The good news: I’m writing a book! The bad news: Southern Scene is going on hiatus, but only for a little while.

The state of South Jersey? It’s one of the many almost-states Michael J. Trinklein writes about in his new book, Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania and Other States that Never Made It.

Looking for a spring play fling? Check out Class by NJ native Charles Evered, premiering in Cape May on May 15.

The owners of a star on the Philadelphia dining scene hope to make a splash down the Shore. They’re opening the Diving Horse, a BYO, in Avalon this summer.

Between phantom knitters in West Cape May and a possible new pirate ghost ship in Wildwood, mysterious things are afoot down the Shore.

With the last blast of winter behind us (we hope), Rowan University is throwing a blast of its own to welcome spring.

It figures that I escape to St. Pete Beach, Florida, for a vacation, and the Jersey Shore follows me. The restaurant at my beachfront motel? Wildwood BBQ & Burger.

Cape May County may be a resort area, but it’s also home to numerous residents who have been affected by the recession. A new meal center is opening in May to help feed the Shore poor.

The Jersey Shore endurance sport community has lost two leaders this year: Matt McCulley and George Boscarino.

If you haven’t broken your New Year’s diet resolution yet, this might be the final straw: Atlantic City is holding its annual Restaurant Week from February 28 to March 6.

It doesn’t look like the white stuff is going away any time soon, so if you need a dose of spring early, check out the best of South Jersey’s gardens at the Philadelphia International Flower Show from February 28 to March 7.

Put your baking skills to the test at Iron Cupcake, a baking challenge that will raise money for earthquake relief in Haiti.

Despite blizzard conditions that crippled much of South Jersey, one train kept running through the storm.

Can a major tennis event help pull Atlantic City out of its economic doldrums? We’ll find out on April 10, when tennis pros from yesterday and today convene at Boardwalk Hall for the first Caesars Tennis Classic.

Here’s a tradition to toast. This weekend, Los Amigos, a Mexican/southwestern restaurant in the Camden County town of Berlin, is hosting its annual Tequila Dinner.

What better way to celebrate winter than with chili and ice sculpting?

If you’re on a green bent for the New Year, sign up for RecycleBank.com. You’ll earn rewards and discounts to South Jersey merchants, and you’ll keep a lot of junk out of landfills at the same time.

Already dreading Valentine’s Day? No need to sit at home with a tub of rocky road. HeartAC has something for everyone, whether you have a Valentine or not.

If you haven’t completely gorged on post-holiday sales, head to Haddonfield for an untraditional sidewalk sale.

Two feet of snow? Not entirely amusing.

My mother is in the middle of a home renovation. But instead of chucking the old stuff, we loaded up her truck and headed to the Re-Store in Pennsauken.

If you’re cleaning out your linen closet this holiday season, or ditching the toys that your dog sniffs at (in a snooty way), Cape May’s Billmae Cottage is seeking animal-friendly donations for its annual Animal Giving Tree.

If you’re cleaning out your linen closet this holiday season, or ditching the toys that your dog sniffs at (in a snooty way), Cape May’s Billmae Cottage is seeking animal-friendly donations for its annual Animal Giving Tree.

Flying Fish has built a buzz crafting beers named after New Jersey Turnpike exits. Now the brewery wants your help naming its next batch of off-ramp inspired concoctions.

Haddonfield is aglow this time of year with Friday-night lights – and holiday deals.

Next time someone makes a crack about New Jersey, point that person to Money magazine. In its annual Best Places to Live report, the magazine says nine of the top ten towns with cleanest air in the U.S. are in South Jersey.

Hoping to avoid the Black Friday shopping crush? The Holiday Studio sale at WheatonArts and Cultural Center can help.

A new podcast series serves as tour guide on a trip through historical Gloucester County.

Can a new fitness center kick-start Rutgers-Camden’s push for more on-campus residents?

You can’t split the state into North and South Jersey by I-195, says Steve Chernoski, producer of New Jersey: The Movie. And you can’t divide N.J.-based Yankees and Phillies fans by that highway either.

