The main character in “Bastards” is Avery Smith, Amanda’s younger sister who is beautiful, rebellious, and definitely has always been the black sheep of the family. She was conspicuously absent during Amanda’s troubles and has returned home to stir up some of her own!

She’s one of those women who has just an absolutely STUPID effect on men. Good, bad, married, single, successful, not so much- doesn’t matter, she has the same effect on them all. She crosses paths with some old ones, meets new ones, and trouble follows everywhere this angel goes!!!!

I’ve had many people ask me in the last 5 days if I think it will work. I think anything is possible!! I had REALLY good parents – 4 to be exact (unlike most people who only get 2) and I believed them when they told me I could do anything I set my mind to!! Sometimes I can almost hear them thinking, “OMG, she bought it, what now??” because they’ve seen me take on some pretty unlikely things. I definitely think it’s possible, mainly because, if this petition IS heard, it would be right in step with the entire journey GCB has taken from the beginning and would be yet another miracle. Let me tell you how we got here, for those of you who do not know, and you’ll see how many unheard of blessings and miracles there have been along the way.

In November of 2007 I decided to write a book. I had recently worked through a crisis of faith – the only one I’d ever had in my life. My faith was one of the biggest gifts my family had given me and I had always relied on it for everything. The worst thing that has ever happened to our family was on March 1, 2003 when Lauren, my now 15 year old, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Even then, I didn’t feel abandoned by God and asked Him to show us what we were supposed to do with this diagnosis other than just manage her care because I refused to believe that was the only purpose of her being stricken with this horrible disease. Not even my daughter’s health crisis caused me to question God. When I got to the other side of my GCB experience and realized how challenged my faith had been during that time and realized that with all my knowledge and experience with Christian people and a strong faith that even I had given up on God, I knew there were so many others out there, many not as fortunate to have had a similar foundation, who had made or were making the same mistake I had. I had blamed GOD for human error. I had blamed GOD for human shortcomings- these weren’t HIS failings, they were human failings, but I was blaming God because these were “His people”, yet God had nothing to do with it. My blame was misplaced. Who knew how many out there had done the same and not made it to the other side as I had? I felt so strongly that I needed to highlight this subject and try to make it funny, not preachy, so it would appeal to more people. People who had been so hurt and so turned off by Christians they wouldn’t dream of picking up a book considered to be a “Christian book”. In calling a spade a spade, as I am so well-known to friends and family for doing, I knew that to me, the difference between a good Christian woman and a good Christian bitch was intent, and as most people turned off by either organized religion or Christians in general was because they had been somehow hurt by one or both, so the title was non-negotiable for me, although disapproved of by many whose approval I had always very eagerly sought.

I had never written a book- I didn’t know the first thing about it- but somehow one by one, God put the right people in my path and I had a self-published book within a year. No one was more surprised than my own family! I can still here my 3 younger brothers teasing me as usual and saying, “What do you mean, you wrote a book? We weren’t sure you could read!!!”

I had made many media friends over the years. The timing was such that I either heard from (because they had heard about the book) or ran into every media friend I’d ever made when this book was first released. As more and more was reported about the book, the more and more inquiries I began to get from very successful and respectable entertainment types in LA regarding a TV series or movie based on GCB. The more I spoke with and the more I met with, the more confused I became. I called a very old and very dear friend for advice, Rosemary East Hygate, who has worked as a very personal assistant to some very impressive A-list actors over the last 20 years and she was kind enough to once again, put me in touch with the right people that would once again, move the project forward. When I would call Rosi in LA from Dallas, Nashville, South Carolina- wherever I was living over the years- I would always get a mental picture of Rosi sitting cross-legged on a cloud in silk pajamas waiting to share her wisdom. Once again, she came through!!

After Rosi introduced me to the amazing Fred Gaines, my attorney I fondly refer to as “Super Fred” because he can do anything, I found myself with something that many people who have worked hard and been very successful in the entertainment business still can’t manage to obtain- a great agent!! A real agent from one of the best and oldest agencies there is, and I have one why, exactly? Because once again, the right person was put in my path. Laurie worked hard at getting me and GCB in front of the right person to take it to the next level. One of the meetings she arranged for me was with none other than the very talented and very brilliant Darren Star. It was astounding to me to think I’d even gotten to meet with Darren, that he would have even heard of my book, and when  he chose to option GCB, it was yet again, another miracle of the right people being involved at the right time.

