An interesting and often amusing collection of over 850 sayings and proverbs from the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Explanations include references to a bygone lifestyle and to the history of sayings that settlers brought with them from the British Isles. If you've ever...  more

An interesting and often amusing collection of over 850 sayings and proverbs from the Southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Explanations include references to a bygone lifestyle and to the history of sayings that settlers brought with them from the British Isles. If you've ever wondered where phrases like these came from, this is the book for you: "It's raining cats and dogs," "As poor as a church mouse," "Letting the cat out of the bag," "Spilling the beans," "Saved by the bell," "Kicked the bucket," "Pulling the wool over someone's eyes," "A pig in a poke," "Knock on wood," "Between a rock and a hard place," "Not enough room to swing a cat," "Beyond the pale," "Son of a gun," "Getting someone's goat," "The whole ball of wax," "Saving face," "Get it by hook or crook," "Reading the riot act," and many, many more.

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk loses all her worldly possessions thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motor court on Tybee Island?an eccentric beach town that calls...  more

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk loses all her worldly possessions thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motor court on Tybee Island?an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem. Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn't normally be caught dead but, with no alternative, she moves into the manager's unit, vowing to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the cantankerous caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who's trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry and BeBe's junking friend Weezie, she soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests. Then there's a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. She puts together a posse, and with the irrepressible Granddaddy Loudermilk snoring in the backseat of the Buick, heads south. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but that, with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe's fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who's looking more hunky every day, will finally get his boat back.

In this national bestseller, Bailey White--whose accounts of Southern eccentricity have enchanted millions of listeners to National Public Radio--offers a humorous, touching, story-filled memoir of her home in south Georgia. Welcome to the unique world of Bailey White. Her aunt Belle may...  more

In this national bestseller, Bailey White--whose accounts of Southern eccentricity have enchanted millions of listeners to National Public Radio--offers a humorous, touching, story-filled memoir of her home in south Georgia. Welcome to the unique world of Bailey White. Her aunt Belle may take you to see the alligator she's taught to bellow on command. Her uncle Jimbuddy may appall you with his knack for losing pieces of himself. Most of all, you may succumb utterly to the charms of Bailey's mama--who may take you to Rosey's, a North Florida juke joint so raunchy it scared Ernest Hemingway, and then tuck you into an antique bed that has the disconcerting habit of folding up on people while they're asleep. Bailey White's indelible vignettes of Southern eccentricity have entranced the millions who have heard her read them on National Public Radio. And now she has written Mama Makes Up Her Mind, a book that is as sweetly intoxicating as a mint julep and as invigorating as a walk in Bailey's own overgrown garden.

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk has lost all her worldly possessions, thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motel on Tybee Island -- an eccentric beach...  more

Southern belle BeBe Loudermilk has lost all her worldly possessions, thanks to a brief but disastrous relationship with the gorgeous Reddy, an "investment counselor" who turns out to be a con man. All that's left is a ramshackle 1950s motel on Tybee Island -- an eccentric beach town that calls itself a drinking village with a fishing problem. Breeze Inn is a place where the very classy BeBe wouldn't normally be caught dead, but with no alternative, she moves into the manager's unit, vowing to make magic out of mud. The work is grueling, especially dealing with the bad-tempered caretaker, a fishing captain named Harry who's trying to earn enough dough to get his boat out of hock. With the help of Harry and her junking friend Weezie, BeBe soon has the motel spiffed up and attracting paying guests. Then there's a sighting of Reddy in Fort Lauderdale, and BeBe decides to go after him. She puts together a posse, and with the irrepressible Granddaddy Loudermilk snoring in the backseat of the Buick, heads south. The plan is to carry out a sting that may be just a little bit outside the law but that, with any luck at all, will retrieve BeBe's fortune and put the dastardly Reddy in jail, where he belongs. And maybe Harry, who's looking more hunky every day, will finally get his boat back.

Broke, with their furniture piled into a trailer, Lila Mae Wooten and her four kids hit the road in a 1953 Packard, en route to a land of movie stars, swimming pools, and their share of the American Dream. For the Wootens, heading for the Golden State--and Lila Mae's husband, Roy -- by way...  more

Broke, with their furniture piled into a trailer, Lila Mae Wooten and her four kids hit the road in a 1953 Packard, en route to a land of movie stars, swimming pools, and their share of the American Dream. For the Wootens, heading for the Golden State--and Lila Mae's husband, Roy -- by way of Alabama, Louisiana, and Minnesota, there's no such thing as a direct route. Especially when they meet Juanita Featherhorse and her pyromaniacal son, Benny. Soon they're all driving toward the Grand Canyon by way of a secret route only Juanita knows. Before they know it, Lila Mae, her children, her trailer, and a car loaded full of magazines, banana peels, paraffin lips, and underwear are balanced on the edge of a steep cliff -- with everyone hanging on for dear life. An ode to the American highway as it once was, Dreaming Southern is a novel for anyone who has yearned for the exhilaration and uncertainty of the open road, been lulled by the rhythm of windshield wipers on a rainy western highway, seen the stars above the prairie, smelled roses on a summer night, and sung along with a radio's fading love song. It is for anyone who has felt the thrill of leaving everything behind -- and the promise of a new life waiting just around the next bend.

Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena collects a bevy of wise, witty, often hilarious essays by the inimitably charming, staunchly Southern Julia Reed. In classic Dixie storytelling fashion, Reed wends her way through the South—from politics, religion, and women to...  more

Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena collects a bevy of wise, witty, often hilarious essays by the inimitably charming, staunchly Southern Julia Reed. In classic Dixie storytelling fashion, Reed wends her way through the South—from politics, religion, and women to weather, pestilence, guns, and what she calls “drinking and other Southern pursuits”—with a rare blend of literary elegance and plainspoken humor. To hear Reed tell it, the South is another country. She builds an entertaining and persuasive case, using as examples everything from its unfathomable codes of conduct to its disciplined fashion sense. When a bemused Reed once commented on the cross-dressing get-ups of an upstanding community member, her austere grandfather said, “He’s been wearing them lately. Now come on.” A friend of her aunt’s merely said, “I wonder where he gets his shoes. I can’t ever ?nd good-looking shoes in Nashville.” Southern food, of course, is an entire world apart: gumbo, grits, greens, okra, chess pie, Lady Baltimore cake, and Frito chili pie make memorable appearances in Reed’s stories, which will amuse, delight, and even explain a thing or two to baffed Yankees everywhere. Mysterious ways -- Eat here -- Trigger happiness -- To live and die in Dixie -- Lady killers -- American beauty -- Southern fashion explained -- Cat fight -- Whiskey weather -- On soggy ground -- The real first lady -- George Jones, Inc. -- Tender mercies -- Tough love -- Queen for a day -- Miss Scarlett -- Member of the club -- License to kill -- Bird song -- A plague on our houses -- That's entertainment! -- The morning after -- Snake world -- Color me red -- A reader's guide

Not only do Southerners talk slowly, but sometimes the whole language is hard to understand. No one realizes that more than Memphis belle Leelee Satterfield. Since she debuted in Whistlin? Dixie in a Nor?easter, Leelee has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching her tackle life and...  more

Not only do Southerners talk slowly, but sometimes the whole language is hard to understand. No one realizes that more than Memphis belle Leelee Satterfield. Since she debuted in Whistlin? Dixie in a Nor?easter, Leelee has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching her tackle life and love in Vermont was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to antics, charades, mischief, and romance. Now that she?s back in Memphis, and starting a new relationship with Peter, the Yankee chef from her New England inn, you?d think she?d sit back and enjoy her newly crafted life back home in Dixie. But that just wouldn?t be as much fun.Opening up a new restaurant with Peter isn?t as easy as she had anticipated, especially when it comes to the differences between the North and the South. When Leelee?s ex-husband, Baker, returns unexpectedly, everything else goes haywire. Throw her three crazy best friends into the mix; Riley, her meddlesome next-door neighbor who sells Pampered Chef for a living; and Kissie, Leelee?s beloved second mother who claims Riley sits on her ?last raw nerve,? and you have the perfect recipe for a sassy, Southern delicacy.Lisa Patton's Southern as a Second Language is an endearing and chuckle-inducing tale that keeps us guessing up to the very last page how it all works out in the end. Whether among maple trees in Vermont or magnolia-filled Memphis, Leelee?s charm, heart, and laughter will delight readers in any climate.

The bestselling author of Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! returns with more helpful how-to's and keen observations from Dixie. Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television's All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from...  more

The bestselling author of Suck Your Stomach In & Put Some Color On! returns with more helpful how-to's and keen observations from Dixie. Guided by principles from the ancient Belle Doctrine, the host of radio and television's All Things Southern offers down-home advice on everything from health and fitness-managing thy caloric calculations without going Straight Running Crazy and surviving the Raging Inferno Syndrome (aka hot flashes)-to the Southern art of handling your man (Bubba Whispering). Whether giving business tips or debunking the Big Boned Theory, making political observations or celebrating the inevitable resurgence of big hair, Shellie is an adviser women can relate to and laugh with regardless of their age or which side of the Mason-Dixon they call home.

Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady is Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose...  more

Confessions of a Failed Southern Lady is Florence King's classic memoir of her upbringing in an eccentric Southern family, told with all the uproarious wit and gusto that has made her one of the most admired writers in the country. Florence may have been a disappointment to her Granny, whose dream of rearing a Perfect Southern Lady would never be quite fulfilled. But after all, as Florence reminds us, "no matter which sex I went to bed with, I never smoked on the street."

Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true...  more

Nestled on the shore of Lake Sackett, Georgia is the McCready Family Funeral Home and Bait Shop. (What, you have a problem with one-stop shopping?) Two McCready brothers started two separate businesses in the same building back in 1928, and now it’s become one big family affair. And true to form in small Southern towns, family business becomes everybody’s business. Margot Cary has spent her life immersed in everything Lake Sackett is not. As an elite event planner, Margot’s rubbed elbows with the cream of Chicago society, and made elegance and glamour her business. She’s riding high until one event goes tragically, spectacularly wrong. Now she’s blackballed by the gala set and in dire need of a fresh start—and apparently the McCreadys are in need of an event planner with a tarnished reputation. As Margot finds her footing in a town where everybody knows not only your name, but what you had for dinner last Saturday night and what you’ll wear to church on Sunday morning, she grudgingly has to admit that there are some things Lake Sackett does better than Chicago—including the dating prospects. Elementary school principal Kyle Archer is a fellow fish-out-of-water who volunteers to show Margot the picture-postcard side of Southern living. The two of them hit it off, but not everybody is happy to see an outsider snapping up one of the town's most eligible gentleman. Will Margot reel in her handsome fish, or will she have to release her latest catch?

