" Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt " & More......

For those of us whose passion is reading..............wonderful books just keep on coming!

" Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt " the debut Novel from Beth Hoffman is one those !

I loved this book! Read it in one sitting because it was too good to lay down. Most of you have probably already read this one but if you haven't, you are in for a treat.
I love books told from a young girl's perspective, which I guess stems from my love of Nancy Drew. When it's a young girl whose passion is books, it's even better!

When the setting is Savannah one of my favorite cities (been there 3 times since reading Midnight In The Garden) and the author can capture place the way Beth did, you've got me hook, line & sinker.

The characters are so endearing you want to add them to your family tree!
Cee Cee will steal your heart and make you yearn for this to be a series so you can be a part of her growing up.
Having spent her pre-teens taking care of her mentally ill mother, Cee Cee has retreated inside herself missing the joys of being a child. When her mother dies tragically, her father who travels for work sends her to live with her great Aunt Tootie in Savannah. It is here among unconditional love and tender care that Cee Cee starts to bloom from a bud to a stunning Rose! Thank you Beth for this wonderful book, can't wait to read more of your work!



This next book was the Goodreads Southern Lit Lovers choice for February. This was a great read also.

Set on Mobile Bay in Alabama and written by Alabama State Poet Anne Carroll George(1927-2001) this is the story of a Southern family who gathers to mourn the family member who was the glue that held them together. It is a story of love, tolerance and misunderstanding that is unearthed by mutual grief. You will also learn about the mysterious event known as Jubilee that occurs only in this area of the country which is just fascinating!




I'm also experiencing "Coming Soon" excitement! The 3rd book in Jill Marie Landis "Irish Angel"
series will be out March 20, 2012! The first two pictured below were wonderful!



Can't Wait to read this one!!!!!



ALSO.......... coming June 5th a new Karen White book!!!!
LOVE, Love, love........Karen White!!



HAPPY READING! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND !! XOXO

2012 Reads So Far...........12 Books/37 Days

YA'LL know I'm addicted to books and proud of it ! 12 books in 37 days is pretty good since most of my reading has to be done at night. Thought I'd share with you what I've read. Since I read so many different genres maybe you'll find something you think might interest you!


My favorites so far are these two by Amy Ammons Garza. They are set in the Western NC section of Appalachia and are based on Amy's grandmother (Retter ) and her mother
( Cannie).
These mountain women had stories worth telling and a delightful reading experience! Thank you Amy for telling their stories.





Barbara Taylor Woodall tells the story of her family life in the North Georgia Mountains of Appalachia in "It's Not My Mountain Anymore" another delightful book about mountain life.

Deanne Gist kept me turning the pages in "Beguiled" a romantic/mystery set in Historic Charleston District...........


I loved these two novels by Paula Wall set in and around the Nashville area. They contained a little more sexual content than I care for but were really good stories and her writing is superb!



I "took a spell" of wanting to read some true crime. Ann Rule is the Queen of true crime and "Don't Look Behind You" was very interesting! " No Room For Doubt" is a true crime story written by Angela Dove (who lives in Waynesville, NC ) about the murder of her stepmother. This book is a winner for true crime readers!


" A Mind For Murder" details cases Psychic Noreen Renier has helped police with and it a real interesting read.

" Delayed Justice" talks about Cold Case Murders that took years to solve. It was fascinating!

" Cold Case in Ellyson" is a crime fiction book written by Susan Anderson that I really enjoyed.
" Run at Destruction" is another true crime and was written by the best friend and running partner of the murder victim.




I don't usually say anything about a book I pick up to read and can't get into but since this book is set in my "neck of the woods" in Southern Mississippi I'm going to make an exception to that rule. This book is an Edgar Award winner and a NY Times bestseller but I could not get any further than Chapter 2. In my experience, this area is nothing like it was portrayed to be in this book and I felt bad that readers would go away with this perception of Mississippi and her people. It's probably a real good read if I could have gotten past his inability to capture place!


I never got past the first paragraph in this one! When the first line of a book includes GD in it, I'm instantly turned off and wishing I had that money back! I'll over look some language but there is NO reason whatsoever to use GD in a book! In my opinion you sorely take away from your work and my respect of your work!



