Naked and Hungry Goes to Siler City!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

raleighstreetWant to escape the summer heat? Fighting boredom? Why not join us at the Local Author Showcase  next Saturday, July 27, in Siler City from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. You might meet a new friend and pick up a new summer read!

Hosted by Paperbacks Plus, this event will bring together 16 local authors for a meet and greet and light refreshments. I’ll be there, promoting Naked and Hungry, and hanging out with many mutual friends. We’d love to see you!

Address:
Raleigh Street Gallery
120 W. Raleigh Street, Siler City NC 27344

Happy Mutts Day!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Today, in honor of Shorty McMullen, the irascible mutt who helps save the day in Naked and Hungry and Born Again, Dead Again, we celebrate a day just for the non-pedigreed dogs of the world. And it’s about time. July 31 is NOT the day for your impeccable pekingese or Maltese. It’s not a day for your regal Afghan hound  or even the Presidential pooch, Bo the Portuguese water dog. It is not a day for dogs named Fifi or Duke.

Today is a day for all those dogs named Lucky, Sooner, or Bubba. It’s for those dogs with a DNA profile as random as the seashells that wash up on the beach. No one know for sure, but Shorty may have some German Shepherd, a splash of Dalmatian and even a smattering of Chihuahua in his genetic profile. Regardless, he’s undeniably a special dog. At times, he’s grumpy and willful. He’s also naughty and prone to outright disobedience. But he seems to have a sixth sense for when his “owner” (and I use this term most loosely) needs him the most. So we have to ask…are our mutts as random as we think?

There’s plenty of mayhem ahead in Born Again, Dead Again and to be sure, Shorty will be right back in the thick of things. He’s also up to plenty of mischief himself, involving the nice girl next door, a beautiful poodle named Miss Angelique!

If you have a mutt or know a mutt, take a few moments to scratch his ears or to toss him a treat. Tell her how grateful you are that she is in the world. And remind yourself that what makes all dogs so special is the fact that they don’t care where we came from; they just love us for who we are.

Knaked and Hungry Goes to Knoxville!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

In celebration of our upcoming (Saturday, July 28) visit to Union Avenue Books in Knoxville, Tenn., we’re changing up the spelling of Knaked and Hungry in homage to this friendly and literary city.

I’m looking forward to a return visit to Knoxville and the charming Union Avenue Books, an independent bookstore located downtown. Is Knoxville ready for an invasion by H.T. and gang? I sure hope so. Knoxville, named for Revolutionary War general Henry Knox, is associated with many writers, including James Agee and Cormac McCarthy.

Read more.

Happy (Late) Nude Day!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

In addition to Bastille Day in France, I just learned that yesterday  (July 14) was National Nude Day in the U.S.! Why is this important?

It’s very important for Jessica Beane, the activist who re-appears in Born Again, Dead Again, my sequel to Naked and Hungry, because nudists come to her rescue during her protests of environmental injustice. While Jessica does not go au naturelle in her adventures, her commitment to the environment is as truthful as nudity in its expression. And the Free to Be Me nudists prove to be valuable allies in her quest to keep the natural world “pristine and serene.” Below is an excerpt from Jessica’s blog, which was written after an investigation in Corolla, N.C.:

The bad news is that on this very same trip I actually caught a construction company destroying the homes of countless sea turtles. Yes, before my very eyes I spied a bulldozer operator mowing over a protected nesting area. Needless to say, I made quite a spectacle as I literally threw myself in front of the bulldozer’s path. Lucky for me, some concerned nudists happened to be near by and joined the protest. Amidst the hullabaloo, the nefarious bulldozer operator fled the scene but you can be sure that I immediately filed a complaint with the Division of Coastal Management and will be reporting back on the resolution. Lesson learned? There’s like nothing like nudity to bring attention to an issue. 

This summer and fall, I’ll be continuing to promote Naked and Hungry at events in places such as Kernersville and Knoxville. For more, check out the latest event schedule. I’ll also be working with my editor and publisher to plan the launch of Born Again, Dead Again. So stay tuned to this blog for the latest news, contests and publication of more excerpts!

In the meantime, stay cool any way you can. 😉

 

Naked and Hungry Teams Up with Sisters in Crime!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Next Sunday, July 1 at 1 p.m., I’ll speak to the Triangle chapter of Sisters in Crime, an internationally renowned writer’s association promoting the work of female crime and mystery writers. We’ll gather in Raleigh at Brier Creek at Earth Fare, a healthy supermarket specializing in earth-friendly fare.