From the celebrated bestselling author of All Over but the Shoutin' and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Rick Bragg, comes a poignant and wryly funny collection of essays on life in the south.  Keenly observed and written with his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, he...  more

From the celebrated bestselling author of All Over but the Shoutin' and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Rick Bragg, comes a poignant and wryly funny collection of essays on life in the south.  Keenly observed and written with his insightful and deadpan sense of humor, he explores enduring Southern truths about home, place, spirit, table, and the regions' varied geographies, including his native Alabama, Cajun country, and the Gulf Coast. Everything is explored, from regional obsessions from college football and fishing, to mayonnaise and spoonbread, to the simple beauty of a fish on the hook. Collected from over a decade of his writing, with many never-before-published essays written specifically for this edition, My Southern Journey is an entertaining and engaging read, especially for Southerners (or feel Southern at heart) and anyone who appreciates great writing. Contents: Introduction: Home. The roses of Fairhope ; Mama always said ... choose your words carefully ; My brother's garden ; Pretty girl ; Crazy cat lady ; The porch ; Take your medicine, boy ; Time for the year's best nap ; My time machine ; All-night gospel; Saving face ; Endless summer ; Happy as a pig ; Red dirt -- Table. For a vegetable, I'll have white gravy ; Back to the bayou ; Traveling food ; Fully dressed ; Your first oyster ; Bad slaw; Never-ending Grace ; The plane truth ; Magic on the plate ; Seasoned in the South ; Summer snow ; The impossible turkey ; Honor thy matriarch ; Requiem for a fish sandwich -- Place. South toward home ; What stands in a storm ; No place like home ; Trade day ; Lost in the dark ; The eternal gulf ; Donkey business ; Armadillo ; Dixie snow ; Merry and bright ; Shopping ; My kind of town ; The lost gulf ; The Yankee mystique ; Cotton ; Stillness -- Craft. Why I write about home ; The fine art of piddling ; The color of words ; The blank notebook ; Fish story ; The quill and the mule ; Words on paper ; Wood, paint, nails, and soul ; Grandpa was a carpenter ; Stuck for good -- Spirit. Down here ; For the love of the game ; All Saint's Day ; When fireworks go South ; O Christmas Tree ; Wheels of time; The gift of loafering ; Holiday lies ; O Christmas Sock ; Cowboys are her weakness ; A cast of characters ; Nick of time; 109 yards returned, two points denied, and one twist left in the road ; Long time coming ; Born too late

An Atlanta ex-cop comes to sleepy Lake Sackett, Georgia, seeking peace and quiet -- but he hasn’t bargained on falling for Frankie, the cutest coroner he’s ever met. Frankie McCready talks to dead people. Not like a ghost whisperer or anything -- but it seems rude to embalm them...  more

An Atlanta ex-cop comes to sleepy Lake Sackett, Georgia, seeking peace and quiet -- but he hasn’t bargained on falling for Frankie, the cutest coroner he’s ever met. Frankie McCready talks to dead people. Not like a ghost whisperer or anything -- but it seems rude to embalm them and not at least say hello. Fortunately, at the McCready Family Funeral Home & Bait Shop, Frankie’s eccentricities fit right in. Lake Sackett’s embalmer and county coroner, Frankie’s goth styling and passion for nerd culture mean she’s not your typical Southern girl, but the McCreadys are hardly your typical Southern family. Led by Great-Aunt Tootie, the gambling, boozing, dog-collecting matriarch of the family, everyone looks out for one another -- which usually means getting up in everyone else’s business. Maybe that’s why Frankie is so fascinated by new sheriff Eric Linden...a recent transplant from Atlanta, he sees a homicide in every hunting accident or boat crash, which seems a little paranoid for this sleepy tourist town. What’s he so worried about? And what kind of cop can get a job with the Atlanta PD but can’t stand to look at a dead body? Frankie has other questions that need answering first -- namely, who’s behind the recent break-in attempts at the funeral home, and how can she stop them? This one really does seem like a job for the sheriff -- and as Frankie and Eric do their best Scooby-Doo impressions to catch their man, they get closer to spilling some secrets they thought were buried forever.

