lookin’ for a little Southern comfort

As you know, my next project will be Book 4 in the 6-book “Dynasties: The Kincaids” continuity series for Harlequin Desire.  This one is set in Charleston, South Carolina, so before I get started, I’m feeling the need to get my Southern Comfort on.

And since settling down with an actual bottle of Southern Comfort probably isn’t the clearest route to creativity (plus, I only have the one bottle left, & it’s too cold to run to the liquor store again :sadheart ) I thought I’d go for some good old-fashioned non-liquid Southern entertainment instead.

That’s where you come in!

What books, television shows, & movies would you recommend I read/watch to get me in a Southern frame of mind?

Don’t be shy…I’ll take anything & everything you can think of.  They don’t need to be set in just Charleston, either—though that would be a plus. :winkwink   I’ll looking for anything with a Southern flair.

For instance, I’ve already thought of Designing Women & The Golden Girls (for Blanche Devereaux’s Southern charm, of course), even though they’re set in Atlanta & Miami, respectively.  Maybe The Skeleton Key, Fletch Lives, & The Big Easy (film & TV series both), even though they’re set in bayou country.  I don’t care!  I’m just looking for Southern accents, Southern flair, & something to put me in a Southern mood.

So throw your full barrage of Southern-related viewing at me.

And reading!  What books & authors should I be reading to put me in a Southern frame of mind?  This is even harder, since I don’t pay much attention to book settings until I’m actually reading.  I remember loving Marilyn Pappano’s Intimate Moments Murphy’s Law & think it had a Southern setting, so I might re-read that.  And Heather Graham does a lot of stories set down South, right?

But help a girl out, here!  I need ideas & suggestions.  As many as you can come up with so I can decide what to read & watch based on my mood.

And to put you in a Southern frame of mind, Mistress Heidi & I will leave our very own bottle of Southern Comfort right here for you to enjoy.  Just…don’t be piggly-wigs with the free booze.   We’re going to want a nip or two of that later ourselves. :coffee

southern comfort Pictures, Images and Photos

Comments

21 Comments  •  Comments Feed

  1. Laura J. says:

    Hmmmm…will have to do some thinking on this. Right now the only thing that comes to mind is Dianne Castell has some books set in Charleston, SC. Might want to find some good ghost books too.

    Music to listen to would be Hootie and the Blowfish and Darius Rucker’s current cd. Maybe watch Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (filmed in Savannah) and Forest Gump was filmed around that area. Steele Magnolias is very southern.

    I know I’ve read some books with Charleston, Savannah, GA settings because I love those areas with their southern charm and history.

    Heading off to Atlanta today (not so thrilled seeing as I will have to go through snow), but I’ll have computer access later today and if I think of anything I’ll pass it on!

    • Heidi says:

      Oooh, Hootie! Didn’t think of them. And *of course* I own at least one of their albums. Doesn’t everyone? :biggrin

      And can you believe I’ve never seen Garden of Good & Evil. May have to check it out now…

  2. Jessica Lemmon says:

    Hope Floats! That movie’s so sweet… :love

    • Heidi says:

      Eep! Okay, I did not like Hope Floats! :stinky Please don’t make me watch that one again. Any others?

      • Jessica Lemmon says:

        well, I’m tapped out. I normally don’t do the country-style movies, LOL, so that’s about all I had. :angel

        Oh, wait! I did read a good book by Gina Wilkins called “The Texas-Tennessee Romance” which is in Tennessee…

  3. Anne says:

    Before I scrolled down and read the rest, Designing Women popped into my head. Then I saw you’d already thought of it.

    Works set in New Orleans keep coming to mind, but that’s not what you’re really looking for.

    Tamar Myers writes (wrote?) a mystery series w/ Abigail Timberlake set in Charleston. As I recall though, there might not be much background info. Maybe check out the first book, that’s probably were most of the local info. would be. I wouldn’t spend much time reading her work. I know she has some devoted fans, but she’s not a very good fiction writer despite having many books in both her mystery series.

    There was also another mystery series about older sisters. I think the author’s last name was George which was set near Atlanta that had more southernisms and background info.

