Saturday Night at Skipper's Smokehouse with Eilen Jewell!

Last night marked the third time that Linda, Duane and I have seen Eilen Jewell and her band in concert at Skipper's Smokehouse.  It's always nice to 'pig out' on fresh seafood at Skipper's before the entertainment.  I couldn't resist their fried shrimp with hush puppies and a side of black beans and yellow rice.  Dessert is always a nice way to top off dinner.  All three of us decided to go for it with double chocolate cake for Duane and me and pecan pie with bourbon for Linda.  Yum!

It was kind of nice that Eilen Jewell actually went on first due to some
scheduling problems, since she was the headliner.  As usual, she put on a great show.  Her band is really good but, for me, it's her voice that makes her stand out of from other female artists.  Linda is probably her biggest fan of the three of us -- she has all of Eilen's CDs.  

Skipper's was packed.  Many people were standing all evening but didn't seem to mind.  The humidity was... well, this is Florida so it was pretty bad.  Eilen commented on it since she lives in Idaho which has basically zero humidity and is very dry.  She noted what the humidity does to one's hair among other things.  We know, Eilen, we know...  After playing Decatur, Georgia tonight, the band was heading for a European tour so it was nice that they played Skipper's.

It was a great night out and I didn't even notice any mosquitoes.  They can be a real problem around here.  Guess we got lucky all around.  'Til next time.

    

Three new Kate Chopin short stories now on Audible

When it rains, it pours...  I had three short stories by Kate Chopin that I narrated go on sale on Audible today.  First up is The Unexpected.

"Randall and Dorothea are young and passionately in love and plan to marry. When Randall has to leave Dorothea for a short period, the two spend their time exchanging a flurry of letters and can hardly bear being separated. Randall's scheduled returned is delayed when he becomes severely ill. What happens when the now sickly Randall is finally able to see Dorothea again says much about the differences between love, lust and passion, and the vagaries of youth."

You can listen and or purchase this story from Audible here.


Next up is Her Letters.  I think this may be my personal favorite.

"A woman nearing the end of her life knows that she must destroy intimate love letters between herself and another man so that no one, particularly her husband, can ever read them. Unable to part with them while still alive, the provision she makes for their disposal upon her death leads to devastating consequences.

Kate Chopin skillfully weaves themes of love, passion, trust, betrayal, selfishness, and cruelty in this tale."

This story can be previewed/purchased here.



The third story is called The Blind Man.

"A blind man shuffles along a busy neighborhood street attempting to sell pencils to residents and people passing by. The blazing sun and too many layers of clothing don't appear to hamper his persistence. What occurs in this story illustrates American writer Kate Chopin's use of irony and the element of luck in all our lives."

This one can be found on Audible here.

I have two more Kate Chopin stories on the way.  One is in post-production and the other one will be recorded within the next month or two.  Currently, my publisher plans to release all six stories as a collection in addition to being able to purchase them separately.

Back to work for  me!

Thanks for reading! To return to the FICTION WRITERS BLOG HOP on Julie Valerie’s Book Blog, click here: http://www.julievalerie.com/fiction-writers-blog-hop-sep-2015

My latest recording now on sale at Audible!

An American history book that I recorded went on sale at Audible over the weekend.  Spectacular Wickedness: Sex, Race and Memory in Storyville, New Orleans by Emily Epstein Landau covers the history of the infamous red-light district -- Storyville.  Here's the blurb from Audible:

"From 1897 to 1917 the red-light district of Storyville commercialized and even thrived on New Orleans' longstanding reputation for sin and sexual excess. This notorious neighborhood, located just outside of the French Quarter, hosted a diverse cast of characters who reflected the cultural milieu and complex social structure of turn-of-the-century New Orleans, a city infamous for both prostitution and interracial intimacy. In particular, Lulu White, a mixed-race prostitute and madam, created an image of herself and marketed it profitably to sell sex with light-skinned women to white men of means.

In Spectacular Wickedness, Emily Epstein Landau examines the social history of this famed district within the cultural context of developing racial, sexual, and gender ideologies and practices. In 1890, the Louisiana legislature passed the Separate Car Act, which, when challenged by New Orleans' Creoles of color, led to the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896, constitutionally sanctioning the enactment of separate but equal laws. Landau reveals how Storyville's salacious and eccentric subculture played a significant role in the way New Orleans constructed itself during the New South era."

If you're into history, check this one out at Audible here. 

Great review for The Next Elvis from AudioFile Magazine!

I received a really nice review for my recording of The Next Elvis: Searching for Stardom at Sun Records by Barbara Barnes Sims from AudioFile Magazine.  This magazine is highly respected in the audiobook industry so it's an honor to have a book reviewed by them.

Here's the review which can also be found here:  

"Narrator Lee Ann Howlett personifies Southern charm and grit as she tells the story of Memphis' Sun Records, the label that produced Elvis, Johnny Cash, and many other notables. The author was a rarity during the 1950s and '60s--a woman working in the business world. Howlett exuberantly presents owner Sam Phillips, with his Billy Graham smile and enthusiasm; Sun Records' employees, and diverse musicians. Her conversational style enhances this insider look at "non-mainstream" American music, which includes accounts of scandals surrounding Jerry Lee Lewis's marriage to a minor and the attempt to engineer the popularity of records through "payola." Detailed descriptions of Phillips's white-finned Caddy and employees' daily lunches at Mrs. Taylor's restaurant take listeners to a fascinating time and place. The epilogue movingly provides updates on most of the musicians in a fitting conclusion to this musical gem."  S.G.B. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2015]

You can listen to a sample and/or purchase The Next Elvis from Audible here.