You could write a book…

I was a newspaper reporter for 14 years, the last ten of which I spent as a features writer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Most of that time I loved my work and my co-workers. But then one day, newspapers changed, and I wasn’t consulted. When I left journalism 18 years ago to write fiction full-time, I had no idea how much more newspapers would change in the years to come, or that one day, print journalism would be considered as a dinosaur. Today, newspapers are under siege, from the effects of a crappy economy, the free ads offered on Craigslist, and sadly, a younger readership that doesn’t want to get news tossed in the driveway or out of a box on the sidewalk. I still love poring over my newspaper on the kitchen counter every morning, sipping my Diet Coke and catching up on the world. But fewer and fewer of the bylines are familiar anymore. Most of my former colleagues have now been laid off or bought out–and some of them are still twenty or more years away from retirement age. What to do? What could anybody do with a burning desire to write, even if you’re just a laid-off dot.com guy or a bored housewife? How about writing a book? Here are two wonderful workshop opportunities for anybody who’s been thinking about writing the next great American novel.
1. TWO DAY WRITERS WORKSHOP TAUGHT BY BEST-SELLING AUTHOR TERRY KAY. To be held in Marietta, Ga. Sat. May 2, 2009, from 6-9pm, and Sun. May 3, 2-5 p.m.
Terry Kay is the acclaimed author (and personal friend of moi) of such novels as TO DANCE WITH THE WHITE DOG, TAKING LOTTIE HOME, THE BOOK OF MARIE and others. His books have been made into movies, and he is an accomplished and entertaining writing instructor. The cost is ridiculously low–$100, based on a minimum class size of 30 people. For more information, visit Terry’s website at TerryKay.com or BookExchangeMarietta.com.

2. THE ANTIOCH WRITER’S WORKSHOP. Yellow Springs, Ohio, July 11-17. In the summer of 1990, I had a mystery manuscript that nobody wanted to buy, and the start of another book–only five chapters. I saw an ad in the back of a writer’s magazine about a writer’s workshop at a place I’d never heard of, Antioch College, in a town and a state I’d never been to–Yellow Springs, Ohio. But I had heard of the workshop’s keynote instructor, mystery writer extraordinaire Sue Grafton. I went to the AWW that July, sat in on Sue’s week-long class, and in short, my life was changed. Seriously. I left AWW in July, and by October, I had a two-book contract with HarperCollins Publishers. And in May 2001, I quit newspapers. Forever. Seventeen books later, I’m still thankful that I spent the money on that workshop. Check out the AWW’s website for details on this year’s workshop. And tell ’em Mary Kay sent you.

From Tybee Light to the Marshes of Glynn

Wicker alert!

Posse members Shay, Mona and Jinxie at The Breeze Inn

Vintage treasures at St. Simon’s antique fair

Sunset view from Jekyll pier

The old mister and I joined three other couples for a golf outing weekend on the Georgia coast. That is, the guys went golfing and the gals went…out. The gals got a jump on the weekend by heading to Tybee and The Breeze Inn on Wednesday. It was the first time we’d had friends down to the “finished” house, and even though it was only an overnight stay, they loved the house and we had a blast. As always, we went to dinner at our favorite restaurant, the Sundae Cafe. The weather Thursday morning was gorgeous, so we went for a bike ride around Tybee. And we rode. And rode. Four hours! Talk about saddle-sore! As we tooled around the island, I gave them the Jane Coslick tour, that is, showing them the many adorable houses Janie has transformed through her amazing talent. As we were riding down Chatham Avenue, the home of Amazing Grace, which I consider Janie’s (and owner Erica Wilson’s) masterpiece, I spied….wicker! On the curb! A woman was just putting a mint-green wicker rocker at the curb for garbage pickup. The posse members–Jinx, Shay and Mona–(she’s our St. Augustine member), circled the rocker to protect it from any other would-be curb cruisers. I called my friend Ron on my cellphone, and quick as a minute, he and Leuveda came to the rescue with their van. Now the rocker’s at the Breeze, awaiting some minor repairs. I’ve got plans for that sucker. After our bike ride, we headed down to Jekyll Island to meet the men-folk, who, even though they arrived there around 5pm, managed to get in an “emergency” 9 holes of golf before dark. On Friday, the guys headed out for their tee-time, while we headed out to poke around Jekyll and nearby St. Simon’s Island. Imagine our glee to discover signs for an antique sale in Brunswick–and for one of the bi-monthly antique fairs that would be held on Saturday on the village green on St. Simon’s. We even managed to stop by to see my friends at G.J. Ford Booksellers. It’s always fun to see owner Mary Jean and check out what books she’s recommending. We got back from our exploratory mission in time for lunch with the guys, and a long bike ride around the island. Jekyll Island is so beautiful this time of year. The live oaks are amazing, and the manicured grounds of the millionaire’s village are so green and tranquil. Hard to believe all of this belongs to the state of Georgia. Hopefully, the developers and politicians won’t find a way to screw up all this beauty. The guys went back out for another “crucial” nine holes. Saturday morning, the posse saddled up for the Brunswick antique sale, which turned out to have several items salvaged from The Cloister, before it’s total re-do a few years ago. Since posse member Susie (absent due to storm damage to her garden) honeymooned at The Cloister, we felt it imperative to bring her back a consolation prize. And of course, I managed to nab a couple things for myself, including a great 1950s-era bamboo bar that will be perfect for The Breeze Inn. Then it was on to St. Simon’s Island, and the antique fair. Prices were really reasonable, and I made several scores, which will hopefully make it to my antique booth at Seaside Sisters. Back at the ranch, in late afternoon, we took a ride over to a remote spot on the island, where a friend from home had told us we could spot some rare birds. After a short hike, we came upon a group of bird-watchers who pointed us to a rookery full of nesting wood storks and roseate spoonbills. The birds were so beautiful, it was hard to tear ourselves away. But we made the sacrifice, because that night it was our turn to man the kitchen. Mr. Mary Kay made his famous crab-cakes, which we served on a bed of sweet Florida corn from the St. Simon’s farmer’s market, topped with a tomato-avocado salsa. Jack and Shay made oven-roasted asparagus with parmesan, and a caprese salad, and we topped the meal off with my key lime pie. Mmm. Aunt Bee! Of course, the guys had to cram in just 18 more holes Sunday morning before lunch–raw oysters and boiled shrimp at Latitudes on the pier in the Jekyll village. Junk, good food, good friends, good times. Who can ask for more?

Easter at The Breeze

The Easter weekend weather was wonderful, sunny, warm and breezy. The family was all here–Boomerang Boy in the truck that won’t back up, Katie and Mark, and even Tybee, the pound puppy. I say they were all here, but that’s not quite accurate. Wyatt and Weezie, our English setters, had to stay home because Wyatt and Tybee refuse to play nice together. Boys! Mr. Mary Kay and I came down Thursday evening to finish up some projects. The first thing I did was paint the shell-back motel chairs I’d picked up earlier in the day at Scott’s Antique Market in Atlanta. They were a dirty ivory when I bought ’em, but they’re pink now, just like the pair on the hardback cover of SAVANNAH BLUES. Earlier that day, much of the landscaping had gone in. I finally got my birthday present palm trees. And they’re magnificent, I think, adding so much beachy feel to the house. Being a Florida girl, I think there’s nothing like the rustle of palm fronds to soothe the soul. To add to that Florida feeling, I asked for and got two pink standard hibiscus trees for the front garden, in addition to some lorapetalum shrubs and some white plumbago, along with some hot-pink knockout roses, and a small perennial border. In the backyard, Kelly, our wonderful organic landscape designer, planted a large loquat tree near the storage shed. My grandmother had a loquat tree in her yard when I was a child in St. Petersburg, and we used to climb it and all the cousins would pelt each other with the fruit. We’ve also got a Meyer lemon tree and a Persian lime tree for gin and tonic emergencies, and star jasmine planted on the picket fence. Can’t wait to sit on the back porch and smell that jasmine in bloom. Inside, it was the first time we gave the kitchen a full work-out. Friday night, the kids requested and got my husband’s famous crabcakes, as well as boiled shrimp. Our friends Diane and Susan from Mermaid Cottage joined us for drinks, so we insisted they stay for supper. Saturday night we grilled out, and were joined by Seaside Sisters Susan Kelleher and her cousin Linda. While I was at my book-signing Saturday at Seaside Sisters, Tom and Andy went fishing, and Katie and Mark hung out. (Thanks, everybody, who dropped by the signing.) I even got to meet Michael Keating, who happens to be the brother of Isabel Keating, the Broadway actress (and Savannah native) who does all the audiobook recordings of my books. Isabel and I are going to try to cook up a meeting sometime soon. I finally got to the beach Saturday afternoon. Would you believe in all these months I’ve been coming down to Tybee Island I hadn’t once had any time for the beach? I even got a little sunburn Saturday afternoon. We all got up and walked to early mass Sunday morning at St. Michael’s, which is the sweetest little church, built, or so I’ve been told, by fishermen and boat-builders. The inside of the church, with all that varnished wood, looks like the inside of an old wooden boat. Then it was home to cook dinner. Our friends Ron and Leuveda and Tacky Jacky and her family joined us. On the menu was baked ham, devilled eggs, Leuveda’s potato salad, Jacky’s pork loin and mustard ring, green, green spring vegetables from a Barefoot Contessa recipe, Tom’s baby lamb chops and grilled butterflied leg of lamb, and my lemon poundcake and strawberries for dessert. After the kids headed for home, Tom and I relaxed, until it was time for the next meal—late supper at Seaside Susan’s house. Lawd, I may never eat again. Until it’s time to tackle those leftovers!

