Maters, Taters and Grits, oh my!

Greetings ya'll! I hope your weeks have been more exciting than the thought of a thousand gremlins, who have been fed after midnight, playing kettle-drums to Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart!"

Well for today's post I actually had to sit down with a glass of good ol' sweet tea and Charlie Daniels Band's "Devil Went Down to Georgia" blasting in the background.

"What would bring out Allison's not normally as obvious Southern side?" one might ask.

This is why:

Author B.S. Johnson wrote this nice little slice of Georgia peach pie and not only signed a copy for me, but allowed me to interview her as well!

"Maters, Taters and Grits" is a little homage to Southern living that is perfect for anyone wishing to revisit their roots in the deep South or for those wanting to get a peek into what "Southern Hospitality" really means. B.S. Johnson not only does a good job in her collection of essays of conveying the warmth of the culture she grew up in, but does so in a way that will leave you hankering for a huge glass of sweet tea.

Of course, what am I still yapping about, here is B.S. Johnson's world in her own words:

What made you want to start writing?

I was raised an only child, and was adopted. I had lots of things running through my young mind, and no siblings to beat it out on, so I started using writing as an outlet. I filled many notebooks in my day.

You have a new book of poetry coming out soon, can you tell my readers a bit about it?

 

It is actually out now. "Rhymes from Darker Times." I guess you could say it was twenty years in the making, because several of the poems in that book came out of notebooks I have been writing in since the late eighties, early nineties. These poems were some that helped me through some of the more difficult times in my life.

Side note: Look here it is!  

If you could sit and have a glass of sweet tea with any fictional character from a book, what character would it be?

Oh, that would have to be Harry Potter. I love magic. I wonder if he could make me talk to animals...

What is the single biggest difference between Southerners and Northerners?

The accent, I think. You can usually pick up on it right away. 

What song are you most likely to be overheard singing loudly to in the shower?

Probably anything by Colt Ford. I'm a huge fan.

If you had to choose between an eternity of listening to nothing but elevator music or an eternity of eating nothing but jello with vegetables in it, which would you choose and why?

Jello with veggies. Because I gotta eat. And jello is yummy. If there's veggies in it I don't like, such as peas, I'll pick 'em out. 

What has been your favorite part of the writing process thus far?

Honestly, I'd have to say being published. It was such a great accomplishment for me. I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd have a book-much less two- in print!

Thank you to B.S. Johnson for being a good sport and answering my questions! If either of those books piqued your interest you should check them out (go click the titles, I linked them) and also scurry on over to B.S. Johnson's blog!

Well "Life is a Circus Run by a Platypus" has been out for about a month and a half now!

J.G. Brandt says, "This had me laughing the entire way through. The stories themselves are the kind that are so wonderfully and hilariously improbable that you know they are true. Miss Hawn has a unique style that is quite delightful for the reader and a quick as a whip sense of humor that will have you smiling despite yourself. If you have ever had a moment in your own life where you sat stunned at a situation you were in thinking "that so did not just happen...." or "no one is ever gonna believe this...." you will enjoy this book. When I finished the last story my first thought was "But wait! There has to be more!" I look forward to her next work"

Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, written reviews and generally just been absolutely smashing! I hope you all have a splendid week!

If you want to find out why a raven is like a writing desk, feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads!