by

Lucy Middleton Clark

At age 80, Delightfully Southern Recipes publisher Lucy M. Clark is far from retired. With more than 27,000 cookbooks in print and another 10,000 on the way, she and 82-year-old husband, Lamar, are selling cookbooks full-time.

“I spend Monday through  Friday at home, maintaining my books and making phone calls,” said Clark. "Some times, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, we leave our Cordele, Georgia, home and hit the road.” With boxes of books in the trunk, Lucy and Lamar are their own distribution center; week after week and month after month, the couple travel around the south, calling on existing accounts and discovering new ones.

A former secretary, Ms. Clark uses wire-bound notebooks— in supplement to her computer system—to keep herself and her business organized. Categorized by city and state, these notebooks contain names of the many bookstores, pharmacies, museums, visitors’ centers, and gift shops that carry her cookbook.

Having “never sold anything before,” Ms. Clark claims to have learned everything along the way. She also credits Publishing Coordinator Jamaine Bell for imparting the following words of wisdom: “If you have confidence in the book and love working with people, you will do well.”

At the insistence of her children, Ms. Clark started her cookbook in the early 90’s. Working only in her spare time, Delightfully Southern Recipes took nearly 10 years to complete. Printed in January of 2001, the book was reprinted in August of the same year, and then again in April of 2002.

In more than 300 pages, Ms. Clark shares a lifetime of recipes and a collection of motivational quotes, such as...

• Like Interests do not establish the strongest unity between people, but rather, Like Faith.
  
• Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.
  
• The important thing is not to win, but to be worthy of winning

When asked about her up-and-coming fifth printing, Ms. Clark admits to being a bit overwhelmed by the thought of 10,000 books. “But, more than anything,” said Ms. Clark, “I just feel fortunate to be able to handle such a task at my age.
It’s so much fun.”

To quote the author, Lucy M. Clark: "At 80 years of age, I have a treasured collection of Delightfully Southern Recipes shared with me by relatives and friends. My inspiration to put my recipes into book form came from my children who frequently reminded me "Mama, if you don't write this down, we will not know how to do it".

Don't miss the joy of experiencing, and especially sharing dishes like Frozen Fruit Slush, Smoked Chicken (or Turkey) and White Bean Soup, Grandma's Easy Chicken Dumplings, Chicken Casserole Delight, Garlic Roasted Vegetables, and Peach Aspic or Sweet Potato Congealed Salad. Top off your meal with a delicious dessert like Frozen Lemon Cheesecake (light), Crunchy Cobbler, or Heavenly Chocolate-Cherry Cake.

Recipes
by

Lucy Middleton Clark

$18.95