Janie Dempsey Watts
Little Creek Books
When Avie returns home to Taylor’s Ridge, a small community near Ringgold, Georgia, to settle her father’s estate, she finds her childhood home thick with relatives and neighbors. Aunt Ardelia is spying on her and everyone else in the community. Her brother and half-sister have plans of their own for daddy’s estate and particularly the land. Her son, Joseph, seems to be stronger and handling his asthma better, but her husband, a continent away in California, is distant and preoccupied with work. The storekeeper Xylia seems to be the only friendly face in the crowd.
Into this scenario steps Will, a new friend of Cherokee heritage, happy to befriend Avie and Joseph. This culture is still an undercurrent in the Southeast, and Avie discovers just how significant it is to our country, its traditions, and her family. She faces a dilemma, as she confronts an unworkable present, an uncooperative family and a possible new romance. In the end, she finds the strength to face her fears, to fight for what she believes, and to take brave steps into a brighter future. The role of the moon, I leave for the reader to find in the pages of this book.
Janie Dempsey Watts is perhaps best known as a writer for Catoosa Life magazine. Moon Over Taylor Ridge is her first novel and a great read.
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Ray Zimmerman has organized events and served as Master of Ceremonies at numerous venues. His photography, nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in regional and national publications.