More from Mississippi

Who says you can't go home again?
NOBODY who ever lived in Mississippi.
Maybe no true southerner.

(Oh, wait. There's that whole Thomas Wolfe thing.)






But I did go home. And I spent some terrific days visiting bookstores, schools, and friends and family. Here it it, in large living color!

After a great time at the Kaigler Book Festival, I headed north to family, a morning gathering at Square Arts in Batesville, and a whole lot of good food. I'll leave that to your imagination since I didn't take pictures of the fried green tomatoes and shrimp and grits, etc.

Then off to Square Books Jr., on the square in Oxford. 

 We loved the sign!

COME AND FIND YOUR DESTINY

I signed a lot of books.
If you'd like a signed copy, I'm sure
SQUARE BOOKS can accommodate.

(Wow. Just noticed the great pictures on your Facebook page, Jill and others at Square Books- Thanks!)







Books. Lots and lots of books. All signed.

There was a lot going on in Oxford, MS, that Saturday. But when I arrived at Square Books, Jr., this smiling face was waiting by my table. Her mom said she'd read Glory Be and couldn't wait to meet me. I was thrilled to hear her enthusiasm.
(That's what it's all about, right? That's why we write books!)

After that amazing weekend, I took off driving through the Delta on a drizzly morning.

I promise I was the only one on Highway 61 when I took this picture.

A quick stop in Cleveland always includes a walk along the railroad trail.
When I grew up there, the Illinois Central came through town on a regular basis.
Right through the center of town. We'd have to stop at the tracks and wait for trains to pass.

Now there's a neat Train Museum.

I arrived in Greenwood in time for pie.


(I did not eat them both. My sister, always agreeable to coming along for a road trip, had the chocolate. Hers was better than mine, we agreed.)

Next stop: TURNROW Books.
What a beautiful spot!

Of course, I had to snap this shot of cute, young Elvis.

A favorite moment at TurnRow. These smart girls had come with their creative writing/ storytelling teacher from the DELTA ARTS ALLIANCE. 

(For those of us who grew up in Cleveland, that would be the Ellis Theater. folks.)

They told me all about what THEY are writing. I loved talking to them and signing their books.)

This picture of my brother, sister and me was taken by the sister of a childhood friend, one inspiration for Miss Sister.

My friend's name was Sandra. She added a lot of fun to growing up.

Next stop- LEMURIA in Jackson!

Two school visits, one fabulous party, lots of family. Does it get any better than Jackson?

We visited Mannsdale Elementary School where it happened to be Famous Mississippians Day.

Check out Oprah.
(Elvis was there, too.)

These kids were reading my new book! They'd chosen it for a book club selection!

Here I am at Lemuria, just before the skies opened up and a storm blew through Jackson. I'm reading from THE WAY TO STAY IN DESTINY.  After I read, we all gathered at my friend Ivy's house to talk about books, old times and memories, and new friends.

I returned to Lemuria the next day to sign a lot of books. I'm sure if you give Clara Martin, book buyer extraordinaire a call, she'll save a book for you!

Mississippi, Here I Come!

I'm excited about my trip home to Mississippi. 

Please stop by and say hello 
if you are anywhere near me!

April 8-10. University of Southern MS, Kaigler Book Festival (I'm signing books on Friday morning via Barnes and Noble)

April 11 (3:00). Square Books Jr., Oxford MS.
http://www.squarebooks.com/event/augusta-scattergood-way-stay-destiny

April 14 (4:00) Turnrow Books, Greenwood MS.
http://www.turnrowbooks.com/upcoming_events.php

April 16 (4:00) Lemuria Books, Jackson MS.
http://www.lemuriabooks.com/products/events/the-way-to-stay-in-destiny/

Holiday Shopping

 It's that time of year again. 

May I suggest the perfect holiday gift for all the kids on your list? 
A book signed by the author.






My very first signed book came from Frances Parkinson Keyes, given to me when my parents returned from a trip to New Orleans where she was signing Once On Esplanade.
(Whoa. Worth $75? I'd better dig that one off the bookshelf!)


Some clever writers even put a special note in their signatures.

I found a book by fellow Tampa Bay writer, Fred Koehler at Inkwood Books and he added a personal note. 

Authors love to sign at their book events. In fact, if you know where an author lives, give a nearby bookstore a call. They might just have them already signed, waiting for you.

Check this list from Square Books in Oxford. 
It could make a book collector out of you!


Since I LOVE Greg Neri's new Johnny Cash biography, I bought a couple. 
For gifts, of course.

These won't be going anywhere but my own bookshelves. But I'm sure that if you buy a book by either Caroline Starr Rose or Nancy Cavanaugh and email them via their contact info on their website that you'd like a bookmark signed or a bookplate, they'd be happy to send it.

I do it all the time for my own book! 
And I bet lots of other writers would love to make your gift very personal.

For holiday giving or if there's a new baby gift you need, my friend Aimee Reid has offered to send you a signed bookplate for her new picture book, Mama's Day With Little Gray. Check out the link to request a bookplate here:  http://www.aimeereidbooks.com/free-personalized-bookplates/

So make that gift special this year. There's still time if you hurry on over to the authors' websites, Facebook pages, etc.  Happy Shopping to All!


