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Readers and literary enthusiasts gathered at the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 1 to meet award-winning author JoDee Neathery and attend a signing of her latest book, ‘A Kind of Hush’. The event, held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Chamber’s location on 1 Depot Square, allowed fans to hear Neathery discuss her writing journey and inspirations.

“It was a lifelong dream, but you know, life gets in the way, kids get in the way, all that sort of stuff,” Neathery shared. “But with the encouragement of my book club, they said, ‘You’ve got to follow this dream if this is what you really want to do.’ They encouraged me and they believed in me before I did.”

Neathery, a 2024 American Legacy Book Awards finalist and winner of the 2022 International Firebird Book Awards in literary fiction, introduced ‘A Kind of Hush’, a novel exploring themes of tragedy, family and morality. 

In the book, the Mackie family is shattered by a park outing gone wrong near their Buffalo, New York home, leaving one parent and two children as survivors. 

The story delves into the mystery of whether the incident was an accident or something more sinister. Neathery’s first book, ‘Life in a Box’, marked her debut into literary fiction and was largely inspired by her own family. 

“That one’s based on my family. There are some colorful characters in the family,” she said. “It’s fiction, so the events are all made up, but the characters are there.”

The event’s success was largely thanks to Neathery’s longtime friend Mary Nell Stanky, a local resident who co-led a book club with Neathery in Texas. 

“JoDee and I have been friends for over twenty years,” Stanky said. “She came to Greenville to address my book club last night, and Mary McKinley decided to have a book signing for her today at the Chamber of Commerce.”

For those interested, ‘A Kind of Hush’ and Neathery’s other works are available for purchase on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble locations.