Leslie Hooton

May 2

11:30am Doors Open
12:00pm Program

Brunch & Drinks Included

$45 / person

$40 / 2+ tickets

$200 / table for 6

After Everyone Else

From the acclaimed author of Before Anyone Else comes a captivating new novel about the lengths we will go to protect the ones we love.

Bailey thought she’d gotten her happy ending. She is married to the man she loves, she has started a family, and her design business is flourishing. But when Bailey’s ex-husband, a famous TV chef, is found murdered with her DNA all over his apartment and body, she is suddenly facing murder charges in a high-profile case. Already burdened by the demands and challenges of marriage, motherhood, and her career, Bailey now must do everything she can to prove her innocence. But it’s the ones she thought would surely be on her side–her enigmatic lawyer and her husband–who might be doubting her innocence the most.

Alternating between the past and present, After Everyone Else chronicles the grip of the past, the challenges of forgiveness, and the resilient love we save for the person we love after everyone else.

Leslie Hooon’s debut novel, Before Anyone Else (Turner Publishing, 2020), garnered a Zibby nomination.  Her second novel, The Secret of Rainy Days (Turner Publishing 2021) was a book club favorite and her third novel, After Everyone Else, the sequel to Before Everyone Else, was also published by Turner in June 2022.

Leslie’s essays have been published in  Newsweek,  “Moms Don’t Have Time to Grieve.” and Women Writers, Women’s Books.  Her books have been featured in Brit + CoThe Mary Reader, and other outlets.

She was interviewed on the PBS show entitled Emerging Voices in the South. Leslie has appeared on Zibby Owens’s podcast, featured by Julie Chan, Friends and Fiction and their Book Club and numerous other podcasts. She is active on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, and have attended the Sewanee Writers Conference for many years. In addition, Leslie has traveled around the country on her book tours.

Meet Leslie!

Reviews

“The Secret of Rainy Days is a coming-of-age novel that is both deeply moving and beautifully crafted. Witty and charming, The Secret of Rainy Days is a gem.“

Patti Callahan New York Times bestselling author of Becoming of Mrs. Lewis and the upcoming Once Upon A Wardrobe

“In distinctly Southern prose, Leslie Hooton captures the complexity of family dynamics and the difficulty of sudden loss in her sweeping sophomore novel. The Secret of Rainy Days explores what it truly means to come home again, especially when we think we have left forever―and how, sometimes, it’s the most difficult days and the lessons they bring that teach us who we truly are. Fans of coming-of-age stories will find themselves immersed in every page.”

Kristy Woodson Harvey, NYT Bestselling author of Under the Southern Sky

Books by Leslie

When you purchase books at Georgia Writers Museum up to 40% of your purchase supports our non-profit, and helps us provide programs, exhibits, and workshops to children, students, adults and seniors! Stop by our bookstore, Thursday – Saturday, 10am – 4pm or email us at info@georgiawritersmuseum.org to reserve your copy. Signed copies can be ordered prior to the event.

Amanda Vining photo

Amanda holds a BS in Biology from Georgia College & State University. She began her career as an educator with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. After leaving the DNR, Amanda became a formal educator with Baldwin County School System and Jasper County School System. Amanda began her museum career at the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MAS) in Macon, Georgia, where she served as Curator of Environmental Science
(2011-2020). While at MAS, Amanda developed a love for sharing the world around us with the many students who visited on school field trips. During her time as Curator of Environmental Science, Amanda launched a storytime
program for preschool children.

Since 2020, Amanda has been serving Georgia Writers Museum as a volunteer on the Education Committee. Amanda has brought her love of sharing stories with students by launching Peaches’ Reading Pasture. As Museum Manager, Amanda looks forward to serving the community and helping to inspire those within our community to put words to paper and share their stories.

Amanda was born and raised in nearby Shady Dale, Georgia. Her husband, Rodney, is a native of Eatonton, and they currently reside in Putnam County. They have three children.