Welcome to episode 4 of From the Front Porch. I'm Annie Jones and today I'll be joined by author CJ Howzer whose new book The Fromaways takes place in a small town in Maine that

reminds me a lot of our small town here in Thomasville, Georgia.

Because of those similarities, today we will be talking about small town living and finding community right where you are.

Thanks for joining us.

Okay, CJ, welcome to my home.

Thank you for having me.

You are welcome.

I really loved this book.

I think I told you last week when you were at the signing that I started it

on recommendation from another customer. Read it kind of overnight, like finished it at midnight

one night. Just really fell in love with the characters,

with the place, the small town in Maine

where you set your book.

But also, I think I loved it because, and I told you this already,

I feel like a fromaway, and when told you this already, I feel like a from away.

And when I discovered that the book was about these women

who were not from this small town,

I was immediately attracted to the story.

And I was a

a journalism major in undergrad.

And so I love the small town journalism aspect of it.

So my question for you first of all is how on earth did you come up with

...