CBS Better Mornings Atlanta

Getting up at 1am for work is a little rough, but spending the wee hours with the crew of Better Mornings Atlanta was a blast.

Together host Tracye Hutchins and I smoked baby backs on a Big Green Egg, made chocolate barbecue sauce, pork sliders, Island slaw, and talked about my book event tomorrow....all before 7am.

The Big Green Egg folks gave us an Egg to give away - a generous prize worth close to $1000 - for which over 500 people entered on the website. Not only that, but they sent representative Jonathan, who helped me immensely. Three hours of sleep and no coffee (I didn't want to ruin the prospect of a nap later on), made me a little foggy, so having Jonathan there to talk things through was great.

I'll post the video on the website when I get it. You can also view the footage on their website, though the specific links will change.

We will spend the day relaxing in Atlanta. Tomorrow night I'll be at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club with A Cappella Books for a book signing at 7pm. If you are in the area, come for some barbecue, beers and books!

It's Official: The She-Smoke Southern Book Tour

I've been hinting at this for months, and dates are now firm for the big book tour. Back in November I decided I'd only go to cities where I have relatives and friends. Once I realized just how many pins in the map that really meant, I scaled it down a bit. I'll be bringing along the whole fam damly, after all, on our first ever road-trip-longer-than-Portland.

You can watch me unravel right here on the blog during the tour.

Besides the TV appearances and book store events below, I'll be eating my way through some serious barbecue, and blogging about it. I promise to take drool-worthy pictures.

My first stop is Austin, a city that has, until now, eluded me. There is a Seattle-Austin connection and most of my friends have either lived there for a spell, come here from there, or have visited and loved it to pieces.

Here is the full schedule. It is also listed on the website.

April 14: AUSTIN, TX - Book reading and signing at Book Woman, 7pm. What better first stop on the tour than Austin's famous feminist bookstore.

April 20: ATLANTA, GA - TV Segment on Better Mornings Atlanta. Host Flip Fors and I will be talking barbecue, girl-style, in the wee hours of the morning (5-7am).

April 21: ATLANTA, GA - Book signing and barbecue event by A Cappella Books, hosted at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, 7pm. EAYC has a pit barbecue and bar. My kind of book event!

April 23: BIRMINGHAM, AL - TV Segment on Good Day Alabama, 7am. I'll be grilling on the roof of this Fox News affiliate LIVE.

April 24: BIRMINGHAM, AL - Book signing and cook out at Alabama Booksmith, 2pm. We'll be 'cuein' in the parking lot of Birmingham's premier independent bookstore. Cook out lasts until the food is gone. I'll read a short bit from the book as well.

I still may add one more book event at the end, and will update you if that happens.

Stay tuned for the *****SOUTHERN TOUR CONTEST***** to be announced later this week.