Set in the steamy, stormy landscape of South Carolina, Sullivan's Island marks the debut of an exquisitely talented writer--and tells the unforgettable story of one woman's courageous journey toward truth. Born and raised on idyllic Sullivan's Island, Susan Hayes navigated through...  more

Set in the steamy, stormy landscape of South Carolina, Sullivan's Island marks the debut of an exquisitely talented writer--and tells the unforgettable story of one woman's courageous journey toward truth. Born and raised on idyllic Sullivan's Island, Susan Hayes navigated through her turbulent childhood with humor, spunk, and characteristic Southern sass. But years later, she is a conflicted woman with an unfaithful husband, a sometimes resentful teenage daughter, and a heart that aches with painful, poignant memories. And as Susan faces her uncertain future, she realizes that she must go back to her past. To the beachfront house where her sister welcomes her with open arms. To a place haunted by long-held secrets and devastating betrayals. To the only place she can truly call home... "A moving story of family, of love, of place and heritage and home. Ms. Frank's evocation of the Lowcountry rivals that of Anne Rivers Siddons and Pat Conroy both, but this tale of island life is uniquely her own."--Bret Lott "A passionate, true-to-life, spit-fire tale of reconciliation and redemption."--Fern Michaels "Achingly real."--Anne Rivers Siddons "Hilarious and wise."--Pat Conroy "Southern womanhood has found a new voice."--John Berendt

There?s a Possum in the House is a close-up look inside a southern trailer park and the people who live there. Hilarious throughout, yet sometimes poignant, it draws you into the world of one of the most misunderstood and often maligned cultures of the South. As presented in these pages, the...  more

There?s a Possum in the House is a close-up look inside a southern trailer park and the people who live there. Hilarious throughout, yet sometimes poignant, it draws you into the world of one of the most misunderstood and often maligned cultures of the South. As presented in these pages, the characters will entertain you immensely and perhaps give you a new perspective on a very old cliché. There?s a Possum in the House is a diary of daily living that has to be experienced to be understood. The warm and funny tales that keep you laughing from beginning to end will help answer the age-old questions: What do rent and car bumpers have in common? How do you get a sofa through a window? Does winning the lottery make you rich? How do you use duct tape? Can you rewire a trailer with an extension cord? Do you know the difference between a redneck and a good ole boy? There?s a Possum is the House is a collection of true stories that you will remember and chuckle about for a long time to come.

This delightful collection of short stories from acclaimed writer, Susan Gabriel (The Secret Sense of Wildflower, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012 and Amazon #1 bestseller), is rich in humor, as well as mystery and meaning. Whether white or black, living or dead, down home country or upscale...  more

This delightful collection of short stories from acclaimed writer, Susan Gabriel (The Secret Sense of Wildflower, a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2012 and Amazon #1 bestseller), is rich in humor, as well as mystery and meaning. Whether white or black, living or dead, down home country or upscale urban, Gabriel's characters are quirky, poignant and deep. They include: A Gullah woman using folk magic to cast her latest spell. A girl coming-of-age dealing with death in 1940s Tennessee. A wealthy Savannah matriarch with gastrointestinal issues guarding family secrets. A good ol' boy observing himself shortly after his death. An agoraphobic woman striking up a unique friendship with the girl across the street. And a band of seventy-year-olds finding healing in a mountain stream. Written in the tradition of Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty, the eight short stories in Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories are all rooted in the southern landscape-from the steamy coast of Georgia, to the current day Atlanta suburbs, to the ancient Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Pull up a rocker on the front porch, take a sip of your sweet iced tea and lose yourself in these original stories of soulful southerners and their sultry landscape.

A witchin' new series from USA Today bestselling author A. GARDNER! Ember Greene, savvy businesswoman and troubled psychic, returns to her family's bakery in southern Alabama after her sister mysteriously disappears. The magical folks of Misty Key have always lived in harmony. But that all...  more

A witchin' new series from USA Today bestselling author A. GARDNER! Ember Greene, savvy businesswoman and troubled psychic, returns to her family's bakery in southern Alabama after her sister mysteriously disappears. The magical folks of Misty Key have always lived in harmony. But that all changes when a maid at the local hotel is murdered, and a rogue witch is to blame. Desperate to find her sister and keep the peace in her hometown, Ember channels her psychic gifts to solve the case. Although, balancing psychic abilities, family drama, and a corporate job in NYC is easier said than done. Her search takes her from the gulf coast to gator-ridden swamps, and with the help of a cynical medium, a hopeless shifter, and a bloodhound named Yogi, she learns that Misty Key is the heart of a supernatural experiment - one that could destroy Misty Key and all of its inhabitants. Will Ember find her sister and stop a magical serial killer before she loses everything? Book 1 in the Southern Psychic Sisters mystery series! A light-hearted cozy mystery featuring quirky small-town characters, magic, and recipes. This book does not contain cliffhangers, graphic violence, gore, or profanity.

By turns hilarious and poignant, the lives of three vibrant and unique Southern women -- a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper's young daughter -- intersect in unexpected and extraordinary ways in this richly compelling debut novel of family,...  more

By turns hilarious and poignant, the lives of three vibrant and unique Southern women -- a proper Atlanta matron, her rebellious teenage daughter, and their housekeeper's young daughter -- intersect in unexpected and extraordinary ways in this richly compelling debut novel of family, friendship, and folly.

Set in the steamy, stormy landscape of South Carolina, Sullivan's Island tells the unforgettable story of one woman's courageous journey toward truth. Born and raised on idyllic Sullivan's Island, Susan Hayes navigated through her turbulent childhood with humor, spunk, and...  more

Set in the steamy, stormy landscape of South Carolina, Sullivan's Island tells the unforgettable story of one woman's courageous journey toward truth. Born and raised on idyllic Sullivan's Island, Susan Hayes navigated through her turbulent childhood with humor, spunk, and characteristic Southern sass. But years later, she is a conflicted woman with an unfaithful husband, a sometimes resentful teenage daughter, and a heart that aches with painful, poignant memories. And as Susan faces her uncertain future, she realizes that she must go back to her past. To the beachfront house where her sister welcomes her with open arms. To the only place she can truly call home.

