The Southern Belle Sounds Off: Creating Great Characters for Film and Fiction

http://www.wordsandmusic.org/schedule.html

Creating Great Characters for Film and Fiction

Next week I'll be in New Orleans where I'm giving a master class on Creating Great Characters in Film and Fiction at the fabulous Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society's great literary festival: Word's and Music. http://www.wordsandmusic.org/schedule.html. Y'all come.

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass

I just finished reading Julia Glass' new book and you should too. Here's the review I posted at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Shelfari, and Good Reads.

A TALE TOLD BY A MASTER

Open Julie Glass’ book The Widower’s Tale anywhere and you know you’re in good hands. The prose is always pitch perfect, from the description of a moonlit night as experienced by Robert, a Harvard student on cross country skis: “The moon stood out from the sky like a medal. It cruised along beside them, calm and vigilant, passing behind tree after tree as their skis hissed through snow on the path that skirted the pond and then branched away into acres of trails winding through Matlock’s fairy-tale forest.” Or the wonderful description of his female friends as seen by Ira, a gay nursery-school teacher: “The women around Ira were losing it. Their grip, their composure, their stamina, their footing—each falling out of balance in some essential way.” Julie Glass spins a sprawling tale of family and relationships with characters so true you feel you know them. This is a book you will take to your heart.

Musical Week

What a week. Thursday night we heard Dr. John at a free concert on the Santa Monica pier. We were jammed together, standing, dancing outside under the stars. The sweet smell of flannel cake and marajuana filling the air.

Then Friday night Randy Bachman scored a great box at the Hollywood Bowl for the Earth, Wind, and Fire concert. It was sold out for mere mortals. Didn't have my camera but snapped this photo with my trusty Droid. That's Randy and Denise McCann Bachman as the concert began. He's in town promoting his new Bachman Turner recording which is fabulous.

The Southern Belle says: Might as well have fun while you're on top of the ground. It'll be too late once you're under it.

Last Photos of Summer Party

"It's okay for a woman to know her place.
She just shouldn't stay there." Rule 59
The Southern Belle's Handbook

My wish for the beautiful and talented women who attended the Northwestern Council of 100 and NUEA summer party is they all find their place and carve out a brilliant future.

Northwestern Council of 100 & NUEA

More photos of the summer party hosted by NU's Council of 100 and NUEA. Do you see yourself in any of these photos? If so post a comment.

Uppity Women

" An uppity woman with a good good education will find a way."
Rule 59 of The Southern Belle's Handbook, Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By.

The women in these pictures had an excellent education. They are recent graduates (and one or two not so recent) of Northwestern University.

Uppity? Not sure. But most of them are on track in their careers and lives. So I'm guessing uppity, but you all can let me know if I'm wrong.

We met for a summer get together and networking party in Beverly Hills at the end of July. I had a great time and met some exceptionally bright and beautiful women.

Looking Good

"A girl has to look her best while she's still young enough to look real good."
Rule #24, The Southern Belle's Handbook

Last month I helped the Council of 100, a mentoring organization made up of one hundred of the most successful women ever to graduate from Northwestern University, organize a party for co-eds and recent grads. And these young women were looking good. Real good. We were joined by the Northwestern Entertainment Alliance a fabulous networking group of NU grads working in the entertainment industry.

Boy do I wish these groups had been in existence when I came out to Hollywood. I was hopeless. I might not have leaped to fame and fortune, doors might not have opened for me, but with the Council of 100 and NUEA, at least I would have known what doors to beat my head against.

I wish I could have captioned every photo here, but I admit it I'm hopeless. Once when I had to introduce my fiance (now husband) I clutched and couldn't say his name, since then I've learned never to introduce anyone. So I encourage you to comment and tell the world who is in the photos.

I'll start-- in the top photo that's Candy Deemer on the left in the red and me on the right in the black and Northwestern purple.

In the coming days, I'll post more photos. I have 26 ready to go.

Who Says?

Who says music is only for the young? (I was going to say peurile, but scratch that.) Last night we saw the last concert of the Carol King/ James Taylor Reunion. Wow. They filled the Anaheim Honda Center --all 18,900 seats and when they finished the audience begged for more. How can they leave all that love? Yes, Carol, we still love you in the morning. And James, We always thought we'd see you again.

