IPG Off the Shelf

Chimney Rock Sets the Scene For Eco-novel
May 18, 2008 - Asheville Citizens-Times; Arnold Wengrow, Correspondent

Rose Senehi begins her new novel, In the Shadows of Chimney Rock, with a scene of such high drama — some might say melodrama — you wonder if she can sustain the intensity. On a July day in 1916, Hayden Taylor, the third generation of Hayden Taylors in the mountains of Western North Carolina, flees the flooding Rocky Broad River, retrieves the body of his drowned daughter, clings all night to the branches of a tree and miraculously discovers his baby son, the fourth Hayden Taylor, still alive in the mud.When rescuers from Rutherfordton ask if he’s ready to leave this place, he angrily replies, “Us’n Taylors come unto this here gorge in 1784 and this devil of a flood hain’t gonna push us out.” Men named Hayden Taylor, and women, as we soon learn, are tough as the granite of Chimney Rock.Senehi, a Murrells Inlet, S.C., resident with a home in Hickory Nut Gorge, not only sustains that opening intensity, she ups it in a high-speed tale with as many twists as a mountain road. Fate of the land.

That first chapter may make you think you’re in for a generational saga of a Southern family and its attachment to the land. And you’d be right.

But while the fate of the land — 400 acres on Round Top Mountain — is uppermost (a developer and a land conservancy are competing for it), Senehi has much more on her mind. She mixes genres as breezily as her heroine, the first female Hayden Taylor, a beautiful Charleston socialite, throws together a batch of frogmore stew for her would-be beau, football hero Ben Beckham. Ben and Hayden are the romance novel ingredient in Senehi’s stew. But she concocts her hearty mix on a strong thriller base.Hayden travels to Chimney Rock to meet the father she thought died in Vietnam. She learns his body has been discovered only hours before her arrival.Now Hayden must uncover the mysteries of his past and the truth of both his supposed death in Vietnam and his real death in his mountain cabin.Southern recipe.

Senehi’s recipe has all the necessaries of a satisfying Southern potluck. Romantic hero who is both studly and sensitive? Ben is not only a veteran of the Super Bowl, he’s an accomplished gardener who began by nursing a truckload of sickly discount flowers back to health. After his football career, he returned to his first love, art, and became a sculptor and art teacher.

Now he’s turning his football fame to use as the fund-raiser for the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. Most importantly, he’s a recent widower ready to love again.

Domineering Southern mother-matriarch? Elizabeth Tarrington, heiress to a South Carolina timber fortune, keeps a tight rein on her money and her daughters. Sinister housekeeper? Addie Mae cleaned for Hayden’s father and may be carrying his child. Does she resent Hayden’s arrival? What do you think?

Is there a ruthless villain? Freddy Lucas is a serial rapist who won’t hesitate to kill Hayden to get his hands on her father’s hidden treasures.

Local color

What gives “In the Shadows of Chimney Rock” special spice for Western North Carolina readers are references to familiar places and people. Hayden’s father runs an art gallery and school in the Grove Arcade and Ruth Summers, the real-life executive director of the Grove Arcade Public Market Foundation, makes an appearance.

The Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy did indeed acquire the 1,568-acre World’s Edge tract for Chimney Rock State Park Senehi describes.

Some of the local color is, as we say in the South, a hoot.

When Hayden’s mother tries to dissuade her from going to see her father, she says, “Darling, you simply do not understand how things work. … If anything happens to your father, our names could be smeared all over his obituary. Remember … I know people in Asheville.”

The art faculty at Warren Wilson College might get chuckle to learn that Ben teaches there, even though he only has a bachelor of arts degree and “earned his degree in Fine Arts by mostly posing.”

Getting it right

Senehi’s research into the ways and byways of the mountains keeps her accurate for the most part. Her description of Hayden’s father in his art studio sounds like she’s carefully watched a watercolorist at work. If the gallery she imagines in the Grove Arcade would take half a wing to accommodate all the action she sets there, her admiration for artists and their aspirations is evident.

A transplant from Upstate New York, Senehi hasn’t quite mastered the nuances of the many Southern regional dialects. I haven’t heard one “tarnation” or “lil’ole” in my almost 40 years in Western North Carolina, and when I was growing up in South Carolina we knew “y’all” was the second personal plural of you and never said “y’all come back” to one person.

Even though some of her characters talk like Snuffy Smith, Senehi clearly has the deepest respect for mountain people and their land. “In the Shadows of Chimney Rock” is the first in a series of novels Senehi plans to set in Hickory Nut Gap. Y’all come back.

