BT - The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, Joshilyn Jackson

Where the heck did April go? One minute, I was planning on launching BookTalk on April 1st. Then my darling baby looked at me this morning and said, "Momma, they're going to sing to me in church tomorrow." Which means that her May birthday is sometime within the next week. Which means that I missed an entire freakin' month.

Better late than never though, right?

So here's how it's going to work:

- Click up there on the title, or just click this link here.

- Read the first comment.

- Leave your own comments. You can answer my questions, or you can make some up of your own.

- Discussion is highly encouraged.

- Spoilers are welcome. If you don't want to know about the book, don't join in the discussion.

Rules:
- No bashing each other.
- No bashing the author.
- You may criticize any aspect of the book that you wish, but be prepared to defend your comments.
- I reserve the right to delete any comment that I feel is cruel, in poor taste, or just ticks me off. (This will probably rarely happen, but I wanted to put it out there just in case someone goes nuts and gets really crazy.)

Now go to it. Enjoy. This will be up and open for comments for the rest of the month. Mid-month, I will announce the BookTalk book for June. Sometime near the beginning of June, I'll post another BookTalk post about the new book. It may, or may not, be a book that I've featured here. If you want to see all the BookTalks, click the BookTalk label, or look for BT in the title of the post.

Remember, there will be SPOILERS. If you haven't read the book, don't click the link.

Keep Turning Those Pages!

Here's why...

I do the things I do...

You may (or may not) have noticed that I haven't been around much lately. Starting with the stomach flu that ravaged the family a few weeks back, ending with the pipe that broke and flooded the entire rental property just two days before our renters were set to move in, and working some crazy hours in between all that other drama, it's been a heck of a few weeks.

I was so totally counting on having that wonderful weekend in South Carolina, where I got to actually share a meal and some really cool chat time with the amazingly FABulous Joshilyn Jackson, be a time for me to re-charge, re-group, and re-LAX! And it was lovely. Really, totally lovely. But alas, as with all weekends-away, I had to come home, back to the reality that is my at-times-insanely-crazy-but-always-wonderful life. Straight back to the stomach flu. And my General Manager moving to Florida. And the rental flooding. So much fun being home, right?

So yeah, when things in the real life get crazy, time on the computer is the first thing that has to go. What? You didn't think I'd sacrifice time with my kids, did you?

Now, I've actually got the weekend off, and I wanted the chance to share a few things with you, before I go forward and start a few new things in April. We'll just chalk the month of March up to one long hiatus. I mean, those other writers in tv land got to take some time off, didn't they?

Here's the deal. I love books. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love walking in to the bookstore and seeing them. I love the smell of them. Pretty much anything that has to do with books is something that I enjoy being involved in.

I read all the time. I have books stashed everywhere you can imagine - next to the bed, in the office, in every bag I carry, in the car for reading at stoplights, piles of them next to the bathtub. You get the picture? I know what I like, and I know what I don't really like all that much. I also know how hard it is to write, since I'm plugging along at my own book.

I like to share my feelings about the books that I read, and that's why I started this blog. It wasn't supposed to be a big thing, with lots of people. It started off as a place to put my thoughts on books, instead of my personal blog. A few friends knew about it and read it, and that was cool. Then I had a partner in crime, as it were, and that was really nice too. Then we started doing contests, and more people started showing up, and that was pretty interesting. I found it all a bit strange that people really listened to what I had to say about books, and more than a bit flattering, if you want to know the truth. Then the partner in crime left, and I was back to doing things on my own. Except, now I had regular readers. Hmmm. Interesting place to be, yes?

But seriously, I'm not a very good reviewer. You knew that already, didn't you? I mean, I'm not snarky, I'm not rude, I can't really be mean. And I have this stupid thing where if I can't say at least three nice things about a book, then I won't even talk about it. Why? Well, because I think that authors work hard, really REALLY hard, to write those stories. And it's wrong, and mean, and just crappy, of me to come in and rip their work to shreds. I just don't see the humor, or the fun, or anything in that. I can't read review sites that seem to enjoy trashing not just a book, but an author as well. They make me kind of queasy. I don't find it entertaining, I find it cruel.

I also don't think that reviews should tell you anything major about the book. I don't think that any plot points should be revealed, and secrets told. I don't think they should be like mini- book reports. Nor do I think that you should get any more information from a review about the book than you get from the Back (or Inside) Cover Copy of a book. Reviews that tell you everything that happens in the book basically take away your reason to buy the book. I enjoy telling the general things that I liked about the book, a small bit about the main characters, any MAJOR thing that might have bothered me, and whether or not it will make my Keeper shelf, be passed on to a friend, be given away, or be sent out into the wild.

Also, because of the fact that I have a full time job outside the home, we homeschool all six of our amazing children, I'm very involved in my church, and I read like a fiend, I don't have the time to 'review' every single book that I read. And frankly, I doubt you'd like it if I did that anyhow. I want you to know that the books that I choose to 'feature' here are books that have somehow touched me. They have shifted the way I think about something, or look at something, or feel about something. They have made me pause and reconsider my views and opinions. They have made me cry or laugh. Basically, I'm only going to tell you about the ones that move me. Because really? Who the heck has time to read books that don't move you?

So if you're looking for mean-spirited reviews that tell you every last thing about a book, you're in the wrong place. If you want someone that's willing to trash an author, or the book that they wrote, you've got the wrong girl.