The Hard Life of the Writer Part II

This weekend celebrity food writers extraordinaire Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg http://www.becomingachef.com/blog.dwt.php (known to their fans as Kandrew--sort of like Brangelina) stayed at our house. We celebrated by opening a bottle of Louis de Sacy champagne which we were keeping for friends whom we knew would appreciate it.
Saturday night they took us to the spectacular Beverly Hills French Restaurant Bouchon where the chef gave us a tour of the kitchen and sent out delicious dish after dish including a fabulous beet tart and melon salad. My trout almondine with fresh string beans was cooked to perfection.
Sunday morning we ambled through the Beverly Hills Farmer's market before going home lunch by the pool of fresh corn (picked that morning), and an heirloom tomato salad Andrew made with Greek feta cheese, onions, and red peppers. For dessert we ate fresh strawberries and raspberries. We lazed around and swam (I told you writers have tough lives) until it was time to go to the Hollywood Bowl to see a sold out performance of "The Swell Season" --the duo of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irgova who won an Oscar for best song in their film, Once. We capped off the evening with a visit backstage and a long chat with the charming Marketa.
Andrew and Karen flew back to New York this morning leaving us to our regular lives, but they tell me they will bring out an app: "What to Drink with What you Eat" based on their book of the same name. Soon we'll be able to check our phones and learn the perfect wine to order whenever we're out for dinner. Cool huh?

Play Date or Don't Mess with the Muse

Sometimes my writing tickles me. That's when time flies and the writing is good. But today after about 3 hours, I'm boring myself! So I'm taking myself for a play date and going to look at the beautiful fresh fruit and flowers at the Westwood Farmer's market. No point messing with the Muse.

BellaChella's Summer Reading

I love to hear from readers and as you know I often post what they write to me. BellaChella in her blog Mic's Picks "Literature Lovers Unite" was kind enough to review THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC. Here are the first paragraphs of her blog:

I was hooked at the beginning by it's vaguely similar qualities to "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," a very special book to me for sentimental reasons. It's reminiscent of my beloved Ya-Ya's in that it is set in a small town in Louisiana (near New Orleans) and takes place mostly during the early 1940's-1950's, and it is a story of a strong woman in a time when that was truly a novelty and even a threat.

On a very un-Ya-Ya note, there are some ***VERY "ADULT" SCENES*** in this delicious and entertaining tale. (It's wouldn't be a very "scandalous summer" without them, but be warned this gets graphic in spots and deals with some very mature issues!!!) You've been warned...

I like that Mrs. Despres deals with some very real and inflammatory issues of the time, such as desegregation, as well as some very provocative, age-old issues like adultery and murder. I know, sounds pretty heavy for summer chick lit, but there's plenty of brainless fluff and cute wit to keep it light.

For the full review see http://bellachella.blogspot.com/

I'm delighted she liked the book. But ***VERY ADULT***? I knew I wrote some sexy scenes, but I didn't think they were ***VERY "ADULT***-- Have you seen ABC Family's THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER? Oh well, once it's written, the story belongs to the reader.

The Hard Life of a Writer

I just got back from St. Croix where Ethlie Ann Vare and I broke story on a romantic comedy set in the islands. She has a villa there overlooking the Caribbean. That picture of sunset over the ocean at left was taken from her balcony. We found the crystal waters so inspiring. That's me on the right, Ethlie in the middle, and her friend Craig Torrey on the left. The final shot shows rain on the water to remind us that a writer's life is hard.

Weeds--A Walk In the Park

My husband complained that walking in the park near our house bored him to tears. He's a fauna guy. Now I love fauna as much as the next person. I like to see the ducks and the turtles, but I also love the native flora. There's always something new to see, especially in the spring. So Thursday I picked up my point and shoot Canon Ixus 100 and set off to photograph some weeds. Sorry if you hit on this blog hoping to get some news of the excellent Showtime Series or directions to where you could buy some really good weed, for medicinal use of course. I just wanted to share a walk in the beautiful park near our house.

Cool Note from Facebook Friend

My books take so long to write, letters from readers mean a great deal to me. I thought I'd share one I received last month from a Facebook Friend:

Ms. Despres -
Thank you for the comments and the wall posts. I hope you know that myself, as well as the girls I work with, absolutely love your novels, and the rules from The Southern Belle's Handbook...I I truly do appreciate your writings, as they tend to influence us on a daily basis. For years it has been a habit of mine to pick up the handbook and simply remind myself of all the little life lessons, and the situations that surround them. I will continue to do so, and will be passing allong "The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell" as soon as it arrives and I get the opportunity to enjoy it.

I hope you are well, and enjoying life to its fullest.

Thanks again,
Brandy

Two Kinds of Men

There are two kinds of men. The ones who are interested in you and the rest. The second kind are so misguided, they're not worth your time. Because if a man doesn't have the sense to appreciate you, he obviously doesn't have any sense at all.

Rule Number 71, The Southern Belle's Handbook.

Reader on the Go

Recently, a reader shot off a note on her T-Mobile Sidekick. I thought it was so very nice of her to take the time to write, I decided to share her kind words.

Dear Loraine,
I was wondering if there will be another fabulous book to this series? I enjoy your books and they sure drag you into them. I hope in the near future you'll be willing to write another book. I appreciate your writing and thanks for everything.

Your fan,
Andrecarol

Thanks, I'm finishing up a new book right now.

How to Interview a Man

to find out if he's good enough for you.

A good way to begin is by asking: "What do you want to be doing in five years?"

If the answer is, "I don't know, I don't have any real plans." That's a clue he's not ambitious. It's also a clue, you'll be supporting him if you stick around.