Hey Peeps! Hop on Over!

No scary wabbits, I promise! Just me, at Seaside Sisters on Tybee Island, Georgia, Saturday, April 11, signing copies of DEEP DISH. Did I mention there will be candy? I’m not above a bribe. Not at all. I’ll be there from 11am-2p.m. Who knows, I may even wear my Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it. Also–enter a drawing for an absolutely free Easter basket full o’ my books–including an advanced reader’s copy of THE FIXER UPPER, which doesn’t publish until June. Be the first on your block to own a copy!

Vintage Beach Pix

Pretty maids all in a row–maybe at the Jersey shore?

Love these three–especially the Al Capone type on the right with the dangling cigarette!

For a couple of years now, I’ve been hoarding vintage black and white beach snapshots. My collection started with a snap of my mother, at the age of 17 or 18, standing on the Pass-A-Grille Beach in our hometown of St. Petersburg, for a small-time modelling gig she did around 1950. As children, we always believed she’d been Miss America! Then I found some old snaps of distant relatives from the 1920s on the beach, and my collection had a name. A few of them really are family, but most are of total strangers. Last summer in Franklin, Tenn., I bought the cutest framed snapshot of what looks like a 1920s shot of orphans at the beach. Adorable! Then I bought a few more in August, at Brimfield. My friend Beth, who buys fine English and French antiques, thought I was nuts, but I love ’em. I just got the above two pix in the mail that I bought off eBay, and then there are the other two are the ones I bought at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market on Sunday. I’ve seen lots of great vintage beach snaps on Flickr, but I’m such a techno-dweeb, I can’t tell if it’s possible to download and print these, or buy them or what. Anybody know? In the meantime, enjoy these, without getting any sand in your shoes.

Sunday in New York

The weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and seemingly every single soul in the city decided to come out to play on Sunday in New York. I got in around noon, dropped my suitcase at my hotel and hotfooted it over to Hell’s Kitchen to wander around the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market for a couple hours. Here’s how you know you’re in New York: an elderly lady in lilac lipstick calls you “bubbe”. As in, “that’s a great deal, bubbe. You should buy.” Hampered by the fact that I could only buy what I could fit in my purse, I kept my purchases to two tiny vintage black and white beach snapshots. I’ve got big plans for those little prints. I’ve already blown them up to 5-by-7 size, and they’ll join the other old beach pix I’ve been collecting for the stairwell at The Breeze Inn. But oh, how I wish I could have bought the pair of yellow motel chairs–$20 apiece–a steal! I would have air-lifted them down to Tybee and The Breeze Inn, painted them pink and planted them in the front yard. Or how about the vintage yellow and turquoise beach cruiser? After a late lunch at the Hell’s Kitchen Cafe–where hordes of chic young gay men were idling away the day with “all you can drink Bellinis and Bloody Marys”, I wandered down Fifth Avenue to Central Park, where I found a mime dressed as Lady Liberty, and an energetic break-dancing crew entertaining the crowds. Anyway, here are some of my snapshots, so you can enjoy the day vicariously.

