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.