Meet Mama Jo

When it comes to being cranky, few rival Jolene "Mama Jo" Blakely. She's famous for quoting Bible verses and judging others. She's the last remaining resident of the Honey Hole, Tennyson County's slang term for the rundown African American neighborhood on its outskirts.

"Woven Branches" (the book) What it is: A multi-book serial novel series titled Woven Branches, with the first book being The Road to Noeware.

Setting: The fictional, quirky town of "Noeware," Georgia. Plot: It follows a journalism student who uncovers dark secrets while investigating human interest stories in a small Southern town where modern society clashes with old traditions.

Themes: It explores a variety of dramatic and humorous themes, including love, sex, murder, and deception in a small-town setting.

Tags: Southern gothic, Southern book series, Woven Branches books, soap opera, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, Beyond the Gates, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Hollyoaks, Fair City, River City, Neighbours, Home and Away, Shortland Street, The Bold and the Beautiful, Waterloo Road, Days of Our Lives, Tales of the City, Generations The Legacy, Armistead Maupin, Fannie Flagg, Frieda McFadden, Alexander McCall Smith, LGBTQ fiction, queer fiction, indie authors Southern authors.