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Return to Ellery, Tennessee for Sally Kilpatrick’s saucy new novel about two warring barbecue houses.

Emma Sutton promised herself three things: she would never move back to Ellery, never work in the family barbecue restaurant, and never have anything to do with Ben Cates ever again. Losing her job and her home might’ve forced her to break the first two, but she’s determined to keep the third.

Unlike Emma, Ben Cates has made peace with his hometown. He wants nothing more than to make his restaurant something his father couldn’t: a success. But between his hellraising little sister and Emma Sutton’s return to Ellery, his dream could easily be snatched away.

Emma and Ben might’ve made each other’s childhood a living hell with their endless pranks, but the only way to finally get rid of the other is to win the coveted contract for Ellery’s annual barbecue festival. Seems easy enough—until attraction ignites like a charcoal flame, and happiness seeps in like a surprising new flavor.

Can they find the courage to forgive bitter past mistakes and let trust into the mix, or will devastating secrets burn everything down again?

The Happy Hour Choir

Book 1

From debut author Sally Kilpatrick comes a hopeful tale of love and redemption in a quiet Southern town where a lost soul finds her way with the help of an unlikely circle of friends. . .

Life has dealt Beulah Land a tough hand to play, least of all being named after a hymn. A teenage pregnancy estranged her from her family, and a tragedy caused her to lose what little faith remained. The wayward daughter of a Baptist deacon, she spends her nights playing the piano at The Fountain, a honky-tonk located just across the road from County Line Methodist. But when she learns that a dear friend's dying wish is for her to take over as the church's piano player, she realizes it may be time to face the music. . .

Beulah butts heads with Luke Daniels, the new pastor at County Line, who is determined to cling to tradition even though he needs to attract more congregants to the aging church. But the choir also isn't enthusiastic about Beulah's contemporary take on the old songs and refuse to perform. Undaunted, Beulah assembles a ragtag group of patrons from The Fountain to form the Happy Hour Choir. And as the unexpected gig helps her let go of her painful past--and accept the love she didn't think she deserved--she just may be able to prove to Luke that she can toe the line between sinner and saint. . .

Bless Her Heart

Book 4

Laugh-out-loud funny and unabashedly uplifting, with just the right amount of Southern sass, Sally Kilpatrick’s wonderful novel centers on one woman’s journey from an unhappy marriage to a surprising second chance . . .

On the day Posey Love discovers that her born-again husband has been ministering to some of his flock a little too eagerly, she also learns that he’s left her broke and homeless. Posey married Chad ten years ago in hopes of finding the stability her hippie mother couldn’t provide. Instead she got all the trappings of security—house, car, seemingly respectable husband—at the price of her freedom.

Posey’s mother, Lark, accepts her daughter’s return home with grace, though her sister can’t resist pointing out that being a sweet Southern wife hasn’t worked out as planned. And so, with the Seven Deadly Sins as a guide, Posey decides to let loose for once. Envy is easy to check off the list—Posey only has to look at her best friend’s adorable baby for that. One very drunken night out takes care of gluttony. As for lust—her long-time friend, John, is suddenly becoming much more than a pal. One by one, Posey is bulldozing through her old beliefs about love, family—and what it really means to be good. And she’s finding that breaking a few rules might be the perfect way to heal a heart . . .

Praise for Sally Kilpatrick’s Novels

“Don't miss this quirky, fun love story. I couldn't put it down.”
--Haywood Smith, New York Times bestselling author on Better Get to Livin’

“Kilpatrick mixes loss and devastation with hope and a little bit of Southern charm. She will leave
the reader laughing through tears.” —RT Book Reviews on The Happy Hour Choir

“A pleasantly engaging take on Romeo and Juliet.”
—Library Journal on Bittersweet Creek

Bittersweet Creek

Book 2

From the author of The Happy Hour Choir comes a Romeo and Juliet story with Southern flair--witty, warm, and as complex and heart-wrenching as only love and family can be.

For a century and a half, the Satterfield and McElroy farms have been separated by a narrow creek and a whole lot of bad blood. Both sides have done their share of damage. But the very worst crime either family can commit is to fall in love with the enemy. As teenagers, Romy Satterfield and Julian McElroy did exactly that. Then, on the night they were secretly married by a justice of the peace, Julian stood Romy up.

Ten years later, Romy is poised to marry the scion of one of Nashville's most powerful families. First she has to return home to Ellery to help her injured father--and to finalize her divorce. For Julian, seeing Romy again brings into relief the secrets he's kept and the poison that ran through his childhood. Romy has missed the farm and the unpretentious, downright nosy townsfolk. In spite of her efforts, she's also missed Julian. But though she suspects there's more to that long-ago night than Julian ever revealed, the truth will either drive her away for good, or reveal what is truly worth fighting for. . .

