The Southern Belle Sounds Off

Holiday Blues

2011-12-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

About this time of year, I feel over loaded. Don’t you?

Instead of joy and holiday fun, I have cooking anxiety—what’ll I cook? Will it come out all right? Does my stove work? Will anyone want to eat it?

And oh Lord, there’s the shopping anxiety. Did I forget someone? Will everyone like what I get them? (Oops everyone and them is not grammatical. But will everyone like what I get him—that sounds terrible. Her—worse.) More holiday pressure to do it right! More pressure to be perfect. Even writing about the holidays trips me up.

Before anxiety overcomes me I channel Sissy LeBlanc. What would Sissy say: “When attacked by the holiday blues, a smart girl takes a glass of wine into a soothing bath and lets the rest of the world fend for themselves. It will help them appreciate her.” Rule number 106 The Southern Belle’s Handbook. (You won't find this rule in the book. Sissy just made it up.)

Hollywood Holiday Parties

2011-12-07T15:08:00.000-08:00

When I lived in Louisiana I dreamed of going to parties in Hollywood.

I've attended some of the big glam parties where actors stood in front of logos to get their photos taken. Fun? Yes. Exciting? Sure.

But here's the secret: after getting their pictures taken many of the celebs leave, or are so busy getting their photos taken before dinner they weren't really available for you to talk to. This can be a bummer if it's a charity fund raiser and you've paid a lot to hobnob with them. I have to admit the V.I.P. room is no more at the Women In Film Crystal Awards so everyone mills around together.

But I thought you might want to get a glimpse of the real parties for those of us working here. The first photo shows my husband, Carl Eastlake, and me at the Writer's Guild of America party. He's a member of the Board of Directors. I'm very proud of him. The second photo is just to give you a sense of the party. No one is very dressed up or should I say they're wearing Hollywood metro-chic. More soon.

The Southern Belle Sounds Off: Books: Made in America

2011-11-29T22:58:00.000-08:00

The Southern Belle Sounds Off: Books: Made in America

Books: Made in America

2011-11-29T22:44:00.000-08:00

This evening ABC News announced if everybody in America bought just $67 worth of holiday gifts made in America it would create thousands (I don't remember the exact number) of jobs. Then they stopped people on the street and asked if their purchase was made in America, few were.

But the answer is simple. Buy books. The books on these shelves were written (or translated) edited and published in America. And they make great holiday presents.

The Food Lover's Guide To Wine

2011-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

Last summer I took my son to a spectacular seafood restaurant in London where we had a giant platter of seafood--oysters, crab, shrimp, mussels. You get the picture. The sommelier suggested a Muscadet. It was an unforgettable meal with the perfect wine pairing.

So the last afternoon before flying home to Los Angeles I took my son, his wife, and my cousin to a different restaurant where we also ordered giant seafood platters. Unfortunately, this time the Southern Belle ordered a bottle of Muscat. Yuck! A very expensive yuck

If only I had read THE FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO WINE by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg I would have known, Muscadet crisp, dry and great with seafood is quite different from Muscat a dessert wine, which while it's delicious with chocolate, is dreadful with oysters.

But THE FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO WINE is more than a listing of wines. I've learned the secrets of sommeliers, tips from great chefs, the role of wine in a meal, how to compose a menu, and so much more. Best of all, THE FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO WINE is going to make this year's holiday gift giving so very, very easy.

Fix Congress, Fix America

2011-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

This email quoting Warren Buffett has been going around, but instead of sending it to 20 people I thought I would post it. Enjoy:

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the
best quotes about the debt ceiling:

"I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a
law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP,
all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The
26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only
3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it.
That was in 1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the
27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to
become the law of the land...all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a
minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of
those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States
of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should
be passed around.

*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in
office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social
Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social
Security system, and Congress participates with the American people.
It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional
pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in
the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective
1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with
Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.
Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers
envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s),
then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only
take three days for most people (in the U.S. ) to receive the message.
Maybe it is time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it
on. If not, just delete. You are one of my 20. Please keep it going.

Beware

2011-08-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

"Watch out for men who are on speaking terms with the Almighty." Rule 34 in the SOUTHERN BELLE'S HANDBOOK.

And now that Michelle Bachman is blaming natural phenomena on people who disagree with her politics, I'd say we'd better watch out for women, too.

Lots of Laughs in London

2011-07-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Europe. My first stop was the Soho Comedy Club, the friendliest, hippest, most intelligent comedy club in London.