If his answer is: "A rock star filling arenas."

Your next question should be "So how's that going? You in a band?" If the answer is, "No, not really." That's another clue that you could be working for two. If instead he says, "Oh, yeah, and we just got a record contract." You might want to stick around. You could be in for a fun ride. Or not.

Whatever the answer, the guy will have lots of fun talking about his dreams and think you are one interesting woman.

But if you really want to find the man of your dreams, before you begin the interview, the Southern Belle advises ask yourself, "Where do I want to be in five years?"

A Reader from Chicago

A reader from Chicago contacted me through Shelfari an on-line community of book lovers. She has a staggering 214 books on her shelf, but generously took time to write me this. I had share it with you.

"Ms. Despres,
I just wanted to write you a quick note. I originally read the Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell severals years ago and decided to read it again last week. I loved it even more the second time around! I read The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc yesterday and absolutely loved that as well. I'm originally from New Hampshire, and have never visited the South, but I feel as if I could connect to your characters so well.
I hope you plan on writing more books like these, because I thoroughly enjoyed them!
Maryann"

Men Are Easy

I talked to a beautiful young 20 something today who told me she was excited because someone invited her for a date.

"What!" I said. "You should be carrying rocks in your pocket to fend them off. What do you mean, you're excited?"

"I guess I'm not very encouraging. When I'm out with my girlfriends, I'm sort of out with them." She went on about how she discourages men.

"How's that working for you?"

She tried to change the subject. Finally she admitted it wasn't working out well at all. She dreams of having children, but I know too many lovely 40 somethings who are sitting home Saturday evenings, because they don't know how to encourage a man.

What she and any girl who's looking for love has to do when they go out on the town is to interview the men who come up to them and offer to buy them a drink.

The guys will love it. As I said in The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc, Rule #11 "Men always find themselves the most fascinating subject of any conversation."

Let him talk. He'll enjoy himself and you'll be interviewing for a bf. The point is, you want to find out if he's good enough for you.

More tips on how to interview for a boy friend in later blogs.

Avid Reader

Avid reader and talented photographer Erin Norman took time out of her busy life to read and blog about the Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc. I thought I'd share her kind words with you.

"My 13th book was The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Lorraine Despres and it was great! It was recommended to me by a friend (Thanks McCall!) and I really couldn't put it down, I read it in about 2 days. Its basically about one small town Louisianna woman's summer of scandal, the title says it all. One the first page of the book, it says that her husband buys a gun, so the whole rest of the book, you're taken on a journey of twists and turns to find out why exactly her husband buys that gun and what he does with it. You learn more about Sissy's life as she "flashes back" and she really is a victim of her own mistakes but you can't help but to like her, and root for her. If you love a good piece of "Chick Lit" this one is definitely one for you!!

This book is full of Sissy's Rules to live by which she calls the Southern Belles's Handbook:

#39- A girl doesn't have to give in to temptation, but she might not get another chance.

#102-When making a life decision, you can't trust your head.

And my favorite:

#59- Its okay for a woman to know her place, she just shouldn't stay there."

You can find this and other reviews as well as her reading challenge on her blog along with some of her beautiful photography : http://www.puddinsugar.com/

Adultery

A woman who goes out with a married man plays second fiddle to his wife--Southern Belles don't make that kind of music.

Rule #54 The Southern Belle's Handbook

Awesome Reader

I keep getting such moving letter from my readers. I wanted to share this one with you from Leslie Amyette, Ayden, NC who graciously gave me permission to post it.

"Your novels are awesome. I was turned on to you a few years ago by my sister. We are both avid readers and are Southern girls ourselves. Anyway, we have eagerly awaited a new novel by you. I checked out your website, but was unable to determine if you have a new novel in the works. I am just curious to know if you are or plan to write another novel. If so, could you please let me know approximate publication date? Or even just if you are planning something so we can be on the lookout for it!

Sincerely,
Leslie Amyette"

Leslie, you will be the first to know.

Naked Girls, Modest Guys

Summer is near, It will soon be bathing suit weather and women across the world will be looking in the mirror, dieting, buying cosmetic elixirs promising the impossible, worrying about every real and perceived figure flaw.

That got me thinking. For my novel, The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell, I researched swim wear in the early 20th century. In 1920, men wore tight shorts and wife-beater teeshirts when they ventured into the water. At the same time, respectable women wore long skirts and stockings. Some women's swim teams did adopt men's suits, but in 1922, women wearing such "indecent" attire were arrested on the beach in Chicago.

Today, the guys wear boxy, knee-length shorts that would seem modest to a time traveler from the early 1900s, while girls are next to naked, every blemish, every tiny roll of flesh. Are we giving up our mystery?

I read a book by an American who went to Saudi Arabia. When he attended party of Westerners, he found unveiled faces of women incredibly erotic. Now, I'm certainly not in favor of veiling women, but I wonder are we giving up some of our allure by flaunting so much Southern exposure? American men could wear the tiny briefs we see on European beaches, but they don't want to be that exposed. Why do we? Just asking.

