MY SMALL TOWN

I don’t live in your typical small, Southern town. In fact, this small town is quite extraordinary. With a population of some 24,000 persons, it has one of the highest concentrations of residents who are nationally known authors, including Hal Crother, Annie Dillard, Jaki Shelton Green, Allan Gurganus, Randall Kenan, Zelda Lockhart, Michael Malone, Frances Mayes, the late Doug Marlette, Anna Jean Mayhew, Jill McCorkle, David Payne, and Lee Smith, to name a few.

On any given day you might find renowned politicians catching a ball game down at the local pub while throwing back a few brews, and I won’t even begin to list the award-winning, nationally celebrated musicians and artists who have hailed from this town and walk the downtown area on a daily basis. The area has been a political and cultural center since forever and it remains so today, with many activities celebrating the arts and history being held almost daily. This town challenges my creativity and I love everything about it.

I’ve yet to meet Randall Kenan or Jill McCorkle, but I’ve frequently been told that we just “missed” each other as I’ve navigated the downtown area.

Zelda and I have participated at one or two book events together and if we’re not catching up over a great vegetarian lunch, we inevitably run into each other at the post office, inquiring about each other’s children and our latest ventures.

Author Lee Smith was one of the first persons to read the original manuscript of my latest release before it became a real, live book. Her critique, as we shared a cup of coffee and an apple Danish at one of our local art galleries, resulted in some major rewrites, as she admonished me to make the reader “feel” the words. And that was a few years back.

I ran into Allan Gurganus today and we talked “shop”. I asked about his writing and he shared that he is making the rounds, reading from his work-in-progress. “It’s the truest way to know if it’s any good,” he shared, with an endearing smile. Then he wished me much success with Rested Waters, extolling how good a new book feels in one’s hands as he slid his fingers across the cover.

It’s exciting to be able to share Rested Waters with the literary family that makes up my small town. It’s like presenting my new baby to a gathering of favorite aunts and uncles and cousins. I look forward to the reviews that I know will come. I look forward to yours as well, so please, get your copy of Rested Waters today and let me know what you think.

HAPPY READING!

So, I've got good news and I've got bad news.

The bad news first:

Stallion Heat, has officially been lost in editorial hell. Not really, but because of scheduling beyond my control, brother Matthew Stallion's story will not be released until May 2012. Aargh! For all you Stallion Brother fans, I wish it were sooner but some things, this thing, is completely out of my hands. Sorry!

The GOOD news: Stallion Heat is out of this world, a great read, and will definitely be worth the wait. As well, there is another Stallion story coming. The Stallion family is just coming out of the woodworks and this Stallion kin (HINT: A SISTER!) will bring some serious drama to that Dallas clan.

And more GOOD news! Coming in October, I'll be featured in the holiday novella, All I Want Is You, with author Kayla Perrin. That will be two HOT stories, from two HOT authors, to kick off your holiday reading!

And last, but definitely not least, Rested Waters, my first literary work is off and running. In the next week or so there will be a book trailer/mini video and I'll be out and about, meeting and greeting book fans. Maybe in a city near you! So, until then, very happy reading!

STORYTELLER

I am sometimes in awe of how a story comes to me. Many, many, many years ago a story unfolded within the depths of a very dark and haunting dream. I can still remember the child who spoke to me in that dream, admonishing me to witness the details of that story through her eyes. I can still hear her innocent voice, calling for me. Calling for me to be her storyteller.

When I awoke and laid pen to paper I was a bit daunted by how easily the words flowed. It was as if something else was guiding my hand, intent on my telling each and every vivid detail.

Fast forward almost fifteen years and that story has since placed favorably in three writing competitions, one of which was judged by renowned author Edwidge Danicat. And despite its many accolades and favorable critiques, the publishing houses didn’t feel there was an audience for such a tale. Although I was told that traditional publishing was not an option and I was admonished to write other things, I remained intent on seeing that story come to life. I remained determined to prove the naysayers wrong. I knew that whatever was meant to happen with this story would come in due time. It's now due time.

Today, MaGregor Press announced the publication and release of that story. It absolutely warms my spirit to finally bring you my first literary work, Rested Waters. Rested Waters is the haunting story of Janay Tucker, a young woman who is forced to reflect back on her past and the memories of her tumultuous childhood when she receives notice of her incarcerated father’s death. Rehashing history through the eyes of her paternal grandfather, James Tucker, Janay is made to flash back to a past with an abusive mother who dies a violent death, a father incarcerated for the crime, and the family and friends left to help rebuild her future. The story is a tapestry of human encounters, delving into the emotions and experiences of love and turmoil, racism and respect, flesh and spirit. It is perhaps, some of my best writing.

Rested Waters is a story unlike all of my romances although it is clearly a story of faith and everlasting love. Please enjoy the first chapter HERE.

Rested Waters can be ordered now by clicking the cover link at the top of the page and will soon be available at Amazon.com in both book and Kindle formats and wherever books are sold.

And with that, I am back. Back to writing, back to blogging, back to the art of storytelling the only way I know how.