In the top photo Kate Smurthwaite one of the best MCs on the comedy circuit is introducing the acts. They call MCs compairs (compeer compare--I have no idea how they spell it. It's a British thing.) Anyway, she's a genius in warming up the crowd, because the relationship between the audience and the stand-up comic is key. Kate makes it easy for everyone to have a good time. In the second photo is David Mulholland, stand-up extraordinaire. David was a military-econimics journalist before giving it up to do stand-up. So he's smart and funny. He also runs the club.

Okay, full disclosure. I'm related to David and Kate's his wife. But I'm also a tough judge of talent. And I wouldn't be writing this if I was proud of them both.

Travel

2011-05-07T15:45:00.000-07:00

Put a Poem In your Pocket

2011-04-14T17:47:00.000-07:00

The wonderful writers on SheWrites have a great suggestion--put a poem in your pocket and carry it around with you today. Click on this link and be sure to read the beautiful and moving poem by Borges entitled INSTANTS. It begins, "If I could live again my life..." http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/paper-the-world-with-poetry.

I would reprint it here, but I don't have the rights and literary rights are important to me.

BRAVE STUDENTS--CREATIVE WRITING

2011-03-15T11:38:00.000-07:00

Actress-writer Deborah Pratt and I have signed on to teach a 5 week creative writing workshop for high school students in Pacoima, CA.

The kids are all good looking and brave. And they each have more responsibility than any teenager should. Some are caring for sick parents. Others have little children of their own. We see them shoulder their responsibilities with courage and grace. Each has a story to tell. It’s our job to help them tell it.

We meet every Tuesday in Pacoima, CA with their independent-studies teacher Barrie Becker and a caring social worker from El Nido Family Centers, one of California’s leading non-profit agencies, dedicated to helping kids flourish and achieve their goals.

Women's Day and Beyond

2011-03-09T15:07:00.000-08:00

I received an email from actress Leslie Easterbrook whom I’ve recently met and whom you’ve undoubtedly seen in films, TV, or on Broadway. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0247579/

In keeping with the injunction—don’t hide your light under a bushel, I’m publishing it here:

Just finished Belle and I can't stop thinking about her. My eye has taken a few nasty turns, so reading a book overnight was not without sacrifice -- but, I couldn't put it down. I know she's a fictional character, but without real women like her, we would still be living in the dark ages -- and dying in back rooms. As I write this, I'm listening to Ed Schutz, in WI on MSNBC, and realizing that keeping our rights, not only as women, is a constant battle… Unless we continually stay on target, the great real feminists, like fictional Belle, who stood up to abuse, discrimination and prejudice in the past, will have suffered in vain. You can tell I'm psyched...

Ps I don't have a favorite, but Bad Belle was more...enlightening.

Snow Among the Palm Trees

2011-03-07T15:19:00.000-08:00

We live in the hills above Beverly Hills.

Today, my roses are starting to bloom. But the weather has been so weird, that a week ago we had snow among the palms. Here are some actual photos taken with my husband's phone.

2011-03-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

What Girls Really Want

2011-02-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

Filmmakers, advertisers, publishers, and music producers are obsessed with the "youth market" and especially by that very special demographic teenage girls. What do they want? How do they think? What's going on in those beautiful heads?

You can find out in the new book, BEYOND WORDS the creative voices of more than 150 teen girls and the professional women who mentor them. They share their stories about family, friendship, love, loss, music and so much more. You'll find poignant poems, break-up lyrics, and an essay on discovering meaning in a shag carpet. The book concludes with a full chapter of writing activities and advice for aspiring writers of any level.

BEYOND WORDS is the Winner, London Book Festival, Anthologies and National Best Book Awards, USA BookNews, Poetry Anthology. It's published by WriteGirl a non-profit organization for high school girls, centered on creative writing and empowerment through self-expression. To find out more simply click on: http://www.writegirl.org/publications.html.

Hateful Speech

2011-01-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt me." went the nursery rhyme of my youth. Reeling from the tragedy in Arizona we know, of course, that names can and do hurt. They can also inspire people to unspeakable acts. And those snarky, disparaging, mean-girl words whether voiced by the mean girl herself or her coterie of parrots who are now crying tyranny at the suggestion that their words could have inspired any action are being heard around the world.

Today, I received this quotation from a German friend. I especially like: "

Words can be like tiny doses of arsenic: they are swallowed unnoticed, appear to have no effect, and then after a little time the toxic reaction sets in after all."