THE BOGUS BOOK CLUB

Sometimes the Southern Belle is able to actually go to a book club.

That's what happened March 3, when the vivacious Elaine Donan invited me to her home to discuss THE BAD BEHAVIOR OF BELLE CANTRELL. Inspired by the Southern theme, some of the ladies even wore hats.

We wined and dined on fried chicken and sweet potatoes and discussed the book and the research I did into the year 1920 when prohibition became law and women finally were able to vote. I told them some men thought they were protecting us as we were too delicate to "withstand the rough and tumble of the voting booth." That was also the year the KKK spread across America as a money-making pyramid scheme and equal opportunity haters.

Have They Lost Their Minds?

I keep getting ads for mini-skirts in spring and summer fashion: http://www.neimanmarcus.com/store/catalog/templates/P9.jhtml;jsessionid=DOXPQGGGZ5EIKCQAAKTRACY?itemId=cat25260741&parentId=cat25260731&masterId=cat000003&icid=her0b

The Southern Belle says if you've got great legs flaunt them!

But how many of us want to show off our knees or God forbid our thighs? Just as men put on extra weight in there tummies, for women every extra ounce shows up in our neither regions,which in the great scheme of things is healthier.

Although tall skinny models wobbling on stiletto heels may look great on the runway, designers who expect real women to wear those clothes have lost their minds. Maybe they have a poverty wish.

Letters from Readers

As an author I often hear from my readers and I always welcome their thoughts. But rarely do I get an email that moved me as much as this one. Ms Zeboor gave me permission to share this with you and use her name:

Dear Ms. Despres,

I wanted to tell you how much of an impact your book, "the Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc", has had on me. I have moved 7-8 times in the past year or two. I have been to nice places, and gotten a chance to see new things, but I have also been to the rougher side of the tracks living in my car and being homeless. But one thing that stayed constant in my chaotic life is this, your words. I have reread sissy so many times my copy is tattered and yellowed, the pages are softening like paper does when it's touched a million times. Next week monday is my birthday, and I was wondering if I could mail you my book to sign? It would mean so much to me, and from one southern belle to another. Your book kept reminding me of the good days down south where everything slows down enough for you to enjoy summer and get yourself into a bit of trouble.

If you cant do this, i completely understand. You must be a very busy woman, but I had to try! Thank you so much for your time and I hope that the three books you wrote (of course I have them!) wont be the last! :)

Sincerely,

Heather "Scout" Zeboor

" We shall not cease Exploration, At the end of all our exploring, Will be to arrive at where we started...And know it for the very first time.."

T.S. Elliot

Mother's Love

As I wrote in an earlier blog, I went to London for my son's wedding. The wedding was held in Newlington Green Unitarian Church, built in the early 1700s and a hotbed of radicalism at the time of our American Revolution. A perfect setting for the bride. You'll get the idea from her blog: http://cruellablog.blogspot.com/

A few days after the wedding she gave us a tour of Oxford, where she had studied "maths." Training for a stand up comic, right?

It was cold and rainy and I needed a hat. Confession: I have a big head. Most women's hats don't fit and those that do look down-right silly. So I found this great men's hat. I loved it. It was warm and kept the rain off. And I loved the way I looked. I'm sharing the photo with you because, I gave it away. Sob.

It looked great on my son, so I left it for him in London. I think that qualifies in the "no greater love" catagory.

London transportation

The fastest way around London is by the tube. But you're underground, breathing foul air, herded like cattle at transfer stations. The most expensive is by taxi and it can be very expensive. The slowest is by bus. Yesterday, I had lunch with a friend in Belgravia. What a treat it was to walk down Sloane Street past the achingly beautiful and wildly expensive shops and then take the bus back to the flat in Maiden Lane. I sat on top in the corner and watched the world go by. We lumbered past Hyde Park Corner, the Wellington Arch, Green Park, the Ritz Hotel, up Piccadilly past the Royal Academy of Arts, around Trafalgar Square, up the Strand to Maiden Lane. A great way to see London and get home at the same time.

The Mother-in Law in a gang of Comics

My son, David Mulholland, is a stand-up comic and runs the Soho Comedy Club in London. When I set off for his wedding to the brilliant comedian and blogger Kate Smurthwaite, my friend Carl Gottlieb, a great screenwriter and wit, emailed me that I was very brave going into a group of comics as "the Mother-in-Law."

The wedding was held in the oldest Unitarian church in London--built in 1709. It's where Mary Wollstonecraft worshiped and had her school for girls. If you don't know who Mary Wollstonecraft is look her up. She's the mother of feminism.