When Darren arranged the deal for GCB with ABC, once again it was surreal and I couldn’t believe it was happening, but once again, the right person was there for the right reason to move forward. Everything Darren did and everyone he recruited to be part of the team was- now you’re getting it- a miracle and I continued to remain in awe. I couldn’t have been more pleased and proud of what he had done and consider the whole process from beginning to end, nothing short of a miracle.

So when people ask me what I think – do I think it’s possible that Randy’s petition gets the attention of anyone at ABC, I have to say that anything is possible and if it were to be reconsidered and get someone’s attention at ABC, it would really make the whole story come full-circle because it was another one of many very important miracles because this whole process was just one miracle after another and I’m a very firm believer in miracles!!

As long as you believe!!!

XXOO

GCB will not be returning to ABC for a second season:(  We were all shocked and disappointed, as you can imagine, and I feel like it was a tough decision for them to make, as we got word at the 11th hour last Friday. After being hailed as the show to replace the departing “Desperate Housewives”, I’m sure you can imagine it was a huge disappointment for many.  I will always be eternally grateful to all those amazing people who shared their time and incredible talent  to do the things they did with this show! I was very proud of everyone and really appreciate all the heart and soul they all put into it.

I feel so blessed and fortunate to have had Aaron Kaplan, Darren Star, and Charles Pugliese to have been the ones to take me on this incredible journey – GCB could never have been in better hands!! I love you guys and will always keep very special places in my heart for you!!!!!

I know there’s purpose in everything and often we certainly can’t see or even imagine what that purpose is supposed to be, but that’s where faith comes in, takes over, and has to lead the way. I know God didn’t bring us this far to drop us in the grease!! He has proven again and again to have an extraordinary sense of humor at times….. (ahem) but that wouldn’t EVEN be funny and therefore I refuse to accept that a cruel joke is part of His plan. Thank God I believe in a loving and merciful God!!!

So “Good Christian Bastards” is in search of a publisher and “Little Bitches,” a sort of prequel to GCB, is well underway and so far is my favorite – mostly because it’s focus is on a troubled youth and it’s a really wild ride!! I hope you’ll stay close and be around for these future endeavors as your support means so much!!!

Many Thanks to all you loyal GCB fans!!!

Kim

When Amanda goes with Pastor Tudor to “spy” on what’s going on at Pastor Steve’s church, they’re immediately caught by Pastor Steve and in trying to help Pastor Tudor save face, Amanda announces they’re looking for a new font for the church bulletin and that’s what they’re doing there but when Pastor Steve mentions they’re preparing for their big church musical and mentions he’s sure their church is doing the same to celebrate the big 65th anniversary celebration the church is surely preparing for, Amanda chimes in and mentions they indeed ARE  preparing for a new church musical that will rival Pastor Steve’s production he’s doing at his church. Problem is… their church wasn’t planning anything but a potluck at Fellowship Hall not a musical for the church’s 65th anniversary so they had to get busy and Pastor Tudor is horrified knowing they don’t even have a script.

Amanda assigns herself the job of producer/director and has Heather dig up a play that together they won an award for in high school, so Heather assists and has a writer’s credit. They have a casting call that gets ugly when Jesus can’t be a Siamese twin so Carlene and Cricket can share the role and as expected, one of them isn’t happy and naturally, it’s Cricket. As a bribe, Cricket had offered better production equipment than the church would’ve ever been able to afford in exchange for the lead role but Amanda knows Carlene’s right for the part. When audition results are posted and Carlene has the lead and Crickets gets the role of the leper, Cricket pulls out of the production WITH her equipment and quits. Days into rehearsal, Pastor Steve comes to visit the rehearsal and Amanda can see Pastor Tudor’s embarrassed for them and knows he’s lost another round to his rival. She realizes they have to have more than a bare bones production for Pastor Tudor to save face with Pastor Steve so she goes to Cricket to beg her back to the show with the lead role in exchange for her contribution. This is classic behavior from the “old Amanda” and Cricket calls her out on it. When Amanda tells Carlene she’s no longer the Holy Spirit, Carlene calls her out on her old behavior, too, and then blackmails Heather as the creator of the play into rewriting it so the leper’s the lead and the Holy Spirit does nothing but hover in her harness, mum, through the whole production.