But if what you want is honest, positive thoughts about really special books, then maybe you're in the right place.

Going forward, here's the deal.
- I'll be putting a list of the books that I'm planning on reading every week/month up in the sidebar. It'll be like a TBR pile. When I finish with a book, if it's made any kind of an impact on me at all, I'll tell you about it. If you don't hear about it, then that means that I either really didn't like it, or it didn't make a really big splash in my pond.

- I will still feature a Fabulous Author/Book every month. And there will be a free book given away in a contest. Sometimes those books will even be signed. Sometimes they won't be. I'll try to have the FAB be a week-long event. And I'll try to include an interview. But I'm not making any promises.

- If you want me to tell you my thoughts on a book, ANY book, drop me a line, or leave me a comment. I'm always looking for new books or authors to check out. Keep in mind, I'll read almost anything, but I especially enjoy Southern fiction, mystery/suspense, 'chick lit', and straight romance. That's not to say that I won't read anything else, because hey, if it's in a book I'm willing to try reading it. I've read just about everything. I say "just about" because I'm sure there are things that I haven't seen yet. But if it falls in any category between cookbooks (my favorite is this one) and computer manuals (like this one), or anywhere else on any shelf of the bookstore, I'm more than willing to read it. And I honestly can't remember the last time I didn't finish a book. I just can't NOT finish, if you know what I mean.

- I'm going to encourage discussion about books. Actually, I'm going to beg for it. So, if you want to discuss a particular book, let me know. I'd like to start BookTalk in April, with a discussion of March's FAB The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. If you were one of the people that got signed copies of the book, or if you bought and read your own copy, please join me in a discussion IN THE COMMENTS SECTION, about the book. You will be able to identify BookTalk posts because the title will start with BT, and it will have a BookTalk label. If you don't want to read spoilers, please don't click on the comments for these posts.

- To go along with and encourage BookTalk discussions, I'll be sending out a few copies of a book each month. How do you get on my list? Send me an e-mail ( deesbookdish AT gmail DOT com) and let me know that you want to participate in BookTalk (just put BOOKTALK in the subject line, and your address somewhere in the e-mail body). I can't promise that you'll get a book every single month. But the more often you are here and you comment, the more often that you participate in the contests, well, the more inclined I will probably be to send you free books. You are, of course, under no obligation to participate in BookTalk discussions if I send you a free book. But it would be really great if you did drop in and at least give me your honest (but not cruel) opinion of the book that you got.

So, does that make sense? Things will keep going around here, but they'll be just a tad bit different. I'll tell you the books I'm reading, and I'll tell you about those books if they make any sort of an impact on me at all. If I don't tell you about them, then they were either wallbangers, or they were just not that interesting TO ME. That's not to say that you won't find them amazing, but if I don't tell you about them, that that just means that I personally didn't find them all that great. I'll also have regular BookTalk discussions, almost like an online book club, and you might get free books

Now, I'm going to adjourn for the next few days, and actually write up some 'reviews' of books I've read in the past few weeks, and store those to post in the very near future. And I also have a Double Dish from TC that I've had in storage for a few weeks (THANKS, tc!!).

Stay tuned for more fun stuff, more contests, more giveaways, and more of the reasons that I started the site in the first place. Be in touch in the comments if you have any suggestions. Can't wait to hear from you!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson interview (and contest winners)

What a life! I'm sitting here, Saturday morning, in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. My view is of the ocean, and I have to say that the prospect of a day above 40 degrees is FABulous. But, not nearly as FABulous as last night. See, last night, I was in the B&N in Mt. Pleasant. And so was... Joshilyn Jackson!

Now, that wasn't an accident. I planned it that way. I looked on her website at her tour dates, found one that was close enough to drive, yet far enough to be... away... and just made a few discreet Google inquiries. Then I found this wonderful place and invited a few friends to join me on a Book-trip. Now here I am.

And I have prizes for some of you!

But I'll get to that. First though, I'd like to give you this present. It's a few questions that I asked Joss to answer, and she did, friends! I'm hoping that, after reading these, you'll fall just as much in stalker-love with her as I already am. So, read on:

Joss, On writing...

dee: Please describe THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, in one sentence.

Joss: The ghost of a drowned girl draws a pairs of estranged sisters together to discover what really happened the night she died.

dee: Why do you write? Is it something you have to do, like breathing? Or is it more of a way to pay the bills?

Joss: I write primarily to entertain myself. I’ve always been a story-teller, and I’ve always been easily bored. I hate waiting. And sitting. And driving. And housework. SO I find to fill that time, I tell myself stories. Sometimes the characters in the stories I tell myself get…internally loud. Those are the ones I feel compelled to write down.

Anyone who takes up writing fiction to pay the bills is clinically insane. You do it for love, I think, and then if the money comes, YAY. That’s a gift from heaven--- and readers.

dee: Can you describe your writing process? Do you have a crit partner? Who sees your work before the rest of us? How long does it take you to write a book? To edit?

Joss: I have a read aloud group for short scenes where pacing is a concern. I have a small writing group who reads chapters as I go and gives me feedback. I have one or two whole book readers at the end---one of these, Lydia, has been been my writing partner for over a decade and a half now. Then my agent, who used to be an editor, takes a look. When I have it as tasty and perfect as I can make it, THEN it goes to my editor. I do not like my editor to see the MS with curlers in its hair and crumbs down its front.