Mary Alice has spared nothing for her only daughter's wedding -- from seventy-five yards of bridal train to gourmet food for over three hundred guests and enough glittering elegance to make Mary Alice think about finding herself a fourth rich husband to pay for it all. Practical Patricia...  more

Mary Alice has spared nothing for her only daughter's wedding -- from seventy-five yards of bridal train to gourmet food for over three hundred guests and enough glittering elegance to make Mary Alice think about finding herself a fourth rich husband to pay for it all. Practical Patricia Anne has put away her aunt-of-the-bride blue chiffon and settled back into domesticity when fun-loving Mary Alice calls to say they have a post-wedding date with a genealogist from the groom's side of the family. Lunch is a fascinating lesson on the hazards of finding dirty linens in ancestral boudoirs that ends abruptly when their guest scurries off with the local judge, leaving the sisters with their mouths open -- and finishing their luncheon companion's cheesecake -- when the police arrive. Their mysterious guest has taken a plunge from the ninth floor of the courthouse building -- an apparent suicide. But given the scandals a nosy genealogist might have uncovered, the sisters are betting that some proud Southern family is making sure their shameful secrets stay buried. . .along with anyone who tries to dig them up.

The Greene sisters are back in this witchin' new series from USA Today bestselling author A. GARDNER! Kill 'em with kindness . . . or just kill 'em. A simple act of southern hospitality pulls Ember Greene into a murder investigation when she finds her new neighbor, a vampire exec at Corpse...  more

The Greene sisters are back in this witchin' new series from USA Today bestselling author A. GARDNER! Kill 'em with kindness . . . or just kill 'em. A simple act of southern hospitality pulls Ember Greene into a murder investigation when she finds her new neighbor, a vampire exec at Corpse Corp., dead. And the mysterious wound that killed him points to someone she least suspects. The coastal town of Misty Key is in a frenzy with the annual craft fair approaching, a ghastly remodel at the Crystal Grande Hotel, and a Peeping Tom haunting the streets at night. But with the family bakery struggling to stay afloat, Ember doesn't have time for gossip. Until her friend is framed for murder. To save an innocent soul, she enlists the help of a bloodhound named Yogi and her sister who sees the dead and uses her psychic gifts to snuff out the real killer. Something isn't right in the magical world, and a trail of clues leads her to another victim ? one with a secret worth dying for. Can Ember catch the murderer and save the family bakery? Book 2 in the Southern Psychic Sisters mystery series! A light-hearted cozy mystery featuring quirky small-town characters, magic, and recipes. This book does not contain cliffhangers, graphic violence, gore, or profanity.

First husbands, second chances… When you think the past is over and done and when you believe you've moved on in life, there's no harm in catching a little spring fever... is there? In bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews's Spring Fever,  Annajane Hudgens truly believes...  more

First husbands, second chances… When you think the past is over and done and when you believe you've moved on in life, there's no harm in catching a little spring fever... is there? In bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews's Spring Fever,  Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless.  They've been divorced for four years, she's engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she's ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history.  She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia.  Celia: the woman everyone in town adores. Everyone, that is, except for Annajane and her lifelong best friend, Pauline 'Pokey' Bayless. But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she's been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason.  And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back.  But there are secrets afoot in this small Southern town.  Passcoe, North Carolina, is the home of Quixie cherry soda, and the company has been in the Bayless family for generations.  Change is on the horizon, however, and even though anyone born in Passcoe is raised on cherry soda and its mascot, Dixie the Quixie Pixie, things are most definitely not going to be the same for long.  In the peaceful and shady lanes of Passcoe, Annajane discovers that change can bring out the worst in people and uncover family scandals.  And even though there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness could be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy little lake town could be in her future.  That is, if she can find out what she's really made of and what really matters most to her.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and Savannah was breezy But there's trouble afoot -- and it's heading toward Weezie. Seems BeBe’s been holding a big secret back that would make Santa’s reindeer stop dead in their tracks. Can these two best friends wriggle out of...  more

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and Savannah was breezy But there's trouble afoot -- and it's heading toward Weezie. Seems BeBe’s been holding a big secret back that would make Santa’s reindeer stop dead in their tracks. Can these two best friends wriggle out of these twists? Will they do it in time to ensure CHRISTMAS BLISS?

