Stayton author Patricia Betters has just released a trilogy of her writings, including Oink, A Love Story, Oink and the Willow House, and her newest book Oink’s Friend, Jack.
The three books, collectively known as The Adventures of Oink, are based on her childhood growing up on the family’s ranch in the 1940s and 1950s with her animal friends, Oink the pig, Tippy the sheepdog, and Dizzy the rooster. Riding her horse, Babe, to school each day, milking Maude the cow, and bringing in the cows from the pasture while being watched by the local mountain lion are a few of her adventures, according to her bio on Amazon, where her books are available for purchase.
Betters will host her second book signing and sale on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the lobby of Cascade Assisted Living in Stayton, where she now resides. She will autograph each copy of the 100-page hardcover book that reveals glimpses of her childhood in Colorado. The compilation of Oink stories was illustrated by her daughter, Michelle Kamrath.
“When I do a book signing, many children ask me about the animals and how I feel about them,” Betters said. “They are so excited to meet me, the author, and wonder if my stories are true. I tell them I grew up on a farm and talked to all my animal friends. I tell them when I am quiet, I can tell how they feel. Some children have said they like reading one story each night until they finish the book.
“A grandmother of a two-year-old boy told me after she read him the book, he walked around and said, ‘Oink, Oink, Oink,’” she added. “Another little boy received it for his birthday and read the whole thing to those at his party before he opened any other presents.”
Betters’ family moved to Oregon in 1961, where she settled down and raised her own family, initially working in the correctional system and later as a vocational rehab counselor. Once retired, she was inspired to write about Oink and friends for her grandchildren so they might know how she grew up in a time very unlike today, according to her short biography.
Since her stories are based on growing up on the family farm, Betters said she has many more stories she has not gotten around to writing yet. Meanwhile, she said she is very excited to share her new book with a new generation of kids.
“I like the way it looks and how the full color pages show all the animals,” she said. “The kids seem to really enjoy it being a hardcover because they tuck it under their arms and take it with them.”
The compilation of her three softcover Oink tales puts all together in chronological order, providing her fans with a hardcover keepsake, Betters said.
