Launch party for Shirley Twiss's book, Joy in the Morning. December 17, 2011

Shirley Twiss will be signing her second book, Joy In The Morning, $19.99 in paperback. Joy in the Morning is a homecoming for fans of Cotton in Augusta. Readers who are being introduced to the writing of Shirley Proctor Twiss will find this story delightfully entertaining and insightful with a heavy dash of inspiration.

Myra and her family are now in a later period of their lives. Many old challenges persist, and the changing times test her with more complex and heartrending issues. A devastating event will change the course of their lives at a time when they are least able to overcome adversity. The Great Depression drastically changes their lives. James is humbled by his inability to find work and provide for his family. Myra is able to keep food on the table and a roof over their head by using the survival skills learned in her childhood. She has to balance these responsibilities with her heartbreak at seeing her beloved husband suffering the discouragement of his hopeless situation. Their bond of deep abiding love has grown stronger over the years. It has sometimes been tarnished by their differing views of responsibility, but it has never broken. However, James’s often wayward antics have stressed the bond.

Readers will experience an intimate sense of life during the Great Depression as Myra and James put aside their pride and realizes they have to receive help from others. After struggling through the Great Depression, World War II brings new horrors. Myra becomes aware of world events for the first time in her life. Many family members are called to serve and are in harm’s way. Gold stars appear in windows. She learns of the Holocaust and takes this as her own grief. Her heart is filled with pain, as she questions this inhumanity to the most innocent.

The six children add new twists to the story as they move into adulthood. Marriages will add new family members. Some are rejoiced— some cause concern. Readers will recognize traits of both Myra and James in the children as they establish their identities.

Many old friends from Cotton in Augusta will reappear as the story progresses. The ties and loyalty of the MacTavish family bring them to the aid of James and Myra when their support is needed. However, some will disappoint them with spiteful acts. In this respect Joy in the Morning continues to show the biting realities of life that Myra endured in the first novel.

Myra becomes aware of changes in the status of women brought on by the war years. She begins to look at herself as a person and not just a wife and mother. A surprise is in store for readers when she takes a stand that readers have long awaited. As readers turn the pages of Joy in the Morning, they will feel as though they are walking in the shoes of the characters, and the meaning of the title will be discovered.

About the author:

Cotton in Augusta, the first novel of Shirley Proctor Twiss, was the fulfillment of a life dream—a story the author had always wanted to tell. Her only goal was for the tale to be read and enjoyed. To the surprise of the author the book earned popularity with readers, was recognized as a book of merit and nominated for a 2009 SIBA award for fiction (didn’t win, but nice to be nominated).

The dream of writing started at an early age when she filled spiral notebooks with stories. This ambition continued and grew stronger, but as a vocation her concern for special needs children drew her into the field of special education. This was a true calling, and she taught for twenty-four years. Writing took a back seat to her happy life as a wife, mother and teacher. The bonus years of retirement finally gave the opportunity to return to writing and tell a story that had been in her heart for many years.

When readers related to this tale of a young woman’s story of love and faith, the author knew there was much more of the story to tell. She drew from her rich Southern heritage and memories of tales told by her family to continue the story into a later period in the life of the characters. The story and characters are fictional, but the author’s vivid memories of life in a small Georgia town surrounded by cotton fields and tall pines gave her a realistic word picture for the setting of the events.

Although, she was a young child during the years of World War II, she stored away impressions of the time her little town was filled with G.I.s, progress of the war was the topic of all conversations and gold stars in windows touched her little town with heartbreak.

She has lived in Greenville, South Carolina for thirty-two years and enjoys this vibrant city in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.—although still considering herself a Georgian.

After the death of her husband of forty-five years, she continued the life they had planned surrounded by family and friends. She still has stories to tell.

www.shirleytwiss.com

Official Website: http://fiction-addiction.com