    • Heidi says:

      I cannot wait to immerse myself in Designing Women again. Suzanne Sugarbaker is a goddess! :genie

      Not sure I want to get into reading mysteries, tho…I’m a romance gal all the way! And even if I’m doing research, I want to enjoy myself. :Bigthumbs

  4. Pamela Cayne says:

    Not sure if these will get you quite in the mindset you’re looking for, but they are southern…
    -Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
    -Justified (we just started this series and love it!!)
    -Gods in Alabama
    -Lady Antebellum’s ‘Need You Know’ (Love that song!!)

    If I think of more, I’ll post on your FB page.

    Hey–how can we dungeon dwellers be Southern if there are no smileys with cowboy hats? :winkwink

    • Heidi says:

      Well, Lady Antebellum’s already been playing on a loop, but that didn’t have anything to do with the new book. LOL

      And is Justified really that good? I’ve been trying *not* to get obsessed with any new shows, but I’ve heard such good things, & if it’s set down South… Well, it may be my duty now to watch it. :dracuulla

  5. Heidi says:

    Here are a few I found, some of which are either set in or filmed in Charleston:

    Something to Talk About
    Renaissance Man
    Forrest Gump
    The Haunted Mansion
    Sleeping with the Enemy
    Radio
    Don’t Tell Her It’s Me / The Boyfriend School (love, love, LOVE this movie…& now I have an excuse to watch it ad nauseum! :Bigthumbs )
    Shag (ditto)
    Slither (half a ditto *g*)

  6. Jacqui Redner says:

    I would have to say my favorite movie set in the south would have to be Sweet Home Alabama, but if your looking for classic its definitely Gone with the wind. But sweet Love story and hot Josh Lucas its Sweet Home Alabama!

  7. Dee says:

    Everyone named everything I was already thinking. I think you need to go to Nashville and hit three places that are very Southern inspiring to me…

    1. Vanderbilt University [to hear hot guys with sexy drawls]
    2. Legends Bar [try the honky tonk lemonade but JUST ONE…it’s a kitchen sink kind of drink]
    3. Tootsie’s [right next door to Legends]

  8. Grace says:

    Well, nothing makes me slip into Southern quite so fast as watching Paula Deen on tv. Her accent and southernisms tickle me. While you may not be interested in a cooking show per se, she is frequently chatting about things going on, places she’s been, her brother Bubba’s shrimp place, etc. etc. Might be a fun way to latch onto some background stuff for characters in terms of what they’d be eating, some cute expressions, etc.

    One time she was smoothing frosting on a cake and it was just perfection before she was done, looked almost like fondant. She said, and I quote, in that dripping Georgia peaches voice of hers, “Idin that jes slicker’m a schoolmarm’s laig, y’all?” I believe translated from Savannah to English, she said “Isn’t that slicker than a schoolmarm’s leg?” which was hilarious in tone, delivery and content.

    • Jessica Lemmon says:

      OH! this just reminded me! Paula Deen is actually IN a movie, wouldn’t that be just perfect? It’s called Elizabethtown and set in I think Kentucky… aside of Orlando Bloom’s inability to do a proper southern accent, I like that movie! :happyjoy

  9. Kate says:

    Mary Kay Andrews has written some lovely romance / suspense set in the South, they’re gorgeous! Love all those set in the south so I’ll be hanging out for yours!

  10. Heidi says:

    Thank you all for the recommendations! Gonna check out some of these that I haven’t seen or read. I expected more romance suggestions, but y’all are probably like me…don’t pay much attention except while actually reading. :cantputdown

    And no horror movies set in the South? This surprises me…& you know how I looove horror flicks. :dracuulla

    So if you think of anything else, just about any time before I actually finish the book & turn it in, please feel free to post again or drop me a line. I’m going to keep a list… :Bigthumbs

    • Jessica Lemmon says:

      :whistle I thought of a horror! Or thriller… horror/thriller. Anyway. It’s THE GIFT with Kate Blanchett & Keanu Reeves. Greg Kinnear & Katie Holmes too. And I can’t remember exactly where it was, but I remember everyone had Southern accents.

  11. apart says:

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