Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy!

Sue Ellen’s Girl Ain’t Fat, She Just Weighs Heavy!

I’ve moved!

Not physically, that is, just my blog. I’ve just launched my newly designed website, Belle of All Things Southern, and my blog is now embedded on my home page. Please consider this your sincere invitation to come find me there!

Hugs,
Shellie

WREG Live at Nine out of Memphis welcomes Great Southern Wing and Prayer Tour

Special thanks to WREG out of Memphis, TN for welcoming the Great Southern Wing and a Prayer Tour to Live at Nine’s Morning Show. And thanks to the viewers who dropped what they were doing and rushed off to That Bookstore in Blytheville right away! We talked about - what else? Story!
    
On a wing and a prayer, (and coming in on a shoestring!)
River and Shellie

That Bookstore in Blytheville

These arch gateways into downtown Blytheville are so perfect because everyone knows what a mecca this store has been for writers for generations.





Shellie grabs a shot of the store but captures more. See that little white, darling, Jeep Angel in the reflection, just like the logo - she's been getting us down the road for 1000's of miles.
 

The shelves overflow with the most incredible stories of our day.


Friendly faces abounding. Someone here loves putting the right book in the right hands.

Mary Gay Shipley's High Profile was well earned. A lifetime of promoting authors and their good words is due a little recognition.

We wanted to take the neon home for a night light. Mary Gay said NO, NO - it must stay in the store.

If this character looks familiar it's because it is none other than Pat Conroy - Really. These dolls are from the story that his beautiful daughter created titled - Poppy's Pants.

Four friends for forty years. Is that what they told us? Can that be true? Retired School teachers who drove for an hour to join us. Love you every one!

Now we're missing some folks here but we  managed to corral a few and snag this photo. Thank you to all of those who also saw the Channel 3 Live at Nine Segment and dropped what you were doing to get in the car and rush to the bookstore. We are honored by all of you!

Oh thank you beautiful for making a special trip and coming in to Grace us with your presence.

All we can say to this poster is AMEN!


Sometimes what you really need after a long day on the road is a little puppet play time.

But some puppets, just like their people, are a little camera shy!

What was the last thing we asked Mary Gay even with the gps systems and an Atlas? Oh yes we did, we asked her directions.
And some stories we just had to wonder about and leave behind because we had to continue on down that highway. On A Wing and A Prayer folks!

The Lemuria Gang

We pause for pics with Jonni Webb, the original, founding, let's do a book club Pulpwood Queen of Jackson Mississippi. We loved visiting this famous bookstore and perusing the shelves. Then we joined the readers for a little storytelling time in the Lemuria.com room. All we needed was a stage, a mic, and a little encouragement and the stories started flowing. As you can see from all the photos below no doubt about it we were having a great time. If laughter is good medicine, we were over-medicated when we had to say our good-byes and get on down the road to be in Memphis. And if it looks like that one of us grew a little - that would be a special someone who surprised "her Keggie" with a visit to the Road trip. I do believe the Bellerina Czar even helped her sign books!

AS tempting as it was to put our feet up and stay awhile, library folks were waiting for us up the road in Memphis.

 

On a Wing and a Prayer (and a shoestring now)

River and Shellie

Leaving Dauphin Island…

Hey folks, River’s driving and I’m throwing pics up on the blog to get us half-way caught up as we are going to be hitting Fairhope with a host of other things awaiting on the to-do list to be attacked in the hotel room before our event at Page and Palette. We’ve heard so much about this bookstore and the wonderful reading environment they’ve created. We’re excited about seeing and hearing from those of you who’ve been in touch letting us know that you’re coming out, as well as the many surprise conversations that we’re always finding at every stop. 

Last night we were treated to the warm hospitality of Herman and Ginger King on Dauphin Island. Among other gifts, Herman writes for DeSoto. I’ve included a pic of his article in the zine I picked up in the living room as well as a neat shot of him holding a hand-written poem he read us aloud this morning. I enjoyed it and have plans to include it here when we emails it.

Below that you’ll see them pointing us out of the neighborhood as has become the custom on this great road trip and towards Shell Mound Park where I, of course, had to climb a tree to pose for a picture as I spent my childhood reading in a tree—and writing important works that have yet to be published. (I have not given up on the hope that someone will buy “Martha and Her Horse”.) Please note that “good pics” of the tree experience were taken by Herman while the one with the moss draped across my face comes compliments of River. Thanks, pal. (FYI: River says, “Shellie, I was going for the mysterious writer look and you must admit it looks mysterious.”) 

I hope you’ll enjoy the scenery, but please don’t miss the last pic. It speaks to us as we feel a little more like road-kill at this moment (and, alas, I did see a pic of a dead possum that would fit really well right here but, we didn’t stop and let me get it) than the raring to go wordsmiths  we were about fourteen days ago---- WAIT ----breaking news alert----FRESH BOILED PEANUTS –we’re pulling off now. Later dear ones…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a wing and a prayer,

River and Shellie