her debut novel, “Catching Her Heart.”
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm%96 3@@< :D >@C6 E92? ;FDE 2 C@>2?46j :E :D 2 =@G6 =6EE6C E@ E96 =2<6 2?5 E96 4@>>F?:EJ E92E x=6C 92D 42==65 9@>6 7@C E96 =2DE `c J62CD] k^Am
kAm“x 92G6 =:G65 :? p=6I2?56C r:EJ 7@C `c J62CD[ H9:49 :D E96 =@?86DE x 92G6 =:G65 2?JH96C6 :? >J H9@=6 =:76[” x=6C D2:5] “xE :D H@?56C7F=] x =@G6 E9:D A=246 – x =@G6 E96 E@H?[ x =@G6 E96 2C62[ x =@G6 E96 A6@A=6] x 42?’E D2J 6?@F89 9@H >F49 x 92G6 6?;@J65 =:G:?8 :? %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ]”k^Am
kAmx=6C’D A2E9 E@ 364@>:?8 2 ?@G6=:DE 3682? =@?8 367@C6 D96 2CC:G65 :? p=232>2] vC@H:?8 FA 2D E96 ?:?E9 @7 `b 49:=5C6?[ HC:E:?8 H2D 96C D2?4EF2CJ] k^Am
kAm“x? 2== E92E >2J96>[ >J 6D42A6 H2D C625:?8 2?5 HC:E:?8 DE@C:6D[” D96 D2:5] “x ;FDE 92G6 E9:D 23:=:EJ E@ 3=@4< E9:?8D @FE[ 2?5 D@ x 42? 86E :?E@ 2 3@@<] x 42? 86E :?E@ HC:E:?8 2 3@@<]”k^Am
kAm%92E ?2EFC2= :?4=:?2E:@? E@H2C5 DE@CJE6==:?8 6G6?EF2==J =65 96C E@ 2 568C66 :? ;@FC?2=:D> 7C@> }@CE96C? x==:?@:D &?:G6CD:EJ] pE E96 E:>6[ E96 7:6=5 H2D G2DE=J 5:776C6?E] k^Am
kAm“xE H2D 2 E:>6 H96? E96C6 H6C6 2=>@DE ?@ H@>6? :? ;@FC?2=:D>[” x=6C D2:5] k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 E96 492==6?86D[ D96 42CG65 @FE 2 DF446DD7F= 42C66C[ DE2CE:?8 2E E96 $2?5 |@F?E2:? #6A@CE6C 367@C6 7:?5:?8 96C ECF6 A2DD:@? :? >282K:?6 H@C<] uC@> 89@DEHC:E:?8 96:C=@@> D6H:?8 3@@<D E@ 42AEFC:?8 E96 9:DE@C:42= 6DD6?46 @7 >:5\`g__D 8@H?D :? k6>m$6H q62FE:7F= |282K:?6k^6>m[ x=6C 9@?65 E96 56D4C:AE:G6[ G:3C2?E DEJ=6 E92E ?@H 3C62E96D =:76 :?E@ 96C 7:4E:@? HC:E:?8]k^Am
kAm(96? D96 >@G65 E@ p=6I2?56C r:EJ[ 96C C6AFE2E:@? AC646565 96C] %9@F89 D96 :?:E:2==J 96D:E2E65 E@ C6EFC? E@ E96 72DE\A2465 H@C=5 @7 ?6HDA2A6CD H9:=6 36:?8 E96 H:76 @7 E96 =@42= tA:D4@A2= AC:6DE[ 2 42== 7C@> z6??6E9 q@@?6 H:E9 %2==2A@@D2 !F3=:D96CD[ x?4][ 492?865 6G6CJE9:?8] u@C J62CD[ D96 8F:565 E96 >282K:?6 56A2CE>6?E E9C@F89 D9:7ED :? E96 :?5FDECJ[ 7C@> E96 492==6?86D @7 r~'xs\`h E@ E96 6G@=FE:@? @7 DA64:2=EJ AF3=:42E:@?D]k^Am
