Author Larry K. Neal Jr. will sign copies of the latest Images of Rail series release from Arcadia Books, ěSouthern Railwayís Historic Spencer Shopsî on Saturday, Aug. 13, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer.
Neal will appear in the museum gift shop, The Gift Station. He will sign books Aug. 19, 5-7 p.m., at Literary Bookpost in downtown Salisbury.
A story about Neal and his book appeared in the Salisbury Post on Friday, July 22.
Southern Railwayís Spencer Shops was a vibrant part of the Southeastís transportation network for more than 80 years. Starting in the late 1800s and continuing until its closure in 1979, the shop complex and its accompanying yards, transfer sheds, and stockyards constituted a major force in the economy of North Carolina and Southern states. The trains that the shop prepared were hauling everyday freight ó Appalachian lumber, Piedmont textiles and perishables ó or were famous passenger trains like the Crescent, the Peach Queen and many more.
Others were more notable, such as the locomotive in the folk ballad ěThe Wreck of the Old 97î or President Rooseveltís funeral train in 1945. The Spencer Shops was an industrial power whose prominence today is celebrated in its continued role as the home to the N.C. Transportation Museum. This book tells the story of how Spencer Shops came to be, its role in transportation, and its continued use today as a North Carolina Historic Site.
Neal, chief of museum operations and education at Spencer Shops, writes on behalf of the museum, which, with its affiliated nonprofit, the North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation, is dedicated to preserving the moving stories of people on the go in the Tar Heel State.
New book by Rowan native
World Castle Publishing (http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com) has announced the release of ěFearless Heartî by Rowan County native Gail Cauble Gurley. The book is in e-book and trade paperback. It is a fictional story of a New York City family trapped in the poverty of Americaís Great Depression; their struggles, faith and ultimate triumph n the face of near insurmountable odds and hardships. Fall in love with the characters, as itís sure to become a classic.
Gurley has a bachelorís degree in psychology and a masterís in education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She retired in 1995 to pursue her dream of writing. She is the author of three works of fiction, as well as co-author of a screenplay inspired by her racing book, ěRed Dirt Tracks.î The movie ěRed Dirt Risingî was released in May 2010 and on DVD in January 2011.