November 2009

Dear Friends,

With children who are nearly grown up, and some who are already grown, our family seems to live from holiday to holiday, as a reason to be together and for everyone to come home. And Thanksgiving is a special time when we gather friends and family around us. It's not always an easy time, though. Whatever isn't as one would wish in life is heightened by the poignancy of the holidays, and many people wind up alone. It makes it all the more important to include our friends and have them join us. The holidays, and particularly Thanksgiving, should be about gratitude and sharing our tables, our hearts, and our homes.

November is an exciting month for me, too, as my new hardcover, Southern Lights, will come out. It's a book I love, which combines the tension of a trial in New York with discovering the fascinating, alluring, and sometimes mysterious world of the South. I had a wonderful time writing the book and doing the research—and I hope you love it too (and put it on your holiday shopping list for all your friends!!).

Love,