This is the opinion of Arnold Wengrow, who is an Asheville writer and the book review editor for Theatre Design and Technology magazine.

This years High Country Writers Book Fair is a featured event scheduled during the Blue Ridge Food & Wine Festival. Two author wine receptions, one on Saturday, April 12th, and one on Sunday, April 13th, each from 12noon-5pm will follow the popular “Fire on the Rock” cooking competition, which will be held in the new Blowing Rock Performing Arts Center.

During the Author’s Receptions, visitors to the center will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with local authors, enjoy refreshments, and purchase autograph copies of their favorite regional books.

Ingalls Publishing Group authors that are scheduled to participate are: Maggie Bishop, author of Appalachian romance and mystery suspense novels; Judith Geary, author of young adult historical novel Getorix; Nora Percival, author of two memoirs; Rose Senehi, author of several women’s regional suspense novels; Donna Warmuth, author of regional fiction and non fiction stories.

Other non IPG authors scheduled to sign are: Bart Bare, author of Satan’s Bargain; Dick Graham, author of Escape from Andersonville; Bill Kaiser, author of Bloodroot. Earl LeClaire, author of O’l Swampers “Rogues’ Island” Shellfish and Clambake Cookbook.

Check back frequently to hear about other authors who will be signing at this event.

Ingalls Publishing Group announces The Master Craftsman: Heartwarming Novel of Father-Son Relationships and the Incredible Gifts of Love by Lila Hopkins.

Eric Walsh is a successful artist and art director at a New York publishing house. He returns to the home of his childhood – a farm in the Appalachian Mountains – to face a critical decision. Growing up, often estranged from his father, he felt he wasn’t worth much. Now, those old feelings surface in his stubborn unwillingness to risk his son’s life by accepting the donation of a kidney.

His gentle mother and a brother, who faced similar disapproval from their father in his choice of a career in music, help him re-interpret the love of his father, a stone mason and a master craftsman. He realizes that ill-advised self sacrifice would destroy the relationship between him and his own beloved son.

Is it too late to save his marriage – and his life?

Response to The Master Craftsman:

‟Every family takes on the challenge of sharing their love … in a language that all family members can understand. Lila Hopkins brings that challenge to life … Fathers, sons and all members of the family will not be able to put this book down.” – Janet Kangas Fuquay Varina Independent

‟Lila Hopkins, whose previous books explored love in its complex variations and simple facts of being, now presents a father’s and son’s acceptance of an ultimate gift of love.” – schuyler kaufman, Carolina Mountain Living

From Richard Warren, on kidney transplant list:

‟Mrs. Hopkins captures many emotions of both the kidney recipient and the kidney donor. She presents raw and true emotions in both situations. Many people are touched by these lifesaving decisions. Her book makes real the gift of life, not only for one who needs it but for the one who gives such love.

‟I am very appreciative of this book as a kidney transplant recipient. … I hope that this novel will open the eyes of readers to the need for more donors so the thousands awaiting transplants can also live life to its potential. Thanks, Lila, for writing such an important story!”

– Dr. Herman W. Russell Candidate Consultant, Region 1 Personnel Consulting Team International Mission Board

October 18th, 2008 from 8am - 4pm: This annual event has something for everyone from handmade, home grown, home cooked foods to arts and crafts, to local musicians to regional authors. Held during the awesome Appalachian Leaf Season. Come, taste, smell, hear and experience the best of the North Carolina Mountains.

2008 will be an exciting year for IPG!  The IPG Website, Online Store, and online, interactive newsletter, Off the Shelf, will engage IPG’s readers and the storytelling community like never before.  We will be adding more author profiles, spotlighting fun and inspiring events, and featuring notable highlights from the Southeastern U.S., Appalachian region, and a world of execptional reading.

December 24, 2007 to December 28, 2007:  Everyone at IPG wishes you and your family a joyous holiday season.  We will be spending the holidays with our families and loved ones.  It is our hope that you will be doing the same.  Happy holidays!

Albert A. Bell, Jr. has written several superb murder mysteries, both contemporary and historical. Now he tries his hand at young adult fiction and his first effort wins the 2007 Evelyn Thurman Young Readers Award.

Bell also garners immediate praise from such places as MyShelf.com who had this to say, “Entertaining mystery that even adults could enjoy… While they learn, kids are treated to a great can’t put-it-down mystery.”

Karen Hoenecke, author of 30 children’s books puts it this way, “Masterpiece for 9-11 year olds. The reader will not be able to set down this gripping and fast-paced tale as the plot twists, turns and literally tunnels through a history of Kentucky, the Civil War, slavery and the Underground Railroad. As a parent, teacher and writer, I give this book an enthusiastic thumbs-up; it’s a must read!”

Donna Morse of Front Street Reviews says, “What a super story. …excellent example of contemporary mystery… characters are believable and sassy … excellent story line, great characters, and issues with bullying, family values, and a strong sense of friendship.”

Learn more about the 2007 Evelyn Thurman Award.

Buy The Secret of the Lonely Grave now.

3Rs Reviews  http://rjscafe.wordpress.com/

The Secret of the Lonely Grave by Albert Bell, Jr.  ISBN: 1932158790.  Ingalls Publishing Group, Inc., at www.IngallsPublishingGroup.com.  Binding: trade paperback.  Published July 2007.

Although middle schoolers are the primary target audience, The Secret of The Lonely Grave is a strong, thought provoking read, that easily grabs the attention of book lovers of all ages.

Set in Western Kentucky this is an entertaining story that tackles controversial, difficult and painful topics in meaningful, age appropriate ways. While the characters are dealing with contemporary issues such as child abuse, single parent homes and school bullies, there’s a valuable history lesson at the heart of the book, that shines the light of truth on racism, slavery, bigotry and the indelible human spirit.

Walking to and from the bus stop, best friends, Steve Patterson and Kendra Jordan pass the old cemetery where Kendra’s sister Moniqa is buried. They have visited the cemetery many times and have always been curious about one particular grave, that of six year old, Amanda, buried in the mid 1800’s. The grave was set off by itself, some distance from all the others, for that reason they nicknamed it “the lonely grave.” When they notice flowers on the forgotten grave, they decide to stake out the cemetery. Thinking if they identify who is visiting the grave they can solve the mystery.

The friends soon discover the identity of the mysterious visitor– a recently widowed college professor, named Doc. Intelligent and kind, he too had been intrigued by the “lonely grave.” Doc guides the two friends as they spend the summer researching church and historical society records and talking with local residents. When they find evidence that suggests the infamous Underground Railroad may have passed through their small town, they realize this mystery goes far beyond the little girl’s grave.

Steve’s grandparents are anything but enthusiastic about his detective exploits and demonstrate a hush-hush attitude. It now seemed entirely possible that his family had taken part in the betrayal of a local family that had assisted many escaped slaves well over a hundred years ago.

Confronting difficult topics with a stylistic flair that educates and entertains, Bell utilizes modern themes and incorporates present day challenges into the lives of the characters. The story provides a forum for open discussions about the impact of slavery, equality and the power of the human spirit.

An informative, entertaining and thought provoking read, I recommend this book to all young readers. It would be beneficial for middle school history classes to add this book to their reading lists.

PJ Nunn

Buy The Secret of the Lonely Grave now…

Where the Water-Dogs Laughed by Charles F. Price.
Boone: High Country Publishers, LTD, 2003. $24.95 — 304 pp.
One of the major themes in Cherokee folklore concerns the sacred covenant between Man and Nature. Many of the ancient tales illustrate the delicate, mystical ties that traditional Cherokees believe exist between “The Great Trinity” — man, plant and animal. Frequently, the Cherokee myths not only recount heroic adventures and fabulous quests — they also contain a cautionary warning: Be mindful of the covenant, they say. Observe the rituals that maintain the fragile balance of Creation, for failure to do so can rend the sacred bonds that hold this world together.

Many of the early settlers in Appalachia were surprised to see Cherokee hunters who had a tradition of “thanking” the animals that they killed. For example, a hunter would fall to his knees beside a dying bear and express his gratitude. “Thank you, yanu. My family thanks you for this gift.” This was the covenant, then — all animals would gladly give their flesh to mankind provided that the hunters acknowledged their appreciation of the sacrifice. Failure to do so could bring sickness, famine and the enmity of Nature.

Where the Water-Dogs Laughed, Charles F. Price’s fourth novel, embodies the consequences of man’s broken pledge — his loss of reverence for nature. In the tumultuous years following the Civil War when the timber barons acquired the vast forests of Appalachia, the subsequent devastation was both awesome and irreparable — and it was accomplished with the assistance of the region’s landowners. Suffering from the economic deprivations that followed the war and lured by the promise of quick prosperity, thousands of landowners entered into a dubious alliance with the lumber companies and assisted them in reducing the forests to barren wastes.

