Advanced Praise for Ship Watch
“Readers will devour this deliciously dishy peek into the manners and mores of the Savannah, Highlands, Sea Island, and Buckhead moneyed elite.”
Mary Kay Andrews, NYT bestselling author of The Homewreckers and Hissy Fit
"Meet Johnathon Scott Barrett, the literary first cousin to Fannie Flagg and Mary Kay Andrews. He
joins their rank as he comedically writes about Southern life and Southern strife in this debut novel."
Jackie K. Cooper, Host of Entertainment Rundown and author of The Wisdom of Winter
"Ship Watch is the closest you’ll come to breathing the rarified air of the Southern aristocracy.
Grab your cocktail of choice and settle in for excess and exes, second chances, and at least one
epic Julia Sugarbaker-style setting-things-to-right takedown."
Jeffrey Dale Lofton, award-winning author of Red Clay Suzie
“Gifted storyteller and cookbook author Johnathon Scott Barrett mixes up a delightful brew of Southern eccentricities and serves it with dash of romance, adventure and intrigue. Ship Watch is a colorful and rollicking good read!”
- Cassandra King, award-winning author of Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy
“Remindful of the works of Dorothea Benton Frank, Ship Watch is a charming, fun, and entertaining read. With characters that sparkle and dialogue that crackles, Johnathon Scott Barrett has crafted a Southern tale that is not to be missed. Pour yourself a glass of sweet tea – or three fingers of bourbon – and savor this wonderful novel.
– Michael Morris, award winning author of Man in the Blue Moon, Slow Way Home, and A Place Called Wiregrass
"Ship Watch sings with expansive details about the dramas of a genteel Savannah family. It’s obvious that author Jonathon Scott Barrett intimately knows this world, and he provides a fascinating birds-eye view into a stratum of society abundant with colorful characters and a culture of their very own. A must read for anyone who loves Southern fiction."
- Karin Gillespie, author of the Bottom Dollar Girls series and co-author of The Sweet Potato Queen's First Big-Ass Novel
“Come peek inside the kimono of Savannah’s bluest of blue-blood families. When ownership of Ship Watch, the Randolph family’s long-owned grand estate on the banks of the Savannah River, is contested, proverbial long knives are brandished. Much of this engrossing tale depicts place – Savannah, Highlands, and Sea Island – where the wealthy make merry and hold court.”
- Jameson Gregg, 2015 Georgia Author of the Year Luck Be A Chicken
“Set amongst the sumptuous backdrop of Savannah Georgia’s elite, Johnathon Scott Barrett’s debut novel, Ship Watch, is a compelling Southern saga of unyielding women and the alluring men they love, family tradition, and second chances.”
— Robert Gwaltney, award winning author of The Cicada Tree
"Few areas of the country dazzle and intrigue the way the Low Country does. Barrett brings it to life in an epic tapestry of Southern culture that will leave you wanting more."
- R.J. Lee, author of the Bridge to Death Mysteries
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"A page turner until the end.”
– Ann Hite, 2012 Georgia Author of the Year and author of the award-winning Haints On Black Mountain: A Haunted Short Story Collection and Ghost On Black Mountain
“In the vital tradition of the Southern saga, Johnathan Barrett creates a splendid story of three generations headed by a powerful and fascinating matriarch. Readers will keep turning pages to find out how friends and family work through long-held frictions, while Grand Martha ultimately determines the future of the titular Ship Watch, the Randolph family’s majestic estate.”
– Susan Beckham Zurenda, award winning author of Bells for Eli and The Girl from the Red Rose Motel
Praise for Cook & Celebrate
“I read Cook & Celebrate in bed, like a letter from a dear cousin - one who holds food and family in equal esteem, with what I can only describe as true Southern elan. Every recipe has its story (as it should) and every story is illuminated with a richness that simply warms the heart. The combination makes for a cookbook that is a treasure trove of exquisite food, from homemade pimento cheese to expert pointers on the craft of cooking wild game. Johnathon Barrett's delightful voice is that of a favorite country cousin who you adored as a child, who grew up and moved to the city and lived large, but never forgot their country roots. They are that cousin who not only returns for the family funerals, but brings the best cakes and hugs you for two solid minutes, and offers to pay for the casket flowers. He's a reminder of all that is worth celebrating in our beloved home.”
