by Fred Brown and Jeanne McDonald
"The profiles of the thirteen southern writers in this book show how growing up in the South shaped their work and contributed to the estimable collection of literature we call "southern writing."--Fred Brown and Jeanne McDonald.  Profiles of these acclaimed authors include:  Shelby Foote, Lee Smith, Yusef Komunyakaa, George Garret, Doris Betts, Fred Chappell, Jayne Anne Phillips, Richard Marius, Elizabeth Cox, Alan Wier, Elizabeth Spencer, Willie Morris, and Eudora Welty.

Available at all local bookstores and at amazon.com.

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Serpent Handling Believers: Three Families and Their Faith

by Fred Brown and Jeanne McDonald (2000)

Jeanne McDonald writes: 
"....Mark 16:16-18 says, in part, "Thou shalt take up serpents and not be harmed." Regardlessof how others might interpret this passage, the serpent handlers see it as a mandate from God. We interviewed three families--one in Middlesboro,KY; one in Newport, TN; and one in Jolo, WV, to learn about the people and their faith.  Besides attending their church services, we visited in their homes, met their children, and were welcomed to their home comings.  We learned that this religion is not an exhibitionistic ritual, not a sideshow nor a flirtation with death,but a serious commitment to following God's commandments and living as closely as possible by the mandates expressed by the Word.... 

Also included in the book are dozens of photographs showing the families' interactions, old photographs of groups and individuals involved in the practice, and current photographs of each person profiled.  Their own stories are tender, touching, sometimes frightening, and other times, humorous.  Writing this book has been a rewarding and soul-searching experience. We look upon it as one of the most exciting projects of our writing lives." 

Available at all local bookstores and at amazon.com.

Guild member and former Guild president Jeanne McDonald has published her first novel Water Dreams . According to novelist Lee Smith, "An accidental drowning forever changes the middle-aged man who happens to witness it--and affects everyone else in his life like widening circles in the water after a rock has been thrown in. Male and female readers alike will be swept away by this absorbing, grown-up novel, a serious meditation upon chance, fate, love, and responsibility. Like all the best storytellers, Jeanne McDonald knows how to disappear and let the story take over."

Available at all area bookstores, and amazon.com.

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Discovering October Roads: Fall Colors and Geology in Rural East Tennessee
by Fred Brown and Harry Moore (2001)

A traveling companion for scenic fall trips, geologic history, and topography, cultural history, and anecdotes, this book contains dozens of color photographs, maps, plates, and figures as well as directions for trips in the Blue Ridge, Valley and Ridge, and the Cumberland Plateau.  Published by University of Tennessee Press.   Available at all area bookstores, UT Press, and amazon.com

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Treat
by Angie Vicars (2001)

A girl meets girl story set in Knoxville. Two college students from different sides of the tracks, meet and face many obstacles in order to have a relationship.  Available at local bookstores, amazon.com , and Malaprops Book Store.
Contact the author .

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Disciplining the Devil's Country
by Carole Borges

This book of poetry explores the terrain of the distance between what is and what should be.  It's a healing book in the sense that it examines moments, concrete instances, of individual confrontations with the sacred.  It's a harsh book at times, but above the portraits of a struggle and desperation, a voice can be heard singing hymns of praise.  Life, if we can master the art of appreciation, contains innumerable riches.  In addition to Disciplining the Devil's Country, Borges has had work appear in Poetry, Piedmont Review, Soundings East, and Kalliope, among others.  Published by Alice James Books.

Available from the publisher and from amazon.com

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Paddling the Tennessee River : A Voyage on Easy Water (Outdoor Tennessee Series)
by Kim Trevathan

This travel narrative of Trevathan's 1998 canoe trip down the 652 mile Tennessee River is due to be published by the University of Tennessee Press in October 2001.  Accompanied by his dog Jasper, Trevathan includes historical background on the old, free-flowing river and the string of reservoirs created by TVA's nine dams.

Available at UT Press web site, amazon.com , Barnes and Noble, and other Knoxville, TN area bookstores.

For more information, visit Kim Trevathan's  web site .
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In a typical week, thousands hit the hiking trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park seeking fun, challenge, beauty. This is not a typical week.  Hikers and backpackers from diverse backgrounds head into the woods, admiring the beauty of early spring, but this wonderland swiftly changes to a place where tragedy becomes their stalker.  The crisis, against which they are powerless, develops internal struggles as they confront conflicting values, find their strengths and weaknesses, and face their personal fears.

This novel is available online at www.southernnovels.com, Books-a-Million  (www.bamm.com), Barnes & Noble (www.bn.com), Amazon (www.amazon.com), and at local bookstores.

For more information, contact the author at:  slbaer@comcast.net. Visit S. L. Baer's home page.

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As a young man, Parker was a gifted artist and a sought-after lover. Yet, on the verge of success, he walked away from it all. Why? Twenty-two years later, now a respected physician but a loner, he learns he has inoperable cancer and will die within months. With the death sentence, Parker's questions about his own life demand answers--and resolution. So, like a surgeon doing an autopsy, he cuts open his past and examines its parts, and presents the reader with a vital and varied cast of characters: his wild friends, the women he sleeps with, his disturbing parents, his teachers. And then there's Renny, the woman who may offer love and redemption--if he'll let her.

This novel is available online at Authorhouse, Alibris, www.southernnovels.com, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and at local bookstores by request.

For more information, contact the author at:  author@portraitsunpainted.com.

