My Journey to Neon Crosses, Part 1

I didn’t have specific plans to write a book when I started my journey to Neon Crosses. The idea of writing a book (or multiple books) had crossed my mind as a good idea — someday.

I had been writing freelance for PJ Media for a little over three years when my editor at the time pitched a book concept to me. PJ Media’s then-corporate owners had launched a series of e-books, and there was a place for me to write one. It was more of a vague idea, really; he suggested that I write something that combined Southern culture, Christianity, and Disney, and it should be a travelogue.

It was an interesting challenge, but I didn’t know how I would combine them into a cohesive whole. And then it came to me — as all good ideas come to me — in the shower. Why not trace my family’s route to Disney World and use different stops along the way to discuss different aspects of the culture of the South?

Once I had that idea in mind, the thoughts began to flow. I could use my hometown of Covington to talk about the influence that Hollywood has had on the South (and vice versa). Macon, with its rich rock and soul history, would be a great place to talk about music. The Georgia-Florida line would be an opportunity to discuss the Southernness of the Sunshine State.

But I had a problem. Where would I put the emphasis on Christianity? Then I thought about it: if I started the journey just a little farther north, I could incorporate a unique landmark just this side of Commerce: the neon cross at a church on Highway 441. That also allowed me to “cheat” a little bit and use Athens to talk about the Southern college experience.

I pitched my idea and got the go-ahead to start writing it. But there was one catch: I had six weeks to turn in a first draft. Bear in mind that I hadn’t written anything remotely close to the length of a book before, so it was a daunting task. I had my concept, and I had a working title that I was proud of: Neon Crosses and Magic Kingdoms. I even talked a friend of mine into writing a foreword for me.

With such a short turnaround time, I had to dive in pretty quickly. I wrote my introductory and concluding chapters first because those helped me steer the direction of the rest of the book. I mapped out my chapters — I guess you could say literally — and spent every spare moment researching and writing. Early mornings, late nights, weekends, and the occasional free moment at work (I was working at Eastridge at the time) were writing periods. I did loads of research, which, truth be told, is my least favorite part of the writing process.

I wrote my book, chapter by chapter, and submitted it to the book editor that PJ Media found for me. The back-and-forth of the editing process was fun for me. My editor showed me the things that I was writing that non-Southerners wouldn’t understand and areas where I had too much or too little detail. We shaped the book into something that was ready for publication.

Then came the conference calls to discuss cover art, promotion, and all the finalities that precede publication. The marketing team did one thing that I really didn’t like; they changed the title. The final title of this first iteration of my book would be Football, Faith, and Flannery O’Connor: A Love Letter to the South. I was never crazy about that title. Football and Flannery only really figured in passing in a couple of chapters — honestly, they have a bigger role in Neon Crosses — but the alliteration was more important to the team than how much of a factor they were in the text. I was outnumbered, and I didn’t think I had a choice but to go along with it.

The team set a publication date: August 11, 2015. I was ecstatic. Sure, it was an e-book with no physical copies (and trust me, people asked about hard copies), but I was a published author! I had a signing party with several friends, complete with cards with the book cover image on it for me to sign. It was exciting. I got plenty of compliments from friends, and a few minuscule royalty checks. But my journey was far from over.