Southernism of the Week: In honor of Valentine’s Day, here are some southern expressions of love.

• I love you a bushel and a peck. 😘
• If you’d be my mine, I’d be happy as a pig in slop!
• I’ve loved you since the git-go. (We can imagine Jake saying this to Melanie.)
• You’re prettier than a speckled pup! 🐶
• You’re so sweet I could sop you up with a biscuit!

Try these out on your sweetie. We’re sure it will go well.

Doug and Kris have an outline for the third Felony Melanie book, but we’re still trying to get started on the actual writing. Doug is busy teaching classes in scriptwriting and pitching (giving a quick idea of a film to a studio, not the baseball kind of pitching) at two colleges in California.

Chris has been proofreading the first of her mystery series launching in a few months, working on the next book in her cat café sweet romance series, and trying to make sense of Amazon and Facebook ads. Taxes are also on the agenda. Anyone who thought writers just get to sit in a lonely attic and write all day are mistaken! (Sob!)

Southern Treat of the Week:

“Fudge pie is a traditional American pie hailing from Tennessee. It's made with a combination of butter, semi-sweet chocolate, salt, sugar, cocoa, eggs, vanilla extract, and evaporated milk. Once mixed, the combination is poured into a pie crust and it's then baked until the crust becomes golden.” –TasteAtlas.

Boy, those Southerners sure know their health foods. And they stay far away from them. Here’s a recipe from Southern Food and Fun in case you’ve been feeling too healthy lately.

Doug’s latest Let's Schmooze video podcast is up! He talks with screenwriters David Benullo and Karen Stillman about notes sessions. Check it out if you’re curious about how the movie business works from the writer’s perspective: https://youtu.be/LdUPRVMcLfA

Doug’s Rom Com Faves: The Cutting Edge (1992)

A demanding, uptight figure skater (Moira Kelly) needs a partner for pairs, but nobody will work with her, so she’s forced to team up with an arrogant failed hockey player (D.B. Sweeney). Sparks fly on and off the ice. This movie is full of charm and humor. The smart script by Tony Gilroy elevates it above the “opposites attract” premise, and the performances are fantastic.

What’s your favorite romantic comedy movie? Would you like to hear Doug’s perspective on anything in particular?

Find New Authors and Books

Sweet Contemporary Romance Valentine's Day Extravaganza sweepstakes

Enter for a chance to win 50+ Sweet Contemporary Romances from bestselling and award-winning authors, plus a brand new eReader! Sign up here.

Free Sample: ETHAN MURPHY and the Quest for the Minal, by Anita Mishra: A middle-grade action, adventure, and mystery! It has codes, riddles, and ciphers, if you or your kids enjoy that kind of thing. If you like the free sample, the book is only $2.99, or free in Kindle Unlimited.

Free book: Alex was Here, by Christopher Francis: "Coming of age urban middle-grade fantasy about a boy fighting to prevent paranormal hosts from taking over human minds." As one does. Middle school is such a challenge.

You're receiving this because you chose to sign up for our newsletter. If you want to unsubscribe, no problem – see below. If you haven't yet grabbed your free preview of the new series, Get it here. Felony Melanie and the Moonshiner’s Cabin stands alone as a short story.

If you’ve read the Felony Melanie books, please leave a review on Amazon or another site, or recommend them to your friends. Reviews help readers find great books, and they help authors keep writing. Review book 1, Pageant Pandemonium, on Amazon here. Review book 2, the Big Smashup, here.

If you don’t have the books yet, they're free for people willing to review. Get book 1 via Story Origin here. Get Book 2 free for review via Story Origin here. Or Visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels to buy them.

Happy V-Day! We hope you get to enjoy something sweet.