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As a way to promote literary talent from near and far, the Franklin County Friends of the Library recently held a book-signing event and sale where authors could showcase their work in-person to the general public.

The book sale was held at the Winchester Livery.

Local authors were invited and allowed to set up tables along a wall within the Livery building.

In the middle were six tables with a vast selection of books. Many genres, like fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, business, biographies, family/parenting, health, home projects, quilting books and miscellaneous paperbacks, were included.

To those who attended, the price was right — hardbacks were $2, and paperbacks were 50 cents. Children’s books were 25 cents. Special offers on some books were available as well. Shirts were also sold to event-goers for $18 dollars each.

Deb Holliday, also known as DL Holliday, got a late start in the field, having her first book published when she was 60 years old. She is the author of “Adventures of Tommy,” “Mystery at Morris Ferry,” “Ghost at Morris Ferry,” “Mystery of Morris Ferry Gold,” “Mystery at Eastbrook Inn,” and “Mystery at Indian Springs.”

Holliday succinctly summed up her approach toward being an author.

“The characters write the books,” she said.

“Adventures of Tommy” is a compilation of short stories for her grandson when he was 4 and is about meeting new friends and having adventures.

“Mystery of Morris Ferry” was an aged idea that Holliday couldn’t figure out characters for, but it blossomed into a series set in areas of Franklin County.

The second installment is “Ghost at Morris Ferry,” and the third book is wrapping up the previous book, titled “Mystery of Morris Ferry Gold.” The fourth book is “Mystery at Eastbrook Inn,” followed by the tentatively titled book, “Mystery at Indian Springs.”

Holliday has a children’s book coming out next year, and it is about a cat who escaped from her house and got lost.

Holliday moved to the area with her family when she was 10. She said her family would always read at night simultaneously, and she began writing when she was 8.

Holliday began with short stories and poetry.

She went on to marry a Franklin County native and she has three children, four grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Cheryl Lankhaar, illustrator for “The Monteagle Assembly,” said she was fascinated by the story of the Monteagle Assembly and wanted to share it, but she ran into an obstacle.

“Even if I had immense confidence in illustrating this… I still needed a story,” she said.

Brigid Stewart, author of “The Monteagle Assembly,” says their book has been done differently.

“What is interesting about the book is that it was done in reverse; typically, the author writes the book, then the illustrator creates art for it. Lankhaar painted everything first, and then I went and wrote it,” she said.

“The Monteagle Assembly” is based upon the real Monteagle Assembly on the mountain. It was established in 1882. Families have come from all over the country for seven generations. These same families stay in their cottages and cabins annually for five weeks during the summer.

Lankhaar has worked as an artist for years, but this is the first book she’s illustrated.

Stewart grew up in a family of writers in Nashville. She was a journalist for many years, working for many publications.

Stewart was an editor for two newspapers in Memphis before moving to the immediate area in 1999 when she was the state correspondent for The Tennessean. She worked for Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Decherd for some time and was the director of religious education.

Sheila Robertson is the author of “Farhaven Forest,” “Valleys of Shadow,” “June Bug and Kat,” and “Alzheimer’s… There is Hope.”

The story behind “Alzheimer’s… There is Hope” is one Robertson said she believes is unique.

“I was driving down the road and a Bible verse appeared in my head. It was 2 Timothy 1:7, which says: ‘For we have not been given a spirit of fear, but power, love, and a sound mind.’ The book is actually a study on fear and how it is connected to Alzheimer’s. It should be treated as a disease; if it was occurring in any other age group, they would be throwing billions of dollars at it.”

“Farhaven Forest” is about her cats and the silly things she finds them doing.

“June Bug and Kat” is her way of improving her parent’s childhoods. She rewrites their childhoods to be much easier and happier.

“Valleys of the Shadow” is a biography of Janice Quick, a domestic-violence victim who suffered for 12 years. She has been a quadriplegic for 42 years because of the abuse.

Hubert Robertson is the author of “Into His Presence,” “Sweet Aroma,” “Bring in the Glory,” “Sanctuary,” “The Deep Wells,” “My God is Bigger Than Nine Centimeters,” and “Beyond the Crossroads.”