Because I’ll be joining other writers, we’ll talk about one of our favorite subjects: promotion. The title will be “You Don’t Have to Go Naked and Hungry: Ten Tips for a Successful Book Promotion.” At this meeting, I’ll discuss my own journey to publication and the exciting world of promotion, both online and offline. I’ll talk about how I’ve taken advantage of Naked and Hungry’s storyline and characters to launch an unusual book tour that is helping build a following for my second novel, Born Again, Dead Again, to be released in September 2013.

In that spirit, we’ll also hold a drawing for a special prize that I hope underscores the fun side of promotion. Hint: It’s not a crepe pan! And who knows? We might bump into one of Naked and Hungry’s main characters, Jessica Beane, who is known for her passion for sustainable and organic food.

The event is free and open to the public so if you’re close by, I hope you’ll stop by. If you’re a writer, I hope you’ll also considering joining the group, which offers a lively bunch of writers and more exciting topics ahead.

Naked and Hungry Featured in the N.C. Collection at Wilson Library

Posted on by Ashley Harris

If you follow the popular blog Read North Carolina Novels, which is maintained by the N.C. Collection at Wilson Library on Carolina’s campus, you might see that Naked and Hungry is today’s feature novel.

I thought it was pretty neat to have an ISBN number but I think it’s equally cool to have a call number in the state library system: C813 M533n.

Thanks to Google Alerts for letting me know and to the kind state archivist I met during a radio interview last fall who held true to his promise. And if you like novels set in our home state, check out How to Find More N.C. Novels.

Naked and Hungry Returns to the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

And this time, we’re making CREPES! That’s right. Thanks to my dear friend Donna Myers, who is the new events coordinator extraordinaire, I’ve been invited to appear as the guest chef tomorrow at the market.

With the help of my sous chef (husband Robert), we’ll be making two types of crepes: goat cheese, braised spinach and spring onions and for dessert, our famous strawberry cream crepes. The ingredients in these two recipes are provided by N.C farmers so you know that what you’ll be eating is healthy and fresh and comes from a sustainable, eco-friendly source. What could be more delicious? And wouldn’t you like to see Robert in his new Naked and Hungry apron?

At the end of the demonstration, we’ll also be giving away a FREE CREPE PAN to the winner of a raffle. This means that you could pick up your own fresh produce and make the same crepes at your house that very evening. So we hope that you’ll plan to attend and help support our N.C. farmers. Without them, we truly would be naked and hungry!

The market is located at 501 Yanceyville Street in Greensboro, N.C. and the demonstration will last from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Naked and Hungry Makes The News and Record!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Last week I learned that Naked and Hungry received its first review in a major media outlet. The review made the front page of the Books section of the Sunday, March 18 edition of the Greensboro News and Record.

Titled “Environmental Shenanigans, Southern Style,” reviewer Linda Brinson praises the book for its balance of humor and environmental awareness. The article isn’t yet available online so I’ll provide a brief excerpt below.

“If you had to slot Memory’s slim novel into a fictional genre, it probably would land somewhere in the realm of Southern comedy ‍and satire. Memory, who lives in Pittsboro, knows her territory. She gets the details of 21st-century small-town North Carolina right. She obviously enjoys poking a little fun at such staples as good ol’ boys, restless housewives, hypocritical preachers ‍and slickly crooked politicians. The humor isn’t too heavy-handed, however, ‍and as a result, the book is really funny.”

The same week that I learned of this review, Naked and Hungry was also mentioned in the College Bookshelf section of the spring issue of Arts & Sciences Magazine (page 31) which is the alumni magazine of the College of Arts and Sciences at Carolina.

These mentions wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty of a growing network of “Naked” fans, who continue to help spread the word throughout the state and beyond. Again, I thank you.

 

Naked and Hungry Returns to Asheboro!

Posted on by Ashley Harris

Join us at the Asheboro branch of the Randolph County Library for the return of Naked and Hungry!

When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Where: Randolph County Public Library, 201 Worth Street, Asheboro, N.C., 27203

At this special event, which is sponsored by Friends of the Library, I’ll read a short passage from Naked and Hungry, talk about the connection between cooking and the literary life, and reveal one of my top secrets for turning real life into fiction. As always, we’ll give away a crepe pan to one of the lucky attendees. Hope to see you there!

Read more about it.