Better Get To Livin'

Book 3

“Don't miss this quirky, fun love story. I couldn't put it down.”--Haywood Smith, New York Times bestselling author

Smart, witty, and delightfully offbeat, this new novel from the author of The Happy Hour Choir and Bittersweet Creek is an uplifting story about following your heart, even when it leads to the last place you'd expect...

Presley Cline has put aside dreams of Hollywood stardom and come back to Ellery, Tennessee, to work in a beauty shop. In truth, the dreams in question were more her mother's than her own. Presley may have the face and body of a movie icon, but she lacks the stomach for it. Yet a loving relationship and normal home life seem almost as unattainable as an Oscar. Being able to see and speak to dead people certainly isn't helping.

Presley's first job, beautifying "clients" at the Anderson Funeral Home, is quite a change from working on a movie set. The place is home to dozens of ghosts all hoping that Presley can help them move on--and also one very-much-alive owner, Declan Anderson. Like Presley, Declan is caught between following family expectations and his own aspirations. But with a little meddling from loved ones and locals--both living and dead--Presley is starting to see that life is too short not to be who you want to be, and the most rewarding journeys involve some unexpected detours...

Praise for Sally Kilpatrick's The Happy Hour Choir

"Kilpatrick mixes loss and devastation with hope and a little bit of Southern charm. She will leave the reader laughing through tears. This is an incredible start from a promising storyteller." —RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars

Oh My Stars

Book 5

A heartwarming, hilarious Christmas story with a Southern twist.

Like most things in Ellery, Tennessee, this year’s Drive Thru Nativity is a little unconventional. The Dollar General parking lot doubles as a Bethlehem stable, and widowed writer Ivy Long, who’s been roped into playing Mary, sure as heck isn’t a virgin. But then comes an unexpected development: a genuine, real-life baby left in the manger, with only a brief note. And somehow, in the kerfuffle that follows, Ivy finds her life is about to change . . .

The holidays are a bittersweet time for Ivy—filled with memories of her beloved late husband and reminders that life doesn’t always offer the happily-ever-afters her readers expect. So when Ivy ends up with custody of the baby, she can only chalk it up to a Christmas miracle. She doesn’t know if it will be forever, but with help from family, she’ll make little Zuzu’s first Christmas a good one. The nativity’s Joseph, aka Gabe Ledbetter, has a pediatrics background that’s coming in mighty handy. In turn, Ivy is helping Gabe find his place in the quirky community. If that place turns out to be somewhere near Ivy, well, maybe this particular Christmas story will turn out to be merry and bright after all . . .

Praise for Sally Kilpatrick’s Previous Novels

“Do yourself a favor and grab this book and hide away with its laugh-out-loud and cry-out-loud moments all mixed up in one place.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author

“Don't miss this quirky, fun love story. I couldn't put it down.”
—Haywood Smith, New York Times bestselling author on Better Get to Livin’

“A pleasantly engaging take on Romeo and Juliet.” —Library Journal on Bittersweet Creek

Orange Blossom Special: An Ellery Novella

Sally Kilpatrick

Jerome Malcolm needs a partner for one last waltz. . .

The author of Georgia Author of Year Award winners Bless Her Heart and Oh My Stars presents a novella about the family we have, the family we make, and how those two sometimes come together at the oddest times.

Edie Malcolm isn’t sure she wants to keep living after her husband of sixty years, Jerome, passes away. Jerome, as he always did, had other plans—and a few surprises for his beloved wife. Unfortunately for Edie, those plans involve teaming up with her not-so-favorite sister-in-law Janice and two neighboring teens who haven’t quite figured out who they are going to be in life, much less how to deal with Jerome’s death.

Thanks to Jerome’s wacky will, the foursome will have to travel the length of Tennessee in the Orange Blossom Special, an ancient hearse that Jerome had painted an orange and white checkerboard in homage to his beloved Volunteers.

As they spread his ashes in the places he requested, Edie and Janice are tempted to leave behind years of hostility and forge a new kinship. Even though nothing goes according to plan, the quartet still learns about love, grief, and the odd ways in which friendship can blossom.

Snowbound in Vegas

Sally Kilpatrick

Truvy Fuller is dreading her turn as Maid of Honor at her best friend’s tiny Gatlinburg wedding thanks to the pompous best man, Geo Russo, the mastermind behind her Worst First Date Ever. He’s sure to gloat about all of his successes, and she’s got no way to hide all the left-turns her life has taken. The best she can hope for is to get through the wedding, spruce up the honeymoon cabin per the bride’s instructions, and get back to her Netflix ASAP.

Geo has accomplished more in his life than he ever expected—except for a failed marriage and a painful past that still haunts him. He aches for a meaningful relationship, but it’s sure as heck not going to be with Truvy, cause of his Worst First Date Ever.

But when the bride and groom play matchmaker again and strand the unlikely pair in a cabin called Las Vegas, sparks begin to fly between Geo and Truvy. Will what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or will they find true love in a place where they least expected it?