FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Page & Palette, 32 S. Section St. in Fairhope, is hosting authors Lisa Patton and Hester Bass.

Patton will bring along her novel “WHISTLIN’ DIXIE in a NOR’EASTER” when she speaks and signs copies of her book at the downtown bookstore on Oct. 22, from 6-8 p.m.

The book is a hilarious and heartwarming debut novel about a Southern belle thrown into the wilds of rural Vermont.

More than a just a funny fish-out-of-water story, this novel shows how one woman learns to stand up for herself and triumph against difficult circumstances.

LeeLee Satterfield seems to have it all: a gorgeous husband, two adorable daughters and roots in the sunny city of Memphis, Tenn.

When her husband gets the idea to uproot the family to live in and run a quaint Vermont inn, LeeLee is devastated. Out of love for her husband, but much to the horror of her three best friends, she says goodbye to her life in Memphis and packs up her home to start a new adventure.

LeeLee discovers pretty fast there is a truckload of things that no one tells you about Vermont until you live there, such as mud season, vampire flies and the danger of ice careening off of frozen roofs.

The inn they’ve bought also has its host of problems: an odor that no amount of potpourri could erase, tacky décor and a staff of wacky Vermonters, including Helga, a stern German manager who seems to find pleasure in bullying LeeLee.

Patton was born and raised in Memphis and graduated from the University of Alabama.

Besides her writing career, she is also a special event director at the Carnton Plantation in Franklin, Tenn.

Author Hester Bass will sign her children’s book “The Secret World of Walter Anderson” on Oct. 23, from 5-7 p.m.

The book was illustrated by award winning artist E.B. Lewis, and is a picture book biography of the Mississippi Gulf Coast artist, who risked everything to bring himself and nature into one thing called art.

“I grew up in rural Georgia raising tadpoles on the porch and yearning for a wider world,” Bass said. “Teleportation and time travel remain very appealing concepts, but it was the library and books that provided my tickets to wherever, and whenever, I wanted to be. I read A.A. Milne, Beatrix Potter and spent a lot of time dressing up my cats. Books let me live where magic was real, and I could have tea with a hedgehog in a bonnet, who would also iron my clothes.

“Eventually I discovered that my backyard is full of real magic, and that perhaps it’s best to bloom wherever I'm planted. There’s a lot of wildlife in northern Alabama where I live now, although I can’t seem to get them to do my laundry. My cat and dog do seem to enjoy their little hats.

“Growing up close enough to Atlanta to enjoy the symphony, theater, museums, and zoo may explain why I went to college in Boston and then lived in New York City. But I missed being able to order sweet tea and a vegetable plate in a restaurant. After a few years in Atlanta, my family moved to Ocean Springs, Miss. One of our favorite artists spent most of his life there. His name is Walter Anderson.

“His life reads like mythology. His work is transcendent and captivating. I’ve spent over 25 years with Anderson and his art, and told his story to school groups visiting the museum there. I watched fidgety children relax into the tale of a man who lived simply, rode a bicycle instead of driving a car, used a crayon as expertly as a paintbrush, and who loved nature and art and sought to bring them together into one thing. I thoroughly enjoy performing author visits to meet young readers, and it's especially satisfying for me to be able to share Walter Anderson's world with children everywhere.”

The authors will exclusively sign all books purchased from Page & Palette.

For more information, call (251) 928-5295, or visit www.pageandpalette.com.