Southern Treat of the Week: From Roman Candy (pulled taffy native to New Orleans) and Moon Pies to Pimento Cheese and Chitlins, these are "The 16 Southern snacks you need to know about" (according to Thrillist. Do you agree? Got a favorite?)

Do those sound good? In the South, you might hear, “Put that on top of your head and your tongue would beat your brains out trying to get to it.” (We collect these sayings for use in our books!)

Welcome to our new readers! Get your free preview of the new series, Felony Melanie and the Moonshiner’s Cabin here. These opening chapters stand alone as a short story. Fans of the movie Sweet Home Alabama will love seeing teen Melanie in action! Also, the whole book is available free via Story Origin if you agree to review it on Amazon or other retailers, your blog, etc.

Praise for Felony Melanie in Pageant Pandemonium: “A thoroughly enjoyable way to escape from reality into the world of some thoroughly lovable characters.”

Our News: We’re two-thirds of the way through book 2, which has the working title of Felony Melanie and the Big Smashup. That’s right, this one involves demolition derby!

Doug’s latest podcast/vlog features his former scriptwriting students who are now professional writers. Check it out if you’re curious about how writers break into the movie/TV business.

Kris signed a contract with Tule for two mystery novels. One is written, and she’ll start the second in a couple of weeks. They won’t be out until 2022. In the meantime, if you like romance, check out her cat café sweet romance series or her adventurous romantic suspense novels set in the Southwest:

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/author/krisbock

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kris-Bock/e/B006WV4I5O

Universal Amazon link: https://geni.us/KrisBock

Rom Com of the Week: The Apartment (1960) – This is one of the best romantic comedies of all time and one of the few to win the Best Picture Oscar (along with four others). Directed by Billy Wilder and written by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, it stars Jack Lemon as an up-and-coming insurance company employee who loans his apartment to higher-ups for their affairs. He falls for an elevator operator (played by a charming Shirley MacLaine), but she’s already engaged in an affair with one of those senior executives (played by Fred MacMurray). The movie is funny and the leads delightful, but what makes this a truly great rom-com is that it isn’t afraid to go dark. It confronts the serious issues of workplace sexual politics inherent in its premise, in many ways foreshadowing today’s #MeToo movement. – Doug

Find New Authors and Books

The Peas and Carrots Series - Volume 1: Free until August 16! Includes books 1-3 plus a novella, by Hannah Lynn: Follow the adventures and mishaps of Eric Sibley and his family in this charmingly heart-warming and hilarious series. A reviewer says, “I was looking for something to cheer me up and this fit the bill.”

Everything We Might Have Been, by Janci Patterson is free with newsletter signup, so you can check out the author’s writing: High school students Felix and Jenna are opposites in every way. But when they’re partnered together on a parenting assignment in sex-ed, their worlds collide, and their lives will never be the same. This standalone romance is a prequel to the novel Everything We Are.

Swan Song by Jennifer Bohnhoff is on sale for 99 cents, ending today (8/15)! This historical novel has two timelines, one modern and one in the time of Beowulf. "This dual narrator contemporary/historical novel spans 25,000 years. It asks the reader to consider who determines who is human and who is not: who stands outside society and who belongs at its center." From my review from a few years ago: “This should be suitable for advanced middle grade students and for teen and adult readers, and I can imagine it being used in the classroom.”

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.

Thanks for joining us!