The new book!
I can finally announce . . . It’s here! — Well, almost. My new book is being printed now and will be available in bookstores during the first week of November. I don’t have a specific day yet, but you, my blog readers will be the first to know! I’ll probably have the release party in Fairhope sometime during the second week of November – around Veteran’s Day. – stay tuned!
Exploding Hushpuppies! is my second collection of short columns that will whisk you away from this stressful world and take you into a place of families, dogs, marriage, friends, pockets in skirts and hamsters in the money bank.
My blog readers are at the top of my list for a huge thank you for your support and encouragement. Many of your comments and emails have inspired new stories or helped me decide which columns to include in this collection.
An early idea for the coverThe title comes from one of my most popular stories — yet one that was left out of the Birmingham and Huntsville papers. I posted it here on the blog, so you may remember the story of how too many cooks added baking powder to the hushpuppy mix, and they shot all over the kitchen like exploding molten lava. It’s the first story in the book, followed by 39 others that each take just a few minutes to read.
My Bob is great at graphics and has degrees in Advertising and Marketing, so he came up with this first idea.
We asked artists to draw a version of me looking surprised.
You won’t believe what we got.
Submissions started coming in and I was amused, shocked and horrified at some of the ways people interpreted me! Yikes!
Here’s just a sample of what we received. I didn’t even include the one that looked like Hillary Clinton. Have you stopped laughing yet? (I haven’t).
Back to the drawing board.
We realized there were several stories that mentioned kitchens and home, so we decided to focus more on the home.
This is all I have at this point — a copy from my home printer. “Why do you have to print everything out?” He wants to know. “So I can hold it like a long-awaited baby!” I tell him.
Another reason I printed the book was so I could take it with me to show my Bible Study group and ask them to pray for me while it’s being released. Those ladies are serious about their prayer lives and I feel blessed to be part of their group. With COVID still swirling around the world, it may be a terrible time to release a book, but I’m determined to make It work. A quote I keep next to my desk says, “Am I to fear the gift God gave me? Would He give me a gift just so he could torment me?”
This is the very time people need something distracting and wholesome to read. Believe me, this publisher made sure it was wholesome. I even had to remove the word, “gosh.” I’ll be calling on my blog-buddies soon to help spread the word and make up for limited book signing events. (thank you in advance).
Available at Barnes and Noble, local bookstores (Page and Palette) and Amazon, Exploding Hushpuppies will be popping!
There will be a hardback, paperback and ebook version of the book. I’m also on my way to record the audiobook in a studio soon. There was an offer from the publisher to provide an actress from oo-la-la-Hollywood to read the book for me, but . . . no thank you. Or should I say, “no thank y’all.” Seriously, can you imagine a fake Southern accent saying, “I Swanee!”
Thanks for the support over the years. I’m so excited to share this book with all of you.
Keep up with all the news by entering your email in the space on the sidebar that says, “receive new posts by email” or follow me on my writer’s Facebook page.
I am so proud of you and so happy you are launching your second book.
You go girl! ❤️
Thank you Mary. That means so much to me. Thanks for your support over the years!
Congratulations Leslie Anne, how exciting! Book #2, I am looking forward to it……….I will add it to my bookshelf with #1………
Thanks so much Emily. You’ve always been such a loyal reader, and I appreciate it so much!
I am so proud of you and so happy you are launching your second book.
You go girl! ❤️
Thank you Mary. That means so much to me. Thanks for your support over the years!
Congratulations Leslie Anne, how exciting! Book #2, I am looking forward to it……….I will add it to my bookshelf with #1………
Thanks so much Emily. You’ve always been such a loyal reader, and I appreciate it so much!
Ms. Leslie, oh happy day!
So looking forward to your next book!
Hoping it will be an amusing one, as I sure could use a good laugh these days!
You will blow it out of the park!!
Sincerely, Arlene C.
Thanks Arlene. You are a great friend that I never get to see! Always supportive and laughing! Love you!
Congratulations Leslie Anne! I cannot wait to read it!! Joining your Bible group to lift you up in prayer for much success. I do love the drawing with the really BIG hair in the middle. You know what Dolly says…the bigger the hair, the closer to God!!
I just-a-bout died when I saw that one! Bob loves the B52’s (which I believe you recently quoted) so he thought that drawing was great! Thanks Roxanne.
Yes, the B-52s had some serious bouffant going! Don’t you know they were probably awash in a cloud of AquaNet. There is more than one reason I’lm RoxieB52!! Bob is a man of good taste…he picked you and he likes good music!
Love!
