Dining With Joy Release Day November 16th

The big day is finally here. The third in the Lowcountry Romance novels, Dining with Joy.

This is a fun book with serious undertones about a cooking show host who can't cook. In the video below, I talk how I came up with this concept and the process of writing the book.

Thomas Nelson is partnering with me to host a contest, for you, the reader! Post your comments below for a chance to win. See contest rules here.

What's up for grabs? An KitchenAid Artisan Mixer is

the grand prize. The winner will be chosen randomly on December 3rd after the December 2nd deadline.

You can post a comment, or your own fun kitchen-cooking story. Stupid Cooking Tricks is an element on Joy's show and we invite you to share your own stories.

I'll be sharing mine this week.

Ten runner ups will receive a signed copy of Dining with Joy and the new Thomas Nelson cookbook, Second Helpings with Johnnie Gabriel.

I'm excited for this opportunity for you all!

Dining with Joy video

A weekend in Nashville

The weekend in Nashville was fun. What a great city -- big and exciting but with small town warmth.

Country music fans are some of the nicest music fans in the world. As they waited in the hot sun to be let into Rocketown for Sara's Fan Party, they said nothing when VIP guest went in ahead of them. Same with Josh Turner's fans. They were even helpful. So, big shout out to country fans!

Sara's fan party was energetic and packed. About half way in, she introduced the book and called me up on stage. We plugged the book and I said what a great team we made. She was so easy to work with -- we had a lot of similar ideas.

Cool for me, too, was meeting a couple of players on the University of Alabama's softball team. I'd just been watching them on TV a few weekends ago. I was and am a fan! I got a picture with them, and gave them an Advance Reader Copy of The Sweet By and By.

Saturday I attended Josh Turner's Fan Party. I'm "new" to him, but have come to love his music. He was so casual and fun at the party. Good banter.

I had to leave before I could meet him, but I wanted to get to the airport on time or Budget would charge me for another day of car rental. And don't get me started on the fiasco for the weekend. Yikes!

Listen, go over to Sara's site and sign up for a chance to win a trip to Nashville for the launch party. Also, check out Country Weekly in the next few weeks. Their photographer was there and got a picture of me with Sara!

Blessings.