Anyway, the reception was held in a pub and was filled with comics. They were attractive and very smart. (You don't have to be smart to be an actor. You may be or not. After all you're saying someone else's lines.) But you have to be very smart to be a comic. I expected the evening to be very funny. It was fun, but the comics were not trying out material. They were professionals. Instead I heard lots of intense conversations on the craft of comedy. It reminded me of a time a few years ago when I was in Paris. An old school pal had become one of France's leading artists. He invited me for drinks with another artist. I expected to hear a high minded conversation on art. But no, the two of them talked about a hardware store in the suburbs where they could find the tools they needed for their sculptures.

Amateurs and fans talk about art. Professionals talk about the tools of their trade.

Snake Poison

Saw the Golden Globes last night. 50 years after the Woman's Movement and all those actresses are injecting snake venom into their faces to freeze their expression. It's sad they/we feel we have to. Foot-binding anyone? Oh, we don't need to do that, we have those beautiful high rise shoes with tiny heels to trip us up.

Fame, Fortune, Fun, FAST

With the holidays pressing upon me and trying to wrap up my next book, I didn't get a chance to blog. But this is my wish for the new year. May 2010 bring us all: FAME, FORTUNE, and FUN FAST. Don't we deserve it? What do you want most? Fame? Fortune? or Fun?

MINDY WRITES; THE VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB

I want to give a call out to Mindy Long and her excellent blog MINDY WRITES: http://mindylong.com/blog/ She writes about books and writing.

I did a call in to her book club tonight and she posted the following. I've embedded it here to make it easy for you to read, but check out her blog for lots of good stuff on what it's like to be a free lance writer, she has a virtual book club too.

December 1st, 2009

Book Club with Belle

I love my virtual book club, but every once in a while even I miss talking in real time about the books I love. So tonight I hosted an in-person book club, pulled out some serving platters and dusted off the carafe.

The holidays and the dreary weather here resulted in a small turnout, but we delved into The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell by Loraine Despres and had a great conversation. In addition to writing Belle, Despres wrote The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc in which Belle appears as Sissy’s grandmother. Despres was generous enough to call in and take part in the discussion and we peppered her with our questions.

Belle is full of details from the 1920s—details that could only be captured by meticulous research. Despres said she spent a year researching the time period. “Thank God for the Web,” she laughed. She read books, visited the library and studied magazines from the period.

To capture the details of one particular scene, Despres reached out to the Stutz Barecat Club and found someone who shared the particulars of how to shift.

Despres even committed to only reading literature written before 1920 during the three years it took her to write Belle.

I fell in love with Sissy, and the entire time I was reading Belle I couldn’t help but think about how Despres weaved the two stories together even though they were very different stories. I was also left wondering how much the author knew about Belle when writing Sissy.

“I knew I wanted a lady like some of the ladies I knew in New Orleans—very imperious, very sure of themselves. Belle really came to me,” she said.

Of course we asked Despres her favorite rule. Without hesitating she said, "It’s okay for a woman to know her place. She just shouldn’t stay there."She also told us she doesn’t usually come up with a rule cold. “If something tickles me, I write it down,” she said.

Several parts of the book were inspired by Despres’s own experiences. She told us she grew up in a house like the Rubinstein’s—a house complete with bullet holes in her bedroom wall. “A vigilante group tried to drive my family out of town. It probably happened in the 1890s, but I knew I wanted to tell that story,” she said.

She also shared that she some of her favorite traits of Belle’s were her courage and her cynicism. “She was pretty much based on my mother,” she said.

SPOILER ALERTS—IF YOU HAVEN’T READ BELLE, STOP READING NOW. COME BACK AFTER YOU FINISH THE BOOK.

Based on the letter Belle found in Claude’s jacked, I assumed he was having an affair, but since I’m ever the optimist, I held out hope that Belle just misunderstood parts of the letter. I asked Despres flat out if Claude was having an affair. She confirmed my fear—he was unfaithful. Oh Claude—how could you? I will cut him a little slack since he was at war.

Throughout the novel I went back and forth on whether Belle was ignorant of the dangers she faced or if she was brave. I felt that she became more aware of her danger she faced as the novel went on and clearly was courageous when defending the Rubinsteins against the Ku Klux Klan.

Despres said she envisioned Belle as being brave when writing her. She added, “As a middle-class southern lady, she thought [the KKK] wouldn’t hurt her. Her family was important in the town and she thought they wouldn’t go after her.”

There were so many great story lines in the book. After we hung up the phone with Despres, we kept chatting about the book. I definitely recommend it as a book club pick and, you never know, Despres might call into your group, too. You can visit her blog athttp://www.lorainedespres.blogspot.com/ and her Web site atwww.lorainedespres.com. Also, check out my earlier Q&A with Loraine here, my post about Sissy here and my virtual book club post about Belle here.

By the way–my local library system had a a good number of copies of Belle available, but there was a wait list! So, you may want to check your local library or order from Amazon.

GIVEAWAY!!! What could be better than adding an autographed book plate courtesy of Loraine Despres to your copy of Belle or Sissy? Leave a comment by midnight Dec. 4 and I will pick a lucky winner on Dec. 5.