It takes about 18 months for me to write and edit a book. I would say 75% of that time is spent on revising, and that’s the part I like. Drafting feels messy, like I am spewing out awkwardly worded ideas. Drafting is how I get raw material, like clay, and then I try to make something worth looking at out of the clay.

dee: What exactly is 'Southern Gothic'? I've heard you describe your books that way, and I know other writers that also claim SG as their genre, but really, couldn't you just call it "ball-busting, gut-wrenching writing"? I'm just wondering if it's part of a marketing thing, or what. Does all southern writing fall into this category?

Joss: Dee! You must read this ! love the wiki!

No, not all southern writing is Gothic, and I do not think I am a classic total genius deathless Southern Gothic writer like Faulkner or O’Connor, or to get current, the inestimable Tom Franklin. I do use elements of Southern Gothic. For example, in Between, Georgia, the Doll House/Butterfly museum mirrors Bernese’s smug, tunnel-tunnel-visioned, hypocritical inner landscape, and putting a first kiss in that disturbing, alien landscape mirrors the other instance of adultery in the book; That scene is me using The Grotesque.

I think I write character driven fiction that borrows from a lot of genres. I know I use both elements of Southern Gothic writing and an engine from commercial fiction. For example, a murder mystery propels both gods and The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, but neither book is actually a murder mystery. I have very eclectic influences---I read everything from classic literature to classic pulp, from Dennis Lehane to Haven Kimmel--- and I think the mish-mash of influences have a huge hand in the kind of books I write.

dee: You have little pockets of writer friends scattered all over the South. How did you meet these people? Are you a part of a writing group or organization? Do you have close friends that are not writers? How important is the sense of community found with other writers to your very basic sanity?

Joss: Oh you know – you meet other writers at conferences and such. I am not part of any sort of CLUB, no. Most of my friends are either writers or moms or both. I love that I have gotten to meet a lot of my absolute heros, and I love that they have treated me like a peer. That still blows my mind.

That said, a sense of a community of writers is not as important to me as a sense of community with other moms. I am under no illusions about which of my two jobs is more important, and which of my two jobs will have a more lasting effect in the world. I love writing, I love that my books are published, but my kids are what I will actually leave behind when I slip this mortal coil. My kid’s choices will have a real effect on the people around them. I want to do a good job. I want to raise people who will be kind and happy and strive to do what is right and who will treat other people with gentleness and empathy. It’s the only thing that matters.

dee: The relationship between the women in your books fascinates me. I love the community of women, how each one helps the other see things, feel things, and be things that they might never have been before. Thalia reminded me of the other two strong women that you've created. How do you think she was similar? Different?

Joss: OH, Thalia. She is a love her/hate her character. I think she is hilarious, but I know some readers will want to strangle her. I freakin’ love her—even though I do not ADMIRE her. She flirts with being a sociopath, but where she is capable of love, she does it fiercely and willfully. I am interested in her strange marriage…

By the other two strong women, do you mean Flo from gods and Mama from Between? I see very little of Mama and Flo in Thalia---perhaps all three are more pragmatic than dreamers, but Flo is broken. Mama is physically hampered. Both of those women are shaped by the strictures of their lives, and both are hugely shaped by loss.

Thalia, on the other hand, invented herself out of will and spittle and raw guts. She refuses to let anything shape her. She shapes herself.

Okay, maybe I DO admire her, a VERY little, but LORDY I would not want to be Thalia.

dee: In TGWSS, the romantic relationship is already established. They're married. However, Laurel, with Thalia's help, starts to question everything she knows about her husband and the way that they live. How was writing about an already firm relationship different from the others you're penned? Laurel and David have a history already, they are middle-aged, content in their shared life. How different was that than writing about Henry and Nonny, at the beginning of their love story?

Joss: One of the ways I think of this book is as a love story for married people; this is the first book I dedicated to my husband. gods and Between I dedicated to my parents and my children, because those are parent/child love stories. Romance…hmm. I think marriages are inherently more interesting animals than fresh romances. Complicated, layered relationships with history—and a marriage has its own language.

I wanted elements of romance in Between because Nonny is, at last, at 30, growing up, and finding a mate is part of that. In THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING (and in gods, to some extent) I was looking at established relationships and how you find your way back to love in them…or not.

Joss, on life...

dee: What is your favorite job ever? Why?

Joss: Mom. Because me and my husband, we made us some amazing babies. I may be slightly prejudiced in their favor, and my assessment of them may be made through fond eyes, but Sam and Maisy Jane seem to me to be the cutest best smartest most delightful children to ever grace the earth.

dee: You are having a Milestone birthday this month, correct?

Joss: NO.

dee: Do you think this birthday will change how you view the world?

Joss: NO.

dee: How you view your work?

Joss: NO.

dee: Has it already?

Joss: NO.
I may be in a teeny bit of denial. Yes, okay. I am turning forty. I am fine with it. If you need me, I will be upstairs sobbing into a blanket.

I do not know why this one is hitting me so hard. Maybe because I secretly wish I could have 1 or 2 more babies, but alas, we started too late.

dee: How is the Lent thing going? Why did you pick what you picked to give up for FORTY days? You've got some incredible willpower, woman!!

