Friends of the Macon County Public Library Hosts Two Local Author Events in October

     PRESS RELEASE (09-07-2025)

FRIENDS OF THE MACON COUNTY LIBRARY

FRIENDS OF THE MACON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTS TWO LOCAL AUTHOR EVENTS IN OCTOBER

FRANKLIN – Author Jeremy B. Jones will be the guest of The Friends of the Macon County Public Library for a reading and talk of his latest book, a memoir Cipher: Decoding My Ancestor’s Scandalous Secret Diaries (forthcoming from Blair September 9, 2025).  The event, called Books and Bites, is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, October 2 at the Macon County Public Library, 149 Siler Farm Road.

Jones’s prior book Bearwallow was named the 2014 Appalachian Book of the Year in nonfiction and awarded gold in memoir in the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards. His essays appear in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including Oxford American,  Appalachian Reckoning, and the Iowa Review. Born and raised in the mountains of North Carolina, Jones earned his MFA from the University of Iowa and now serves as an associate professor of English at Western Carolina University.

A few weeks later, the Friends will host author Mark Muncy and his wife, illustrator Kari Schultz, for a talk on their latest book, Eerie Appalachia by Arcadia Publishing. Their talk is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, October 23. The couple explores “the dark history lurking in the shadows of Appalachia,” including stories of the Flatwoods monster in Braxton County in West Virginia, the Goat Man of Louisville, the apparitions in Mammoth Cave's Corpse Rock and many more.

For those who like to take their spooky season celebrations to another level, feel free to come in your favorite creepy cryptid costume.

Muncy is an author of paranormal history, horror and science fiction. He has spent more than three decades collecting ghostly tales and reports of legendary beasts. Eerie Appalachia follows up his best-selling books Eerie Florida, Freaky Florida and Creepy Florida. He is a frequent guest on Coast to Coast AM, The X-Zone and Into the Fray Radio. Additionally, he is a commentator on numerous shows including Expedition X, Sasquatch Chronicles, Road Trips with Ripley’s and many more TV and radio shows. Muncy is the host of Eerie Travels on Area 52 TV. The couple lives in Franklin.

Refreshments will be served by the Friends and the authors will sign book copies that will be available for sale at the events. Call the library at (828) 524-3600 for more information.

The Friends of the Macon County Public Library seek to develop and maintain citizen interest and participation in the growth and development of the Macon County Public Library and to stimulate the use of the library’s resources and services. The Friends raise money to support library programs and the purchase of equipment and technology through memberships and sales from the used bookstore located in the Shops at Riverwalk, 115 Highlands Rd. in Franklin.

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Friends of the Macon County Public Library to Host Author Emma Churchman June 7

 PRESS RELEASE (05-07-2025)

FRIENDS OF THE MACON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 

FRANKLIN – Author Emma Churchman will be the guest of The Friends of the Macon County Public Library discussing her latest book, “The Deep End of Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene: 40 Days and Nights of Survival and Transformation.”  The author talk, called Books and Bites, is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, June 7 at the Macon County Public Library, 149 Siler Farm Road.

Refreshments will be served by the Friends and the author will sign copies available for sale at the event. Call the library at (828) 524-3600 for more information.

Churchman’s book is Amazon’s #1 best-seller about disaster relief. Published by GracePoint Publishing’s Evolve Press, “The Deep End of Hope” is among the first on the market describing what happened in Western North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene. Churchman says that the book helps people understand how to recover quickly in the wake of unexpected events and is based on her background and experience serving as a trauma chaplain for her community of Gerton, North Carolina.

Kevin King, executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service, said that the book “is a must-read for every disaster response organization and its constituents, including volunteers and donors.”

With raw honesty and unexpected humor, Churchman chronicles the recovery of her community as it is forced to rebuild itself. Without power, phones, or the internet, local residents teetered between chaos and unity. As lawlessness emerged and desperation mounted, Churchman made a choice that would change everything: to transform her fear into a fierce kind of love. Part survival story, part love letter to human resilience, this memoir illustrates what is possible when crisis strips away differences and reveals a shared humanity. In a world increasingly divided, her story reminds readers that their greatest strength lies not in their independence but in their connections to each other.

A portion of the book proceeds will go to Mennonite Disaster Service, which was one of the first groups in Gerton to help with recovery efforts.

The Friends of the Macon County Public Library seek to develop and maintain citizen interest and participation in the growth and development of the Macon County Public Library and to stimulate the use of the library’s resources and services. The Friends raise money to support library programs and the purchase of equipment and technology through memberships and sales from the used bookstore located in the Shops at Riverwalk, 115 Highlands Rd. in Franklin.

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Grace Johnson Art Collection Reception at the Macon County Public Library

PRESS RELEASE (08-02-2024)
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Friday, August 16, 2024 - 4:00pm to 6:00pm in the Macon County Public Library Meeting Room - Grace Johnson Art Collection Reception & Friends of the Library Fundraiser

Grace Johnson spent much of her retirement years volunteering with the Friends of the Library—her family is exhibiting some of the art she collected throughout her career which took her to Vietnam, Korea, Germany, Grenada, Iran, as well as stateside locations. Art will be on display throughout the month of August and available for bidding to raise funds for the Friends of the Library. Refreshments will be served.

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