Covering Dixie…Like the Dew

You say you miss all your old friends who used to write for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution? Do you pine for Piney Woods Pete? Want to know what Eleanor Ringel thinks about movies? Want some thoughtful coverage of the South and Southern issues? We’ve got just the cure for your AJC jones. Join me and a bunch of other wonderful writers at a brand new online newspaper,
LIKE THE DEW. It’s fun, it’s free, it’s fat-free. And I’ve got my first piece posted there today. So check us out…leave us some comments, put us on your RSS feed, and tell all your friends. The South (and Southern journalism) shall surely rise again.

Breeze Inn Progress Report

Boomerang Boy’s crib
Home is where you hang your hat–on your hall tree

Andrews party? Table for six?

My eBay find–1920s bathing suit

The breakfast club–Tybee style

Screened porch—walking in a wicker wonderland

Yikes! Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.
We’re almost there…After a long work week at Tybee Island, I came home last night for my signing at the Atlanta Junior League Kitchen Tour, just as Mr. Mary Kay and our son-in-law Mark were headed down to Tybee to build the picket fence. As you can see in the last photo, after a week of painting and fluffing, by the time Friday rolled around, I was tore up from the floor up. But here’s what we accomplished–and by “we” I mean me–with the huge help/direction of friend/sidekick/savior Jacky, and Tom, the philosopher handman–and about a gallon of cheap chardonnay and extra-strength Ibuprofen: 1. Installed, primed and painted bookshelves in living room. 2. Got Savannah navigational chart hung in Andy’s bedroom and 1920s framed bathing suit hung in stairwell. 3. Reinforced, sanded and painted octagonal wicker breakfast table. 4. Cupboard to cover hideous electrical box in utility room built, primed and painted. 5.Screened porch cleared of all construction debris (and auxiliary refrigerator), blown off, hosed down and arranged. 6. Victorian mahogany hall tree patched up, re-mirrored, primed, painted and screwed to wall in utility room. 7. Brimfield screened door retrofitted for front door, primed, painted and installed. 8. Wall brackets mounted in master bathroom. Oh sure, there were glitches. The original cabinets I bought to hide the electrical box were the wrong size and had to be returned to Home Depot. One whole set of shelves for the bookcase were an inch too short–which we discovered after I’d already primed and painted said shelves. The gate kit I bought for the picket fence was also the wrong size, and also had to be returned to Home Depot. And the post-hole diggers I bought for the fence-builders has somehow mysteriously de-materialized. But we’re this close to being done. And Easter weekend, the whole family should be able to relax and enjoy our new beach house.

Weekend Fun

Here I am with the two co-queens of the Lakewood 400 Antique Market, Lauri and Lulu of Chippys. And yes, those are vintage permanent wave pins that Lulu is wearing on her lapels and in her hair. It’s workin’, don’t you think? My Saturday signing was so much fun it shoulda been illegal. So big thanks go out to show owners Ed and Barbara Spivia for letting me come out to play. My friend Cathy Blanco of The Book Exchange in Marietta sold what seemed like bazillions of books. I met loads of fellow junkers and dealers and fans, and even scored some seriously cool swag, including a little ironstone milk jug for my kitchen collection, and a sterling sugar bowl. It was my first time at the Lakewood 400 Antique Market since they moved to their “new” location nearly five years ago, but like Gen. Patton–I shall return, and next time I’m bringing the junk posse. The big-ass basket giveaway was a success too, so I think we’ll have to do more of those. And oh yeah–Katie’s birthday party that night was big fun. Stay tuned for pix. And also a giveaway. I missed doing a giveaway for my 200th post. So I owe you guys.