Read Any Good Books Lately ??? Have a great week! XOXO

IS America In DEEP S#%T ???????????

As we barrel into 2012, a year of Presidential Election, political guns are blazing and there is much debate about where our nation stands on many different issues. We are NO longer the United States of America........we are as divided as it gets on many levels. Mainly it has turned into a fight between Christians and the Politically Correct. Don't get me wrong, I'm FAR from an expert on politics. What I am is an American and a Christian who is free and independent enough to have my own beliefs and values and mature enough to make my own decisions.....
I heard the expression this week that we may be in Deep Sh#t.........




Yes.....I do think we are in real trouble if not deep sh#t..... We are so busy trying to be politically correct our nation is sinking fast. It reminds me of the house being on fire, the dead bolt is locked and you can't find the key to get out! I look at my FaceBook page everyday and shake my head.
It's like we are all a bunch of dummies without brains, being judged by family, friends and neighbors by our political choices. If you don't believe in abortion, you are against a woman's right to choose! Maybe you are against it because you feel there are thousands of couples out there who yearn for a child and could give this child a life worth living. If you are against Gay marriage you are homophobic! Could be you just think that marriage descends from the bible and because you believe the bible is the word of God, you believe that marriage IS for a man and a woman. I really don't care who chooses to love whom, my job is to love you, not judge you, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong and your right! We are all supposed to be unique individuals but then we want EVERYONE to think alike or they are wrong. If you don't want to follow Christianity that's your right but don't tell me what to believe. Don't tell me that if I'm a Christian I have to vote GOP either!

I do not believe for one minute,( I'm talking my belief not yours here) that any of these clowns running for office are True Christians! I'm sick of the GOP using Christianity to run for office!
Let me also add that President Obama has in no way shown me that he is a True Christian either. What I do believe is, that Christians should wake up and realize that the FIX is not found in Politics and they need to stop being exploited for political gain.



Haley Barbour, the outgoing Governor of Mississippi is a perfect example! I thought Haley had been a great Governor for the past 8 years and might be a good candidate for President in the future till he turned loose a slew of cold blooded murderers and rapist and gave them full pardons! If that wasn't appalling enough, he then gets on TV and claims "WE" believe in forgiveness and second chances. I'm assuming by "WE" he meant himself or the people of Mississippi. First off, he nor the people can offer forgiveness to these criminals, only God and the families of their victims have that right. Second, it was a slap in the face to the Justice System in which jurors had already done their duty!


Then we have the "politically correct" photo below.....
A wonderful young man has gone under a vicious attack for showing his faith on the football field! Yes....people we are in DEEP when we feel the need to verbally attack a young man who has done EVERYTHING right in his life! Yet we think it's OK in the "name of Freedom of Religion" for a religion like Islam who clearly is Hell bent on destroying our nation, to do as they please?
YEP.....we're in Deep Sh#t, blind as bats(bats really aren't blind) stubborn as mules and about to be Gone With the Wind if we're not careful!



This... is what good role models inspire in our children! If you want to get honest with yourselves think about our children, the future of our country. Parents and teachers are no longer allowed to discipline our children it's child abuse. God and prayer has been stripped from our schools and now teachers are being attacked and cursed by 1st graders! The juvenile courts are overloaded and young kids are being tried as adults for murder of other kids and in some cases their own parents and grandparents! Deep sh#t doesn't come close, we are drowning in it!



Where is Christianity in this picture? I would say that the true Christians are in the background on the left, feeding these starving children. Yet the right side portrays the ones who appear to be celebrating the birth of Christ? I am by no means maintaining that I am some holier than thou Christian. What I am is a Christian who is in agony over the state of our nation and fed up with politics! Fed up with seeing on a daily basis people who claim not to believe in God posting over and over about it, downing those who do believe! If you don't believe WHY talk about about it so much, instead of talking about WHAT you do believe ?


NOW.........I want you to meet two people WHO TRULY define what Christianity really is!
This is Chris and Donna Speagle. They operate a food pantry near here called The People's Pantry. They feed those who fall through the cracks. People who work minimum wage jobs and don't qualify for food stamps or those that don't get enough food stamps to feed their family. Children, whose parents spend the family income on drugs or alcohol leaving them hungry. The elderly on fixed incomes. In other words, they emulate Jesus Christ by taking care of the forgotten. They do what they do because they believe that Jesus Christ has given them a calling to do this. They can tell you stories that will break your heart. They can tell how they sent numerous people to churches for help and the churches refused because the husband drank or the mother did drugs. I was so inspired when Chris said; "Jesus didn't tell us to clean them up but instead just to show them love" ! This couple does most of their giving from their own pocket. These two people are my heroes, my role models, my definition of a Christian!

