“I’ve always been fascinated by trains. My grandfather hopped trains all over the country in his ”hobo days” and filled my head with curious stories of America’s lost past. Those stories, I suppose, were the beginnings of my first novel.”

Nine Pound Hammer

http://johnclaudebemis.com

“In the writing of Hal Crowther, lyrical language joins wit and frankness, and the South – with all its burdens, curiosties, and promises – comes vividly into view.”

Gather at the River
Cathedrals of Kudzu
Unarmed but Dangerous

http://www.halcrowther.com

ANNIE DILLARD

The Maytrees (novel);
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Pulitzer)
Holy the Firm;
For the Time Being (nonfiction narratives);
An American Childhood

http://www.anniedillard.com

Opening on the dawn of the new frontier and encompassing the pivotal events of the 1960's: the assassinations, the war, the protests at home, LOVE AND WAR is a coming of age story, a love story, an American tragedy still echoing in the headlines of today. In its exploration of PTSD, it is the story of war and its aftermath when the warriors come home.

ALLAN GURGANUS *

Allan Gurganus, a native North Carolinian, moved from Manhattan to Hillsborough in 1992. He considers this Bird Sanctuary the ideal roost for writers.

Gurganus is at work on his new novel, second volume in the Falls Trilogy that began with "Widow": "The Erotic History of a Southern Baptist Church."

Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All
Plays Well with Other
White People
The Practical Heart

http://www.allangurganus.com

ED and JANET HOWLE

Authors/adventurers, Ed and Janet Howle’s most recent adventure was to participate in the around-the-world car rally crossing three continents and covering 14,000 miles. This event was based on the Great Race of 1908. They were one of only four teams that completed the entire route that went west across the US, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, and eight countries in Europe to end at the Eiffel Tower .

Their award winning novel, named by Kirkus Reviews as “Best in 2011”, is aptly titled The Long Road to Paris. The book is half reality-based suspense and half convoluted love story and features a 1967 VW Beetle which is outwardly identical to the car they drove on their rally. However, the novel includes international espionage and suspense at a level they claim they did not experience. It is based on their rally experiences, travels in Asia, and years of living in Paris. In addition, Ed and Janet are avid ocean sailors and parents of six children. At this point in their lives, they divide their time between their home in North Carolina and travel.

http://www.thelongroadtoparis.com

Dressmaker and confidante of Mary Todd Lincoln and enslaved in the Burwell Household.

Jennifer, an Occupational Therapist working with children with special needs and teaching children's yoga was inspired by her muse (her daughter, Jordana) to write books of substance emphasizing values that she wants to impart to children. Jennifer lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina with her wonderful husband, Harvey, and radiant 5 year old daughter, Jordana.

JAMES MAXEY lives in Hillsborough, NC with his lovely bride Cheryl and a clowder of unruly cats. His novels include the superhero tales Nobody Gets the Girl and Burn Baby Burn, and the Dragon Age trilogy of Bitterwood, Dragonforge, and Dragonseed. His latest fantasy series is an enthusiastic blend of the superhero and fantasy genres into the multi-book epic of the Dragon Apocalypse, beginning with Greatshadow in January 2012, followed by Hush in July 2012, and Witchbreaker in January 2013.

Delectable Mountains
Dingley Falls
Handling Sin
Uncivil Seasons
Time’s Witness
Foolscap
First Lady
Red Clay, Blue Cadillac
The last Noel
The Killing Club

DEBORAH FLETCHER MELLO

A national, best-selling, award-winning author of 13 romance novels and the literary drama, RESTED WATERS.

A consummate story-teller, she likens writing to breathing and believes she would cease to exist if she did not write.

www.deborahmello.blogspot.com

Pulitzer prize winning cartoonist and author of novels, the Bridge, and Magic Time. His editorial cartoons and Kudzu were syndicated in newspapers worldwide.

Award winning author of 12 novels and currently an Artist in Residence at UNC-G.

The Informer, set in 1930s Berlin, is a literary thriller capturing the menace and malice of pre-war Berlin through the eyes of characters dealing with forces far beyond their control.

http://craignova.com

Elizabeth Matheson received the prestigious North Carolina Award in 2004. The state’s highest honor in the Fine Art category.

Under the Tuscan Sun

http://www.francesmayesbooks.com

ANNA JEAN MAYHEW

Anna Jean “A.J.” Mayhew writes, sings, and crochets, though not simultaneously. Her first novel, The Dry Grass of August, won the 2011 Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction. A.J. is working on her second novel, Tomorrow’s Bread. For reviews and additional author information, go to: http://www.AnnaJeanMayhew.com

JILL MCCORKLE

Jill McCorkle is a professor in the MFA in Creative Writing program at NC State. She has taught at UNC-Chapel Hill, Tufts University and Brandeis, where she was the Frannie Hurst Visiting Writer. She was a Briggs-Copeland Lecturer in Creative Writing at Harvard for five years where she also served as chair of the creative writing program.

Going Away Shoes    
Final Vinyl Days
Creatures of Habit    
The Cheer Leader
July 7th                     
Ferris Beach

http://www.jillmccorkle.com

The Phoenix Collection & Other Poems
 

Novelist and short story writer. Has won numerous awards, the most recent being Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award for On Agate Hill, 2007. Read more about Lee at http://www.LeeSmith.com
 

If you are a local author and would like to add yourself to this list or change the content on the list send an email to Purple Crow Books with a picture and text.

* Alan Gurganus and Michael Malone are starring actors in the annual performance of “A Christmas Carol.”
Alan Gurganus is also known for his Halloween open-house.