Southernism of the Week: You can be “as country as Corn Flakes or “as country as a baked bean sandwich,” but the countriest country might be “He’s so country he thinks a seven-course meal is a possum and a six-pack.” (We love finding these colorful insults for Melanie and the gang to use.)

Courtney Gains (Wade in “Sweet Home Alabama”) releases EP

Courtney Gains, who played Wade in “Sweet Home Alabama,” has released an EP called “Journeyman.” It’s a rockin’ soulful compilation of memorable tunes. The EP’s defining sound and lyrics were influenced by the jazz and blues records of his father and the 60s and 70s rock bands his brother was into. “I’m excited for people to hear ‘Journeyman’,” says Gains. “These four songs cover my wide range of influences from anthem rock to blues to R&B.”

Watch the title track video (featuring clips of Courtney’s performances) here or check the Spotify list.

Kris has a book on sale for only 99 cents for the Kindle. What We Found: A Small-Town Romantic Mystery features a young woman who finds the body of a murdered woman in the woods and gets drawn into the mystery surrounding her death. Along the way she meets a fascinating falconer and struggles to confront her overbearing mother and protect her brother. Get it here.

Southern Treat of the Week: Pimento Cheese: Popular since the early 1900s, it's "sharp cheddar cheese, a cushion of mayonnaise, and chopped pimentos. Stir together a batch to keep it in the fridge all week — for grilled cheese, on your favorite crackers, in the crook of a celery stick ...". Get a recipe.

Reader’s Choice

We want to make sure we're sharing books that appeal to our readers. Here's a quick (1-2 minutes) survey that asks you to check genres that interest you. You can also reply to this email if you prefer.

If you haven't yet grabbed your free preview of our series, Get it here. Felony Melanie and the Moonshiner’s Cabin stands alone as a short story.

Find New Authors and Books

New Season, New Books, New Reviews: You'll find several intriguing fantasy options, plus adventure, a cozy mystery, an LGBT+ short story collection, and advice on developing gratitude. All are free in exchange for an honest review. Interested? Look here.

We Love YA: This group has some contemporary romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and some truly creepy looking horror. Characters are teens and "new adults," which usually refers to college students or young people starting out on their own. See them here.

I Love YA Romance (freebies)!: Do you like to try before you buy? Check out the sample collection of young adult romance stories. You’ll find fantasy, paranormal and contemporary romance about young people finding themselves as they find love. Note that some of these appear to be the same as in the previous collection, but in this case, they may be samples rather than the full book, because they're free with newsletter signup. Check out the options here.

Hearts Reclaimed (Ardor Creek Book 1), by Ayla Asher: A grumpy hero meets a feisty heroine who is renovating her house for the local haunted homes tour, leading to "drama, heartfelt and emotional moments, some humor, a touch of angst and some hot romance."

Vitrian Secrets (2 book series), by Dele Andersen (Author): Wanda has no knowledge of the Vitrians or how to fight demons, yet she needs to fight, retrieve The Healing Mendez, and save her little brother who has been poisoned. Readers call these "intriguing and unpredictable." $0.99 for the first book.

Real Talk: Series Premiere, by H M Aguilar Chanchan: Clara Presley is a debut author who had a one-night stand with England's most prominent talk show host, John Carrington, six months ago. Now, she is scheduled to appear as a guest on his show, Real Talk. For 18+. Free with newsletter sign-up.

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 haven’t gotten 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. To buy, visit the Amazon series page for Felony Melanie: Sweet Home Alabama romantic comedy novels.

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