Victor Klemperer on Nazi propaganda:

How "the language of a clique became the language of a people"

"No, the most powerful influence was exerted neither by individual speeches nor by articles or flyers, posters or flags; it was not achieved by things which one had to absorb by conscious thought or conscious emotions.

Instead Nazism permeated the flesh and blood of the people through single words, idioms and sentence structures which were imposed on them in a million repetitions and taken on board mechanically and unconsciously. . . language does not simply write and think for me, it also increasingly dictates my feelings and governs my entire spiritual being the more unquestioningly and unconsciously I abandon myself to it.

And what happens if the cultivated language is made up of poisonous elements or has been made the bearer of poisons? Words can be like tiny doses of arsenic: they are swallowed unnoticed, appear to have no effect, and then after a little time the toxic reaction sets in after all.

The Third Reich coined only a very small number of the words in its language, perhaps - indeed probably - none at all. . . But it changes the value of words and the frequency of their occurrence, it makes common property out of what was previously the preserve of an individual or a tiny group, it commandeers for the party that which was previously common property and in the process steeps words and groups of words and sentence structures with its poison.

Victor Klemperer, The Language of the Third Reich: A Philologist's Notebook, trans. Martin Brady, London: Continuum, 2002, pp. 15–16

FOR THE LOVE

2010-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

I want to recommend a wonderful blog for readers: FOR THE LOVE: http://forthelove-mb.blogspot.com/ Melissa, lawyer, homemaker, and avid reader lists her favorites for 2010.

I love that she said: "I've read by the pool, at the gym, in bed at night and in the hammock in the yard. I read the books I wanted to read. Not the book that would make me look like a cultured smarty-pants to passers-by at the hotel pool or the latest novel to receive a glowing review from the New York Times so I could chat about it at a cocktail party. (We've all done this, right?)"

A book is an investment of time. And that's all we have. How do you choose a book? Where do you like to read?

Boxing the Octopus

2010-12-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

The excellent publishing blog: BOXING THE OCTOPUS posted a #BuyThisBook blog and the book they chose was The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc. http://www.boxocto.com/2010/12/buythisbook-scandalous-summer-of-sissy.html

What intelligent readers. I added a new quote to the Southern Belle's Handbook:

"Writing is easy. Only writing well is hard."

Cliff Hangers

2010-11-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

Pop Eaters just published my post on cliff hangers. And the summer I wrote the episode that solved the greatest cliff hanger of all time: Who Shot J.R.?.

Check it out: http://www.popeater.com/2010/11/25/who-shot-JR-writer-reflects/

Cliff Hangers

2010-11-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

A Literary Feast

2010-11-23T23:26:00.000-08:00

Last week Carl and I went to New Orleans for the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Literary Festival Words and Music. There we danced and ate and listened to many learned discussions. I gave a master class on Creating Great Characters in the historic Cabildo in the center of the French Quarter. Carl was on a panel on translation and introduced classist Stanley Lombardo at a yummy lunch at Muriel's resterant.

I took the picture at left with my little cell phone, so the quality leaves something to be desired, but there are two National Book Award winners Tim O'Brien in the hat and Julia Glass sitting next to him talking to Stewart O'Nan. That's Simon Mawer laughing. He was short-listed for the Booker Prize. Attending to his lunch is moderator Randy Fertel whose foundation created the Truth Teller Awards.

Words and Music. On the dias at left is Rosemary James the organizer extraordinaire of the festival which this year was held in conjunction with the National World War II Museum.

But it wasn't all books and conversation. We found time to go to the gorgeous sculpture garden in City Park. Here I am with Julia Glass and short-story writer Maurice Ruffin. And at bottom Julie and I surround Botero's amazing scupture of a mother holding her child while standing on the prone body of the father.

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

2010-11-10T20:04:00.000-08:00

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

Creating Great Characters for Film and Fiction

2010-11-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

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

2010-09-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-08-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

" 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

2010-08-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

"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?

2010-07-21T12:42:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-06-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-22T13:04:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-30T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-04-13T13:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-03-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

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

2010-02-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-31T01:58:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-25T00:13:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-18T19:54:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

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

Mindy Writes

2009-10-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-10-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T15:28:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T22:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

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

Book Club Blog Discusses BAD BELLE

2009-06-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T19:59:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

"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

2009-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-13T09:18:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-07T11:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

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

MOVING BLUES

2008-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-10T22:40:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-10T22:28:00.000-07:00

SEX AND THE CITY and Its Labels

2008-06-15T14:39:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-09-21T17:23:00.000-07:00

2007-09-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

2007-09-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

C100 in LOS ANGELES

2007-09-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Last summer Northwestern's Council of 100, (which I describe as the one hundred most successful women ever to graduate from Northwestern University -- who are willing to go to those meetings) gave a party for undergraduates and young alumnae at Cafe Roma in the heart of Beverly Hills' golden triangle. Here are some pictures of the event. I invite everyone who was there to write a comment and/or a picture caption.

