Guest Post: Ann Everett

Ann Everett is here today talking about what inspired her wonderful characters and the town they call home. Keep reading to find out more! 

"LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

When I was going up in Brownsboro, Texas, I thought the world stopped at the city limits. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to live anywhere else. Maybe it was my lack of imagination or simply my love of small town life. But whatever the reason, I look back now and wonder— what the heck was I thinking?
I lived in Brownsboro until 1967 at which time it had a population of about 400. Today, its population is slightly over a thousand.

Both of my humorous, romance, mysteries, LAID OUT AND CANDLE LIT, and YOU’RE BUSTING MY NUPTIALS, take place in Brownsboro. It’s located half-way between Tyler and Athens, Texas, on Hwy. 31. Unless the route you’re traveling takes you down Hwy. 31, you’ll miss Brownsboro, because you’ll use I-20 and by-pass the small town with one main street and two red lights.

 It’s my feeble attempt to put it on the map…literally. Some maps don’t show it, it’s just too small. Of course there are hundreds of towns in Texas like that.

So, many of the scenes in my books are taken from locations and a mixture of characters I’ve known…and know. Some of the silly sayings I use are things I’ve heard all my life. Such as:
When that woman dies, she’ll be deader than everybody else….Pattiecake, Laid Out and Candle Lit

I’d rather be stung to death by a bunch of piss ants…Synola Harper, You’re Busting My Nuptials
Nobody don’t like no bone, even a dog will bury it every time…Eldora, You’re Busting My Nuptials

Many of the names I use in my books are from my family. Pattiecake and Sugarpie are based on me and my sister. Of course, it’s fiction, so I made us younger and with bigger boobs. We actually go by those names. That’s what our grandchildren call us, and now just about everyone else. 

Sheriff Dan McAlister is based on my brother, Dan, who was in law enforcement for many years. Saint McAlister, Tizzy and Dan’s dad, is based on my real daddy, who went by the nickname Saint. Most people didn’t know his real name was actually William.
I always find it funny when someone mentions cliché’s found in a Texas novel. Texas is one big cliché! People in small towns really do talk exactly the way I have them talking in my books. Not so much in Dallas or other metropolitan areas, but small town folks still talk twang and I find it funny as all get out! 

Laid Out and Candle Lit and You’re Busting My Nuptials are the first and second installments of the Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy. The third and final book will revolve around the “real” girls from my graduating class at Brownsboro High School…GO BEARS! There were 16 of us and I’m excited to include them in the final book of this series.

I’m having a contest to name the third book. Please go to my website, www.anneverett.com and read the first chapter, then email me with your entry. I’ve already had several suggestions and I’d love to have more. You won’t win a big prize, but if you win, you’ll get credit in the book.
If you have questions concerning Brownsboro or my books, please feel free to contact me. ann.everett@rocketmail.com"

Check out Ann's books today!

LAID OUT AND CANDLE LIT
YOU’RE BUSTING MY NUPTIALS

Excerpt from You're Busting My Nuptials

Tizzy knocked back the rest of the drink and

thought of every possible scenario for Ridge’s absence.

Wrong church? There was only one Methodist

Church in town. Flat tire? He lived close enough to

walk to the ceremony. Cell phone gone dead? Two

land lines were at his disposal. Heart attack? The

chance of that couldn’t be high, but it would definitely

be the best excuse.

“No, Rayann. It’s been over an hour. He isn’t

answering his phone. Daddy went to his house. His

truck’s gone. He’s not coming.” She started to pace.

Her bare feet sank into the deep carpet, a small comfort

against the ache the rest of her body was suffering.

“What’s wrong with me? My first husband joined the

Marines to get away and now Ridge doesn’t show up

for our wedding. Am I that bad?”

Rayann fell in beside Tizzy and matched her

pace. They zigzagged across the room like a band

formation during a half-time show. “C’mon, Tiz. It

has nothing to do with you. Boone enlisted to avoid

Marlene. You know better than anybody what a witch

his sister was. He didn’t want to spend his life working

with her at the bank.”

Tizzy stopped at a small table and stared down

at her wedding invitation. James Ridge Cooper and

Marjorie Louise “Tizzy” Donovan, request the honor

of your presence.

Up until an hour ago, it had been a perfect day.

There’d not been a cloud in the sky. The sun shone

across a heaven of endless blue, and the temperature

hovered in the upper sixties. It held promise of being

one of the best days of Tizzy’s life and now was turning

out to be one of her worst.