Joss: I gave up sugar last lent, and this year I gave up both sugar and wine. Not ALCOHOL, you understand. I can’t turn 40 without a martini. Or two. But sugar was not going to do it this year.

Before last Lent, I think I ate some sugar every day---I was addicted to it. Last year was a challenging Lent because I craved sweets all the time, every hour, for about the first two weeks. Then I stopped. And I haven’t craved sweets in that same way since. I also do not drink wine every day. But – probably most days, I either have a glass or two of wine OR a dessert. And my favorite thing ON EARTH to eat is a nice shiraz with bitter black chocolate. SO I gave up both.

I think the point for me is to give up something that I will miss every day---it doesn’t matter what the thing is, as long I feel the absence of it, which is what reminds me to pray and focus on things beyond whatever is in front of me. As for me having willpower? Hee! ee!! I have absolutely ZERO self-control, but there is a spiritual component to lent that is stronger than my baby- mouse willpower.

dee: You've mentioned many different drinks on FTK. Do you have an all time favorite drink? A solid standby? Something you know will be good no matter where you are? Are you currently flirting with any new drinks, after your recent trip to NY?

Joss: My all time fave is a dirty vodka martini with extra olives. This last trip to NYC, we made home base an upper west side speakeasy called Prohibition, and I LOVED it there. They have these delicious little miniburgers. Num. They have a “martini” made with Ciroc and blood orange juice, and it is TASTY. I am going to try to recreate it at home.

dee: People die in your books. Usually those people are in Alabama. Do you have a fascination with Alabaman death? Or death in general?

Joss: HA! In my books, people can DIE anywhere, but I do I seem to like for people to be murdered in Alabama…If you are going to be violently killed in one of my books, you almost always have to cross the line into the state that so rightfully calls itself The Beautiful.

In The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, I finally offed someone under suspicious circumstances in FLORIDA, so that was a big step for me, but the shooting all takes place in…Alabama. Even in Between, Georgia, which doesn’t have the elements of a murder mystery, you hear about one of the Crabtree cousins getting in a bar fight and killing someone in Alabama.

Alabama seems to me like the right state for committing murder. All those green hills and quarries---so many places to hide a body. Alabama air smells crisp to me, and violence seems more possible there. I am not sure Alabama is as real a place to me as Georgia and Florida and the other 47 states. I haven’t lived in Alabama since I was a baby, but all my people come from it. I mythologize it more than I do other places.

In the book I am writing now, the main character is from Alabama (She’s actually Rose Mae Lolley, from gods in Alabama, so) but she has lived for twenty years in Texas and California, and for her, Alabama is as dangerous and beautiful and made-up as Faerie. She says, “In Alabama, mushrooms only ever grow in circles, and things happen in threes.” So I am not done with my complicated relationship with that chunk of America yet, apparently. And Rose is herself a bit like my version of the state; she is beautiful and she shoots people.

Joss, On what's next...

dee: Will you tell us about where you are in the writing/publishing process right now? TGWSS is almost in stores. Where are you in Rose Unraveled?

Joss: About 1/3^rd of the way in and STUCK, thanks! I am not sure if that will be the title. Not MARRIED to it, but it is fine for a working title.

dee: What's it about?

Joss: It’s the story of Rose, a minor character in gods in Alabama, but it is not a sequel. It is more like a companion book. The events in ROSE UNRAVELLED are taking place years after gods closes in 1997. Thematically I am revisiting redemption because I am not done with it yet. I am not sure I ever will be. All it takes is LENT to remind me of how interested I am in that!

I started to work on it when I realized that everything Rose Mae says to Arlene in gods is a lie, and I woke up one night KNOWING exactly why she was really looking for Jim Beverly in that book.

Getting the timeline to work is a little like fitting a puzzle together, and I find I am willing to sacrifice exactness to the book’s greater concerns, if I can make it make sense in my head. For example, in gods, Rose Mae and Jim Beverly are in the same class. In ROSE UNRAVELLED, Rose was a junior when Jim was a senior ---but I think of that as ARLENE’S mistake.

Arlene, coming in as a freshman, saw them as a unit, and put them in the same class---after all, I think back to highschool, I can’t tell you what class everyone I went to school with was in. And in ROSE UNRAVELLED, Rose has no diploma. She dropped out at the end of junior year, so it seems natural that Arlene would assume she was a senior. Meanwhile, I have time lines and charts scribble-scrabbled all over Delta envelopes and notes scattered throughout 3 different copies of gods. Yarg!

dee: When will it be out?

Joss: 2009? I hope?

dee: Isn't it crazy that your newest published book isn't even officially in stores yet, and I'm already begging for the next one?

Joss: No. I do not think it makes you crazy. I think it makes EXCEPTIONALLY pretty.

So. There you have it. Joss thinks that *I* am "exceptionally pretty". She said it. And, I must admit, I am slightly inclined to believe her today. After all, I'm sitting here with this amazing ocean view, listening to the waves crash upon the shore as I look at the pile of signed copies of TGWSS and eat off the majestic cheese plate that I've just made.

What's that, you say? Pile of signed copies of TGWSS? Why yes, I did say pile, didn't I. And pile I meant. See, I was in such a gloriously happy place last night, what with actually breaking bread with Joss before the signing and seeing all of those happy faces at the signing, that I just felt the need to share the love. So, if you don't mind, would the following people please send me an e-mail at deesbookdish@gmail.com, with "I WON TGWSS" in the subject line, and include your actual mailing address? you don't mind? Good then. Please contact me so I can mail your book. Kristen, Chloe, Gail, Ray, and Tammy. I also have two audiobooks for Andi and Marg. (And I have a confession to make. One of you almost didn't get the audiobook. I almost kept it for myself! But only because I love you, and because Joss brought them, are you going to get them. So you better ENJOY!)


See Joss here? She's probably signing your copy of TGWSS, if you are a winner! And as for those of you that are not getting signed copies, IF YOUR BLOG IS LISTED UP THERE ON THE RIGHT ONLY!, please send me an e-mail as well, with "I WANT A COUPON FOR TGWSS" in the subject line. I will be happy to send you a coupon/gift certificate that will take care of a small portion of your TGWSS purchase. This is not for everyone, you understand. Just for those lovely people that helped me spread the word about this FABulous book by advertising on their blog. Please remember that the books will not be signed. But they will still be FABulous.

Ok, now I have to get back to reading. And relaxing. And finishing this Bloody Mary. It's only my second. Or is it my third? Oh, who's counting?

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson contest reminder, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSS!

Yes, today is Joshilyn's birthday. Won't you stop by her site here and wish her a very happy day? And while you're at it, remind her how pretty she is!

Just reminding y'all that the contests are both over on Thursday at midnight EST. So.

If you want to blog about Joshilyn Jackson's newest book, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, be sure to put the .jpg (selflessly hosted by Joss here) and the inside cover copy (found on this post here) on YOUR blog. Then drop in here on any post that has the words "FAB" and "JOSHILYN JACKSON" on the title and leave me a link. I'm not picky where you put it, as long as you tell me somewhere that you've linked to my site.

If you want to enter the other contest, just tell me about your most intense celebrity stalker experience. Again, any post will do.

Also, as I mentioned, Joshilyn has agreed to answer questions from my blog-reader friends this week. If you have a question for her, just leave it on THIS post, and she'll drop in and answer it for you.

I will announce contest winners on Friday or Saturday, when I post the FABulous interview with Joshilyn. I'll be out of town over the weekend, but will have my computer with me. Be sure to stay tuned!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB - THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, Joshilyn Jackson

Make sure you read all the way to the end of this post, ok? There are a few things that might be of interest to you down at the end. I'd say more, but what I really want to do is talk about this month's FABPick, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming, by the FABulous Joshilyn Jackson.

From the Inside Cover Copy:

Laurel Gray Hawthorne hasn't seen a ghost in the thirteen years she and her husband have lived in the beautiful gated neighborhood of Victorianna. keeping her head down, she's managed to make a good life for her beloved daughter and husband while working on her nationally acclaimed art quilts. But in the dog days of a Florida August, she wakes to find a dead girl standing by her bed. It's the ghost of her daughter's best friend, Molly, who leads the way to her own small body, floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Now, with police on her lawn and neighbors peeking over the fence, Laurel's carefully constructed existence cracks, and her past seeps through.

Laurel and her sister, Thalia, grew up in what appears to be a typical blue-collar home, but the Grays have long been hiding a very literal skeleton in their closet. While Laurel built her pretty, pleasing life in the suburbs, Thalia became an actress with a capital A, about as unconventional as they come. She's the walking definition of mess, and no longer fits in Laurel's tidy world. Yet Molly can't rest until someone learns her secrets, and she has opened a door to the past that Laurel can't close alone. She turns to her wild and estranged sister, though asking for Thalia's help is like jumping into a hot frying pan protected only bu a thin layer of Crisco. Together they set out on a life altering journey that will reveal their family's buried history, the true state of Laurel's perfect marriage, and what really happened to the girl who stopped swimming.

Doesn't that make you want to read the book? Well, it should, because that is actually a totally accurate example of cover copy. It's so correct, I can't say a single word about it...except "YES!"

As for the actual story... Whew! I don't even know what else to say, but I'll try.

Like Ms. Jackson's previous two novels, The Girl Who Stopped Swimming is a thrilling roller-coaster of emotion. From the opening paragraph, I was pulled into the story of Laurel Hawthorne and her almost crazy Southern family.

The plot was tight, the pacing was superb, and the characters seemed to step right off the page. And the voice? Well, if you've read a Jackson novel already, then you know about the voice. If you haven't (and what HAVE you been reading, if not one of her books?!?), then let me give you an example...

Thalia had stared up at Daddy's face as if it were more interesting than any thousand fairies, but Laurel had peered hard out at the fireflies and seen the curved body of a girl, slim as filament, glowing in the heart of every light.

Isn't that beautiful? Have you ever heard fireflies described quite like that before? If not, then you've obviously skipped your portion of Jackson this year.

I can't really say much more about the book without giving something away, and trust me, there's plenty to give away. It's one of those books that you will suck up fast, because it keeps rolling. But then you'll have to re-read it, almost as soon as you finish, because the way it all ties up makes you want to go back and experience it all again.