In the midst of all this, Sharon has gone to Gigi to ask her to make her one of the legendary “Stopper Girls”, the girls who won all the pageants under Gigi’s direction after Amanda left for California and Gigi had too much time on her hands. She coaches Sharon and has no idea this isn’t just a vanity project and that the Peacham’s really need the income. When Gigi sees Sharon isn’t selling any “Losing It With Jesus” meals and runs off the set in tears, locking herself in her dressing room, Gigi goes to her admitting she left out the most important part of Sharon’s makeover- her heart. She tells her to just go out there and “be herself” because Sharon has confessed to Gigi that the car dealership is in real trouble and they really need this additional income. Gigi then confesses that she developed the legendary “Stopper Girls” to save face from Amanda running off to California and so she could feel she wasn’t a failure with young girls, in general. Sharon goes back out to sell her meals more as Sharon than someone else and sells 500 of them!! She’s thrilled with the reslutls until Gigi points out that she’s sold 500 meal plans- 3 meals a day plus 2 snacks. Not just 500 meals. But Sharon is up for the task since it will save her family from financial ruin.

Carlene has decided to offer Heather an exclusive on her “Condos For Christian Living” which is a very lucrative contract but has also threatened to take away any other business Heather currently has of Carlene’s if she refuses to rewrite the play, which Heather immediately does. When Heather comes in with the new version, Amanda is very upset and doesn’t see how Heather can bend to Carlene’s threats when Heather points out that’s exactly what Amanda’s done with Cricket. Heather also points out that Amanda was always used to being at the top of the totem pole and that the other girls’ claws had to come out just to hang on and Amanda starts to see that old behavior is harder to correct than she had originally thought. The girls start accusing each other, finally blame Amanda for wanting to do this church production in order to be in control of all of them again and put them in their places and Amanda loses her temper and calls them all losers. When they all leave mad, Amanda walks in on Pastor Tudor praying, asking God to forgive him for being prideful and so competitive with Pastor Steve and tells Amanda this is all actually HIS fault and that he’s to blame, not her, and that he’s calling off the show and going back to the potluck. Amanda insists it’s her fault and asks for his counsel on how to make up to these women she hurt so deeply and he tells her it start with forgiving herself first then hopefully they, too, can forgive her. She disagrees with that being all there is to it, says she needs to go back to that hurtful place for them and takes the day off.

When Carlene, Cricket and Heather find themselves in the Hillside High parking lot lured by an invitation only, private Neiman Marcus sale, they arrive to find they’re the only ones there until Amanda appears in her old cheerleading uniform. Sharon arrives last and is a little out of the loop but catches on quickly then is offended to know Amanda includes her in this exercise as she was a beautiful, popular girl, too. Then Amanda reminds her she told the pageant judges that Sharon wasn’t a virgin and cost her the Miss Texas title and she almost relents when Sharon pushes her over the edge by telling her she reduced her son to one line in the church musical.  She states the uniform is symbolic and the only way they’ll be able to start forgiving her is with a little symbolic mud slinging of their own and she gets them all to participate, gladly. They all decide to finally put their pasts behind them and head to the church to get the production going again as not to let down Pastor Tudor.

Upon arriving back at the church, they are stunned to find the rehearsal in full swing. Blake and Ripp had taken over in their wives absences and had seen that the show would go on. When the girls reappear, they have to make amends to their husbands and the congregation in order to be let back into all of their good graces and get their parts back. Cricket allows Carlene to be the Holy Spirit like Amanda had originally cast and the show goes on. Everyone is delighted, Pastor Steve is very impressed, Pastor Tudor is beaming with pride and as Carlene is singing the closing number and hoisted to fly in the sanctuary, Amanda and Heather remember the harness was calibrated for Crickets weight. It’s too late and Carlene goes flying wildly around the sanctuary before crashing through the stained glass. The audience jumps to its feet in applause. Pastor Tudor notes that he doesn’t normally care for clapping in church but this was an exception. Amanda is resigned to turning in her clipboard in the morning and resigning and Pastor won’t hear of it. He insists she go out and take a bow with the rest of the cast and right as she does, the Cockburns and the Reilly’s come together in front of her to take their bows. Things are already back to normal in the neighborhood. I personally loved the message behind this one- we’ve all choked on our own pride more than a few times and it’s always great when it can be resolved this easily!!

