Literary Friday, Edition 201
Interview, Chat & Giveaway With Laura McNeill
This week we’re focusing on summer read Sister Dear, Laura McNeill’s new novel that takes sibling rivalry to a whole new level. In our interview, McNeill says she wanted to explore how one decision can change the trajectory of your life forever. That’s what happens when Allie Marshall lands in prison for 10 years after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Out on parole, Allie is determined to clear her name, rebuild her life and reconnect with her now teenaged daughter, who is being raised by her sister, Emma. But Allie’s return shatters the quaint, coastal community of Brunswick, Georgia, and Emma isn’t ready to give up her spot as “the good sister.”
We chat with Laura McNeill on Twitter today from 1-2 CST (2-3 EST; 11 a.m.-noon PST) using the hashtag #southernlit. You can also sign into our chat room on Twubs here. One more thing: McNeill put together a fun summer giveaway for us, including an insulated tote bag, copies of her books Sister Dear and Center of Gravity, Bath & Body Works Endless Weekend Shimmer Mist & Body Lotion, a battery-operated fan and a Beach Beauty beverage holder. Enter to win through Monday using the Rafflecopter below, and you’ll be all set for the beach!
Literary News
Travel the Yellow Brick Road to North Carolina as once shuttered theme park Land of Oz reopens for tours this month.
Kristy Woodson Harvey shares Literature’s Greatest Liars over at Read It Forward. Is your favorite character an unreliable narrator?
Mystery People takes a Quick Look at Rural Noir, a subgenre that’s spreading like kudzu.
Atlanta magazine travels to Milledgeville, Georgia, giving us 10 reasons to visit the home of Flannery O’Connor.
Watch Suzanne Vega perform a song about Carson McCullers titled “Harper Lee” in The Telegraph.
Literary Events, Workshops & Contests
See Harper Lee biographer Charles Shields at TurnRow Books on June 8 for a booksigning and reception for the revised edition of his book Mockingbird.
Themed “Murder & Mayhem in Paradise, the third-annual Mystery Writers Key West Fest will take place June 10-12 with Robert K. Tanenbaum, Lisa Black, Timothy Hallinan and James O. Born.
The deadline for submissions to the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence is August 15. The contest, which includes a $10,000 prize, is open to fiction (novels or short story collections) published in 2016.
Register now for The Writer’s High Retreat with Joshilyn Jackson and Michael Morris September 9-11 at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Georgia.
Save the dates for upcoming book festivals, including the Mississippi Book Festival August 20, Decatur Book Festival September 2-4 and Southern Festival of Books in Nashville October 14-16.
In Southern Voice …
In case you missed last week’s Bayou Noir, an ominous story about two supposed friends heading into the swamp to fish, by David P. Langlinais.
To find out more about your favorite Southern authors’ haunts and hangouts, download the Deep South Literary Trail App, available direct from iTunes and for Android and perfect for those winter road trips.
Have a piece of news, event, video or something else related to Southern lit that you’d like us to consider for Literary Friday? Send an e-mail to [email protected].
Jennifer Essad / June 6, 2016
so bummed I missed the chat, I’m hoping to travel to NC to walk/skip the yellow brick road