From Publishers Weekly: After five nonfiction bestsellers, Browne leaps into fiction (with assistance by Bottom Dollar Girls creator Karin Gillespie) and delivers a GEN-U-WINE page-turner of a novel. Fans won't be surprised that Browne's combination of bawdy humor and self-empowerment...  more

From Publishers Weekly: After five nonfiction bestsellers, Browne leaps into fiction (with assistance by Bottom Dollar Girls creator Karin Gillespie) and delivers a GEN-U-WINE page-turner of a novel. Fans won't be surprised that Browne's combination of bawdy humor and self-empowerment affirmations easily translates in novel form. An unexpected delight is how deftly Browne creates fully dimensional supporting characters surrounding her first-person narrator, Jill Connor. (In her nonfiction adventures, all the other queens are named Tammy and intentionally blend together.) Beginning in 1968 with five high school misfits thrown together, Browne traces the core members of the Sweet Potato Queens through two decades of weddings, funerals and disastrous relationships. While readers learn the origins of "The Promise" and the motto "Never wear panties to a party," Browne also invents some new lingo (tyrants at work are "bossholes" and men adept in bed "know about the little man in the boat"). Fans of the Queen's artery-choking recipes are in luck; after the final chapter, Browne offers menu items from Rest in Peace, a restaurant the Queens would love to open that would only serve food found at Southern funerals. Browne's hilarious and heartwarming debut sets sturdy groundwork for future fictional follies. (Jan.) Copyright ? Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From Booklist Browne's Sweet Potato Queen advice books on love, divorce, and cooking have found a wide audience in readers who appreciate the Queens' sassy southern charm. With coauthor Gillespie, Browne turns to fiction for the first time to share lives and loves of the Queens. Jill, Mary Bennett, Patsy, and Gerald are united by their outsider status in high school. When Tammy, a beautiful but insecure redhead, moves into town and is humiliated by the in-crowd, Jill and company form the Tammy Club to bolster her spirits. The five enter the homecoming parade in wild dresses and red wigs, but a misprint on their sign (it reads Yammy instead of Tammy) leads to the five rechristening themselves the Sweet Potato Queens. The groups' friendships last for decades, despite distance and differences of opinion. Mary Bennett pursues fame on the coasts, Gerald comes to terms with his sexuality, and Tammy marries. But not everything is rosy. Mary Bennett finds success as a soap actress at the expense of the love of her life, Jill finds a man who proves too good to be true, and Tammy's insecurities lead to infidelities. Spirited and brazen, the Queens are good company. Kristine Huntley

Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand bookstore, is shocked to hear talk about her husband, Max, and a beautiful blonde. By the time she's faced down a hostile police chief and bailed Max out of the Chastain, South Carolina, jail, the lady has vanished and Max is the prime suspect in an...  more

Annie Darling, owner of the Death on Demand bookstore, is shocked to hear talk about her husband, Max, and a beautiful blonde. By the time she's faced down a hostile police chief and bailed Max out of the Chastain, South Carolina, jail, the lady has vanished and Max is the prime suspect in an unspecified crime. The baffling, bloodstained trail leads straight to the doorstep of Tarrant House, home of a venerable Southern family with a violent history dating back to the Revolution--and ghosts of a far more recent vintage.

Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia's late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and...  more

Miss Julia, a recently bereaved and newly wealthy widow, is only slightly bemused when one Hazel Marie Puckett appears at her door with a youngster in tow and unceremoniously announces that the child is the bastard son of Miss Julia's late husband. Suddenly, this longtime church member and pillar of her small Southern community finds herself in the center of an unseemly scandal-and the guardian of a wan nine-year-old whose mere presence turns her life upside down. With razor-sharp wit and perfect "Steel Magnolia" poise, Miss Julia speaks her mind indeed-about a robbery, a kidnapping, and the other disgraceful events precipitated by her husband's death. Fast-paced and charming, with a sure sense of comic drama, a cast of crazy characters, and a strong Southern cadence, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind will delight readers from first page to last.

In a suburban Atlanta neighborhood where divorce is as rampant as kudzu, Mary Bliss McGowan doesn't notice that her own marriage is in trouble until the summer night she finds a note from her husband, telling her he's gone -- and taken the family fortune with him. Stunned and...  more

In a suburban Atlanta neighborhood where divorce is as rampant as kudzu, Mary Bliss McGowan doesn't notice that her own marriage is in trouble until the summer night she finds a note from her husband, telling her he's gone -- and taken the family fortune with him. Stunned and humiliated, a desperate Mary Bliss, left behind with her seventeen-year-old daughter, Erin, and a mountain of debt, decides to salvage what's left of her life by telling one little bitty lie. At first, Mary Bliss simply tells friends and family that Parker is out of town on a consulting job. Then the lies start to snowball, until Parker turns up dead. Or does he? Mary Bliss's formerly staid existence careens into overdrive as she copes with an oversexed teenager, a mother-in-law with Ethel Merman delusions, and the sudden but delicious shock of finding herself pursued by two men: the next-door neighbor who's looking for a suitable second wife, and a dangerously attractive ex-cop who's looking for the truth about Parker McGowan. Little Bitty Lies is a comic Southern novel about all the important things in life: marriage and divorce, mothers and daughters, friendship and betrayal, small-town secrets, and one woman's lifelong quest for home -- and the perfect recipe for chicken salad.

Three sisters reunite on Sullivan?s Island off the coast of South Carolina after years of separation in this heartwarming first novel in a new trilogy from a beloved author.Eighty-year-old Marietta Muir is a dowager of Charleston society who has retired to her historic summer home on Sullivan?s...  more

Three sisters reunite on Sullivan?s Island off the coast of South Carolina after years of separation in this heartwarming first novel in a new trilogy from a beloved author.Eighty-year-old Marietta Muir is a dowager of Charleston society who has retired to her historic summer home on Sullivan?s Island. At the onset of summer, Marietta, ?Mamaw,? seeks to gather her three granddaughters?Carson, Eudora, and Harper?with the intent to reunite them after years apart. Monroe explores the depths and complexities of sisterhood, friendship and the power of forgiveness. The Summer Girls is a perfect beach read and anyone who ?enjoys such fine southern voices as Pat Conroy will add the talented Monroe to their list of favorites? (Booklist).

