Welcome to episode 23 of From the Front Porch, a collection of conversations on books, small business, and life in the South.

I'm Annie Jones, co-owner of the Book Shelf in downtown Thomasville, Georgia.

And today I'm joined by author and entrepreneur

Carrie Roll Wagon.

Carrie's new book, The Localist, Think Independent,

Buy Local, and Reclaim The American Dream is one of our staff favorites of the year.

And Carrie will actually be joining us at the bookshelf in Thomasville on April 23rd, from 5 7 PM. That's this Thursday if you're

listening this week. April 23rd from 5 to 7. If you're hearing this before

that date we hope you will come out and support both the bookshelf and

Carrie her new book is fantastic today Carrie and I will be talking about the

importance of shopping locally why independent bookstores make the world go round, and our mutual love for

Leslie Know.

Welcome, Carrie, how are you today?

Thank you, I'm doing really great.

I'm trying to recover after being away from home for a little over a month and I'm kind of a home body so that's a little bit rough for me, but I'm doing well. Thank you. You're in recovery mode right now. Yes exactly. So

explain to our listeners. Carrie has been on a bit of a whirlwind book tour so how long have you been gone?

I think I'm just I guess about a month and a week I actually started his

for March 6th that I did have a few days at home almost immediately.

I took Amtrak, mostly their Crescent Alliance from New Orleans to New York, and the second stop is Birmingham so I'm like pretty much as soon as I

left I was back but then I've come on the road over a month since then.

Okay, wow that's that dedication, that's impressive.

Well, I was afraid that I may not go back out if I let myself come home, so.

...