Robertson wrote his book “My God is Bigger Than Nine Centimeters” based on his personal experiences.

‘“My God is Bigger Than Nine Centimeters’ is about when I broke my back while working on my mother’s house. During the X-ray, it was discovered that I had a softball-sized (tumor), which is nine centimeters, on my kidney,” he said. “The next day, I’m informed that breaking my back saved my life. Kidney cancer is asymptomatic, and since they removed the tumor, I have been four years cancer-free.”

“Into His Presence” took 15 years. It was started in 1998 and published in 2013. It is a study into the Lord’s prayer, and the Old Testament/Jewish worship system.

Robertson said he believed when Jesus told his disciples about the Lord’s prayer, he was showing them, based on what they knew about worship historically, that this is what it’s going to look like going forward.

“Bring in the Glory” is about the various ways heaven has touched the planet over the years from the Garden of Eden to the modern day.

“Sweet Aroma” is a study about all the places in which God has smelled, and describes that, to God, humans stink. “Sanctuary” is about divine protection.

“The Deep Wells” is a compilation of six mini books. Robertson is currently working on “Beyond the Crossroads.”

Michael Bradley, the author of “The Last Words” and others, separates his books into two categories.

“Most of my books are from two categories. The majority of them are about Tennessee Civil War history, and the minority are about the Great Smoky Mountains, a place my wife and I have been hiking in since we were in college.”

His most recent book, “The Last Words,” is somewhat different and more analytical than most of his works.

“The Last Words” refer to farewell addresses officers made to their commands after the Civil War. These were the last words they shared together as soldiers and reviewed what they felt they had honestly accomplished during their time in the war.

There are nine from Union officers and eight from Confederate officers. They were written before the armies were broken up.

The books, set in the Great Smoky Mountains, are true accounts of the officers on both sides from that time.

Bradley is from the general area and was born in Fayetteville. He has lived in the area his whole life.

He taught at Motlow College from 1970 to 2006. He wrote many things as an academic major. In the 1990s, he started to write about more popular history with the desire of telling the stories of what happened during a different time and place. He has continued doing that since then.

Rolanda Holman, the author of “Living the Good,” wrote the book to help others.

“Whatever life has thrown your way, it does not stop your purpose in your heart,” she said.

Holman started writing “Living the Good” in college. It is about discovering one’s purpose in life and how to navigate life when there are bumps in the road. Motivation comes with life experience. She wrote based on the struggles she faced without understanding her purpose and about the things that helped her find her purpose.

Kelsey Toledo is the author of “Jack-O-Lantern Face,” “The Ghost of Whippoorwill Hollow” and “Fever Maiden” and is the mother of Ella Toledo, 5, and Zelda Toledo, 7.

“Jack-O-Lantern Face” is a children’s fantasy book and a Christian allegory. It is about a little girl who has a pumpkin head and is trapped in her pumpkin patch. She was left behind by a farmer. She finds freedom by the end of the book.

Ella Toledo, illustrator for “Jack-O-Lantern Face,” said she likes the female protagonist in the story.

“She looks cute and I love how she wants to get out of the pumpkin patch,” she said.

Zelda Toledo, another illustrator for “Jack-O-Lantern Face,” said she likes the male protagonist in the story.

“I like how the boy has a floppy hat, tan skin brown clothes, and bare feet. I also like how he has cute names, like Him, Love and Wonderful,” she said.

“The Ghost of Whippoorwill Hollow” is about a teenage girl who finds a Civil War ghost in the cemetery behind her house. She has to learn how to set him free.

“Fever Maiden” is a book that takes place in the pioneer days and is about a teenage girl who befriends an abused child and a musical coal miner. They find a secret within the woods.

Kelsey Toledo is a homeschool teacher. She has been writing stories since she was a little girl and has dreamed of becoming an author. She began self-publishing as a hobby after becoming a mother. She has been living in Tennessee for four years but is originally from Alabama.

The Franklin County Friends of the Library are supporting the programming for the Franklin County Library and have also purchased furniture for the library. The organization is very instrumental in remodeling the facility and also has purchased a book browser for the children’s library.