Thanksgiving

Wising you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with lots to be thankful for.

Mindy Writes

"A Southern Belle never ignores a compliment. She knows she's worth it."

So I want to give a call out to Mindy Long, a talented free-lance writer, and reader of great perspicacity. She has a terrific blog on writing and writers. A few days ago she was kind enough to review my novel, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc. Here's a taste:

"On a recent trip to the bookstore, I just happened to reach up on the shelf and pull down The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc: A Novel by Loraine Despres. I was hooked before I even finished reading the back cover, which starts, “It’s a steamy June afternoon in Louisiana, circa 1956, and Sissy LeBlanc is sitting on her front porch, wondering—half seriously—if she could kill herself with aspirins and Coca-Cola.”

Within 30 seconds I knew I would be taking the home with me and I’m so glad I did. It is a page-turner packed with small-town scandal and choices–not to mention a cute high school football star. The author’s Web site says, "More than a rip-roaring good read about a feisty Southern girl tearing up her hometown, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc is a poignant story about innocence lost and hope regained, about the dangers of taking a risk—and playing it safe, about wresting control of your life before someone does it for you. Shifting back and forth in time, Loraine Despres limns an utterly captivating portrait of Sissy LeBlanc’s tumultuous coming of age and her struggle to break free from the loveless, stifling marriage it led her to."

I was already staying up past my bedtime to read, then I hit Chapter 13 and BAM! The book got even better with a plot twist..."

For more and to read an excellent blog on writers and writing go to: http://mindylong.com/the-scandalous-summer-of-sissy-leblanc/#comments.

Never hide your light

A Southern Belle never hides her light under a bushel...or under anything else. Admit it, we all love attention. So let's live in the spotlight while we can. Rule 230 Southern Belle's Handbook.

Ok, I admit it. I love it when someone praises one of my books. I was delighted to find Mindy Long's excellent blog MINDY WRITES especially when she wrote:

"On a recent trip to the bookstore, I just happened to reach up on the shelf and pull down The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres. I was hooked before I even finished reading the back cover, which starts, “It’s a steamy June afternoon in Louisiana, circa 1956, and Sissy LeBlanc is sitting on her front porch, wondering—half seriously—if she could kill herself with aspirins and Coca-Cola.”

Within 30 seconds I knew I would be taking the book home with me and I’m so glad I did. It is a page-turner packed with small-town scandal and choices–not to mention a cute high school football star. The author’s Web site says, "More than a rip-roaring good read about a feisty Southern girl tearing up her hometown, The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc is a poignant story about innocence lost and hope regained, about the dangers of taking a risk—and playing it safe, about wresting control of your life before someone does it for you. Shifting back and forth in time, Loraine Despres limns an utterly captivating portrait of Sissy LeBlanc’s tumultuous coming of age and her struggle to break free from the loveless, stifling marriage it led her to. I was already staying up past my bedtime to read, then I hit Chapter 13 and BAM! The book got even better with a plot twist I never saw coming." For more and to read her excellent posts about writers and writing go to: http://mindylong.com/the-scandalous-summer-of-sissy-leblanc//

Married Men

A woman who goes out with a married man always plays second fiddle to his wife--
Southern Belles don't make that kind of music.

Rule #54 The Southern Belle's Handbook, Sissy LeBlanc's Rules to Live By

THE FLAVOR BIBLE

We Southern girls love to cook--and if we don't actually cook ourselves we love to eat. For real cooks, the ones who itch to try a little of this and pair it with a little of that to see how it tastes, I mean the really creative cooks who don't want to be recipe bound, but want to create something original THE FLAVOR BIBLE is a must. The authors, Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg spent eight years interviewing great chefs all over the world and came up with parings--what tastes great with what. The book has been out 52 weeks inspiring amateurs and professionals and is now in its 4th printing. So the Southern Belle lifts a virtual glass of champagne. Way to go Karen.

Rule No 172, The Southern Belle's Handbook: There's nothing so sexy as a man who cooks.

A Slice of Life in the Big Lemon

My husband and I came home from a wedding in San Diego and found the road to our house was blocked. A water main had flooded.

Water gushed down Coldwater Canyon and flooded Ventura Bldv in the valley damaging homes and shops. Beverly Hills is safe. Isn't that always the way?

Here are some amazing photographs of the street. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/coldwater-canyon-could-be-closed-for-3-days-due-to-destructive-water-main-break.html

And in color:

http://laist.com/2009/09/06/water_main_break_floods_ventura_blv.php?gallery0Pic=1#gallery

The irony and tragedy is we're in the middle of a terrible drought.

We're fine. Our house is high in the hills. But it's all a slice of life in the Big Lemon.

--
www.LoraineDespres.com

Why You Can't Dress Like a Super-Model

A friend of mine is a stylist and he just did a gorgeous photo spread for a fashion magazine in Asia. He hired a beautiful young European model who had, in his words, "giraffe legs." He shot her in a micro-miniskirt and stiletto heels on a rocky mountaintop. The shot was gorgeous. The shadows under her slim derriere echoed the shadows in the mountains.