I can remember the first time I read it, just a few weeks ago. I blocked off an entire day, because I knew that once I started I wouldn't be able to put it down. And I didn't. Not for food, not for movie night, not for anything. I held my breath at least a dozen times. I rushed to the end, because I had to find out what happened to that girl in the pool, and to Thalia, and to Laurel. When I finished, I put the book down and walked downstairs, the tears still seeping out of my eyes. I sat down in my chair and my husband and oldest daughter just looked at me. "Are you ok?" they both asked. My reply? "I just need to figure out how to breathe again." Once I figured it out (which took about half an hour to do properly), I was fine. I headed back upstairs and started reading it all over again. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Telling you to read this book just isn't enough. I really should post a warning with my recommendation: IF YOU BUY THIS BOOK, PLAN ON READING IT OFTEN. <--- said in my public announcer's voice.

So go ahead. Dive into The Girl Who Stopped Swimming. But be forewarned: Once just won't be enough.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

Oh yeah, about those extras...
Don't forget to enter one of the contests for a chance at winning a signed copies of THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING.
- For one contest, simply tell me about your most intense or bizarre celebrity stalker experience, in the comments of this post.
- For the other contest, copy the .jpg and the ICC (that's the picture of the cover of the book and the inside cover copy, in purple near the top of this post) and paste them onto YOUR blog, with a linkback to this blogpost. Please also add in the comments here where your post is, so I can add you up in the sidebar.

And, just to make things more interesting, the FABulous Joshilyn Jackson is going to give away some extras. Don't believe me? Check out her website here (2/24 post) for more details. I told you she was pretty!

Can you get any more FAB than that?

Ummm.... No.

Stay tuned for more Joss, all week long!

FAB - Joshilyn Jackson is PRICELESS!

First of all - isn't she just PRETTY? I mean, she's beautiful, right? She is. And the cool thing? She's just as pretty on the inside. Well, I guess the blood and guts might give you pause. But her spirit? Her soul? Very, very pretty. You'll get to see that over the next few days, as I share some things about her books, and you read the interview that she granted. Also, Joss has agreed to answer questions. So if you have a question for her, please leave it in the comments section of ANY post that has FAB in the title this week, and she'll be along to answer it. Just remember that she's on BOOK TOUR for her newest release, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, and the replies to your questions and comments may take a day or two. But she will answer. :)

Today though, I'd like to talk about Ms. Jackson's debut novel, gods in Alabama. It just happens to be one of my favorite books in the entire world. And evidently, I'm not the only one that feels that way.

You see, gods In Alabama was one of the initial 100 books on this list. Then people voted, and gods actually made it into the Top Ten. It has the chance to be "THE" book to talk about in 2008. You can help it achieve that goal by voting for it. But why vote?

Because...
(from the author's website)

When Arlene Fleet headed off to college in Chicago, she made three promises to God: She would never again lie, she would stop fornicating with every boy who crossed her path, and she'd never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama (the "fourth rack of Hell"). All God had to do in exchange was to make sure the body of high school quarterback Jim Beverly was never found.

Ten years later, Arlene has kept her promises, but an old school-mate has recently turned up asking questions. And now Arlene's African American beau has given her a tough ultimatum: introduce him to her family, or he's gone. As she prepares to confront guilt, discrimination, and a decade of deception, Arlene is about to discover just how far she will go to find redemption - and love.

Here's what I had to say about it after I read it the very first time...

To anyone that has ever lived in the South, especially in the Deep South, or in any small town, really, the first paragraph of the book swallows you up whole. You know, or remember, those gods that are mentioned, or you have your own slightly different list of gods from your own town. Maybe it's a high school hockey goalie instead of a quarterback. Maybe it's fast cars instead of pickup trucks. But really, you know the gods of which she speaks. You revered them. You worshipped at their shrines, just like I did. They still have a hold on you, even though Jesus may or may not have a bigger hold now. In your heart of hearts, you know there are gods.

Arlene/Lena knows this as well. "There are gods in Alabama..." This is her mantra. She has a secret, she's made a deal with the big "g" GOD, yet she still practices this refrain in her head for the better part of ten years. When a person from her past shows up in her very Yankee new life asking questions about something Arlene has tried unsuccessfully to forget, the power of those gods is unleashed all over her poor, guilty, Southern soul. She hightails it back home to Alabama, thinking her journey will be anything but sweet.

Those gods have some surprises up their sleeves though. See, Arlene did a Bad Thing when she was younger. That Bad Thing prompted her to make that deal with God. She kept up her end of the deal, but I think she was always scared that He might not keep up His end. When her past shows up on her doorstep, she's pretty sure that He has called off the Deal, and she must now face up to that Bad Thing.

When Arlene gets to Alabama with her boyfriend/pretend husband Burr by her side, she has to start facing her past. That past is rolled up in a family that includes a crazy momma, a perfect cousin, a sweet uncle, and the steeliest aunt anyone familiar with steely Southern aunts has ever seen. I've known my share of steely Southern aunts. I have two of my own. But really, Arlene's Aunt Florence has them beat hands down. Her past also includes her unapologetically racist family, though they are really just mentioned, not heard from. And it includes the kudzu. We can't forget the kudzu, ok?

I fell in love with Arlene. I liked Lena, her Yankee all-grown-up self, too, but really, I loved Arlene. I could feel her shift from Lena, self-assured Deal-keeper, to Arlene, guilty little Bad Thing doer, as soon as she waved goodbye to Tennessee and hello to Alabama. Arlene has a quiet strength, a vulnerability, and a crazy streak, that would seem fake in any other character. It works for her. I felt her pain, her rage, her joy, her guilt, her passion, her jealousy, her indignation, her love. I became her for the day. It wasn't hard to do, Joshilyn made it virtually painless to slip into her skin.