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Seven Minutes in Hell: the Eric McLean Murder Case
by Martha R. Woodward

"Love Triangle" or "Deadly Teacher-Student Murder Case"--the death of Sean Powell came to the attention of the nation in 2007 when the man who pulled the trigger of a 360 Marlin rifle killed the eighteen year old with one shot to his head. Woodward's research follows the characters in this story through over two years of events. After the murder, a wild-haired man was taken into custody while his wife fled town with her children. The man accused of murder filed for divorce against his cheating spouse.

Next, bizarre tales floated through the community as a young women moved from town to town on the lam with her young children. Eventually,the shooter faced charges for first degree murder as he squared off in court against a determined District Attorney. In a shocking ending the victim's families watched as the man who killed their child skated through the court system with the lightest of sentences.

Available at all local bookstores and Long's Drugstore, or on line from www.authorhouse.com (search the bookstore tag). $10 to $14

Even Wounded Birds Fly
by Martha R. Woodward

Even Wounded Birds Fly--a novel by Martha Rose Woodward www.evenwoundedbirdsfly.com
When a group of young boys in rural Alabama become aware of the sexual abuse of their most vulnerable comrade, Milton, they decide to take matters into their own hands. At a time when such matters were not discussed openly, the boys scheme to prevent the town’s highly respected preacher from any possibility of furthering Milton ’s darkest nightmare.

Are these boys conspiring to commit an act of murder or is the elimination of this spiritual vampire an act of justice? Whatever the truth, the boys decide to bludgeon the preacher and throw his body down an abandoned well. Having also tossed their innocence and youth into that dark pit, they must then live the remainder of their lives burdened with this ghastly secret.

Enter into the picture Rita Belew, a young woman living a fairy-tale marriage until an unexpected revelation shatters her world. The heartbreak of her failed marriage renders her sexually and emotionally vulnerable, and she must somehow fashion a future out of the ashes of this tragedy. It is in this fragile state of mind that she meets Rodney Edgely, a professional speaker who presents himself as a sincere gentleman. However, Rita slowly begins to question the mysterious behaviors of her new companion while struggling to admit what is plainly before her eyes. Could the very person that she should most be able to trust be leading a double life?

Eventually the past, present, and future collide and expose unimaginable secrets and long-buried fears. The explosive combination of shocking lies and shattered egos fuels a showdown where hasty decisions become a matter of life and death. While the colorful characters struggle with their naked pasts and uncertain futures, in the end, their intertwined lives illuminate the deepest meaning of love.

Knoxville’s Sunsphere; Biography of a Landmark , a 208 page, nonfiction book, was published in September 2007,by Video Publishing and Printing, Schaad Road, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tim Carroll, publisher. The author is Martha Rose Woodward, a retired school teacher, who turned her creative talents into a part-time career by going to work for a local newspaper, The Knoxville Journal. Woodward's book uses personification to turn the unique tower which was built as the theme structure for the 1982 World's Fair, into a person. "The Sunpshere has had an interesting life during the last 26 years and I thought it was a story that needed to be told," said Woodward. With input from the architect who dreamed up the building, William Denton, former Mayor Randy Tyree, and Jesse Barr, financial advisor to the Sunsphere, Woodward conducted most of the research for her book at the East Tennessee History Center as well as through personal interviews. "If anyone has walked in and out of the Sunsphere during the last twenty-five years, Martha has interviewed them," said William Denton of Woodward's attention to detail.

The book is available for sale at Amazon.com; Carpe Librum Bookstore, East Tennessee History Center Gift Shop, Knoxville Tourism and Sports Alliance on Gay Street, and from the author by e mail at Sunspherebook@aol.com

Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair

Martha Rose Woodward's latest book, Knoxville's 1982 World's Fair ,debuted on February 16, 2009 to brisk sales. From May 1 through October 31, 1982, Knoxville hosted the world’s fair based on the theme “Energy Turns the World.” Expo ’82 was the first world’s fair to be held in the southeastern United States in 97 years, hosting 22 countries and more than 11 million people. Once referred to as the “scruffy little city by the Tennessee River,” Knoxville provided one big party for people to visit from all over to witness the live entertainment, parades, displays, exhibits, musical and sporting events, food, costumes, rides, games, and arcades. The news reports of the day declared the “World Came to Knoxville” as it hosted the official international exposition, fully licensed and sanctioned by the Bureau des Expositions Internationales in Paris, France. The 128 page Images of America book has become one of the newest of the 3,500 titles produced by Arcadia Publishing from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.

To order your copy please visit www.arcadiapublishing.com or e mail Martha Rose at Sunspherebook@aol.com for an autographed copy. The price is $22.

Daily Thoughts for Friendly Fellows
by Ellen Hubrig

Daily Thoughts for Friendly Fellows, Reflections on Seeing the Good in Ourselves and Others is 365 uplifting inspirational poems written in the 1900's to encourage people to Seek and Find the GOOD In Others. Ellen Hubrig took her great-grandfathers poems and added a scripture verse for each day of the week.

The book is hardcover in a gift box with a bookmark that enrolls you in the Society of Friendly Fellows. It is a plain spoken guide and often humorous reminder about relationships. It is a timeless message of hope that will challenge you throughout the day and the Scripture verses add an opportunity for self-reflection and Bible study.Visit the website: http://www.FriendlyFellows.com. For more information contact: Ebhubrig@FriendlyFellows.com