My “brand” is Southern-fried fiction. In all my books, no matter what era they’re set in, you’ll find an ensemble cast of strong Southern women, facing life’s issues together.
I grew up wanting sisters. I only had a brother; both of us were adopted. While we had an idyllic childhood, I longed for sisters. I gathered girl friends around me in place of nonexistent sisters. That continued into adulthood, and those friendships influenced my writing. Of course, little did I know what God had in store for me. The story of the discovery of my birth sisters is here on my website.
In High Cotton is the first in my Georgia Magnolias series. It’s probably my favorite of all the books I’ve written. I love this story of a young widow, raising her small son during the Depression. I also grew to love the other characters, who took on life as Maggie gathered them around her.
Sadie Moreland, half Yamasee Indian, who became a mentor to Maggie. Duchess Alden, Maggie’s sister, who arrived in Rivers End without any skills other than being a good hostess.
Then there’s sweet Pinkie Yates. Maggie’s little boy found her and beaten and battered. He told his mama he’s like the Good Samaritan in the Bible, and they had to take her home. Maggie’s mother-in-law, Faylene, is a tower of strength.
While Maggie tries her best to rely on her faith, there are some times she can’t see past the darkness. That’s when her sister and her friends become her “Aaron” and hold up her arms. In my life, I’ve had to rely on those Aaron-friends a few time. But God is ALWAYS faithful, even when we aren’t.
I had a lot of fun researching and writing this series. One of my favorite aspects of this was the Depression era recipes. Southerners used peanuts as a staple protein in their family meals, and I tried a few out on my family. I share several recipes in the book, and I thought y’all might enjoy seeing one of them.
Macaroni Papoose
1 package macaroni, broken in ¼-inch lengths
1/3 c milk
grated cheese
small amount horseradish
thin slices raw smoked ham
Cook macaroni until tender, spread slices of ham with macaroni, horseradish and cheese.
Roll slices and skewer or tie together. Place in shallow baking dish with milk.
Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 35 minutes. Serve hot with dish of crushed pineapple to sprinkle over each “papoose” as desired.
Southern women may look as delicate as flowers, but there’s iron in their veins.
While the rest of the world has been roaring through the 1920s, times are hardscrabble in rural South Georgia. Widow Maggie Parker is barely surviving while raising her young son alone. Then as banks begin to fail, her father-in-law threatens to take her son and sell off her livelihood—the grocery store her husband left her.
Can five Southern women band together, using their wisdom and wiles to stop him and survive the Great Depression?
Available online at Amazon, LPCBooks, and in bookstores. If you’d like to read the first chapter of In High Cotton, go to https://anemulligan.com/georgia-magnolias-series and scroll to the DOWNLOADS
“What was the last book that kept you up until the wee hours of the morning? Last time I looked at the clock it was almost 2am and I was reading Ane Mulligan’s In High Cotton! I had to force myself to put a bookmark in my Kindle.” Mimi Noble on Avid Readers of Christian Fiction
Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw PETER PAN on stage, she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. One day, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She lives in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and The Write Conversation.
Thank you for allowing me to share with your readers.