Howdy! If it ain’t bedbugs, it’s ants! – That's our

Southernism of the Week, and it means "When it rains, it pours." Here it is in use in Felony Melanie and the Big Smashup:

Melanie was just starting to relax when the car sputtered. It slowed for a second and then surged forward again.

“What’s happening?” Melanie asked.

Bang! They all jumped as the car backfired.

“Oh, sweet Moses, if it ain’t bedbugs, it’s ants,” Dorothea said. “You’re out of gas.”

The engine sputtered again as Melanie coasted into the back of the parking lot at the rodeo arena. The Lark died right as she drew up next to the sheriff’s car.

Melanie put the car in park and peered at the gas gauge, although it didn’t tell her much with the tank moved to the back seat. “I can’t believe we got this far to get stuck now.” She squeezed the steering wheel. “Okay. We can’t drive to get more gas. We don’t have time to find someone with a gas can to bring gas from the pumps.”

Lurlynn pounded a fist on the dashboard. “But we’re so close! We worked hard on this. I’d hate for it to end here.”

Dorothea sighed. “Don’t worry, I see that look in Melanie’s eyes. She has an idea.”

Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels to preorder book 2 now! Or, you can still get a review copy of Felony Melanie and the Big Smashup for free here.

Have you read Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium yet? If so, please leave a review on Amazon or another site. Reviews help readers find great books, and they help authors keep writing. Review it on Amazon here.

It wasn't demolition derby, but Doug visited a stock car race in Montgomery during his pre-COVID Alabama research trip.

Southern Treat of the Week: “Sweet potato pie is a traditional pie with origins in the southern parts of the United States of America … First recipes for the pie started appearing in cookbooks from the 18th century onwards. Since the [enslaved people from Africa] made the pie for celebrations, communal gatherings, and large family meals, that tradition has continued up to this day, and it is commonly prepared for Thanksgiving in the American South.” – TasteAtlas. Do you have "must-have" Thanksgiving dishes? For Chris, it's all about the stuffing!

Doug’s Rom Com Faves: Remember the Night (1940) – this mostly forgotten gem is a wonderful holiday romantic comedy. Fred MacMurray plays a New York district attorney trying a shoplifter played by Barbara Stanwyck. When the trial is postponed for Christmas, he suggests the judge let her out on her own recognizance. But she has nowhere to go, so he offers to give her a ride to her estranged parents in Indiana, which just so happens to be on his way to his mother’s farm. Things don’t go as planned, and the results are charming as can be.

More Books! YA & NA Books Free for Review

Check out a variety of Young Adult and New Adult titles – sweet or steamy, with loads of fantasy/paranormal. These books are free via StoryOrigin, in the hopes that you'll provide an honest #review. See all the choices: https://storyoriginapp.com/to/cVGAJE3

Doug writes humorous Christian short stories as Jacob Love. Get these in paperback as great holiday gifts! Or check out the ebook options (all formats).

Kris writes the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series, which features the workers and customers at a small-town cat café, and the adorable cats and kittens looking for their forever homes. Each book is a complete story with a happy ending for one couple. These sweet romances will leave you with the warm, fuzzy feeling of cuddling a purring cat. Christmas Cookies at the Cat Café is a cozy holiday read, while the paperback collection of books 1-3 would make a great gift for a romance and cat lover.

Visit the Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series page. Get Lions and Love at the Cat Café, a sweet romance novella, free when you sign up for the Kris Bock email newsletter.

Of course, the Felony Melanie books would make great gifts for the Sweet Home Alabama fans in your life! Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels.