Up next in 10
A Chat with Author Leigh Ebberwein - Leigh Ebberwein talks about her romantic fiction novels, The Blessing of the Celtic Curse and The Savannah Gondolier, and how to self-publish a book.
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0:00
- Hey, y'all, you know, you are really in for a treat today
0:04
because I'm here with a woman that Savannah's very proud of.
0:13
She has written two books and she is,
0:18
like I did, she self-published her books.
0:21
And we asked her here today to talk with us
0:26
and tell us what pushed her?
0:32
What desire-
0:34
Leigh, you need to come closer.
0:37
- We're so far away.
0:38
- I know, cause I'm a toucher.
0:40
- Hello, I wanna pat you while we talk.
0:42
There's a dog.
0:44
- I was gonna say, Gus is separating us.
0:48
- But y'all this is Leigh Ebberwein and her husband,
0:52
John is here with her.
0:55
He's over there chatting with Teresa,
0:58
and John is a Harbor river pilot river pilot,
1:08
where my husband, Michael is a harbor pilot.
1:10
He stays in the harbor where a river pilot,
1:13
they go out, out far.
1:19
So John and Michael have been friends forever.
1:24
You know, I think they do some kind of blood thing,
1:27
if you work on the river.
1:29
What is that?
1:30
- [John] It's a secret handshake.
1:32
You can't know about it.
1:33
- A secret handshake.
1:35
So Leigh, I just so appreciate you coming.
1:38
- Thank you for having me.
1:40
- And talking about your book
1:41
and where do you wanna start?
1:45
Where do you wanna start?
1:47
What what put this burn in your belly?
1:52
- Well, I didn't have it there.
1:55
You never know when the idea's gonna hit you.
1:57
And I was sitting in church and it hit me
1:59
and went home and pulled out one of-
2:01
I have seven children,
2:02
and I pulled out one of their black and white
2:04
marble composition books and just started writing one day.
2:07
And I'm not a writer.
2:08
I didn't have any English background.
2:10
- Me either. (Paula laughing)
2:11
- You know, you just never know where God's gonna put you.
2:14
And I know before you knew it,
2:16
I had a book written and I was kind of writing, you know,
2:19
when people were sleeping early.
2:19
- What was it at church?
2:21
- It was an Irish priest talking about Ireland
2:23
and it got stuck in my brain.
2:26
And then-
2:27
- Do you have any connection with Ireland?
2:29
- I don't, I have some Irish heritage and John's, you know,
2:35
his family's from Ireland.
2:36
So I came home and started writing.
2:39
And before long I had this story together
2:41
and I had it pretty much all written out
2:43
in a couple of, well-
2:45
The third composition book.
2:47
- That blows my mind.
2:51
- It was crazy.
2:52
- My second book, "The Lady and son's, Too!",
2:56
I wrote in a composition book by hand in pencil,
3:02
the whole entire book.
3:03
- That's funny.
3:04
- So did you write your whole book in a composition book?
3:10
- I did, in three composition books
3:12
and then I transferred it over.
3:14
But by the time I got to the end
3:15
of the third composition book, I told John, I wrote a book.
3:17
- And he's like, we have seven children.
3:21
When did you write a book?
3:22
And then he read it.
3:24
He said, "Oh my Lord, you wrote a book."
3:26
So then it just kind of-
3:28
- Aint that strange, you know how God can put you
3:32
in the right place at the right time?
3:35
- Yes, or put something in your mind
3:36
that you never thought about writing.
3:39
- Right.
3:40
- So that was, that was the beginning.
3:41
- I mean my classmates thought I couldn't read much.
3:44
Less write a book,
3:45
and the joke was on them.
3:47
- It sure was, look at all your cookbooks.
3:50
And your biography.
3:52
- Yes, yes, yes.
3:54
So how long from that day in church
3:57
until you got your third composition book done,
4:00
what was the time span?
4:02
- It was probably about six months.
4:05
- I mean - That's quick
4:06
- Yes, I was just writing, writing, writing,
4:09
and then after I finished
4:10
and John and I kind of looked at it, he's like, okay,
4:12
so you wrote a book, now what?
4:14
You know, what do you wanna do with this?
4:15
I was like, are you brave enough to let it into the world?
4:18
Well, I don't know.
4:20
So, but yes, I-
4:21
- Well it's not an autobiography and it's-
4:26
- No, I don't know how you do that.
4:27
I couldn't do that.
4:29
This is fiction, romantic fiction.
4:30
- Yes, romantic fiction.
4:31
- Yes.
4:32
- And I love romantic fictions.
4:36
- Good, good.
4:37
- I love them.
4:38
So this is about what?
4:43
- So the main character's name's Kathleen
4:46
and it's really her friend group,
4:49
they met early on-
4:51
- Six girlfriends - Six girlfriends,
4:52
and it kind of goes through, you know,
4:54
life with them and their stories.
4:57
But she goes in search of her roots and to her heritage.
5:01
And she goes to Ireland.
5:04
And so, you know, I had to take a business trip
5:06
to make sure everything was, (laughing)
5:08
this business trips are hard.
5:10
- I have to do your research.
5:11
- You have to do your research.
5:13
- Lest you look like an idiot.
5:14
- Right, and so Ireland's beautiful,
5:18
but that's the story of Kathleen.
5:19
She goes to Ireland, she comes back
5:21
and she's settling Savannah and it's her
5:22
and her girlfriends kind of going through life
5:25
with her husband, you know?
5:26
So it's just a fun, fun read.
5:28
- Well, I can't wait to read it.
5:29
And do you have a book on tape?
5:31
- I don't, that's my next.
5:33
It's eBook and I'm trying to work on the audible right now.
5:38
- Okay, my memoirs,"It ain't all about the cooking",
5:43
I had to go one of the studios here.
5:47
- Oh wow - And read it
5:48
And even though I knew how it was gonna end,
5:50
I couldn't wait to finish reading it. (laughing)
5:55
I got a bad memory y'all, what can I say?
6:01
- Oh, I listened to it, it was very good.
6:03
- Oh, well, thank you.
6:04
Thank you, but now that I'm older,
6:09
know I probably sick of y'all hearing me talk about it,
6:13
but I lost my cornea in this eye after cataract surgery.
6:17
And so, you know, it makes it kind of hard to read.
6:20
So I have just found that I love a book on tape,
6:24
so you know what?
6:25
Maybe I can get John to come over and read this to me?
6:28
- Right, he has read it so many times.
6:30
He doesn't even know that version of it hardly.
6:32
- And so now how long has this one been out?
6:36
Your very first book.
6:37
- This one was released November 1st
6:39
and the Savannah Gondolier-
6:42
- November the first?
6:43
- Just past November, yes.
6:44
- The first one was?
6:47
- Yes.
6:49
- Wow, 2021.
6:51
- And then this one will be released next Wednesday,
6:53
June 15th.
6:55
- Oh my goodness.
6:58
That, for people that dabble in writing
7:05
or serious writers, this is a big feat.
7:13
It's, yeah-
7:14
- It is a big, huge feat that you've accomplished.
7:17
- Thank you, it was fun.
7:19
It's fun, it's a lot of work that I didn't realize,
7:22
you know, going in as you know, especially self-publishing,
7:25
you really had to educate yourself.
7:29
You really have to educate yourself on how to get it from,
7:31
you know, the notebook to this.
7:33
- Yes - Many steps.
7:34
- Now, are you-
7:36
I know that you're connected with Cecilia Russo,
7:40
a friend of ours.
7:42
- Yes, yes.
7:43
She's wonderful.
7:44
- She and Cynthia have a marketing business.
7:46
And so they're helping you market these books.
7:51
- They are, yes.
7:53
So I knew the things I could do.
7:55
- Hi(laughing)
7:57
- [Theresa] I actually want to jump in Paula, as Theresa,
8:00
I know people will be surprised.
8:01
- Please, no they always love hearing from you Theresa.
8:03
- [Theresa] No, they don't.
8:04
- Yes, they do.
8:05
- [Theresa] But one of the things that we get
8:06
all of the time in questions, is how do you do this?
8:10
And we ask Paula that,
8:11
and Paula always says that was a hundred years ago.
8:13
- And I can tell you exactly how to do it, y'all.
8:16
- [Theresa] But you just kind of,
8:18
you said it took a lot of education.
8:20
I mean, when you talk about like,
8:21
what is some of the meat of what you had to do
8:25
to get it from your-
8:27
"Cause the writing part, and then really going,
8:29
"How do I do it next?"
8:30
- Right.
8:31
- "Once you got it."
8:32
- And I can't believe she did it so quickly.
8:33
- [Theresa] That's crazy.
8:35
- Quickly. - Cynthia, speak up.
8:37
- It's insane, yes Cynthia.
8:39
- [Cameraman] Let's see the two covers.
8:41
- [Cynthia] It's all Leigh, she's the horse,
8:44
put in the hard work.
8:46
- It- - Yes well-
8:50
- {Paula] Unless you've written a book,
8:52
a cookbook, you think, you know, that's pretty easy.
8:56
It takes a year.
8:58
You have written two novels in a year.
9:01
- Well, yes I have.
9:02
- It's crazy. - And it's been fun.
9:04
I also, so when I started to self-publish I really started,
9:08
I sent it to a couple of people who had Savannah questions
9:12
and they wanted more sex, wanted less sex and you know,
9:15
it's a romance.
9:16
And so you kind of like,
9:17
but I started talking to other authors who,
9:19
and I hate to always bring COVID in,
9:23
but COVID changed the way everybody did everything.
9:26
- Exactly right.
9:26
- And they said, you know, if I could do it over,
9:28
I would self-publish,
9:29
or I would start my own publishing company.
9:32
So that's what I did, I took it one step further,
9:34
I started a publishing company
9:36
called Old Fort Press and-
9:38
- Oh, oh okay.
9:39
- It has been-
9:40
- Do you publish any books besides your own?
9:43
- I've read two manuscripts too,
9:46
and kind of talking to people about those two of theirs.
9:49
I wanted to get this series under my belt
9:52
before I really started.
9:53
- Is there another book coming from these six girls?
9:56
- I'm writing number three right now.
9:57
But each girl's gonna have their own story,
10:00
is my big plan, but you know-
10:02
- So you can have six books.
10:03
- I hope so, I hope so yes.
10:05
- So Cynthia tells me that you are helping other authors.
10:11
Cause people don't ask me all the time Leigh,
10:13
how did you do that?
10:15
How do you write a book?
10:18
And it is so easy, y'all.
10:22
My answer's been the same.
10:24
All you have to do is open a restaurant and pray for rain.
10:27
Cause that's how I got my book published.
10:31
- That's great.
10:32
- From a big house.
10:33
- Oh wow.
10:35
- So, you know, I'm really no help.
10:37
Just God had me right there,
10:39
right where I was supposed to be at just the right time.
10:42
- Oh yeah. - When the rain came
10:43
and the publisher walked in restaurant.
10:44
- Wow, wow.
10:46
- And said, "I see a cookbook up there."
10:50
So my story is almost not repeatable,
10:58
you know, to say, do this, do that.
11:00
- Right - You know,
11:01
because it's a miracle.
11:04
- Yes - It was a miracle.
11:05
- It's wonderful.
11:06
- So how were you helping other people get started?
11:09
- Well, when I started, when I hit that bridge,
11:13
where going into the unknown, I educated myself.
11:17
I started going to seminars and workshops
11:18
and everything in publishing.
11:20
- Where would you go to these workshops?
11:21
- So there's online, cause we were during COVID,
11:23
we were shut down.
11:24
And so there were several around.
11:26
I went to a big one, women in publishing was the name of it.
11:30
I learned so much from it.
11:31
But in the process of that,
11:33
you realize what you can do
11:35
and what you need to get other people to help do.
11:37
And like you said, with Cecilia,
11:38
I can't do the marketing part.
11:40
I don't have the ties that they do
11:42
and they have their experts in it.
11:43
- That's right, that's right.
11:44
- But I can do the other things.
11:46
- And you need to stay in your lane.
11:47
- Right, exactly.
11:49
And it's a curvy lane, but yeah, I need to stay in it.
11:52
- You need to stay in your lane.
11:54
- But I am open, different times for submissions.
11:58
I'm reading two different manuscripts.
12:00
I'm trying to work with people on that are wonderful.
12:03
I think if someone had been,
12:05
if I'd had been able to reach out to someone
12:06
and say, "Hey, I've got this, tell me what to do",
12:08
because there's not really that next step for us.
12:10
You either threw it all on Amazon
12:12
or you just kind of put it in a drawer.
12:16
- Right.
12:17
- There's not really an in between.
12:18
So that's where I am.
12:19
- I've just got to ask and you don't have to tell me,
12:21
but are these people that the manuscripts you're reading,
12:24
are they from Savannah?
12:25
- They are, yes.
12:26
- Yay. - Yes, Southern fiction.
12:28
Southern fiction where I am right now.
12:29
- Okay Southern fiction.
12:31
And that's what I wanted to ask you.
12:36
How is this about Savannah?
12:41
I mean, what makes this Savannah?
12:43
- So the group of friends, is six friends,
12:45
kind of grew up together in Savannah
12:46
and they're from different parts of Savannah.
12:49
This one- - Bbut they're not real.
12:51
They're not real, but are they based on-
12:52
- They're based on a little bit of loosely on people
12:54
and loosely on me, you know,
12:56
little bit of yourself is in all your fictional characters,
12:58
the good, bad, an ugly.
13:00
- Yes - But-
13:01
- [Theresa] So just do you think they're people
13:04
from Savannah, I honestly-
13:05
- What now?
13:06
- [Theresa] They were such juicy characters.
13:07
Do you think they're from Savannah?
13:11
- I asked you Leigh, who is the person?
13:13
- [Leigh] Tell me who this family is.
13:14
- Tell me, really tell me.
13:15
- Right.
13:17
- But you know, in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,
13:20
they were real.
13:21
- [Theresa] Right, they were.
13:22
- They were real characters.
13:24
- No, these are not real by no means, no.
13:26
- Okay - And no, they're not,
13:28
but, but they're all from Savannah.
13:30
- But they're pieces of girls here in Savannah.
13:32
- They are, they are.
13:33
- [Theresa] And location.
13:35
- And yes, so the Savannah-
13:37
The six girls live in different areas in Savannah.
13:38
Like this one's based off of Atabi
13:41
and this one is downtown Savannah, Jones Street.
13:44
So it's just really, you get the ins and outs.
13:47
I've had so many people read it and say,
13:49
I feel like I was walking down the streets of Savannah
13:51
or I've been here or I've sat in Clary's in that position.
13:53
So it's been really cool.
13:55
- I can't wait to read it.
13:58
- Thank you.
13:58
- I can't wait to read it.
13:59
So this is the second book, right?
14:05
- This is a new one coming out this week.
14:07
- Yes.
14:08
- And it will be out Wednesday.
14:09
- June 15th.
14:10
- June 15th.
14:13
- Yes - And are you going
14:15
back to Ireland?
14:16
- No, I think number three's taking me to Scotland.
14:20
- Scotland.
14:22
- Another, you know, awful business trip.
14:25
This one took me to Irleand.
14:26
- I'm Scot-Irish.
14:27
- Are you really?
14:28
- So you need to go with me?
14:29
(both laughing)
14:31
- Yes, yes.
14:32
- Come on.
14:33
So yes, the next one's Scotland,
14:34
I've started the third one and looking for a name
14:38
if anybody has any ideas.
14:39
- You're you're amazing Leigh.
14:41
- Thank you, so are you, my gosh.
14:43
(Paula coughs)
14:44
- Excuse me.
14:45
- Thank you for having me.
14:46
- Oh you're just amazing, and such an inspiration
14:49
to people, to women and you know, I've always been-
14:54
(coughs) excuse me, (coughs) I gotta tickle.
15:01
I need a brush.
15:05
I've always been a big cheerleader for women in business
15:11
and well, you know, just in life.
15:14
'Cause if I ever said, if I can make it,
15:17
I want to be able to help somebody else.
15:25
- And you do, especially in the community.
15:27
I mean, you're so strong in Savannah community
15:29
and we really appreciate you.
15:30
Well, you are so welcome.
15:36
I try - You do well.
15:38
Thank you, thank you.
15:39
- I try, I try, the Bag Lady Foundation
15:41
it's near and dear to my heart
15:44
because I chose that name after my first business,
15:50
The Bag Lady.
15:51
So it's near and dear to my heart,
15:53
but that's I think you're my new hero.
15:56
- Well, thank you.
15:57
That's huge coming from you.
15:59
- Well, you are you're my new hero.
16:05
Is there a ghost here in Savannah?
16:07
- No, no, no. - No (laughing).
16:10
- Are ghosts real, no.
16:12
Are fairies in this one, are they real?
16:16
No.
16:18
(both laughing)
16:19
Yes, each one of them have a little touch of ghost,
16:23
a little touch of mystery.
16:25
- Well that's one the things that's so romantic
16:27
about Savannah is, you know, all the ghost stores.
16:30
- The history and yeah.
16:31
- Yes, yes.
16:32
- So, it's been some fun and the ones at Atabi,
16:35
this one was cool too, so neat stories.
16:38
- Is there anything else we need to talk about?
16:40
How can I help you get this distributed out to people?
16:46
- Well, it it's everywhere online.
16:47
It's it's Barnes and Noble, Amazon,
16:51
Books-A-Million, it's locally, Saints and Shamrocks
16:54
in Savannah and E Shaver's.
16:56
Hopefully libraries come in soon,
16:59
and we're working with that.
17:00
Cynthia's helping with that.
17:02
And so yes, just, this is wonderful.
17:05
Thank you for just passing the word or along.
17:06
- [Paula] Oh, well-
17:08
- [Leigh] I appreciate it.
17:09
- I hope that people will search these books out.
17:16
- If you wanna see Savannah through the book.
17:19
Yes, yes.
17:19
This is the one to look through.
17:20
You know, when the movie was made
17:22
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,
17:24
I heard so many people say, oh, it's a terrible movie.