I loved the alternating timelines of the chapters in this book. It starts in present day, then it eases you back in time 17 years. During those flashback chapters that aren't really written like flashbacks, you get to know Arlene as she was at 15. You get to live, every other chapter, inside her head, seeing everything that led up to the Bad Thing. You already know what the Bad Thing is. You find out at the very beginning of the second chapter, even though its pretty well spelled out in the first. It's not a secret anymore, because Joshilyn puts it right out there at the beginning. It's almost as if Joshilyn is saying,"This is my story, and she is my girl. She did this Bad Thing, I'm telling you that right now. But you may not judge her just yet. She's lived with the guilt for a good many years, and you will hear her out, every last word of her story, before I allow you to sit in your stifling glass house and pass judgement on her."

And that's exactly what I did. I sat there, transfixed, as the drama played out around me. I breathed in that fertile Alabama soil, I slurped that sweet tea (really, is there any other kind?), and I listened to all of the things that Aunt Flo didn't say, until I'd heard every last word.

When it was over, when it was just me staring at that very last page, I sat very still and could think of only one thing: There are gods in Alabama. And they bestowed a gift on Joshilyn Jackson. And I will praise them forevermore.

If you really need me to say it, I will say it for you now. GET. OUT. OF. YOUR. CHAIR. AND. GET. YOUR. BUTT. TO. YOUR NEAREST. BOOKSTORE. AND. GET. THIS. BOOK.

The gods will smile down upon you when you do.

And now, after a year and a half, I still feel the same way. If you haven't read it yet, do so. Then be sure to go vote!

Don't forget to enter the contest(s)!! Just put the TGWSS .jpg and info on your site and linkback for one contest, or tell me your Famous Person Stalker Story for the other. Great prizes will be given out for both contests.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB is here - and so is JOSHILYN JACKSON ( and a contest!!)

Eek! It's here. I've been waiting for this week since about July of 2006. No, I'm really not exaggerating!



Most of you already know the history between me and this month's FAB Pick - Joshilyn Jackson. We have been total BFF since forever ago, ok? Don't believe me? Case in point - I once drove hundreds of miles to see her, then she invited me to have lunch with her, AND we got our picture taken together and she posted it on her website. I don't think you can even be more BFF than that. Unless you count that I blatantly stole...er, I mean - borrowed- her idea and framed that picture of us and wrote in pink and purple glitter puffy paint "dee and Joss - Best Friends For-evah!" on it, and it now hangs on the wall in my bedroom. Yes. It does.

But we're not going to discuss my stalker tendencies, ok? Because stalking would be bad. And this month, there is nothing bad about FAB.

Joshilyn is, obviously, one of my fave authors. Has been for a few years now. With award-winning books like her debut novel, gods In Alabama, or her follow-up - Between, Georgia, both hitting the #1 spot in some list or another, I'd be really surprised if you haven't heard of her by now. Besides, she's got one of the funniest blogs on the entire web. Don't believe me? Check it out here. Scroll down and read around a bit. She's hysterical.

And she's got a new book that's hitting stores in just a few weeks. It's called THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING, and, well - it's so totally FABulous that of course I have to tell you all about it. I'm going to tell you all about TGWSS, her blog FASTER THAN KUDZU, her other two books, and some other stuff over the next week. There will, of course, be an interview at the end of the week. And a surprise.

We're also going to have a contest. Or two.

The first one is really easy. All you have to do is put this .jpg and this info ABOUT THE BOOK (found below) on your own blog. Once it is there, come over here to Friday's post (dish of TGWSS) and leave me a link. You can also post about FAB week on your favorite group or loop, and come here and comment to me about it. Plus, if you send people this way, you'll get some extra entries. Lots of ways to enter, lots of ways to win. The prize is a personalized, signed copy of the new release, THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING. The contest runs from 2/22 - 2/28. Don't forget to enter, starting tomorrow.
About the book (from the author's own website)

Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the very literal family skeleton stays buried or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts. Her estranged sister Thalia, an impoverished Actress with a capital A, is her polar opposite, priding herself on exposing the lurid truth lurking behind middle class niceties. While Laurel's life seems neat and on track--a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a lovely home in suburban Victorianna--everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 14-year old neighbor Molly Dufresne.

The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is inexplicable--an unseemly mystery Laurel knows no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Only her wayward, unpredictable sister is right for the task, but calling in a favor from Thalia is like walking straight into a frying pan protected only by Crisco. Enlisting Thalia's help, Laurel sets out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about her family's guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming.

So I said TWO Contests, didn't I? The second one is a bit more personal. Here's all you have to do. Tell me, either in the comments here on this post, or on your own blog, what the most extreme thing you've ever done to meet a famous person is. You can use my story about my BFF Joss, or any one of the hundreds of other stories of mine, as a jumping off point if you want (something like - "I'm not nearly as nuts as dee when she drove all the way to SC to see Joss for the second time and made her real life friends go with her". Oops. Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. THAT story will happen NEXT week. More info to follow.). I've driven literally thousands of miles in pursuit of a signed book or chance to shake the hand of authors. I've worn certain clothes, I've said certain things, I've shared hotel rooms with certain people, all to meet a person that wrote a book, because as you know - authors are my rock stars. But maybe you just like Rock Stars. That's ok too. Whoever your famous stalker experience is, tell me about it. This contest begins today (2/21) and ends next Thursday (2/28) as well.

