The longer I live, the more I believe in and appreciate the power of women to transform lives, to nurture the future, to demonstrate that strength and gentleness are not mutually exclusive. Not that I don’t adore men. I absolutely do–not only do I treasure the ones in my life and thank them for how they enrich it, but I just like the male sex in general. Writing great heroes and falling in love with every one of them has been one of the very best parts of being a romance writer. In my women’s fiction debut, THE GODDESS OF FRIED OKRA, the roles women can play in the lives of other women are a crucial element in the narrative. Eudora “Pea” O’Brien desperately misses the sister who raised her and feels the need for Sister’s forgiveness. Because she so badly wants a do-over, she decides to gamble on Sister’s belief in reincarnation. In the hope of somehow finding the new body in which Sister resides, Pea hits the road with everything she owns in a beat-up sedan. Pea may miss Sister greatly, but that doesn’t mean she’s the type to sit around and wallow in self-pity. No, she charges…