In this delectable novel complete with recipes Jennifer Ross frosts a sweet story of a young woman fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.   In Ansley Waller’s world of Southern belles and gentlemen, getting a diamond ring isn’t just important it’s the...  more

In this delectable novel complete with recipes Jennifer Ross frosts a sweet story of a young woman fulfilling her dreams, one delicious cupcake at a time.   In Ansley Waller’s world of Southern belles and gentlemen, getting a diamond ring isn’t just important it’s the ultimate goal. So when her fiancé, Parish, unceremoniously kicks her to the curb and cancels their upcoming wedding, Ansley is so ashamed that she decides to leave Dallas and make a fresh start. In a surprise move, she heads to New York City to live with her recently widowed grandmother, Vivian, whom she’s never met. In turn, Vivian gives Ansley a no-nonsense ultimatum: Rather than wallow in misery, either get a job or go home.  The Waller women have a tradition of baking their way out of sorrow. So Ansley mixes batch after batch of creative cupcakes 'Black Bottom Heartache',' Moving Blues Banana Caramel', 'Tres Leches Made Smal'l. Before long, she’s opening up her own cupcake shop and even trying her hand at dating. But the ways of Manhattan’s eligible bachelors are altogether different from their Southern counterparts, and Ansley’s nearly fail-safe tactics fall flat. And worse, someone’s got a half-baked scheme to sabotage Ansley’s new life. It’ll take a cup of courage and a dash of Southern charm, plus a few secret ingredients, if Ansley hopes to pull off her recipe for success.

A crime from her youth threatens a young woman's future in this extraordinary debut novel that follows in the bestselling Southern tradition of Big Stone Gap. When Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: she would never again lie, never fornicate outside of...  more

A crime from her youth threatens a young woman's future in this extraordinary debut novel that follows in the bestselling Southern tradition of Big Stone Gap. When Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: she would never again lie, never fornicate outside of marriage, and never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama (the 'fourth rack of Hell'). All God had to do in exchange was to make sure the body of high school quarterback Jim Beverly was never found. Ten years later,Arlene has kept her promises, but an old schoolmate has recently turned up asking questions. And now Arlene's African American beau has given her a tough ultimatum: introduce him to her family, or he's gone. As she prepares to confront guilt, discrimination, and a decade of deception, Arlene is about to discover just how far she will go to find redemption-and love.

Combining southern warmth with unabashed emotion and side-splitting hilarity, Fannie Flagg takes readers back to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where the most unlikely and surprising experiences of a high-spirited octogenarian inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here? Life...  more

Combining southern warmth with unabashed emotion and side-splitting hilarity, Fannie Flagg takes readers back to Elmwood Springs, Missouri, where the most unlikely and surprising experiences of a high-spirited octogenarian inspire a town to ponder the age-old question: Why are we here? Life is the strangest thing. One minute, Mrs. Elner Shimfissle is up in her tree, picking figs, and the next thing she knows, she is off on an adventure she never dreamed of, running into people she never in a million years expected to meet. Meanwhile, back home, Elner?s nervous, high-strung niece Norma faints and winds up in bed with a cold rag on her head; Elner?s neighbor Verbena rushes immediately to the Bible; her truck driver friend, Luther Griggs, runs his eighteen-wheeler into a ditch?and the entire town is thrown for a loop and left wondering, ?What is life all about, anyway?? Except for Tot Whooten, who owns Tot?s Tell It Like It Is Beauty Shop. Her main concern is that the end of the world might come before she can collect her social security. In this comedy-mystery, those near and dear to Elner discover something wonderful: Heaven is actually right here, right now, with people you love, neighbors you help, friendships you keep. Can?t Wait to Get to Heaven is proof once more that Fannie Flagg ?was put on this earth to write? (Southern Living), spinning tales as sweet and refreshing as iced tea on a summer day, with a little extra kick thrown in. From the Hardcover edition.

Ember is next on a killer's hit list, bless her little heart. Ember Greene is finally dating again since being dumped by her ex. But her first night out is cut short when a shifter drops dead at a local bar. Misty Key's magical community is demanding answers, and all evidence points to an...  more

Ember is next on a killer's hit list, bless her little heart. Ember Greene is finally dating again since being dumped by her ex. But her first night out is cut short when a shifter drops dead at a local bar. Misty Key's magical community is demanding answers, and all evidence points to an anonymous suspect ? a small-town vandal who goes by the name Boar Boy. With a family business to run, a new assignment at the Crystal Grande Hotel, and an employee who proposes marriage every other day, Ember struggles to keep the peace in her hometown. A fight breaks out between the shifters and the sirens, and Ember launches her own investigation to unmask Boar Boy's true identity. But Ember goes too far this time, unraveling dark secrets that paint a target on her back. You can't be a peacemaker if you're dead. Book 5 in the Southern Psychic Sisters mystery series! A light-hearted cozy mystery featuring quirky small-town characters, magic, and recipes. This book does not contain cliffhangers, graphic violence, gore, or profanity.