But the question on everyone's lips was, how did the model climb up the mountain in those stiletto heels?

The stylist laughed, "She didn't. She couldn't. I carried the heels and two of us lifted her into them for the shot."

Who Are They Kidding?

I just got an email from Neiman Marcus about the new trend in leggings for this fall. What? Does a message go out in New York? "This year we'll torture women by putting leggings on their legs, but making them go barefooted into shoes with heels so impossibly high they can't walk down the block." And get this, "We'll charge $100 for them! Or more if we print the fabric. And we'll all make the same kind that bag at the ankles! That'll be really chic."

Who buys this stuff? Does anyone look good in them?

Last Day in Bali

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and, I'm not kidding, caviar I wrote this in my diary: My friends and I have just finished body surfing in the most glorious warm ocean waves and now the pool boy trainee is polishing my sunglasses.

The beauty of Bali has been praised outrageously. The thing is it's true. The simplest farming village is festooned with decorations and elaborate carvings. It's going to be hard to leave paradise and go back to reality.

To Bangkok and Beyond

I'm off tonight for Bangkok and Bali. I'll be gone three weeks and five days. Not much for my European travel companions who take off a month every year, but my American friends are astonished. I've spent the whole day packing. I was only going to bring carry on luggage, but my German friend, Peter, said "Loraine, the only time you will touch your luggage is when you take it to the airport in Los Angeles." I'm not taking my computer, but I'll try to blog from time to time and send photos of some of the most beautiful islands in the world. My husband, Carl Eastlake, is staying behind because he's running for the board of the Writers Guild of America. Now that's dedication.

Politicians Who Cheat

Those Senators and Governors who loudly profess their devotion to religion and cheat on their wives are only honoring the Old Testament which clearly states that marriage is the union of one man and his wives and handmaidens.

Soccer Mom Says...: I Think I Finally Found It

Soccer Mom Says...: I Think I Finally Found It

Book Club Blog Discusses BAD BELLE

Want to give a shout out to the Book Club Blog http://bookclub2002.blogspot.com/2009/05/kkk.html#comments

They read The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell last month. I want you to know I did a ton of research so if you have any questions, just let me know.

Age is a Peculiar Number

The trouble with admitting your true age is other people always have stereotypes about what the number means. I confess. I did and I was wrong. When I wrote THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC I created Belle Cantrell, the septuagenarian suffragist, and gave her a cane! Seventy seemed very old to me--then. After that, my father-in-law at age 70 began riding in bicycle marathons and did fifty mile practice runs up and down mountains. I've never been that young. Have you? Now I follow Oscar Wilde's advice when he said, "Never trust a woman who tells you her true age. If she tells that, she'll tell anything."

Anxiously Awaiting Another Novel

Many of you have been kind enough to send me emails. When I recieved this, I wanted to share it. Thanks for the encouragement, Cyndi. A writer who goes into a little room by herself everyday needs all the encouragement she can get.

Dear Loraine, I first read, "The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc" about 4 years ago. A bunch of girls at work were passing your book around. It was one of the best stories I'd read in years. It wasn't until recently that I discovered "the Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell". Every bit as wonderful as the first. Your characters are written wonderfully. Great spirit and humour and very real, like they could be my neighbors. (I think some of them are.) Thank you for writing these stories. I do hope you'll have more to come. I have purchased both books and have passed them around to my customers and friends. They all come back with the same reaction, "WOW! What great characters! Does she have any other books?". Anxiously Awaiting Another Novel,Cyndi Jones

"If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton. You may as well make it dance." ~ George Bernard Shaw

KayteandRob on [the next] networking site, just posted a terrific review of THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC in which she says, "I can't wait to finish and find out what happens."

I tried to post a reply and thanks but [the nest] made that almost impossible. Had to sign in and then they said my name was already used, I had to find another name, etc. Why do some sites make it so hard to post?

The Most Important Thing About Virtue

The Most Important Thing About Virtue should have been the title of the blog below.

"The most important thing about virture is to talk as if you're in favor of it."

Or at least that's what my character BELLE CANTRELL thought, when faced with the visit of some very uptight neighbors. What do you think?

The Califf Family: Celebrity Soccer Game

The Califf Family: Celebrity Soccer Game

Congratulations on your beautiful family. I especially love the pictures of Jude's baptism. And thanks so much for recommending my first novel, THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC. It took me three years to write and so your recommendation means a lot to me.

Help for Aging in the New Year

2009. I've come up with new Southern Belle advice for those of you who plan to become a year older:

A woman who always insist on telling her true age...
shows a sad lack of imagination.

Hoping 2009 is the best year yet for you-all and for me, too.

The Califf Family: I've been Tagged AGAIN

The Califf Family: I've been Tagged AGAIN

Thanks for recommending THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC. I've mentioned you on my Blog, The Southern Belle Sounds Off.

