Author publishes his first mystery
THOMSON - After years of being a bookworm, Melvin Edwards decided it was time to take the next step.
He's self-published his first novel, entitled White Columns ... Dark Secrets in conjunction with American International Printing and Marketing in Martinez. For Edwards, reading is something that he always loved.
"I've always enjoyed reading since I was kid," he said. "I grew up on a farm, and my job basically was feeding the cows as they came into the barn. I would read a book in between."
The story, which takes place in the imaginary south Georgia town of Emerald, is "a murder mystery with some supernatural overtones," according to Edwards. "It's set in the deep South, and the event that drives the story took place during reconstruction, but the book takes place in modern times."
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Edwards, who lives in Crawfordville but travels all over the Augusta area, emphasizes that the events and places inside of White Columns ... Dark Secrets are entirely fictional, despite the title's connection with Thomson's popular hotel and restaurant.
Melvin Edwards' first book, White Columns Dark Secrets, takes place in a Southern town.
Photo by Elwood Hamilton
Edwards' favorite writers include Wilbur Smith and Stuart Woods. The author said he wanted to maintain a fast pace for his story without bogging it down with a lot of historical or background information.
"It just moves at a tremendous pace," he said. "I try to make people feel what's happening in the story. I like language that elicits the sensation we all have when we're afraid. I try to use language that would let people feel the emotions of the characters. Hopefully I've been successful."
The author insists that readers will be trying to guess the outcome of the tale right up until the last paragraph. White Columns ... Dark Secrets is currently carried by the Lincoln County Public Library, with McDuffie and Wilkes Counties not too far behind. The book can be purchased for $12 from American International Printing and Marketing by calling (706) 868-1462.