Release Day Strawberry Tart

I can't even tell you how thrilled I am that Jane of Austin is finally out and available in the world! For all of you who pre-ordered - thank you, and your copy should arrive today! And for everyone else, you can find your copy online and on shelves!

I'm also thrilled to add that Jane can be purchased as an audiobook! As an avid audiobook listener, I'm thrilled to pieces to have one of my books available in audio!

Memphis Diaries: Part I

Memphis bridge - Adobe Stock

Some days I can't quite believe we made it here. In December, we packed most of the very last of our belongings into the truck and car. Stuffed, more like - the car was on a trailer, and everything I thought I might need in the apartment for the first week was wedged inside. Clothes, kitchenwares, bedding - stuffed.

I wrote "most of the last" because some of it just didn't fit. The vacuum? Left with my brother-in-law to donate (we would have donated it ourselves, but it was, like 11pm or so). And there's a lampshade we barely fit into the truck that we left with my mom to mail later.

Love Be the Loudest: A Q&A with Singer-Songwriter Ginny Owens

So! Last September, before we moved out to Memphis, my good friend Rachel Lulich organized a concert at her church in Lake Oswego, and flew the award-winning singer-songwriter Ginny Owens out to perform.

If you ever have the opportunity to see Ginny live - do. She does a fantastic set, engagingly sharing the songs she's written over her 18-year-long career. I recognized songs I'd heard and enjoyed in college, songs that had a different resonance for me now.

We chatted after the show, and I had the chance to invite her to come and share here about her work, her process, and her latest album. I've interviewed lots of book-writers, so it was really fun to hear from someone with a different creative and professional pursuit!

Hillary Manton Lodge: Thanks so much for stopping by for the interview! Let’s start with your newest album, Love Be the Loudest. It’s your eleventh album, and it's got a decidedly more pop-sound to it than your previous releases. What inspired that shift?

Jane of Austin Cover!

Isn't it loverly? I'm thrilled to pieces over it - love the silhouette and Austin cityscape so much! It's available for pre-order, and you can read a summary on the book's page here.

Housekeeping, House Selling

So! It's been a while. So let's breeze through some things -

Results of the Sparkle Horse Giveaway of 2016? Becca Peterson is our winner! She didn't find a horse, but she did find a sparkle elephant! Congrats to Becca!

Other fun finds included this sparkle longhorn head, discovered by Monica, which is a thing I'm sure several of you have been looking for -

The #SparkleHorseHunt2016 Book Giveaway

The Story: During a perfectly routine stroll through Homegoods with a friend, we turned a corner and stumbled upon this glorious beast.

My friend Liz, being awesome and posing so you can see how huge that thing is. 

Feast your eyes upon him, all ye who dare! At six-feet, this mirrored horse instantly topped our list of craziest things spotted. While I decided not to take him home (retailing, as he did, at $2,999.99), I did buy a selection of throw pillows and posted my photo of the horse to Facebook. Where, of course, became an instant internet sensation.