Sharon is taking care of business- at work and at home.

Amanda isn’t about to let the “Texas Good Ole Boys Network” make her daughter, Laura, think they can do anything she can’t.

Ripp is having a hard time staying ahead of Carlene.

Cricket has an unwanted suitor, unbeknownst to Blake.

Heather meets a new man….

Watch the promo below!

We warmly welcome you to the original and official web site for “Good Christian Bitches”, the book the new ABC show “GCB” is based on. Here, you will be delighted to find:

GCB NEWS… not rumor, not speculation, not spin from the naysayers. Visit here first when you want it straight from the source.

RECAPS AND SNEAK PEEKS…. Each week we’ll recap Sunday night’s episode and get a glimpse into the following week because many are doing it… some do it very badly, some do it very well, but we’ll consistently do it like no one else because we know it like no one else.

THE INSIDER’S PAGE…. of who, what, where, when, why and often… how!

A SACRED PAGE…. to hold those lively discussions we were hoping to have by publishing the book in the first place.

We’re SO glad you’re here…… Diamond crosses and Loubi’s are optional but encouraged…..

With Big Bitchy Love,

Kim Gatlin

1) Are any of the characters actual people you know and if so, who are they?

No. I’ve said repeatedly that I was tempted to make it obvious it was someone all my friends knew but I knew if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to do anything worthwhile from my own experience which was the whole point of doing the book. In other words, had I done that, I wouldn’t be behaving any better than the people I was highlighting. All the characters are a blend of a half dozen people so no one could look at one character and say with certainty, “oh, that’s so and so”, but it hasn’t kept people from doing that. From the same small group of women that would’ve made for great characters in the book, there was a lot of pot stirring, trying to convince certain people they were certain characters. One of my mom’s best friends, Carolyn W, is just an awesome lady and knows exactly who she is. One meddler went to her and tried to convince her she was in the book when it first came out. She knew better but was still curious as part of the problem had been this person was VERY experienced in these reindeer games and could be quite persuasive at times. Carolyn read the book and was able to immediately respond with, “I read that book and I’m not in it.” What a novel concept…. no pun intended.

2) Are you Amanda?

No, I think we all have a lot of Amanda in us, especially those of us who are single Moms. I think of Amanda as the person we all would like to be and try to be before we get out of bed in the morning- until we have to face how human we really are throughout our day. Amanda’s pretty perfect and someone I think we could all aspire to be like. Her character was again a blend of my own experiences and also a couple of my close friends while they were going through their divorces.

3) How much are Gigi and your Mom alike?

More so in the show than the book. In the book I made Gigi a chain-smoking ace golfer so no one could even remotely try to make her my mother. My mother doesn’t smoke and is working on her golf game. We are very close and very dear friends like Amanda and Gigi are on the show but because I didn’t want people to try and make me Amanda I had to make her mother very different from mine, too.

4) Which jeweler did the cross Carlene wears in the show?

The cross Carlene wears in almost every episode is a Jude Frances design and can be found at judefrances.com along with many other beautiful pieces. They’ve graciously provided jewelry for many things GCB and we love Jude and Frances!!! They also have Jude Frances jewelry at Neiman Marcus… what a shock!!!

5) Are you a Christian? Yes I am. I was born and raised in a Christian home and have raised my children in a Christian home. I’ve been a member of Highland Park Presbyterian Church since 1983 and the church nor my church family had ANYTHING at all to do with any of the experiences I wrote about in “GCB”. Since they were my home church, it seemed logical (at the time) to make the fictitious Hillside Park have a beautiful, grand, monumental church like the one I loved and I named it Hillside Park Presbyterian. I felt like I was doing the right thing by using my own denomination, never thinking they might experience any backlash or being perceived as anything other than the wonderful church community they are. Call it inexperience, naivete, whatever you like, but that’s my only big regret with GCB is that my church home was thought to be a hostile environment because it is very loving, warm, and welcoming.

6) Who was your stylist on the “Dallas Hotel Magazine” photo shoot?

The very fabulous and talented Cristen Swearingin. She’s amazing and is at Salon Lucien in Preston Center in Dallas.

Send in any questions you have and I’ll answer what I can… just email kim (at) goodchristianbitches.com