Blackville, S.C. author Mary Beth Gibson; Aiken,
S.C. author Steve Gordy; Challenge Center Director and North, S.C. author Sandra
Sigmon; Barnwell, S.C. author Ron Baxley, Jr.; North resident and author Sandra
Barnes; and Aiken author Candace Carter hold their books behind one of the
tables at the Inaugural Authors Across the River event Saturday, Dec. 14 at The
Challenge Center on 4583 Savannah Hwy. in North, South Carolina. They gave
presentations about their books and signed books for an audience of
approximately 15 individuals from the region.
Door prizes were given out, and
refreshments were served.
Approximately 20 authors and readers from the
region gathered across the river for the Inaugural Authors Across the River
Saturday, Dec. 14 in the late afternoon in the auditorium and meeting space at
The Challenge Center in North, S.C.
Sandra Sigmon, Director of The Challenge
Center from North, discussed how much poetry and writing in general meant to
her as a little girl, walking through the hills of California. She
presented her science fiction novel " Tempest on Trapter"
a story of a tiny female warrior and leader of her tribe, and her wish to
unite her world was discussed.
Mrs. Sigmon also encouraged participants to
purchase copies of volumes of student work from The Challenge Center. The
Challenge Center contains what is basically a job skills center and computer
lab and classrooms and an auditorium for what is known as the North Family
Community School for students who wish to pursue their G.E.D. and/or enhance
their literacy.
Mrs. Sigmon also stated, “I wanted to create
this event to promote reading and writing in the area.” She mentioned that many
of her students have had unique stories to tell and that she wanted to expose
them and others to authors from the area.
Candace Carter, a guest author who came from
Aiken, S.C., discussed her book “Muddy Waters” and experiences as a park
ranger. Carter
stated, regarding her mystery novel, “It's the story of a Colorado range detective
who reluctantly returns to his North Carolina hometown for his uncle's wedding.
When a childhood friend is murdered, he uses skills from tracking livestock
rustlers to bring a killer to justice.”
“I'm currently working on the second in the
series,” she continued.
Author Ron Baxley, Jr., with a wooden walking
stick and carved Cowardly Lion head as props, discussed how observed imagery
such as wooden walking sticks and canes used by a senior citizen group walking
group during a trip to Ionia, Michigan became magic staffs within his fictional
Society of the Walking Cane. The carved Cowardly Lion head was given to him by
the son, Raymond Houck, of Chittenango, New York’s Oz-Stravaganza Festival’s
late founder, Clara Houck. (Baxley, for many years, has been a participating,
awarded Oz author at Oz-Stravaganza in the birthplace of original Oz author L.
Frank Baum and the Michigan Oz Festival respectively.) Baxley stated that he
made the senior citizen walking group into a group of good elderly wizards and
witches with magic staffs and canes within his fantasy book, “O.Z. Diggs
Himself Out.”
"The Cowardly Lion head became a part of
my protagonist wizard's staff," he added.
He also discussed how amalgamations or
combinations of real-life people become characters.
Baxley stated “An author never creates exact
duplicates of real-life individuals. You don’t want to get sued.”
He finally briefly discussed his award-winning
graphic novel “Ziggy Zig-zags the Light and Dark Fantastic” which is based on
his shelter-adopted, emotional support Corgi, Ziggy.
Author Mary Beth Gibson of Blackville, S.C. who
has written multiple historical fiction novels, premiered a brand new novel at
the event, “Patience Can Cook a Stone.”
She discussed how her previous books had
utilized the historic persecution of the Irish people in the British Isles and
that her latest novel focuses on the Revolutionary War era Savannah River
region.
According to the online description of
“Patience Can Cook a Stone, “The government is in shambles. Battle lines have
been drawn. In the lawless backcountry of 1780 South Carolina, no one is safe.
Mr. Tom, of Kilkenny Plantation, is dead. His sons, Carlton and Alden, clash
over loyalty, patriotism, even the very definition of freedom. Is the homestead
cursed? Unless the evil is lifted, everyone from the slaves to the master will
pay the price…”
Author Steve Gordy of Aiken discussed how loss,
particularly the loss of relatives to dementia, and even aspects of hospice can
figure even into one’s fictional work, including his book, “Faith, Hope, and
Dr. Vangelis”.
He even had the audience members do a show of hands to indicate
if any had had family members in hospice. Approximately a third of the
participants had. According to the online description of his book, “In a world
of pain, who heals a wounded healer? This question bedevils Lukas Vangelis, a
hospice physician. For decades, he's been not only a medical doctor, but a
spiritual go-between, assisting the dying into peaceful death. He doesn't
recognize the extent to which this role has become an almost unbearable burden.
His niece and colleague, Diana Karras, likewise bears the scars of a healer who
gives hope to the hopeless. Both she and her uncle bear deep wounds from life's
battles, the pains they have inflicted and suffered. Lukas's psychological
turmoil is complicated by his love for Helen Ferguson, also a colleague and a
longtime friend, whose presence in his life creates a tension that threatens to
disrupt his work.”
Sandra Barnes of North discussed the real-life
aspects of her book, “Battered, Beaten, and Scorned, Still I Rise Above It All:
My Rising Years of Hell Book 1 of 2”, and how domestic violence and abuse can
affect an individual.
She also discussed her children’s book “Reflection of a
Broken Butterfly” which she mentioned can give children courage who have gone
through bullying. According to the online description, the book is “A learning
concept book for all ages about bullying, peer pressure, self-worth, and
self-esteem.”
Many of the guest authors and employees of The
Challenge Center and the North Branch of the Orangeburg Public Library donated
items for door prizes, including signed books, original artwork from a book,
books on the writing process, collectible items, a cookbook, and gift
certificates which the participants won throughout the afternoon.
The authors, after presentations and prize
drawings were done, signed books and spoke with participants at their decorated
tables.
Participants, with the authors, next discussed
life, fiction, and other types of books over punch, meatballs, gingerbread
Corgis (instead of men), brownies, and fruit during the refreshment and
mingling part of the event.
Gordy, who is part of the South Carolina
Writers Association as are several of the other participating authors, stated
toward the end of the event put on by The Challenge Center that he thinks it
will grow and that S.C.W.A. members from Columbia may participate in future
years.
Mrs. Sigmon stated that she hopes some of the
participating authors will have writing classes at The Challenge Center in
2020.
Tracie Clemons, newly-elected mayor of Norway,
was one of the dignitaries invited to attend, showed her support by coming from
three towns down Hwy. 321 and participating, and stated that the event was
wonderful.
Tracie Clemons, newly elected mayor of Norway,
South Carolina who has planned fashion shows, recently attended Authors Across
the River at The Challenge Center in North and wore festive red high heels for
the holidays which some said were ruby high heels comparable to the ruby
slippers from 1939’s M.G.M. “The Wizard of Oz” film.