Janis Owens
Award-winning author of The Cracker Kitchen, American Ghost, and
My Brother Michael
“Beloved author, chef, and consummate host Johnathon Scott Barrett brings his love of Southern cooking and gift for creating unforgettable celebrations to your kitchen and your table. Within these story-and-recipe filled pages, you'll learn Johnathon's secrets for entertaining with Southern style and joy, from New Year's Day through the Twelve Days of Christmas. I can't wait to season my holiday gatherings with this book in hand!”
“From the minute you open this book, you will step into Johnathan’s world of wonderful dinners, family gatherings, and elegant parties - and you will become fast friends. Johnathan, the consummate host, will guide you through every aspect of any occasion, from the invitations to the menu to the libations! He’ll make you want to start writing out your guest list (or multiple lists for multiple occasions) and planning your next soiree. This book is a must for every host and hostess!
Nancie McDermott
Award-winning author of Southern Cakes: Sweet and Irresistible Recipes for Everyday Celebrations
Mary Martha Greene
Author of "The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All"
Rise & Shine at the Book Lady Bookstore (L), JSB at the Southern Festival of Books (C), Cook & Tell at the Atlanta History Center (R)
Praise for Rise and Shine!
Praise for Cook and Tell
“Johnathon Scott Barrett has mastered the Southern food memoir – it is both a delightful read and a scrumptious cookbook.”
-Natalie Dupree, James Beard-winning cookbook author and television host
“The fragrances of Georgia come to life in these pages – the recipes will bind you, stitch you into Barrett’s world with the effectiveness of the best cookbooks.”
-Matt & Ted Lee, Authors of The Lee Brothers Charleston Kitchen
“If you have this book in your hand, you are in for a rare treat!”
-Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of‘ Beach Town, Summer Rental, and Hissy Fit
“I love that Barrett’s work is as if he’s telling us a story on the porch on the farm – having to turn the page, more so, than await the next vocalized word. I hope y’all enjoy Rise and Shine! in the same manner I did – and it leaves you hungry for home!”
-James T. Farmer, Editor-at-large, Southern Living, and author of A Time to Cook and Dinner on the Grounds
“Johnathon Scott Barrett is the very model of that rare breed, the true Southern Gentleman – charming, thoughtful, kind, and generous – yet always ready and willing to laugh at himself. Rise and Shine! is a charming love song to all the best things about growing up, not to mention eating, in the South.
-Damon Lee Fowler, Author of Essentials of Southern Cooking and Beans, Greens, & Sweet Georgia Peaches
“A certified Southern gentleman and engaging storyteller, Johnathon has woven together a wonderful collection of not only recipes, but the stories behind them. Cook & Tell is more than a cookbook: it is a collection of heartwarming and funny essays. Just like the delicious food featured in this anthology, the stories are to be savored from one chapter to the next.”
-Michael Morris, Award-winning author of Slow Way Home, Man in the Blue Moon, and Wiregrass
“Cook & Tell is utterly delicious. The family stories and recipes shared are spiced with humor and sweetened by memories. Reading it, I felt like I was sitting on his front porch.”
-Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times best-selling author of Beach House and Low Country Wedding
“Johnathon Scott Barrett captures the subtle essence of outstanding cultural cooking. Readers will enjoy these recipes along with his sensitive narrative on life in the South. He is a charming storyteller who combines the distinctive Southern cadence of memories and stories of home and loved ones swapped across the dinner table with delicious Southern recipes.”
-Pat Branning, Author of the Shrimp, Collards, & Grits books series
“Chef, raconteur, and old-school bon vivant Johnathon Barrett celebrates the most glorious aspects of Southern life in Cook & Tell.”
-Janis Owens, Author of American Ghost and The Cracker Kitchen
“What’s the higher compliment – being called a great Southern writer or a great Southern cook?” Johnathon Scott Barrett is both, which I upsetting to those of us who are only one of those things. Cook & Tell is a high-calorie romp through the kitchen of memory. I ate it up. You will, too.
-Harrison Scott Key, Author of The World’s Largest Man and recipient of the 2016 Thurber Prize for American Humor