Here’s what’s happening in my reading and writing world now that March is about to roll in. If I did this correctly, you should be able to save the event image and share it on social media to help me get the word out. All books are for locally at Page and Palette. So honored and excited to be a part of Alabama Authors day at Five Rivers in Spanish Fort. I’ll be reviewing Gabriel Zevin’s book Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow on Tuesday, March 5, at 10:30 AM at the Fairhope Public Library. My friend and Alabama Authors Day Organizer Mike Bunn is going to be our speaker at the March 7 Fair ..read more

Please join us for the Pensters Writing Group meeting this Saturday, featuring Mike Turner. Guests are welcome.  Also, a few updates on my book events. I’ll be signing books with Gabe at Page & Palette this Sunday, November 19. It’s the annual Downtown Business Holiday Open House. Come by and get a book or say hi. You only have another week to vote for me Gulf Coast Media’s Best of Baldwin. I’ve been nominated for Best Local Author, so sign in and vote for me. I’m proud to be a first-generation college student. Coastal Alabama recently featured me and many other ..read more

So excited to be part of the food, fun, and family tomorrow at the Fairhope Piggly Wiggly. I’ll have my books, Fairhope Past and Present, Stump the Librarian, Clay City Tile, and Mapping Fairhope for sale. My Fairhope Past & Present co-author Gabe Gold-Vukson is joining me after he gets out of work. Stop by and say hi! On Monday, I went in to the Fairhope Public Library to return and renew some books and ran into my former co-worker, Kris. We were getting caught about a committee we are both on. As we parted ways she said, “don’t forget to vote.” I looked at her puzzlingly. “You are a fi ..read more

Yes, my next Fairhope book, with museum director Gabe Gold-Vukson, is out July 31. You can pre-order a copy through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Or stop into Page and Palette and ask to pre-order the $24 book. For the Arcadia Press Past and Present Series book, Gabe and I found some amazing photos in the museum collection, the Fairhope Single Tax Corporation Online Archives, and the Fairhope Public Library. Then we went to the same locations and took a photo capturing the very same scene. In most cases, they are a match! Except the present photographs are full color. Sunday July 16, 2023: 2:0 ..read more

Mapping Fairhope: Legends, Locals, and Landmarks, is now on sale. Mapping Fairhope is a collection of my Fairhope Living magazine articles that you can purchase locally and online. I’ve teamed up with some local nonprofits who will benefit from the sale of my book. The book launch/fundraising event for the Fairhope Public Library is Sunday, November 6, at 2 PM. All the proceeds from the sale of each book, which costs $20.00, will be donated to the Friends of the Fairhope Public Library. Can’t make it to the event? That’s okay, the book wi ..read more

It’s been a week for books! The first book arrived in the mail, a thank you for blurbing a friend’s book. Kathie Farnell asked me to say some kind words for the back cover of her book, Tie dyed: Avoiding Aquarius. Having read, and thoroughly enjoyed her first book, Duck and Cover: A Nuclear Family, the sequel, I can honestly say is better than the original. “Farnell’s latest memoir, Tie Dyed: Avoiding Aquarius is equal parts dramatic and hair-on-fire hilarious. A follow-up to Duck and Cover, Tie Dyed traces Farnell’s high school and college trips in Alabama through the counter-culture sixties ..read more

These are my favorites from 2021! Buy a copy or check them out at your local public library. Saving Bay Haven: A Charming Town with a Dirty Secret, Karyn Tunks Wayfaring Stranger, James Lee Burke Jubilee Sunset Romance, Deborah McDonald Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, Kristen Radtke Leg Stories We went to visit Greg and Pam, my former reference desk mate, in Tennessee. We checked out their new home overlooking Norris Lake and took in the sights. The weather wasn’t all that great, but we spent a little time outside and inside. The Museum of Ap ..read more

Sirmon Farms, Daphne, Alabama Although, I have not lost my curiosity, *@$!&%’ COVID scared it some. So, what’s with the symbols instead of the swear? It’s got a name. It’s called a grawlix. The word was coined by Mort Walker, creator of the Beatle Bailey cartoon. Every darn spell checker turns it red, so I’m happy to have something the computers don’t have a clue about how to autocorrect. On the subject of humans and computers, I’ve heard told we don’t always gee haw. Yeah, I learned this southernism from Art, our local planner, and yes, it means get along. Right is Gee, and Haw is left, a ..read more

I have been moving some prosthetic leg parts around my garage for over a decade. I have donated many legs to Limbs for Life, but I found myself not willing to let go of some of them. Until now! A few weeks ago, I reached out to Bruce Larsen, a Fairhope sculptor and Hollywood special effects guy. My friend Wayne Miller told me Bruce presented at a recent Fairhope Single Tax Corporation meeting about a work of art he would create if commissioned to do so. Bruce had the idea to source local objects for the new piece. From there, it was an easy decision to give my leg parts to Bruce. When he came ..read more

Photo by Kris On the heels of the April walking tours, I’ve finally started Fairhope by Foot! Beginning in May, I will be leading walking tours for small groups of tourists and locals who are interested in learning more about Fairhope’s unique past. I’m just beginning, but my word of mouth marketing plan is working. I booked my first tour this week! Some bank executives conferencing here wanted a fun afternoon outing. Photo by Kris The May issue is due any day now. Click or tap the logo above. Read the magazine in your browser or download the magazine to your device. So stoked about leading a ..read more