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Popular author delights ‘Summer Sumpthin’ attendees
By Peggy Blackburn
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Mississippi-born author Caro-lyn Haines met with a warm reception Thursday night at the Wetumpka Civic Center. Fans took advantage of the opportunity to listen to Haines talk about her career, hear an excerpt from her new book and enjoy dinner with fellow book lovers.
“I’m tickled to death with the turnout; it exceeded our expectations,” said Tammy Lynn, a member of Friends of the Wetumpka Library (FOWL) and one of the event organizers.
“Carolyn is delightful and she really likes Wetumpka,” said Lynn. “She called and said she wanted to make us one of her stops in promoting her new book that just came out Tuesday.”
Haines said she believes successful writers are also avid readers.
“I’ve always been a reader, and I truly believe anyone who is a reader has the potential to be a writer,” she said. “I started out reading everything when I was a kid in Lucedale, Mississippi.
“My parents were journalists, and I started working for the newspaper when I was very young,” Haines said. “I had my first story published in the Mobile Register when I was 12.”
She said she became interested in Southern authors and short stories while in college. Her initial intention was to write short stories.
“I thought could write short stories, because I couldn’t conceive of writing 500 pages,” said Haines. “I was a journalist and 10 inches is a long story.”
On the recommendation of a friend, she contracted with a literary agent who encouraged her to write a novel because short stories are very hard to sell.
She wrote other books before meeting her most popular character.
“I was sitting at a computer trying to think what I was going to write when I ‘heard’ Sarah Booth and Jitty,” she said.
Sarah Booth Delaney, a Mississippi Delta private investigator, and her ghostly companion, Jitty, are the main characters of Haines’ eight “Bones” books.
The newest, “Wishbones,” follows Delaney as she has a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress. But trouble comes to roost in the form of a wildfire, a dead actress and a haunted mansion.
“After hearing her (Haines) read the excerpt from this book, I’m looking forward to reading all of them,” said Ruth Thomas. “I came tonight because I’ve been thinking about writing. A friend said I needed to get out and come to things like this if I really want to write.”
Bettye Smith said she is already a fan of Haines and her characters.
“I’ve read every book she’s written,” she said. “A friend introduced me to her work several years ago.”
Lynn said FOWL members plan to hold similar activities in coming years.
“We plan to make this an an-nual summer event,” said Lynn. “It will be something you don’t want to miss; we just don’t know what it will be from year to year.”
