Despite the hail that is beating down my roof at this very moment, I am still declaring it summer. So, in honor of this lovely season, I am sharing two of my very favorite summer-time places. 1. Seeley Lake, Montana A picture can’t really do Seeley Lake justice. It is beautiful, yes, but there is [...]
…tidbits about Southport, North Carolina. 1. Because Southport is so close to Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, many TV shows and movies have been filmed there. You can see Southport in episodes of Dawson’s Creek, and in the movies I Know What You Did Last Summer and A Walk to Remember (and many more). 2. [...]
If you are an American, chances are you have heard the name Vanderbilt. As in, “no, I can’t buy you a brand new Maserati! Who do you think I am, a Vanderbilt?” The Vanderbilts were rich. But they weren’t just rich like the doctor down the street who buys all his teenagers brand new cars [...]
Once upon a time, a waitress called me “ma’am”. I was 16, maybe 17. A friend came to the rescue, telling the waitress that, “unless a woman is visibly over 35, she is not a ma’am.” It was funny. It is not so funny for my colleague. Let’s call him Roger (’cause, well, that’s his [...]
During the Civil War (or, as some southerners like to say, “The War of Northern Aggression”), the confederate soldiers would keep dogs to help them track. At night, the soldiers needed to keep the dogs quiet so they wouldn’t give away their location. So, when the dogs would get restless or hungry and start baying, [...]
Carolina porches are a thing of beauty: eight feet wide, often times the width of the house, timeless. When I see a nice wide Carolina porch, I imagine: The air is warm and inviting as I step out onto the porch. Moisture clings to my skin, giving me a soft dewy appearance. The glass of [...]
I get asked a lot why I set all my stories in the South, to which I say: there is one in Northern Idaho! Actually, the answer is: because the American South is awesome. The culture, the food, the atmosphere, the weather, the people – all awesome. So, to celebrate the awesomeness of the South [...]
Back to questions. Because, shockingly, I still have some left. I really know how to milk a Q&A post, don’t I? Jessie Sin asks: Movies and other books are constantly inspiring my stories and characters. Do you have such inspirations? And if so, what are they? (Also, please explain what has been the biggest inspiration [...]