More on the Dreaded British National Health

2007-09-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

My cousin Cecile wrote: "Had an exciting experience with the British National Health Service. On our last night in London, I went into anaphylactic shock in the middle of the night with hives on every inch of my body including palms and soles. When my tongue began to swell and I could no longer speak clearly, I tried without success to remember the emergency phone number in England. (They were staying in a borrowed flat.) I finally hit on it 15 minutes later and, with some difficulty, the ambulance got close enough to our building for us to find it by its flashing lights. Right in the ambulance they gave me intravenous antihistamine, oxygen, a nebulizer and epinephrine.

15 minutes later the symptoms were clearly being reduced and I could speak normally again. Did you know that all emergency treatment is free? It's also caring and thoughtfully given. Yes, we made the plane, but my poor husband aged a few years watching me go through it all.

Braving the Dreaded National Health Service UK

2007-09-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Braving the Dreaded British National Health

A couple of weeks ago in Edinburgh, I fell and scraped my knee. I week later the little abrasion had become large, red, puffy, and sore. I wanted someone to look at it, but I was still in the UK. Not only was I in the UK, I was in small-town England. Bury St. Edmunds is a charming, historic market village in East Anglia, but not exactly a medical hub. Still, my knee needed looking after.

The hotel manager told me there was a doctor’s office next door, so with trepidation, (I’d heard the horror stories about long waits and grim conditions) I ventured in. A receptionist told me I’d be seen by a nurse practitioner who specialized in abrasions, asthma treatment, and other chronic conditions. Apologizing, she said she’d have to charge me fifty pounds since I wasn’t registered on National Health.

After waiting in a pleasant waiting room for all of seven to ten minutes, I was greeted by a friendly, efficient nurse who bandaged my knee with a waterproof surgical dressing and asked if I was otherwise in good health. My husband mentioned I have asthma. She gave me advice on how to manage it and a booklet (not an advertisement from a drug company) but a manual published by the National Health Service NHS with clear information on how to manage asthma along with a card to carry in your wallet, outlining a treatment plan, and phone numbers including the Asthma UK Adviceline available from 9 to 5 with interpreting service in more than 100 languages and a 24 hour nurse-led helpline for all medical inquiries along with websites and further information.

We were out of there and on our way in half an hour and I’m happy to report my knee is fine.

2007-07-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Council of 100 in Los Angeles

2007-07-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

C100 in LA--The Southern Belle Loves a Good Party

One thing all Southern Belles have in common is we love parties and we were trained from birth to give them. So this year, when it was time for Northwestern University’s Council of 100 to give a party in Los Angeles, it fell on me to organize it.

What’s the Council of 100 you might ask? I explain it as the one hundred most successful women ever to graduate from Northwestern—who are willing to go to those meetings. Our mandate is to mentor and serve as role models for women students and young alumnae. This year we met at Caffe Roma in the heart of Beverly Hill’s golden triangle. Here are a couple of photos of the event. I’ll hold these on the blog until I get some comments from participants and then I’ll post more. So come on ladies and gentlemen (there were two gentlemen in attendance) start commenting, especially those in the pictures, and I'll put up more photos.

2007-07-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

The Cost Effect of Global Warming

2007-05-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

The Cost Effect Of Global Warming Or Stupid Is As Stupid Does

When you hear the Bush Administration or other politicians talking about complying with the Kyoto Protocols as long as they are “cost effective,” they are talking about the cost to their campaign contributors not to you and me.

This week the Commerce Committee gutted Senator Feinstein’s sensible bill requiring car companies to improve over-all fuel efficiency of their fleets by 10 miles per gallon over the next twelve years. There’s nothing radical about that plan. It may even be too little, too late. But Tuesday the Commerce Committee added a little zinger to the bill: It would let the car makers off the hook if the annual goals aren’t “cost-effective.”

Cost effective to whom? If we really took global warming seriously, we would see an economic boom similar to that in Silicone Valley. Thousands of jobs would be created along with hundreds of multi-millionaires. More important, thousands of lives would not be ruined, costing us the taxpayers billions of dollars. Hurricane Katrina and the tornados that swept the Midwest may not be a direct product of global warming. But we do know global warming will create more hurricanes and more tornados ruining countless lives, costing billions of dollars.

