“Mud Marbles” by Tolar Miles
Marilyn and Kathryn are sisters and neighbors whose favorite pastime is sipping martinis from mason jars on Marilyn’s front porch in the gulf front town of Orange Beach, Alabama, as they reminisce about family and the times they visited Cotton Tree. Miss Mincy is the girls’ source of stability and has given the entire family advice and inspiration throughout the years. While some could misconstrue Mincy’s presence, she is not a maid. She lives at the Chandler-Drake house in Cotton Tree. She is a family member of the Chandler-Drake household. A true southern lady, the only thing one might find “imperfect” about Mincy is that she never knew who her father was—until one day while going through some old boxes Avery Drake Montgomery finds Mincy’s birth certificate. This information and discovery of a new family changes Mincy’s life forever. Then there’s Delta, a distant cousin of the Drake family who comes to visit Cotton Tree from Savannah, Georgia for most family gatherings. Cousin Delta does not shy away from confrontation and will speak her mind even to the pastor of the First Baptist Church. She loves her bourbon and cola and livens up the atmosphere of every social event she attends. From sorority sisters shelling peas, to charity bake sales, and finding confederate gold in a hidden ballroom, Mud Marbles invokes the charm of the South and exposes long-buried secrets.
Tolar Miles 