Local literature rundown

The region is home to many authors who bring their experiences and creativity into pages. This year, several authors published new novels, from Gothics to poetry to non-fiction. Here are some recent book releases from local authors.

A Sizeable Number of Miracles

The history of St. James Plantation gets a spotlight in the non-fiction novel “A Sizable Number of Miracles: The History of St. James Plantation.” CHERYL SERRA and ARTHUR HILL, former editors of Cat-Tales magazine, took on the task of writing a book about the history of the community.

The book follows the story of Homer Wright, who envisioned the St. James Plantation development.

Last month, WILMA published a Q&A with the authors with more on the writing journey and gathering historical information.

Copies of the book are available at the St. James Plantation Property Owners' Association office in Southport and will be available soon on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Click here for more on the book and video interviews.

Playing by Heart

If you are looking to revisit old literary friends, MARY FLINN, a native of North Carolina currently living in the Porters Neck area, will release her tenth novel “Playing by Heart” on Oct.1. The book is a sequel to the historical novel “Lumina,” set in the summer of 1928 in Wrightsville Beach. In her new novel, Flinn visits current-day Wilmington characters introduced in Lumina: Anne Borden Montgomery and Mr. May who are back to attic diving during the early stay-at-home days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After discovering more of AB’s mother Sylvie’s diaries, the two are eager to share these new treasures with their younger neighbors, Nate and Elle, on the front porch where they can sit outside, read to each other, and maintain social distancing,” the book’s description states.

“Playing by Heart” will launch at the Porters Neck Country Club on October 2 from 4 to 6 p.m. There will also be a book signing at the Mayfaire Center Barnes and Noble on October 22 from 1 to 5 p.m.

For more on Flinn and her work, visit TheOneNovel.com.

Spine Poems

A unique new read from Southport artist ANNETTE SIMON is “Spine Poems: An Eclectic Collection of Found Verse for Book Lovers.” For those who may not know, spine poems are “found poetry” that is made up of titles from arranging book spines to create a poem.

Simon said she started stacking titles to create found verse more than ten years ago when she was a bookseller in Neptune Beach, Florida. She began the book in Southport when the pandemic prompted a new look at her bookshelves.

“In this collection, picture books mix with cookbooks and mysteries with histories, as diverse titles of all genres combine in tiny stories of love, loss, work, play, parenting, pop culture, politics, and home,” she says. “More than 100 photos are accompanied by quotes, fun facts, and other bookish bits, then organized as in a library or bookstore: Romance, Fantasy, Art, Biography, True Crime, Music, and more; the reader can dip in and out of sections as they choose.”

She says the book comes with a warning: you may find yourself re-arranging all your bookshelves.

The book was published this week and can be found locally at the Brunswick and New Hanover County Libraries, Pomegranate Books, Old Books on Front Street, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million; and in Southport at Mad River, Lantana's, and Southport Trading Company.

For more, visit this site.

The Haunted Life of Lura

Looking ahead at spooky season, author DONNA BUNTING FLAKE has just the right book. “The Haunted Life of Lura” is a book inspired by real-life events and includes “murder, dismemberment, suicides, crazy old southern sisters who sequester themselves in a crumbling mansion, and family secrets that span generations.”

Flake, who lives in Wilmington, was inspired to write this historical fiction novel after visiting an auction of a mystery home in Raeford, N.C. in 1995.

The Southern gothic novel follows Lura Kennedy and “her yearnings for love, permanency, and acceptance,” and is based on fictional and characters based on people who lived in Tarboro, Wilson, and the sandhills area of the state.

Flake will host author talks and book signings on the following dates:

- September 17 - Author Talk- Hoke County Public Library- Raeford
- September 19 - Author Talk- Wilson County Public Library- Wilson
- September 19 - Author Talk- Wilson County Public Library- Wilson
- October 15 - Book Signing- University Book Exchange, Greenville
- October 20 - Author Talk- Harper Public Library, Southport

For more on Flake and the book visit donnabuntingflake.com

Unrequited Verses

Leland native MELISSA SHUFORD also known as Miss Story, and Poet Crucial recently published the poetry book “Unrequited Verses: Honest Deception, Painful Growth.” The book is described as a “passionate collection of poetry, transparently peeling back the multi-faceted layers of the most powerful force in this world - LOVE.”

The collection includes poems on romance-realized, self-affirmation, hope, heartbreak, struggles, and notes on how every life experience points back to love.

The book is recommended for those who have endured the joys and perils of love.

Unrequited Verses is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.