The battle for Miss Shrimp has deadly consequences.When the body of a beauty pageant contestant washes ashore, Ember and her sisters suspect magic is involved. Misty Key's paranormal community is growing, and the list of suspects includes vacationing witches, shifters, vampires, and zombies. But...  more

The battle for Miss Shrimp has deadly consequences.When the body of a beauty pageant contestant washes ashore, Ember and her sisters suspect magic is involved. Misty Key's paranormal community is growing, and the list of suspects includes vacationing witches, shifters, vampires, and zombies. But murder is the least of Ember's troubles.Another crystal ball has surfaced, and it's up to Ember to find it before a group of dark psychics finds it first. The battle to keep the peace between magical entities rages on, and it's not an easy task with an outbreak of Seer Pox spreading through the psychic network, a baking assistant suffering from spontaneous levitation, and a new zombie neighbor.And when Ember finally comes face-to-face with the killer, she must make a choice that could change the fate of the magical world forever.Book 6 in the Southern Psychic Sisters mystery series! A light-hearted cozy mystery featuring quirky small-town characters, magic, and recipes. This book does not contain cliffhangers, graphic violence, gore, or profanity.

When Miss Julia burst on the scene in her fictional debut, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, this proper lady of a certain age found her orderly world turned upside down when Hazel Marie Puckett appeared with her nine-year-old son, Little Lloyd, who looked disturbingly similar to Miss Julia's late...  more

When Miss Julia burst on the scene in her fictional debut, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, this proper lady of a certain age found her orderly world turned upside down when Hazel Marie Puckett appeared with her nine-year-old son, Little Lloyd, who looked disturbingly similar to Miss Julia's late husband. Now, in Miss Julia Takes Over, with her sharp tongue and iron backbone intact, Miss Julia must tackle another disruption when Hazel Marie doesn't return from a dinner date with a fund-raiser who, in Miss Julia's opinion, wears his shorts too tight. Frantic and unable to persuade the local police that Hazel Marie is in danger, Miss Julia hires J. D. Pickens to investigate, despite her reservations about his taste for beer and women. She and Little Lloyd help search for Hazel Marie, running into adventures ranging from a most indelicate display of fisticuffs to a high-speed car chase on the track of a NASCAR Speedway, all the while standing strong ...because if Miss Julia doesn't take care of things, who will?

FIRST A STRANGER APPEARS While chasing down the usual cast of miscreants and weirdos Stephanie discovers that a crazed woman is stalking her. THEN, THE STRANGER REVEALS HER SECRETS The woman dresses in black, carries a 9mm GLOCK, has a bad attitude and a mysterious connection to dark...  more

FIRST A STRANGER APPEARS While chasing down the usual cast of miscreants and weirdos Stephanie discovers that a crazed woman is stalking her. THEN, THE STRANGER REVEALS HER SECRETS The woman dresses in black, carries a 9mm GLOCK, has a bad attitude and a mysterious connection to dark and dangerous Carlos Manoso... street name, Ranger. NEXT, SOMEBODY DIES The action turns deadly serious, and Stephanie goes from hunting skips to hunting a murderer. SOON, THE CHASE IS ON Ranger needs Stephanie for more reasons than he can say. And now, the two are working together to find a killer, rescue a missing child, and stop a lunatic from raising the body count. When Stephanie Plum and Ranger get too close for comfort, Vice Cop Joe Morelli (her on-again, off-again boyfriend) steps in. Will the ticking clock stop at the stroke of twelve, or will a stranger in the wind find a way to stop Stephanie Plum... forever. Filled with Janet Evanovich's trademark action, non-stop adventure, and sharp humor.

Fictional columnist James Qwilleran has finally completed his book showcasing the stories related to him by residents of Moose County-that famous region four hundred miles north of everywhere. With an introduction by Lilian Jackson Braun, this delightful volume reveals the offbeat "history" of...  more

Fictional columnist James Qwilleran has finally completed his book showcasing the stories related to him by residents of Moose County-that famous region four hundred miles north of everywhere. With an introduction by Lilian Jackson Braun, this delightful volume reveals the offbeat "history" of Moose County-in never-before-published stories. It's a treat for old and new fans alike.

In the quirky, close-knit town of Dixie, Tennessee, party planner Liv McKay has a knack for throwing Southern-style soirées, from diamonds-and-denim to black tie affairs, and her best friend Di Souther mixes a mean daiquiri. While planning a Moonshine and Magnolias bash for high...  more

In the quirky, close-knit town of Dixie, Tennessee, party planner Liv McKay has a knack for throwing Southern-style soirées, from diamonds-and-denim to black tie affairs, and her best friend Di Souther mixes a mean daiquiri. While planning a Moonshine and Magnolias bash for high maintenance clients, Liv inconveniently discovers a corpse in the freezer and turns her attention from fabulous fêtes to finding a murderer. Together, Liv and Di follow a trail of sinister secrets in their sweet little town that leads them from drug smugglers to a Civil War battlefield, and just when they think they're whistling Dixie, Liv and Di will find themselves squarely in the crosshairs of the least likely killer of all. . .