I guess what I'm trying to say here is.......
Because I profess to be a Christian, do not put me in a political category. Do not tell me how to vote. Do not quote scripture to me when you don't even believe in the scripture, the word says the devil can quote scripture! Tell me about your life, your dreams, show me pictures of your family and what excites you. Stop cramming politics down my throat because the truth is.....
Not one of those people in Washington can relate to you or me and they could care less where this country is headed. They have their own political agenda and it has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with money.
Wake Up People... We really are up Sh#t Creek without a paddle !!!!!!!!!!!



Let's see how many FB friends delete me after this..............

ONE WRITER'S COUNTRY ESCAPE...............

When you're a writer who lives in the big city of Mobile and you need a quite country escape, you find an old farm with an old barn on the Mississippi/Alabama line and turn it into an awesome country home/writer's retreat!

Then...you put up a Christmas Tree and have a House Warming/Christmas Party to make all your friends go ooh and ahh!

That's just what my friend Misssissippi author RC White (Ruth) and her husband Greg did!


This is a Chandelier Greg made from a table rim and antique glass insulators !! What a talented man! That's Greg in the plaid shirt. That's my hubby standing.


Ruth and Greg have lots of wonderful friends who showed up to celebrate their hard work!


Good food, great conversation, a wonderful time was had by all !!


Ruth is a former English teacher turned novelist and her books are great reads and can be found on Amazon !!!


Have a great week everyone! Get your shopping done and remember why we celebrate this season!!!!! XOXO

" My Motto"

You All Know................




During my recent 2 week stay in the mountains I read these 3 books.......
All are set in the mountains and all 3 were really great reads.......
I love Ron Rash and Silas House is a new favorite as these were my first reads from him!
These were all delivered while I was gone and I'm having trouble choosing where to start...
Have any of you read any of these and if so give me your thoughts ???



On a farm note.....
A friend gave us a cooler full of Pecans yesterday and we took them to the feed store to get them cracked. Turned out to be 45 pounds! Hubby has already shelled 2 gallon bags full and hasn't made a dent!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE and THANKS FOR STOPPING BY !!!!!!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

There is nothing like Autumn in Appalachia so when I started to plan my escape to our Townsend house for leaf peeping I noticed that one of my favorite authors and blog friend Vicki Lane was having a book signing for her new book "Under The Skin" in beautiful Sylva, NC at City Lights Book Store on October 29th ! So I put my plan in motion. Our mutal friend author Gary Carden lives in Sylva so I e-mailed Gary and arranged to meet him for lunch @ LuLu's on Main. It turned out that he was going to be interviewed in the City Lights Cafe by some university students for a documentary at the same time of Vicki's presentation.



This is a picture I found on the internet of Sylva in the snow............


I wish I'd gotten a picture of the Surprise on Vicki's face when she looked up and saw me........

Vicki's reading and discussion was so interesting ................


It's so awesome to hear the author read from from their work.........


I took this picture as I was leaving of Gary being interviewed downstairs.......
I really enjoyed getting to spend time with both of these extremely creative authors!

Speaking of SURPRISES.....
I got one myself on the way to Sylva. It had snowed in the higher elevations of the park!




It had rained the day before in Townsend but higher up the rain became Snow!
From Townsend through the park to Gatlinburg the leaves were just brilliant and I felt like I was driving through a painting.........


After turning toward Cherokee to climb the mountain I drove through a breath taking winter wonderland and the temp was 26 at New Foundland Gap !!!


My passion is reading and I'm so grateful to the authors who provide me with hours of pleasure and it is such fun to be able to support my favorite authors and the book stores that host them!
If you haven't read Vicki's " Elizabeth Goodweather Series you are missing out and it's time you treat yourself! "Under The Skin" is the 5th book of the series !