If people get the government they deserve, then as my character Sissy LeBlanc might say, “Stupid is as stupid does.”

PREMONITION & the Premier

2007-03-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Hollywood Premier of Premonition

Last night I went to the Hollywood premier of Premonition, the new thriller starring Sandra Bullock.  You've probably seen the ads.  Time is out of joint.  Bullock is told her husband is dead, but the next morning she wakes up and he’s alive.  She tries to deal with her feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and grief, while she fights to make sense out of what's happening to her.  Emotionally, the movie is thoroughly satisfying and beautifully directed.  Logically, some strings are left untied.  Like the best modern art you’ll be left with things unsaid, things to puzzle over, a chance to bring your own perceptions into the experience.  Most films are so logical, so wrapped up, you have nothing to discuss afterwards with friends over dinner.  The brilliance of Premonition is you'll have lots to discuss.  The film and questions about the film will haunt you for days.

We were invited to the premier by the director, Mennan Yapo.  His is a real rags- to-riches story.  A successful movie executive in Europe, Mennan put everything he had into writing and directing his and first feature, the German film, Soundless.  It was accepted at the Los Angeles Film Festival, but by that time Mennan had no money to stay here for meetings with production companies, so he stayed with us.  It was an exciting time, that magical moment when a star is born.  Every day messengers dropped off dozens of scripts, most of them he turned down.  A true artist and totally focused, he went back to Germany without finding a project he could put his heart into.  Then the script for Premonition arrived and the rest is history.

What's a real Hollywood premiere like?  The sidewalk on fabled Sunset Boulevard is cordoned off.  Fans press against the ropes.  The paparazzi are there en masse.  The director and his entourage step out of a limo.  Cameras flash.  Guards are stationed everywhere to make sure that only the favored few get into the theater.  So what goes on inside the lobby of the theater?  Not much.  Friends greet one another.  A few, very few, scantily-clad, aspiring actresses parade around hoping to be seen, but for the most part it looks like the crowd at your Saturday night Cineplex.  The after party was down the block in a beautiful old Hollywood building with period chandeliers and winding staircases.  Four bars served free drinks on three floors.  Loud music was piped through all the rooms.  But like big parties from Shreveport to Sacramento it can be intimidating or fun.  It's all about who you know.

A Literary Feast

2006-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

WORDS AND MUSIC

My husband and I went to New Orleans to take part in The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society’s annual Words and Music—A Literary Feast—and feast it was with great food and even better conversation with authors from all around the United States.
     But first, the day after Halloween, I had a signing at the charming Octavia Books, which not only survived Hurricane Katrina; it was the first bookstore to reopen.  They had so little damage that even the goldfish in their fountain were alive and anxiously waiting for Tom Lowenburg and his wife’s return.  (That’s because the hurricane didn’t hit New Orleans full on.  The damage was man made.  The levees broke and flooded the city.  The flood waters from those particular levees didn’t reach that part of Octavia Street so those houses and businesses suffered only a little wind damage.)  Rather than post my pictures of the event, I’ll send you to their website http://www.octaviabooks.com/
     The next day Words and Music began with parties and discussions of the impact of Hispanic Cultures on U.S. Life and Literature.  On Friday, I led a panel on Late Bloomers, women who’d had successful careers in other fields and then after forty published best-selling and prize winning novels.  Maria Arana, was and is the editor of The Washington Post Book World.  Her memoir American Chica was a finalist for the National Book Award and her new novel, Cellophane has received rave reviews.  Julia Glass was an accomplished painter before winning the National Book Award for her novel, Three Junes.  Her new novel The Whole World Over, has also received rave review.  Pamela Binnings Ewen—which sounded much too much like Pam Ewing to an old DALLAS writer—was a successful international lawyer before penning Faith on Trial and Walk the Black Cat.  We all agreed that our life experiences gave us insights we never had when we were younger and made our writing so much richer.  I wrote perfectly terrible novel earlier in my career which I threw away after becoming a screenwriter.  Before forty my literary efforts were not ready for prime time.  All my indoor photos all took on a sepia sheen giving them an antique aura.

2006-11-16T11:19:00.000-08:00

Here's the picture that goes with the caption below.

2006-11-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

Late Bloomers panel - right to left: Julia Glass, National Book Award winner, Maria Arana, Book World Editor at Washington Post, and novelist and laywer Pamela Binnings Ewen.