Like many in Birmingham I went to the Joshilyn Jackson signing Between, Georgia, at the Alabama Booksmith, back in July. This was about three weeks before Jackson was ARRESTED on August 10th!!!

Was Jackson a criminal mastermind? Was Jackson really a raving madperson posing as a sunday school teaching soccer mom that writes books on the side to help ends meet?
Nope. Jackson’s crime was that her “papers were not in order”.

Sounds like something from a Hogan’s Heroes episode doesn’t it?

If you want the full-drawn-out-extended-novelist version, check out Jackson’s blog Faster Than Kudzu.

The Cliffs Notes version is:
In 2005, Jackson deals with the DMV and Social Security Office to get everything changed over to her married name. But due clerical error, one winds up having her married name and the other her maiden name. Due to new laws, the name mismatch sends up a red flag for “possible terrorist”. So her license is canceled and cops are notified. Clueless, she drives around for a year. Eventually an ever-alert Powder Springs PD patrolman runs her plates, pulls her over and cuffs her on the side of the road.
After being formally charged and paying $1,083 in bail, Jackson is back loose on the street.
Now she’s collecting paperwork and battling the government to get it all corrected.

Jackson has taken all this in stride (and even enjoyed it a little I think). She says she wants to be clear that she wasn’t arrested for being a terrorist suspect. She was arrested for driving without a license, which had been canceled because of the name mismatch. And because of the new laws, police must arrest anyone that is flagged with a name mismatch. No more “officer’s discretion” is allowed.

It can get convoluted quick, can’t it?
I wonder if this will make her next book?