A few years ago, as I was shopping in a local bookstore in the Atlanta area, I happened upon a book entitled The Stately Ghosts of Augusta. Author Scott A. Johnson did a swell job of discussing the many legends and lore about haunts in the Augusta, Georgia area. As many of you know, Augusta is Georgia's second oldest city, having been founded by the good General Oglethorpe himself in 1735 as a defense against the encroachments of the French and Spanish in to the Georgia interior, as well as a trading spot on the now famed Savannah River. It is indeed, as alluded to in the title of Johnson's book, a stately place. Most well-known as the home to the Masters golf tournament, academically, the city is also rich in educational history as the home of the largest medical college in the state (Georgia Health Sciences University which used to be the Medical College of Georgia). It is also home to Augusta State University, and one of the oldest HBCUs in the state, Paine College. The city has a colorful history, and, as Johnson points out, is the source of a lot of stories of ghosts, haunts, and just plain out scary stuff!
It is about Johnson and his wife that I write this blog article today. As much as I loved the book, I also loved finding out that Johnson is a prolific horror (fiction) writer as well. He is also, like me, an educator. He teaches in the Masters of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing at Seton Hill University. That's Seton Hill, not Seton Hall. Nevertheless, the program is a top-notch one for writers in the genres of horror and science fiction. His blog is located at www.americanhorrorwriter.blogspot.com. I routinely click on his blogsite to see what he is working on as of late, and this month, I did the same thing and found that it was not a horror story that Scott has been working on, but a horror story that has been working on Scott and his wife, Tabby. You see, Tabby is battling cancer, and it is really taking its toll on her and her family. Scott, being the honorable gentleman that he is, stands by her side and suffers along with her. Recently, he sought out a way to help his wife by using his talents as a writer. Not long ago, Scott authored a short story collection called Droplets. His publisher has graciously agreed to forgo any profits on this book and donate them all to Tabby's medical care. What a trooper! His name is Owen at CLB Publications. I don't know him, and have never met him. However, I can tell you this; he is already one of my heroes. This is a prime example of how businessmen and women in our country can and do make a difference to their customers and clients.
So here is my request. Please buy a copy of Johnson's book Droplets. The profit will go to his wife's medical bills, and they are assuredly piling up, as is the case with most cancer patients and their healthcare. Scott writes that through all this, his wife Tabby has been an inspiration. Well, I think she would agree that Scott and his publisher are as well. So, even though I really don't know Scott that well, and am just a fan of his writings, I want to ask you to buy a copy of his book. Even if you do not read it, you could pass it along to someone who enjoys good horror and science fiction, donate it to a local library, or even donate it to a book sale for charity. But upon my recommendation, you really should look it over. It has some great stories in it!!! Here is a link to the Amazon.com webpage where you can get your copy. I believe the Kindle edition is also part of this, and the profits from those are being donated as well.
Here is a link to the Amazon.com webpage where you can get your copy. I believe the Kindle edition is also part of this, and the profits from those are being donated as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Droplets-A-Short-Story-Collection/dp/0615620965/ref=as_li_wdgt_ex?&linkCode=wey&tag=americanhorro-20
This is a great way to help someone who needs help fighting a monster, as well as get a great book to read, and scare the heck out of you. Please do what you can.