New Jersey farmers are harvesting a bumper cranberry crop this year. One unique way to get your share of the antioxidant-packed berries is with a glass of cranberry wine.

On Sunday, I ran the first annual Asbury Park Relay Marathon. For a new race, it has a lot of potential—but we could do without the Nor’easter next year.

Summer’s glories might be gone, but now’s the best beach season for our four-legged friends.

You gobbled up fresh Jersey corn all summer, right? Now it’s time for maze season. One of our favorite places to enjoy the cornfields is Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill, where the maze is open through November 1.

Looking for something to do with the kids this weekend? Check out the Faeries and Wizards Family Festival at the Camden Children’s Garden.

I’m a regular at the Collingswood Farmer’s Market, but I can’t be there every Saturday. Last weekend, the Mill City Market in Minneapolis hit the local foods spot while on vacation.

Thursday marks the halfway point to St. Patrick’s Day. Three South Jersey festivals are set to celebrate.

It’s fall running season. To make his 5k race stand out among the hundreds of races this season, a South Jersey library director is offering a challenge – and is spreading word about that challenge on YouTube.

Flying Fish offers free tours of its craft brewery in Cherry Hill—if you can find it.

Author Ben Miller has turned his love of Cape May into book, just in time for the town’s 400th birthday.

In April, I wrote about not planting a garden because of my black thumb. An unexpected visitor changed my mind for me.

A recent report says that Jersey Diners are in trouble. Hopefully, places like the Red Lion in Southampton can hang on. After a long day down the Shore, it was the perfect rest stop.

Doing a summer clean out? You can bring your used books, CDs, DVDs, and videos to the Haddonfield Public Library. It’s almost time for their annual mega book sale.

You don’t always need to go to great lengths for a dose of rest and relaxation. Sometimes, you can find it just down the block.

Morey’s Piers are synonymous with Wildwood. It’s not a Wildwood summer without a day on their rides, and they’re all Morey’s. A new book shows how the still family-run company came to rule the boardwalk.

Franklin Square in Philadelphia is not what it used to be. PATCO is re-opening a long shuttered train station because of it.

That cute little lawn gnome who shills for Travelocity is on a nationwide tour this summer. His last landing spot: Atlantic City.

The Atlantic City Food & Wine Festival hits the beach next weekend. Come hungry.

Bill and Connie Fisher didn’t plan on expanding the Pop Shop, their popular Collingswood Doo Wop-style eatery, in a bad economy.  But the restaurant they opened in 2005 (which has won a few “Best of Jersey” awards from this magazine) had gotten too popular for its downtown space.

Taking up running this summer, or jumping off the treadmill for a road race? Here are some tips on how to stay cool in hot and humid Jersey.

Tomatoes, blueberries, corn, and peaches are rolling in off Jersey farms. Here’s what to preserve for winter, and how.

Celebrate a bounty of Jersey freshness at the Gloucester County 4-H Fair and NJ Peach Festival. It’ll knock the socks off anything shipped to your grocery story from California.

Saving cash this summer by staying close to home? The folks at Visit South Jersey Tourism have compiled a great list of 20 frugal finds in our neck of the woods.

Looking for a romance novel to keep you anchored to your beach chair? We checked out six books by Jersey authors for your beach bag’s consideration.

Do you like seafood? This week you can get it fresh and local—at a fixed price—in South Jersey.

Gas prices are creeping up again. Looking to cut down on your drive time? Check out driveless.com, a South Jersey website that outlines auto alternatives.

Visiting Battleship New Jersey is always a fun time. But if you’re into good craft beers, it’s a must-do on Saturday when it plays host to the thirteenth-annual Garden State Beer Festival.

Does your pup shag tennis balls like a pro? Think fetch is an earth-bound version of heaven? Then he or she might be the perfect companion to see the Camden Riversharks on June 27 at Campbell’s Field.

In February, I took a ride with other media folks on ACES, the new NYC to Atlantic City luxury express train. It was a nice trip. But would it be the same experience for a regular Jane Doe on a summer Friday afternoon? Not exactly.

