Girl Friday Book Club

I walked up the driveway and peeked inside the back fence. Several women in bathing suits and wet hair smiled and waved me inside ... "Hello!" A beautiful pool surrounded by voluptuous women, they welcomed me. Dripping with hospitality, this warm and inviting Girl Friday Book Club of Greensboro goes back ten years together. A mixture of ages, they have one common bond ... a love of books.

Every month their meetings are held in a different home. This month, it was Edna's turn. Turns out, Edna read Southern Fried Women and fell in love with the story, Coal Dust On My Feet. A fellow coal miner's daughter, she hails from a coal town in Kentucky. "I never could express what it was like to live in that environment," she said. "But you said it beautifully." I was grateful for her comments. In fact, the women just blew me away. Their collected wit and insight into the stories was astounding. They got it. They really did. Everybody understood the messages. And they confirmed a few things for me ...

*They loved the pictures.
*The Forward at the beginning of each story was NOT distracting and unnecessary to these women. In fact, they requested I do this with every book.
*The essay at the back summed it up for them. They loved it and was glad I put it at the back and not the front, allowing them to draw their own conclusions first as to what, exactly, is a Southern Fried Woman.
*The stories brought them to fits of laughter and they cried real tears. What better reward for an author, I say.

Readers comments mean the most to me. Many related similarities in their own lives and expressed the excitement for my next book. The stories of Southern Fried Women resonated with them and in their hearts, and a few were born and raised in the North. I love when that happens. I've always known that SFW is for all women.

After a glass of Sangria and a few hours of fun, I felt as if I'd known these lovely ladies all my life. I wish the Girl Friday Book Club many more hours of literary enjoyment and I hope they invite me back someday.

Professional readers all, these women touched my heart!

Blessings to you and yours.