So. Two contests. A dish of a brand new book. Chat about previous books. Links to all sorts of places. An interview that will have you smiling. What more could you possibly want?

Keep Turning Those Pages!

FAB is coming!

And you're not going to believe who is going to be here for it.

And *I* am not telling.

Well, I'll give you a little hint.

Be on the lookout for FUN, starting next week. I'll have a dish of this author's newest book, a quick re-cap of the previous books, and a wonderful interview.

And a contest.

Just to get you in the mood for the contest, I'll give you a little preview of the prize...



and it's going to be SIGNED. By the AUTHOR (not by me!). And you even have the chance to win SIGNED COPIES of the previous books as well.

Are you ready?

Sure hope so!!

Keep Turning Those Pages!

PS- yes, I know it's blurry. I did that on purpose. If you want to see what the pristine and pretty cover looks like, you'll just have to click the link.

Announcements...

First of all, I'd like to send up some prayers for all the people, families, and communities affected by the storms and tornadoes over the weekend. Having spent many years living in Tornado Alley, I know that fear and devastation that can change your world in an instant. My thoughts and prayers are with you if you live in any of the areas that were affected.

Second, Chari-Dee has decided not to continue to be a part of this site. I am sure that she did not come to this decision lightly. However, she feels the need to go in different directions and concentrate her time in other areas. While she will be greatly missed, most especially by me, I understand her need to take an indefinite leave from this blog.

While we both love reading and bringing you our opinions of the books that we read, it can be exhausting and very overwhelming. Over the past few years, we have both felt the need to take breaks and let the other carry the load for a while. This is one of those times, though it's doubtful that she will return any time in the near future. I have been assured, however, that she will continue to do occasional reviews on her own personal site. That site will be linked here in the sidebar so that we can all keep up with what she has to say.

To say that she will be missed here is the utmost in understatement.

With that in mind, I'm asking for just a few days to get my thoughts and plans together here. I still have a FABPick to bring you later this month. That will begin on 2/22, with a contest included. I've also got some DoubleDishes coming up this month, with Pearl and t.c. helping me out. (On a side note, Pearl and t.c., could you please send your addresses along to me at deesbookdish@gmail.com so that I can get your books in the mail this week?) Pearl and t.c. are going to be dishing 'gods behaving badly' and "The Crazy School" with me. I still need someone to dish "Beginner's Greek". If you're interested, send me an e-mail to the above gmail address.

There will be a few cosmetic changes around here as well. I might hang some new pictures, or even paint the walls. If you have any decorating ideas, send them along. And your patience during this time will be greatly appreciated.

Please take the time to wish Chari-Dee all the best in the comments section. She has put quite a bit of herself into this site, and I know that she's going to miss being around here. Let's let her know that she will be missed very much, and that we wish her the very best in the new direction she's taking.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!

FAB winner announced, and dee needs help!!

Whew. My week ends today, and I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow. Will someone please make sure to e-mail my baby and let her know that Mommy needs some rest? Thanks.

I've got a FAB winner to announce. This person is getting a signed copy of Liza Palmer's FABulous book, SEEING ME NAKED. So could I please have

LindaH

contact me at deeanddeedish at sbcglobal dot net with your name and address, and I'll forward it on to Liza. Please put SMN FAB WINNER in your subject line, so you don't get lost in our inbox. Also, this book isn't coming from me, it's coming straight from our FAB author. As with most authors, she's already hard at work on her next book. So please, be patient about getting your book mailed to you, ok?

Now, here's where I need some help. I've had books sent to me over the past few weeks that I've already read and need to get dished. But I would like to do some Double-Dishes. If you'd like to Double-Dish with me, please leave your comment on this post, telling me what book you want to dish. I'll pick some Double-Dishers at random and mail off the book to you. When you get it, read it and then I'll e-mail you some Double-Dish guidelines.

The Crazy School, by Cornelia Read
Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips
Beginner's Greek, by James Collins

If I don't pick you this time, don't worry. Whenever a book gets sent to me by someone other than the author, I will ask for a Double-Dish volunteer, so I can get your input as well. Everyone will have plenty of chances to help out (and get free books!). This doesn't apply to books that I buy though. Most of the ones I buy are keepers for me.

One exception to the above Double Dish thing will be my FAB for February. I received a book in the mail and actually squealed!! And I knew right away that it would be FAB. Yes, I know Chari-Dee is right in the middle of a big Promo for AuthorIsland (again!). Yes, I know that I just had a FAB in January. But I'm having another one at the end of this very month. I must have the winner's name by 2/29/08, so they can get a very special prize. I've already read the book about 5 times, sucked it up every single time, too. So get ready for a steady week of something very special. (Hint: if you visit here often, you know who some of my top-ranked authors are. One of them has a release in just a few weeks, and I'm going to catch her on book tour, where I will purchase books for the FAB winner.) Look for the FAB stuff to begin around 2/22.

Keep Turning Those Pages!!