Pay close attention next time you’re watching a Philadelphia Phillies game. The music you hear between innings might just be some cool tunes from a South Jersey band.

Mark your calendars: the Camden County concert series is starting up for the summer – meaning free entertainment for you.

The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend was not for sleeping in—at least not for the 500 participants in the second annual Sea Isle City Tri for our Veterans.

Michele Gillian was so amped up that she could barely catch her breath – Ocean City has been named top beach in the state.

The Chalfonte Hotel in Cape May was known for its lack of air conditioning and in-room bathrooms. A lot of people liked it that way, but progress finally caught up with the old gal, and she’s ready for a modern audience.

There’s a new website focusing on eco tourism in South Jersey that even lets you spread the word about your own favorite outdoor spots in the region.

Looking for a good deal? The Lord & Taylor at the Moorestown Mall now has a catch-all department for multiple Lord & Taylor clearance racks. It’s a real bargain hot spot.

Now that Oprah has bestowed her approval on Twitter.com, the messaging service is taking off. Looking for South Jersey folks to follow?

I had all the items in my purse that I usually took to a book signing: wallet, phone, Sharpie, tissues, lip balm. There was one new addition: hand sanitizer.  H1N1 had come to South Jersey.

Did this week’s spree of high temperatures get you thinking of summer? For me, summer means getting reacquainted with my local farmer’s market.

The steamy weather last weekend brought me to a place that I rarely use but often worry about: my backyard.

It takes a chef to cut to the bone of the economy.

Robert Minniti didn’t look like he belonged on stage. The chef/owner of Bacio Italian Cuisine (baciorestaurant.com) in Cinnaminson and president of SJ Hot Chefs (sjhotchefs.com), a group of independent restaurants that pool resources to market themselves, was part of a five-person panel on the big bad topic of “the economy” at the recent Rutgers-Camden Quarterly Business Outlook.

You can welcome spring this weekend with something old and something new on the South Jersey festival circuit.

John Howard-Fusco believes South Jersey “always gets the short end of the stick.” So he and wife Lisa decided to do something about it.

Megan A. Perry’s story is a tragic one—but one that is worth retelling as we move into summer party time.

“Cute dog!” a runner said as he passed my dog and me on our evening walk.

It’s not always good news when a favorite dining spot revamps, but this story has a happy ending.

A minor league baseball team and a beloved music festival are South Jersey’s latest recession casualties.

Why would anyone spend a Sunday morning running in the rain? I don’t know, but I, along with over 800 others, did just that for the Ocean Drive Marathon and 10-miler this past Sunday.

With Easter just around the corner, here’s a tip: Skip the drug store this year. South Jersey is dripping in hand-made, oh-so-sweet chocolate.

Miss the jingle of coins hitting the tray of a slot machine? Retro slots are back -- in a small part of Atlantic City.

End of the world scenarios? Bring it on, says one Burlington Township resident, who has made comics and heroes and the end of the world his specialty.

Ever since Warren and Andrea Kantor built a gaudy marble-sided summer home in Avalon, they’ve been a source of town ire and shame. So who’s going to buy their indulgence now that it’s for sale? If you’ve got $12.9 million, it could be yours.

The economy might be in the tank, but New Jersey’s still got at least one growing industry: farming. That’s great news for anyone who knows the joy of “Jersey Fresh.”

Atlantic City casinos are doing whatever they can to draw in customers. It would probably be smart if they avoided offending anyone in the process.

Could dinner at a chain stack up to an independent restaurant meal? There is no simple answer.

Jersey Shore lobbyists start your engines: The annual best beaches survey is about to begin.

Atlantic City is looking for a shot in the arm. You’re looking for a deal on a meal. That adds up to AC’s first restaurant week, which takes place March 1 through 7.

The ACES train is a snazzy ride from New York City to Atlantic City. But can it prop up flailing city?

The PATCO High Speed Line just turned 40. But is this South Jersey commuter train on a track toward golden years or a mid-life crisis?