Southern Belles on Tour

Catch the Belles on Wheels tour of indie romance authors as it stops in seven Southern cities starting May 9.

Gallery Books is about to embark on a multi-city bus tour featuring many of its bestselling indie romance authors. Beginning on May 9 in Atlanta, the tour dubbed Belles on Wheels will travel to Birmingham, Memphis, Dallas, Austin, Houston and Greenwood, Mississippi. Authors include Emma Chase, Alice Clayton, Kresley Cole, Kyra Davis, Lisa Renee Jones, Christina Lauren, Jennifer Probst, SC Stephens, Katy Evans and Kristen Proby.

“We have been lucky enough to acquire and publish books by this group of talented writers, whom we are thrilled to send on the road to meet their loyal fans,” says Gallery Books President Louise Burke.

Jennifer Bergstrom, publisher of Gallery Books, says, “We want this to be a fully interactive tour — from fans deciding the name of the tour to authors tweeting and sharing their experiences on the road with readers.”

To meet belles as they pop up in a city near you, see the full tour schedule here and use the hashtag #BellesonWheels. And to get to know some of these belles a bit better, here are a few quotes they sent us about Southern literature, traveling through the South and Southern food they’re looking forward to along the way.

Christina Lauren, the combined pen name of besties Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings who write young adult and adult fiction with lots of kissing:

“There’s a certain sweet and cloying summer climate in the South that isn’t really found elsewhere, as well as a sense of dialect that can easily be woven into novels. We always imagine lush lawns and blossoms and hand-fans at the ready. And, of course, the embedded etiquette is something that we Yankees always associate with the South. But to an outsider? Heat, voodoo, cuisine and bayous. That’s probably the fastest way to get to the feel of the South in a novel.”

Emma Chase, author of the romantic comedy series Tangled:

“If I could hang out with any Southern writer at any time in history, I would hang out with Margaret Mitchell in the 1920s while she was writing Gone with the Wind. There’s a richness to her writing, particularly in her descriptions, that transports readers to that time and place. I would love to watch her work.”

Jennifer Probst, author of several series, including Searching For … and Marriage to a Billionaire, who wrote her first love story at age 12:

“I’m dying to feast on fried pickles and anything Cajun — bring on the gumbo and crawfish!”

Katy Evans, author of the Real series who says she grew up with book boyfriends until she found a real one to love:

“I love Southern literature. What I personally most love about Southern literature are the friends and family themes that seem so prevalent in the genre. The dynamics of close-knit families and their lifestyle are something any human being can relate to. We  all have parents, siblings; we all struggle sometimes to get along, but there’s something truly special about that Southern family bond. Reading about it makes you feel close to these families, almost as if they were your own.”

Kyra Davis, author of the Sophie Katz mystery series and So Much For My Happy Ending who admits she is addicted to the show “True Blood”:

“It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about Sue Monk Kidd, Alice Walker or Anne Rice, they all manage to create a lyricism with their prose that sweeps you up and romances you, making you fall in love with the mental images they create. As a writer I find it to be incredibly inspiring and inspirational.”

Lisa Renee Jones, Texas native and author of The Inside Out series, now in development for TV:

“I know every Dairy Queen between Austin, Dallas, Waco, Temple/Killeen and San Antonio. Texas is home. It’s family. It’s bluebonnet season. It’s Luby’s mac ‘n’ cheese, Whataburger and fajitas.”