Inaugural Authors Across the River is a Success

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.