More than Petticoats
January 20, 2005

Author Sara Hines Martin will read from, discuss and sign her book, More Than Petticoats - Remarkable Georgia Women. In her book, Martin examines the determination of fourteen resourceful women, all of whom rebelled against the strict social codes of the turn-of-the-2Oth-centumry American South. The book includes Margare Mitchell, author of the world's most beloved novel; " Ma" Rainey, known as the "Mother of the Blues"; Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts; and more.

Martin has master's degrees in religious education and counseling and her own private counseling practice. She has lived in two Third World countries and traveled extensively. A resident of suburban Atlanta, she is also the author of Walking Atlanta, and has been writing professionally for 44 years.

Author M. Kay duPont will read from, discuss, and sign her book, Loving Mr. Lincoln: The Personal Diaries of Mary Todd Lincoln. Winner of the 2OO3 Georgia Writers Association Fiction Award, this work of historical fiction is based on the premise that Mary Todd Lincoln's diaries Were discovered in an old trunk purchased at a flea market.

Called "beautifully written, captivating historical fiction", duPont's book presents Mary Lincoln in her "own words"- her life, love, and daily struggles with Abraham in their 24 years together. The 16th First Lady will capture your attention and your heart.

Join Smyrna's own Chef Mark Milliron, CSC (certified sous chef), as he whips up a St. Patty's
Day treat for the Friends. Mark Milliron has been cooking for 20 years. He is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and the founder of Dining In, where he provides personalized multi-course meals prepared and served in your home.

For more information about Chef Milliron and Dining In, go to www.diningin.us

U.S. Treasurer Anna Cabral will be the special of the Friends of Smyrna Library.

Join Ms. Cabral for a town hall-style meeting where she will discuss how Social Security can be strengthened and improved.

Join us the authors present thier book and a historical abstract of Atlanta baseball in the 64 years before the Braves arrived when the Crackers were Atlanta's team.

Book Summary from Barnes & Noble:

Underscored with a sense of nostalgia for lost traditions, this is the first comprehensive history of Atlanta's original minor league baseball team. It is the complete chronicle of the rise of amateur and minor league baseball in Atlanta as told through the rise and fall of the Atlanta Crackers (1901–1965). Through never-before-published player interviews and extensive illustrations, this history examines all the dramas and politics that affected the team over the years, from forced team sales to fights over the admittance of the first African American player. Included are stories of the major actors in this baseball saga, original photographs and memorabilia, and extensive charts of every recorded team score and player statistics.

Life is a lot like horseshoes- it's a whole lot more fun when you're doing what it takes to win.

Author Roy Lantz shares his unique perspectives on winning the game of life in his newest book, Never Beat the Boss at Horseshoes (102 Ways to Pitch Ringer after Ringer in the Game of Life). The book is filled with inspiring and motivational stories... You'll learn to approach the game of life from a whole new perspective.

Lantz is a professional speaker and the author of numerous articles, audio, and video programs on personal and professional development (including The Care and Keeping of Customers).

Just in time for Halloween, William N. Bender will present stories from his compilation, Haunted Atlanta and Beyond: Ghost Stories from Atlanta, Athens, and North Georgia.

The ghost stories presented in this folkloric collection provide a supernatural tour throughout northern Georgia and the Atlanta area. Specters such as jilted lovers, restless murder victims,ghosts gone wild at a UGA sorority house, and a creepy boarder at a bed-and-breakfast appear in the stories. Spanning the time between the Civil War and the modern day, the spooky tales entwine legends with scientific details and paranormal phenomena.

William N. Bender is a professor of psychology at the University of Georgia. He lives in Athens, Georgia.

In her debut novel, Gods in Alabama, Joshilyn Jackson tells the story of Arlene Fleet, who made three promises to God when she headed off to college in Chicago: She would never again lie, never fornicate outside of marriage, and never, ever go back to her tiny hometown of Possett, Alabama (the "fourth rack of Hell"). Despite pleas over the decade to come home, Arlene reconsiders only after a sudden visit from a former classmate.

Library Journal says: " Forget steel magnolias - meet titanium blossoms in Jackson's debut novel, a potent mix of humor, murder, and a dysfunctional Southern family."

Joshilyn Jackson is a native of the Deep South, a former actor and award-winning teacher, and now a full-time writer and mother of two. She is currently at work on her second novel. She lives with her family outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

Visit her web site.