It's 1982 in Bailey Springs, Alabama, where secrets aren't just whispered—they're baked right into the biscuits.
Trudy has kept her head down since high school, when her unexpected pregnancy and marriage to star-quarterback Jimmie Beaumont scandalized the town. A few years later, after Jimmie's tragic demise, folks still haven't forgiven her and blame her for his death. Now engaged to a blue-blood politician, Haskel Moody, Trudy's back in the spotlight-especially after taking a job teaching chemistry to save his campaign for mayor.
As Trudy encounters old high-school ghosts, she also confronts Coach Shug Meechum, whose laid-back charm and infuriating grin incite more than just her frustrations. Meanwhile, Trudy's mother, Leta Pearl, has been giving some chemistry lessons of her own-slipping her mysterious love-inducing biscuits to men in town to advance her own agenda.
In Bailey Springs, football, tradition, and appearances often mean more than truth. So, when secret recipes are uncovered, and new desires collide with a long-buried tragedy, Trudy must decide if she'll play by the rules or risk everything for the life she wants.
A laugh-out-loud romp with a smidge of Southern magic, Leta Pearl's Love Biscuits confirms that true love-like the best biscuits-takes some heat to rise.
Praise for the biscuits.
An Amazon Best-selling Novel in Southern Fiction and Humorous Fiction
Named January 2026 Read of the Month by Southern Literature Review
Named one of “Five Novels Dolly Parton Fans Will Love” by BookTrib
One of Deep South Magazine’s Top Books for Fall in 2025
"Staggs weaves a story that is both deeply personal and wildly imaginative, complete with ‘love biscuits’ that may or may not have the power to change hearts."
— Vie Magazine
"Arlon Jay Staggs knocks it out of the park with a pitch-perfect southern romp full of charm, laughs, and heart. With characters it's impossible not to root for, football, and small town drama—plus a dash of magic—this story will enchant you much like Leta Pearl's biscuits themselves. I devoured every page."
— Grace Helena Walz, author of Southern by Design and Good Hair Days
“Like its namesake biscuits, Staggs’ debut is totally delicious and just a little bit magical. Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits serves up southern charm, humor, and romance. I loved every page of this delightful novel.”
— T. Greenwood, award-winning author of The Still Point, Keeping Lucy, and Two Rivers
“Leta Pearl's Love Biscuits is pure comfort food. With his uniquely refreshing voice, Arlon Jay Staggs spins a delicious story packed full of colorful characters, fun 80s throwbacks, smile-inducing one-liners, just the right touch of magic and so much heart. You'll want to savor this sweet Southern treat.”
— Sidney Karger, author of Best Men and The Bump
“Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits is a delightful DeLorean ride to the 80s. Rich with nostalgia, big-hearted characters, and a deeper message to love who you love.”
— Dana Elmendorf, GMA Buzz Pick author of Grave Birds
“In One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez showed us the magic that can be found in South America, and in Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits, Arlon Jay Staggs shows us the magic that can be found in the American South. Staggs’s heartwarming novel issues a coil of steam so entrancing it’ll make you feel as if you’ve levitated like a cartoon character. Go ahead. Let yourself float toward this delicious confection of a novel. You won’t regret it.”
— Snowden Wright, author of American Pop and The Queen City Detective Agency
“Equal parts bubbly characters, dishy scandal, 80's nostalgia, and southern charm...a delightful romp of a novel.” — Stewart Lewis, author of Happily Whatever After
“A fun, fast and flirty tale of small-town drama, complete with strong women, 80s nostalgia and a dab of southern alchemy. I ate it up!”
— Jessica Barrows Beebe, co-author of the award-winning thriller, Muddy the Water
“A witty and wise Southern charmer, Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits is comfort food for readers who don’t seek comfort food. Baked into this magical romp are sharp observations on identity, redemption, and small-town claustrophobia—every social faux pas lovingly entered into the collective memory bank. Trudy Abernathy’s quest for liberation is one Tennessee Williams might’ve dreamed up, if he’d ever eaten one of Leta Pearl’s biscuits.”
— Stephen Statler, author of Gods of Glenwood
“Leta Pearl's Love Biscuits is a radiant mix of romance, history, and Southern storytelling. Staggs captures the pulse of small-town life with striking warmth and insight. The narrative is rich with charm, humor, humanity, and just a touch of magic, making it a perfect pick for readers who crave both laughter and heart in equal measure.”
— Glenn R. Miller, award-winning author of Doorman Wanted
“With Leta Pearl’s Love Biscuits, Arlon Jay Staggs brings us a meditation on modernity versus tradition wrapped in an engaging, bright romp through a small southern town. In Trudy Abernathy, he has created a heroine who must deftly walk a tightrope between differing sensibilities – cultural, political, sexual - as a forward-looking 1982 greets age-old mores and expectations. Staggs paints his characters with vivid affection and a wry eye. Funny, touching, and relatable, Love Biscuits is a finely crafted period piece with themes and characters that are evergreen.” — Alfredo Botello, author of Spin Cycle
My debut novel is on the shelves, and I couldn’t be more excited.
Actually, that’s not true. I would be much more excited if you signed up for The Southerner’s Primer: Sweeten Your Life in 5 Days, the free and fun 5-day email course I wrote just for you.
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A short, entertaining musing on a beloved Southern tradition
A simple way to bring it into your own life
A bit of humor, heart, and storytelling along the way
And don’t worry—this isn’t a daily commitment forever. Once you’ve finished the course, I’ll send you my free monthly newsletter, Grits & Lit. Once a month, you’ll get a short, low-effort note from me—just a little something to bring a smile, a story, or a bit of Southern charm to your inbox. I’ve found it’s the best way for us to stay connected with updates on publication dates and events. I’ll never share your info with anyone else (that would be downright rude!), but I sure would appreciate it if you’d share Grits & Lit with others who’d enjoy it.