(A few words about autographed books in general can be found HERE.  Kind of reminds me of the 4th grade boy at a school I visited last year who told me all he wanted was my signature. Not his name. He planned to sell it on Ebay soon... Wonder how that worked out for him.)

Home Grown Writers

When I was in high school in Cleveland, Mississippi, I was a member of the library club. Or whatever we were called. I can find out because my sister has her high school yearbooks carefully lined up on a bookshelf. But you know what I mean. We checked out books with the little rubber date stamps. Shelved carts full of books, read all the new ones.

There was an entire section of bookshelves devoted to Mississippi writers. I devoured them. And I still do. And now, since I'm back home, it seems only natural to be reading local authors.



I just started Julie Cantrell's new book on my Kindle, which I can't live without while traveling. So far, really enjoying Into the Free. And it's making quite a splash on the booksellers' lists. Check it out.

I bet you could even get it autographed if you order it via Square Books (where you can also get a whole bunch of autographed copies of Glory Be ☺).

CLICK HERE for a link to Square Books in Oxford, MS.

Another Oxford writer I can't wait to dig into? Ace Atkins.
I met him last week in Charlotte, NC, at the amazingly terrific (I'm running out of superlatives for this trip!) evening dinner sponsored by my long-time friends at Baker and Taylor. (all I ever knew for many years of ordering books as a librarian. What an honor to be invited) There were about 10 authors there and his table was right next to mine. Hey, I bet Square Books has a few of his novels you could get your hands on!

 On this morning's Lemuria blog, a bookstore I adore in Jackson, I read about this new book. Love Jonathan O'Dell's guest blogpost.
This will be on my To Be Read list for sure. I may just have to buy it when I'm there on Thursday.

Where next Thursday afternoon, I hope to see a lot of my Jackson area friends and family! And my college friends driving from Atlanta, Louisiana, and all over the place. Gives a whole new feeling and meaning to Old Home Week.

Next stop, Bolivar County Library, Cleveland, MS. 

Monday, March 5 at 4 PM.

Books will be available at the library, thanks to Cotton Row Books.

Home Again

Who says you can't go home again.  Not me.

Yesterday's visit to Oxford, MS, was filled with smart kids, book lovers, old and new friends, and some delish things to eat.

Thank you to librarian Ruth Thompson and her great teachers and students at Della Davidson Elementary School. Pictures to come. I met a (smart, funny, really enthusiastic) teacher who had already shared GLORY BE with her students. I love hearing such thoughtful questions from young readers.



And what can be said about the amazing SQUARE BOOKS Jr.? Of course, my sister had drummed up her hometown friends, and my nieces had lured in a whole bunch of Oxford and Batesville moms and kids.


My family alone would have filled up half the space! Including a delightful and unexpected visit from two Scattergood/ Zook cousins I didn't even realize lived in Oxford.






One of my favorite Florida writers, former critique group member Lenore Ventura, made the drive from Memphis where she now lives. Now that's a special friend.

Tons of books signed and sold. More Glory- word spreading. Hurray for readers everywhere!















And what's Oxford without food? Chicken salad for lunch at yummy Newt's (thanks, Amy and Ellie!). Drinks and appetizers upstairs at Boure while we watched the crowd gather on the Square. (Here comes that thing we Southerners do- describing somebody with at least three degrees of relationship.) Thanks for that supper to my sister's husband's brother Chris. Yum!)

What a great way to come home!

In honor of my homecoming and my next stop in the Delta town where I was born, Cleveland, Mississippi, I'm sharing this picture of me and Ivy, my best friend since before birth. Not only have we been friends that long, her mama and my daddy were childhood friends, AND our grandparents were friends. Now that's what I love about Coming Home.

Mississippi, Here I Come!

                       SQUARE BOOKS JR: Oxford, MS. Thursday, March 1 at 5 PM

      BOLIVAR COUNTY LIBRARY: Cleveland, MS. Monday, March 5 at 4 PM

      LEMURIA: Jackson, MS. Thursday, March 8 at 4 PM

     Signing, Chatting, Explaining, Happily Hugging, 

occasional Sipping and Munching       

Can't wait to see you all there.                  

Independent Bookstore Favorites

It's been 20 years since A Time to Kill was published. How can that be? It's still my favorite of John Grisham's books. And I treasure my hardback copy, autographed and given to me, a gift of my lawyer brother-in-law who knew Grisham in Mississippi.

I've written before about independent bookstores, and about beautiful bookstores and libraries, with pictures. I think I would be as happy in almost any store that sells books as I am wandering through libraries, and I hope we never lose those places where everybody knows what's happening in the world of reading.

Although I don't live near a great store like these, I like knowing what's the latest and who's visiting both Square Books and Lemuria so I signed up for their emails. This morning's email from Square Books in Oxford, MS, included this link to a USA Today article about John Grisham.

John Grisham wrote this first book, hiding in the stacks of the law library. Lots of independent bookstores have nooks and crannies and probably writers scribbling on legal pads or tapping on laptops. Great places to read and to write.