Thanks For Stopping By !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ghost On Black Mountain" by Ann Hite

This debut novel....will blow you away!
I recently got a real good laugh when I read this comment on FaceBook by a well known author:
"these days it seems anyone with a keyboard thinks they can review books"

I was born in the "land of writers"...Mississippi is a who's who of Southern Lit.........
William Faulkner, Eudora Welty,Willie Morris,Ellen Gilchrist,Barry Hannah, Elizabeth Spencer, Shelby Foote, Alice Walker, Walker Percy,Tennessee Williams, Richard Wright, Nevada Barr, Carolyn Haines, Charlaine Harris, Greg Iles, Melinda Haynes, John Grisham, Kathryn Stockett and Donna Tartt are just a fraction of the list.........

Having read everyone of these authors throughout my life along with countless others from the south yes,
I think I and my keyboard are qualified to review books.
Being qualified and doing are two different things my Mother would have said. I read lots of good books but I only review books that leave me feeling loss when they're over. Books I consider worthy of remembering not only the book but the author as well. When a true book lover reads a book she or he wants everyone to read, they've found a treasure !!!!!

I found treasure this week in this debut novel from Georgia author Ann Hite! I was so blown away by her prose, I lay the book down, went in search of Eric and said;
" this woman has channeled William Faulkner as her muse, she's a female Faulkner"
Throw in a dash of Ron Rash, Sharyn McCrumb, Flannery O'Conner and Sue Monk Kidd and you have.... ANN HITE !



"Ghost" is set in Black Mountain, NC, Asheville, NC and Darien, GA..............
Told though the strong voices of 6 women linked together forever by the love,betrayal and evil deeds of one handsome, dastardly mountain man Hobbs Prichard................



Nellie; " he looked so far off I was afraid he might never come back"

Josie; " it's a weakness trying to keep our daughters from making the same mistakes. But I didn't make one bit of difference, I didn't stop one thing"

Shelly; " we was the only Negroes on the mountain and that made for a mighty lonely life. All I had was Faith Dobbins who made me her baby doll until I got old enough to be her maid "


Rose; " she was prettier than me. If I had to compare myself to this girl, I was an elephant dressed up in ribbons and satin to disguise my tough hide"

Iona;" it would take me years before I came to understand that every thought that came out of my head had rolled downhill from something she tried to instill in me for better or worse"

Annie; " a mother has no business living with her daughter. I might tell some important secret when I start to lose my mind"


Hobbs Prichard's evil deeds cause spirits to roam Black Mountain and these women are the ones they haunt!!


Below is a trailer for the book set to Mississippi Delta Blues which I have no doubt pleases Faulkner............ :)

Saturday Hodge Podge

It's been an interesting week......leaving me dragging!





But...........hope has risen! I'm headed for my Smokies this week for a MUCH NEEDED vacation!
I'm so pepped... I'm thinking I'll make the hike up to The Walker Sisters Cabin while I'm there!


This is the view from our Townsend cabin taken by my daughter a few weeks ago....


I'm hoping it has or will change to this while I'm there!!!!



And when I return to the farm, maybe this view..............


Will look like this..............



Spinach ............this went in the freezer



I put up Turnip Greens too this week! I was going to go the freezer route but decided they'd be worth the extra trouble and canned them!


The Prison Chicks are doing great! We have eggs out to you know what! We started with 9 hens and 1 rooster. We now have 16 hens and 2 roosters! That's Queen Vicki keeping her distance and posing! She lays an egg big enough to be a double yolk!



Oscar Wilde is head warden and keeps a tight rope with his 4 inch spurs! He has yet to jump the young one named Bragg ( named after Rick Bragg) but I'm watching for it!




Can you believe we have been running 10 degrees cooler than the mountains this week!
33 night before last and 37 last night! They caught up today! Foggy Mornings too!


Took this pic of a "volunteer" yellow Squash plant in the pastures edge the other day.
It had blooms but I bet the cold got em!


My faithful Rosemary bush!



My Butterfly Weed keeps on keeping on! Waiting on the Monarchs?


This is a Double Bloom Hardy Hibiscus! It doesn't bloom till fall..........


Ahhhhhhhhh the Roses! This is the front bed.........


One of the back beds..........


And some I gathered this morning....I froze my patooty off too!




HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND YA"LL.......XOXO