Wonderful news …! This is a home remedy … sure to soothe in these anxious times … yay !
How sweet of you – poetic kind words I may have to send to my publisher! Thanks Gigi!
Leslie Anne….. i am so amazed …well not really at how wonderfully talented in writing you are! Bet u our readers don’t know you can sing and play the flute… oh the memories
Ahhh . . . I have to keep hushpuppies in your mouth so you don’t talk! Hahaha! Thanks sweet friend.
Congratulations! I look so forward to reading something uplifting – as you always are!
Thanks Savan. Hope to see you at the release party!
You definitely keep us laughing and so grateful you do!
Thanks Yvonne. It’s especially hard to find a laugh these days! Thanks for reading.
Ms. Leslie, oh happy day!
So looking forward to your next book!
Hoping it will be an amusing one, as I sure could use a good laugh these days!
You will blow it out of the park!!
Sincerely, Arlene C.
Thanks Arlene. You are a great friend that I never get to see! Always supportive and laughing! Love you!
Congratulations Leslie Anne! I cannot wait to read it!! Joining your Bible group to lift you up in prayer for much success. I do love the drawing with the really BIG hair in the middle. You know what Dolly says…the bigger the hair, the closer to God!!
I just-a-bout died when I saw that one! Bob loves the B52’s (which I believe you recently quoted) so he thought that drawing was great! Thanks Roxanne.
Yes, the B-52s had some serious bouffant going! Don’t you know they were probably awash in a cloud of AquaNet. There is more than one reason I’lm RoxieB52!! Bob is a man of good taste…he picked you and he likes good music!
Love!
Wonderful news …! This is a home remedy … sure to soothe in these anxious times … yay !
How sweet of you – poetic kind words I may have to send to my publisher! Thanks Gigi!
Leslie Anne….. i am so amazed …well not really at how wonderfully talented in writing you are! Bet u our readers don’t know you can sing and play the flute… oh the memories
Ahhh . . . I have to keep hushpuppies in your mouth so you don’t talk! Hahaha! Thanks sweet friend.
Congratulations! I look so forward to reading something uplifting – as you always are!
Thanks Savan. Hope to see you at the release party!
You definitely keep us laughing and so grateful you do!
Thanks Yvonne. It’s especially hard to find a laugh these days! Thanks for reading.
I can’t wait to read it! You are the new Erma Bombeck. The cover art is a book in itself!
Thanks so much Ellen. I used to read Erma Bombeck in my mom’s magazines when I was still in elementary school. She was such a good writer that could relate to everyone, even little children. That’s a big compliment to be compared to her.
I can’t wait to read it! You are the new Erma Bombeck. The cover art is a book in itself!
Thanks so much Ellen. I used to read Erma Bombeck in my mom’s magazines when I was still in elementary school. She was such a good writer that could relate to everyone, even little children. That’s a big compliment to be compared to her.
Little late catching up. Congratulations. The cover is adorable. I have no doubt it will do well.
Thanks Sandy! (never too late to catch up!)
Little late catching up. Congratulations. The cover is adorable. I have no doubt it will do well.
Thanks Sandy! (never too late to catch up!)
Thursday morning in Paradise! Looking forward to being first in line at Billies, for your in person book signing!
Now, can I just tell you I know I have some really (good STUFF) for your third novel!,, Yep, no power, did not stop me from reading my latest Grisham thriller, by flashlight, we have lots of batteries!,, This am, I drank my Bluebell mint choc chip ice cream for breakfast, really!!
Oh, but bottom line, we were blessed, we, meaning Fairhope, wind and rain are getting to be a bit much!
Must have a chat with Mother Nature! It is time she is nice and she needs to make nice!,
The entries in my journal were made in anger, using words that should not be read by my children!
Ha, thanks to that little bottle of white out, I can fix that’s! See, Will this make a good book?
Love you, see you soon!
Arlene Cocke
Thursday morning in Paradise! Looking forward to being first in line at Billies, for your in person book signing!
Now, can I just tell you I know I have some really (good STUFF) for your third novel!,, Yep, no power, did not stop me from reading my latest Grisham thriller, by flashlight, we have lots of batteries!,, This am, I drank my Bluebell mint choc chip ice cream for breakfast, really!!
Oh, but bottom line, we were blessed, we, meaning Fairhope, wind and rain are getting to be a bit much!
Must have a chat with Mother Nature! It is time she is nice and she needs to make nice!,
The entries in my journal were made in anger, using words that should not be read by my children!
Ha, thanks to that little bottle of white out, I can fix that’s! See, Will this make a good book?
Love you, see you soon!
Arlene Cocke