17:28
To me, it was a wonderful movie,
17:30
because we got see so much of Savanna.
17:34
- And it's so beautiful.
17:35
- So real Savannah.
17:36
- So we never get tired of seeing it, it's beautiful.
17:38
- We never get tired of seeing it.
17:40
Just like Michael, the sunsets right out there.
17:45
And I can say, "Michael, come look at this sunset".
17:49
Now, remember he's been here 65 years on this plot of land.
17:54
- On this property I remember.
17:55
- And you know, he'll jump up and he'll run
17:58
to see the sunset.
18:00
- Right - Because he said
18:01
there all different and they're all beautiful.
18:03
- Never get tired of seeing them.
18:06
- It's nice appreciating life.
18:07
- Yes, yes.
18:09
Well- - Thank you
18:10
- I'm feeling very, very blessed today,
18:14
cause I've been given two books to read.
18:18
- And John's gonna read 'em to you.
18:21
- And John's gonna read them to me.
18:23
(Paula laughing)
18:24
- [Paula] Well, you let us know if there's anything
18:28
we can do to- - Thank you
18:30
- To help you.
18:31
Are you doing book signings anywhere?
18:34
- Yes - It's in the works.
18:34
- It's in the works.
18:36
I have a website, Leighebberwein.com,
18:38
and I keep it pretty active of everything coming up
18:41
and events.
18:42
So everything's under there.
18:42
- Okay, and can you tell me where you're thinking
18:48
about, you're having book signings.
18:51
- [Cynthia] C B D still working on it.
18:53
I don't wanna say yet because we haven't confirmed it,
18:54
but yeah, we have a few in the works that we're looking at.
18:57
- Did you tell 'em where you could buy the book?
18:59
- Yes - Amazon
19:00
- Yes, and again at the website there's book club questions
19:04
and there's bar crawls and fun stuff to do.
19:08
- Yeah - Where that's fun
19:09
- Yeah, yeah.
19:10
- We have a good time right?
19:15
- We did the ghost tour one night.
19:17
- Nice - Seemed like we were
19:18
in that hearse, I can't remember.
19:20
(Paula laughing)
19:21
You know that's I said you just never get tired of hearing
19:25
the stories.
19:26
- No you don't - About this town.
19:28
Well Leigh, thank you so much.
19:30
And I'd like for us to talk again.
19:33
- Yes please- - You know-
19:36
- She could come cook with me.
19:38
- Yes - She likes to cook
19:39
and she uses your recipes.
19:40
- I do a lot, for the big family.
19:43
We have crock pot a lot too.
19:45
- Well, you know what?
19:47
Ain't nothing wrong with the crock pot.
19:48
Do you have an air fryer?
19:49
- I do, I do, the best.
19:51
- I'm telling you, I could not do-
19:53
I got two of them in here and I'll have both of 'em going,
19:57
especially during the summer.
19:59
You don't want to heat up that oven.
20:02
- I know they're so nice.
20:03
- Just don't want to heat it up, it's too, too hot.
20:06
- Theresa, unpacked this,
20:08
this is just a little, it's Saints of Savannah.
20:09
This is a series.
20:10
- Oh - And it's love your tribe
20:12
and love them.
20:13
Well, I know you have a tribe of female friends.
20:15
- Yes - And this is for you
20:16
and the books.
20:18
- And some of 'em I never get to meet face to face.
20:21
- [Theresa] And is that the tattoo Leigh?
20:24
You wanna tell them about the tattoo?
20:26
- Where's the tattoo, you got a tattoo?
20:27
- I don't, but I'm scared I'm gonna have to get one now.
20:30
- But where you gonna get it?
20:34
- No - Get it where only John
20:35
gets to see it. (laughing)
20:40
- Oh goodness.
20:41
It's, the tribe of girls get an angel tattoo.
20:45
And just kind of keeping together.
20:47
So Saints of Savannah, you know,
20:49
we're all saints in the making.
20:51
- You created that, so-
20:55
- On our Scotland trip, we'll get one together.
20:58
- Gotta carry it through.
21:01
- [Theresa] I'll get one with you.
21:03
- Well, thanks ladies.
21:05
I appreciate all y'all working towards getting Leigh here.
21:09
And John.
21:10
- Thank you for having us, this is fabulous.
21:13
- Oh well I'm thrilled, my kitchen is always open.
21:16
- And tell Cecilia she missed out.
21:17
- I've been texting her, she knows.
21:20
- I love Cecilia. - So sweet.
21:22
She's amazing.
21:24
- How is Bob doing?
21:25
Actually doing good.
21:26
Bye y'all - Thank you
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