Where the Water-Dogs Laughed continues the chronicle of Price’s family history that begins with Hiwassee: A Novel of the Civil War, and continues through Freedom’s Altar and Cock’s Spur. The family names are familiar — Carter, Moore Middleton and Price — in fact, many of the characters who first appeared in earlier works reach their final accounting in Where the Water-Dogs Laughed. Certainly, it is a diverse cast. As in previous works, the narrative bristles with buffoons, villains, pining lovers and obsessed folks — obsessed with greed, vengeance … and dreams.

However in the dark heart of this novel is Yan-e gwa, the Great Bear, a creature that Price transforms into a preternatural beast endowed with reason. In essence, Yan-e gwa embodies divine retribution and he moves through the dwindling wilderness like an avenging angel, seeking to punish the “Ancestors” who are destroying the world, and — if possible — remind them of their promise to revere the land that gives them sustenance.

However, Price’s flawed mortals are equally memorable. Hamby McFee, the brooding mixed blood (who refuses to remove his hat in the presence of whites), finally returns home still yearning for peace and respect. Now, as his health deteriorates, he finds a way to stop “hating the world” through the unlikely council of another outcast, Mordecai Corntassel and misshapen hound, Cattywampus Dog. Gradually, Hamby comes to understand that his final destiny is mixed with that of Yan-e gwa somewhere in the fog-shrouded Nantahalas.

Then, there is George Gordon Meade Weatherby, the arrogant lumber baron who descends on the Appalachian wilderness as though he were waging war. Besotted with the philosophy of the Ayran race, propagated by Abbot Kinney (a contemporary of Casare Lombroso, the “father of phrenology”) Weatherby perceives himself as the epitome of a “superior genetic strain.” As a consequence he has an obligation to suppress inferior and/or exhausted breeds — such as the people who inhabit Appalachia. As his lumber industry thrives, he — like other robber barons who came here — builds a pretentious, gaudy mansion called Wildwood, and brings his daughter Cassandra (currently enrolled in Swarthmore) to live with him.

And so the stage is set for a drama of epic proportions. Weatherby employs Absalom Middleton, a handsome, blue-eyed fellow who appears intelligent — good genetic stock, no doubt, but inferior to Weatherby’s. In addition to his duties with Weatherby’s prospering business, Absalom is given the responsibility of being a kind of “rustic tutor” for Cassandra. Then Weatherby hears of the Great Bear that is wreaking havoc in the far reaches of the Nantahalas; since he excels at hunting, it seems logical that he should add Yan-e Gwa to his trophies. Laden with an assortment of hunting rifles, the lumber baron tracks and confronts his prey. To Weatherby’s astonishment, he finds himself routed and barely escapes with his life … but he vows to return. The plot thickens as Weatherby broods. Then, Cassandra’s “orientation” takes a personal turn …

In the meanwhile, the devastation of the forest continues. As the land erodes, the rivers carry away the topsoil. Animal life vanishes and typhoid epidemics sweep through the coves and hollows. Entire households die and the smoldering fires begin to appear — fires in which the contaminated clothing of the sick and dying are consumed. As the deaths mount, the tragic events come to resemble retribution — the bitter price that nature extracts from the “Ancestors” who forgot their pledge. As Where The Water-Dogs Laughed moves inexorably towards a final resolution, Hamby McBee and a misshapen hound begin a final journey to a distant mountain bald.

If this review suggests that this novel is all dark portents and mystical warnings, rest assured that such is not the case. As always, Price’s narrative sparkles with wit, anecdotes and folklore. Indeed, two of Price’s most appealing characters are Will Price, a gifted singer and storyteller, and “Irish Bill” Moore, a man who loves to gallop across the square in Hayesville while delivering Rebel yells … as he snatches startled roosters from the ground. As always, it is gratifying to read a work by an author who has done faultless research into everything from the intricacies of log flumes to the exact details of the old folktale about the drunken, plucked guineas. Salud, Charles.

(Gary Carden is a writer, storyteller and lecturer whose book, Mason Jars in the Flood, was recently named Book of the Year by the Appalachian Writers Association. He can be reached at gcarden498@aol.com.)

Ingalls Publishing Group, Inc. (a.k.a., High Country Publishers), recently attended the SCBookFestival in Columbia, SC.

In addition to a display of all books, and their mascot Bob the Book Bear, they featured authors: Rose Senehi author of Pelican Watch, Judith Geary author of Getorix, Maggie Bishop author of Murder at Blue Falls, and Marian Coe (absent) author of Rachel’s Story.

A raffle prize basket with featured books and other assorted gifts was offerred to those who purchased books from their booth. A drawing for a prize basket was held at the end of the show, and the winner chosen was Annette T. of Sumter, South Carolina.  Congratulations Annette!