The Califf Family: I've been Tagged AGAIN

I want to give a call out to the Califf Family Blogspot for recommending my first novel, THE SCANDALOUS SUMMER OF SISSY LEBLANC and also to Faith on her blog Wennies and Me for her terrific review. http://wenniesandme.wordpress.com/ Both of you have taste and style.

Satisfying the Gods Who Live in Our Computers

Pantheists believe there are gods all around us in every tree.

They are probably wrong, but clearly there are gods living in our computers. Success does not depend on reading voluminous manuals so much as knowing how to propitiate the particular god in your machine. A successful writer must discover what sacrifice to make to keep the computer god from scrambling his or her manuscript, catching a virus, or plunging brilliant thoughts into the blue screen of death.

The Gods in Our Computers

Pantheists believed there were gods all around us in every tree.

They were probably wrong, but clearly there are gods living in every computer. Success does not depend on reading voluminous manuals so much as knowing how to propitiate the particular god living in your machine. A successful writer discovers what sacrifice to make to keep the gods from scrambling your manuscript, catching a virus, or plunging your brilliant thoughts into the blue screen of death.

MORE TIPS FROM THE SOUTHERN BELLE'S HANDBOOK

Men fantasize about being a knight and rescuing a maiden in distress. Encourage this. It’s a good thing. There’s no reason for you ever to struggle pushing a heavy bag into an overhead compartment. Ask him do something easy for you and thank him sweetly. He’ll feel great about himself– and you. Rule #48

Attracting Men is Easy

A few years ago, I wrote The Southern Belle’s Handbook, Sissy LeBlanc’s Rules to Live By. I thought it would be fun to share a few rules with you.

How to Make Conversation:

Men always find themselves the most fascinating subject of any conversation. When in doubt, let him talk about himself. He’ll think you’re a brilliant conversationalist. Rule Number 11

Laugh at his wit, and he’ll admire your sense of humor. Rule Number 13

Let him know you think he’s intelligent and he’ll be awed by your perspicacity, even if he can’t pronounce the word. Rule Number 15

Thought on Aging from the Southern Belle

A woman who always insists on telling her true age
shows a sad lack of imagination.

MOVING BLUES

We're leaving the Marina on Thursday and moving back to our renovated home in Beverly Hills. Now for most of the world, this is no cause for sorrow. My husband is anxious to get home. But I will miss our little apartment, the walks along the channel and onto the beach, the bicycle rides to the free concerts on the pier in Santa Monica, easy dinners at beach restaurants such as the Lido on Washington, and most especially the friends we've made. We're not moving to the moon. But it's a forty-five minute drive and no longer conducive to an invitation, "come on over for wine and cheese on our balcony. The moon is rippling on the water."

The writer's life

Here's a picture of the pool next to our apartment and me looking serious in "control central."

The Life of the Writer--It's a beach

We're remodeling our house, so we decided to rent a little apartment at the beach. My husband, Carleton Eastlake, and I are writing together in a tiny second bedroom we call command central. Every morning we get up and see people rowing down the channel and boats sailing by. We walk along the channel to the Pacific Ocean, we rent kayaks and bikes. I'm not entirely sure I ever want to return to my real life.

Life in Marina del Rey

SEX AND THE CITY and Its Labels

Don’t get me wrong, The Southern Belle had a great time at SEX AND THE CITY. It was more than a movie, it was an event. It was a reason for a Girls Night Out and we almost didn’t get a seat, because even on a Thursday night the theater was jammed with women like us.
I felt a surge of Woman Power seeing those four powerful, dynamic women on the screen as I sat with two powerful, dynamic women friends. Of course as a recovering screenwriter I am delighted that the movie is doing so well at the box office. I loved seeing those four beautiful over-twenty actresses costumed by the world’s top designers. However, Carrie’s first VOICE OVER: “Women come to New York from all over for the two Ls, love and labels” set my teeth on edge.
Love of course. Freud said, “Love and work are the cornerstones of our humanness.” And beside the show is called: SEX AND THE CITY. But labels? Labels? OK, I told myself, fashion was an important element in the series. So I sat back and enjoyed the show. And it was lots of fun. But over the weeks since, that phrase keeps coming back to me and my teeth are edgier than ever.
Fifty years after the feminist movement we are what? Supposed to be dupes to designers? Covet accessories not because of their intrinsic beauty but because they carry a certain label? Walk around carrying billboards on our arms? Or was it all an excuse for product placement?
Of course we want to be attractive and we like beautiful things. Open any issue of VOGUE or ELLE and you’ll see outfits that are lovely, but you’ll see others that are awful, no human being would be caught wearing them, but they do have the right labels. Go to your little boutique around the corner and you might find schlock or you might just find an original gem. But maybe that was the real story arc after all. In the end the dress Carrie found happiness in was a no-name outfit she found in a vintage shop.