kAmx?E6C6DE:?8=J[ “r2E49:?8 w6C w62CE” – E96 7:CDE 3@@< :? 2 7@FC\A2CE D6C:6D – H2D ?6G6C 24EF2==J :?E6?565 7@C E96 AF3=:4 6J6] p7E6C 564:5:?8 E@ C6E:C6 7C@> 96C 65:E@C:2= C@=6 E@ 7@4FD @? 96C 3F4<6E\=:DE 5C62> @7 HC:E:?8 2 ?@G6=[ x=6C 6?C@==65 :? E96 $E@CJ4C27E6C AC@8C2> 2E k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^?@G6=]24256>JQm?@G6=]24256>Jk^2m]k^Am
kAm“%9:D ?@G6= H2D ?6G6C DFAA@D65 E@ 36 AF3=:D965[” x=6C D2:5 H:E9 2 =2F89] “xE H2D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 >J AC24E:46 7@C E96 HC:E:?8 4=2DD E92E x H2D E2<:?8] x DE2CE H:E9 2 82>6 @7 ‘(92E :7]’ (92E :7 E96C6’D 2 H@>2? :? 2 D>2== E@H?[ 2?5 H92E :7 96C 3:8 492==6?86 :? =:76 :D E92E D96’D C2:D:?8 96C @CA92?65 3C@E96Cn p?5 E96? x ;FDE <6AE 255:?8 ‘H92E :7D]’”k^Am
Betsy Iler debuts her new novel, "Catching Her Heart"
Kenneth S Boone
kAmq642FD6 D96 H2D “=:G:?8[ 3C62E9:?8 2?5 D=66A:?8 k6>m{pztk^6>m >282K:?6[” E96 D6EE:?8 H2D 2 ?2EFC2= 7:E] %96 DE@CJ 7@==@HD 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 7:D96C>2?[ y2<6[ H9@ 2EE6>AED 2 D6=7=6DD 24E 7@C 2 8C:6G:?8 `f\J62C\@=5 3@J[ @?=J E@ 7:?5 9:>D6=7 2E @55D H:E9 E96 3@J’D @=56C D:DE6C 2?5 8F2C5:2?[ q6E9] pD E96J 4=2D9 @G6C E96 3@J’D 7FEFC6[ y2<6’D 2?5 q6E9’D >FEF2= C6D6?E>6?E D9:7ED :?E@ D@>6E9:?8 566A6C]k^Am
kAm%96 ?@G6=’D 324< 4@G6C[ 56D:8?65 3J p=6I2?56C r:EJ’D zC:DEJ $E66=6 @7 $E66=6 |2C<6E:?8[ 42AEFC6D E96 6DD6?46 @7 E9:D “72:E9\32D65[ 4=62?[ 4@?E6>A@C2CJ C@>2?46[” 762EFC:?8 2 ;F>A:?8 32DD E92E DJ>3@=:K6D 3@E9 E96 D6EE:?8 2?5 E96 6>@E:@?2= “42E49” 2E E96 46?E6C @7 E96 DE@CJ]k^Am
kAmx=6C’D HC:E:?8 AC@46DD :D 2 3=6?5 @7 >6E:4F=@FD A=2??:?8 2?5 566A 6>@E:@?2= :>>6CD:@?] $96 :D 2 D6=7\AC@4=2:>65 =@G6C @7 DAC625D966ED[ FD:?8 E96> E@ >2A @FE 6G6CJ D46?6[ 7C@> E96 :?4:E:?8 :?4:56?E 2?5 ?@3=6 BF6DE E@ E96 92AA:=J\6G6C\27E6C 6?5:?8[ 367@C6 D96 6G6C AFED A6? E@ A2A6C] qFE E96 C62= >28:4 92AA6?D :? 96C =@7E – 2 4@KJ[ ?2EFC2= =:89E\7:==65 2EE:4 C@@> :? E96 C64E@CJ[ 25@C?65 H:E9 8C66?6CJ 2?5 7=@C2=D] k^Am
kAm“q67@C6 x HC:E6 2 D46?6[ x 5@ 2 ;@FC?2= 6?ECJ HC:EE6? 3J E96 492C24E6C H9@D6 A@:?E @7 G:6H :E :D[ D@ x’> AF==:?8 @FE H92E E96J’C6 E9:?<:?8[ H92E E96J’C6 766=:?8 2?5 2== E96:C 6>@E:@?D :? :E[ D@ x 42? 3C:?8 E9@D6 E@ =:89E[” x=6C D2:5] k^Am
kAm%9:D 565:42E:@? E@ 492C24E6C 56AE9 :D C@@E65 :? 96C >:DD:@? 2D 2? 2FE9@C] k^Am
kAm“x H2?E E@ 6G@<6 6>@E:@? :? A6@A=6[” D96 D2:5] “x H2?E E@ 6?4@FC286 E96> E@ 5C62>] x H2?E E@ 6?4@FC286 E96> E@ 9@A6] x H2?E E96> E@ D66 v@5’D 92?5 :? E96:C =:G6D]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 x=6C :D AC6A2C:?8 E@ >@G6 :? =2E6 yF?6[ 96C 4@??64E:@? E@ p=6I2?56C r:EJ C6>2:?D F?3C62<23=6] %96 4@>>F?:EJ[ D96 D2:5[ AC@G:565 E96 4@?7:56?46 D96 ?66565 E@ 7:?2==J AF3=:D9]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 92G6 D92C65 E96:C DE@C:6D H:E9 >6 – E96:C 46=63C2E:@?D[ E96:C EC:F>A9D[ E96:C E@F89 E:>6D[” x=6C D2:5] k^Am
kAm$96 C642==65 :?E6CG:6H:?8 2 4@FA=6 H9@ =@DE E96:C 9@>6 :? E96 a_`` E@C?25@6D] k^Am
kAm“u@C E96> E@ C6=:G6 E96 E6CC@C 2?5 E96? E@ D92C6 E96 362FEJ @7 H92E E96J’G6 C63F:=E[ E92E C62==J 82G6 >6 2 =@E @7 4@?7:56?46[” x=6C D2:5] “p?5 x E9:?< 4@?7:56?46 :D C62==J D@>6E9:?8 J@F’G6 8@E E@ 92G6 E@ AF3=:D9 2 3@@<]”k^Am
kAm%9@F89 D96 92D =67E 96C A@D:E:@? 2E E96 >282K:?6D[ x=6C :D?’E 5@?6 E6==:?8 DE@C:6D] (:E9 E9C66 >@C6 3@@<D A=2??65 :? E96 D6C:6D – :?4=F5:?8 2 AC6BF6= E6==:?8 E96 DE@CJ @7 492C24E6CD z2EJ 2?5 |2C< – E96 “w62CE @7 {2<6 |2CE:?” H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 362E E9C@F89 96C HC:E:?8]k^Am
kAmpD x=6C AFE :E[ “{:76 :D 2 ;@FC?6J @7 =@G6 2?5 C6=2E:@?D9:AD[ 2?5 E92E :D H92E ECF=J >2EE6CD]” k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 96C ?@G6=D[ D96 6?DFC6D E96 C6=2E:@?D9:AD 2?5 DA:C:E @7 {2<6 |2CE:? H:== =:G6 @? 7@C C6256CD 6G6CJH96C6]k^Am
kAmx=6C’D 563FE ?@G6= :D 2G2:=23=6 :? AC:?E 2E k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^p>2K@?]4@>Qmp>2K@?]4@>k^2m[ AC:465 2E Sh]hh[ 2?5 7C66 E@ z:?5=6 &?=:>:E65 >6>36CD] $96 :D 2G2:=23=6 7@C 3@@< 4=F3 5:D4FDD:@?D[ 2D H6==] u@C >@C6 :?7@C>2E:@? @? FA4@>:?8 C6=62D6D 2?5 6G6?ED[ G:D:E k2 E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^6=:K236E9DE86C>2:?HC:E6D]4@>Qm6=:K236E9DE86C>2:?HC:E6D]4@>k^2m]k^Am
