Join us for a special book launch celebration with acclaimed Georgia author Lauretta Hannon as she introduces her newest release, “A Priest Walks into a Waffle House: Stories from a Gritty, Grace-Filled Life. “ The author will provide a short presentation and reading from her book. She will offer a special gift to the first 20 people who purchase the book at this event; she will be available for book signings.
The book is on sale at both Georgia’s Rome Welcome Center and Gift Shop locations.
This event will be held in Downtown Rome at the Broadview Event Venue, located above the Rome Area History Center and the Downtown Welcome Center and Gift Shop. Map
Waffle House Attire Encouraged! Wear something that represents Waffle House to you—funny, nostalgic, or creative. Costume props are welcome, but no real weapons, please.
About the Book
There’s more to Lauretta Hannon’s life and work than just laughs. A lot more,” says Paul Moses of V3 Magazine. “There’s a sort of therapeutic magic in the things she does. It’s medicinal merriment. Her words and style were forged in the crucible of a common human experience: pain. The exuberance rises from—and is tempered by—suffering. That is the bonding factor between herself and her followers. With a pithy economy of words, often hilarious, always poignant, Hannon invites her readers to identify with her as she encourages them to keep on trying.”
In this era of unprecedented division and distraction, we’ve lost the ability to recognize the goodness all around us. But it doesn’t have to be that way. From the acclaimed author of The Cracker Queen: A Memoir of a Jagged, Joy-Filled Life comes a cheeky spiritual memoir with an audacious message of hope.
In this collection of stories, Hannon shows that joy can arise from the deepest abyss; that everyone is designed with purpose and hardwired for restoration; and that love and peace are entirely warranted and possible. This is because grace abounds where we often miss it: in the grittiness of life.
Consider this book as a bit of story medicine for fraught times. A tonic that will actually make you feel better. And though it openly rebels against our collective despair, it never sugarcoats reality. The humor and the heartbreak flow in equal measure. The book ends with an instruction manual on how to become a “Real Radical” in a groaning world. This guide aims to point you to a place of personal peace, good cheer, and loving perspective—no matter what.
Born from a supernatural encounter in a Waffle House, this is ostensibly a story of the author’s eventual, fitful, and comical conversion to Catholicism. But it is more than that. It is part tender meditation, part war cry, and a rollicking good time for readers of any faith or no faith.
“Lauretta Hannon has a rare gift for finding grace exactly where life feels most human: messy, funny, tender, and true. Her stories are offered with wit, compassion, and an unflinching eye for the holy hiding in plain sight.” —Lisa C. Williams, author and philanthropist
Lauretta Hannon is a TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and writing teacher. Crowned “The Funniest Woman in Georgia” by Southern Living, she’s been a commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered, and her work has been featured in many national media outlets. Learn more about her at laurettahannon.com.
Showcase Details
REGISTER NOW
Date: October 3, 2026
Location: Historic Downtown Rome, GA (during Fiddlin’ Fest)
Entry Fee: $25
Artist Check-in & Canvas Stamping: 8:00 AM at Rome Area History Center (305 Broad Street) View Map
Painting Deadline: 12:00 PM
Questions? Kristi Kent — 706-295-5576 | 
kkent@romega.us