An author and native son is returning to his former hometown for a book signing set for Thursday, January 18 at 5 p.m. at the Greenville-Butler County Public Library.

Jeff Barganier, who previously penned the political suspense thriller “The Slash Brokers,” focusing on the illegal international trade in human organs, will be on hand to sign copies of his memoir, “How Prayer Helped Me Escape the Corporate Rat Race and Live By Design and Not By Default.”

Although Barganier now lives in Pike Road and has traveled all over the country and the world, he still has many ties to the Camellia City–right down to the location of the book signing.

“I first met my wife Cindy on the same ground where the Greenville Public Library sits today,” Barganier says.

“There used to be a four-plex (apartments) there. We lived downstairs and Cindy’s grandmother lived upstairs. We met as children when she would come to visit her grandmother. I still have numerous cousins, aunts and uncles, and in-laws living in Greenville. It still feels like home.”

Barganier fondly recalls some of those hometown people who made a long-term impact on his life.

“I actually mention my 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Rainey, in the book. I asked her one day in class if I was ever going to ‘make it’ in life. I had my doubts,” he admits.

“She answered that I absolutely was going to ‘make it.’ I have never forgotten her words of encouragement. They inspired me to work harder and I did.”

Other individuals who rank high in Barganier’s estimation are Colonel Eugene Cook and Sergeant Bud Langford who ran the ROTC program at Greenville High School, inspiring him to join the Army right after graduation from high school in Tuscaloosa.

“My Army service and exposure to a much larger world was the beginning of my interest in travel and gave me much inspiration for writing, even today,” Barganier explains. 

Actually, an earlier experience in Greenville might have first triggered his desire to see the world.

“Mr. Jeff Beeland, who used to fly small planes out at the Greenville Airport, gave me an impromptu ride one Sunday when I was just a child and happened to be out there . . . I think that first airplane ride may have sparked the wanderlust in me. Truthfully, it would take me writing another book to cover all the people and events in Greenville  which have shaped my life.”

When asked about the different approach an author might take for a fictional work versus writing his own story, Barganier has this to say.

“My latest book combines elements of fiction within my memoir, which I think makes it unique. I go into detail about how my last book, ‘The Slash Brokers,’ came about in 1998 and the turmoil it caused me,” Barganier explains.

“I also end the book with a fictional short story that is based on a miracle I encountered as a young businessman that changed the course of my thinking and gave me the faith to completely trust in God and not in man; to live life by His design, not by the world’s dictates.”

Writing in any genre is always hard work. But this book affected him far differently than his first, Barganier says.

“The tedious writing process never really changes. But the emotional nature of the work is quite different. Writing The Slash Brokers never moved me to tears. I was in control of the characters,” Barganier says.

“With ‘How Prayer . . .’ I was the character. I had to be brutally honest with myself and expose my readers to matters of the heart—my heart. I believe most people today would agree that the world has darkened substantially since the days we ran and played on the streets of Greenville back in the 50s. What the world needs now more than ever is the lighthouse of truth and repentance through prayer, lest the gathering darkness consume many.”   

An attorney and financial advisor facing burn-out, Barganier sold his company in 2003. He and wife Cindy went on to downsize their possessions and make her Pike Road interior design studio their home base.

“We’ve created a lifestyle that lets us go directly from work to play. Consequently, we are super-productive in what we love—writing and design,” Barganier explains. “We’ve farmed out 90 percent of life’s mundane tasks, freeing us to create and travel. Now we live life by design, not by default.”

Copies of “How Prayer . . .” will be available at the Jan. 18 book signing for $16.30 (including tax). Cash or check is preferred; however, credit cards will be accepted that day, Barganier says.

For those living out of town, the cost to have a copy mailed will be $20 which includes shipping and handling. For more information, contact Jeff Barganier at jeffbarganier@knology.net