My Delicious Life with Paula Deen

by Michael Groover, Sherry Suib Cohen (Editor)

Overview

• The highly visible “Mr. Paula Deen”: Michael Groover has his own adoring fans, who have gotten to know him from Paula’s shows, books, and personal appearances. Now, five years into their romantic marriage, fans are clamoring for more about Michael and his everyday life with Paula. Michael has his own line of coffees and is poised to have additional products released soon..

• A compelling life story: Michael will share stories of his life from before and after meeting Paula, from his quintessentially southern childhood to his work as a tugboat captain, raising his children as a single dad, to the pleasures and challenges of marrying one of the nation’s biggest celebrities. .

• Delicious recipes: Michael is pretty good in the kitchen himself, and My Delicious Life with Paula Deen will feature some of his favorites, such as Captain’s Deviled Crabs and Blue Water Banana Pudding. .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476747354
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	05/18/2013
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Michael Groover is a tugboat pilot in Savannah, Georgia, where he lives with his wife, Paula Deen.

Sherry Suib Cohen has written twenty-one books for major publishers and was a contributing editor at McCall's, Rosie, New Woman, and Lifetime magazines. She regularly writes for periodicals, including Parade, Family Circle, Redbook, Reader's Digest, and Ladies' Home Journal. Cohen is an award-winning member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and lives with her husband, Larry, in New York City. She makes a great soup.

Read an Excerpt

Prologue

Miss Paula Deen came into my life bringin' blue eyes, beamin' smiles, balance, and butter — no end of the butter.

All of those great things arrived in one pretty package and standin' on the most gorgeous legs you ever did see.

But among all the kick-ass gifts that Paula gave me, a beautiful balance was the most life changing. Up until we married, my days were spent on local waters, lonely but livin' and workin' at the job of my dreams as a harbor pilot in Savannah, Georgia. It was a wonderful life and all I ever wanted, all I needed.

I thought.

What I never gave a thought to was seein' the Eiffel Tower, zippin' through a jungle along a sturdy sky-high cable, wonderin' how it was to have people ask me for my autograph, bein' the owner of a classic, bright orange, muscle car, hangin'out with Billy Joel, havin' close friends of every race, religion, and sexual persuasion the good Lord made, marryin' and cookin' on television with one of the most famous television cooks on the planet, and then, goin' home with her and curlin' up in our giant bed for a little inspired romance. Inspired by the cook, I might add. That fabulous, adorable cook.

Paula brought the most vivid colors you can imagine into a happy life of mostly soft ocean blues and cloudy-day grays bordered by sameness. The eggy yellows, steaming reds, hot oranges, peacock blues of the whole world suddenly opened up to me. Fame and fortune and good fellowship came to balance a very quiet life. Nothing has ever been the same again.

There have been some bumps, of course. What couple gets through life without a bump now and then? There were also some pretty damn embarrassin' moments, and I'm thankin' the Lord that, knowin' Paula, there weren't a whole lot more.

So, if you've ever wondered how delicious it is to marry a celebrated but also good, funny, smart, and sassy person whom the whole world loves, climb aboard with me. T here's some interestin' sailin' ahead. Copyright © 2009 by Captain Michael Enterprises, LLC

Foreword

by Paula Deen

Hi y'all,

Listen: I felt like it was my place to introduce the world to my Captain Michael Groover. And, of course, I also felt that maybe I need to do a little groundwork to help prepare y'all for that meetin'.

Michael's not old — he's only fifty-three, but he's a true ol' Southern river boy. Now, ol' Southern river boys may be a little rough around the edges, and so, I want you to be prepared. His language and his jokes may be a little like the water we live on — salty — and he can also be rough and gruff and bawdy at times.

But when times are hard, Michael Groover will make the best friend that y'all could ever hope to have in this world.

I fell in love with this salty sea captain. And I guess you could say the first thing I fell in love with was his sense of humor: very dry and very witty.

Michael Groover made me laugh and he makes me laugh every day of my life. He brought laughter and joy into a personal life that was very sad at the time I met him. I will always love him for that.

So get ready to meet this rough-gruff-on-the-outside man who's a teddy bear on the inside. I think by the time you finish this book, you'll know why I fell in love with Captain Michael and why I will love the man until the day I die. Copyright © 2009 by Captain Michael Enterprises, LLC