GWM hosts Georgia Author of the Year Winner Ann Hite


Published 3:24 pm Wednesday, September 27, 2023

October has three things in common. It is the season of ghosts as Halloween approaches. It is the time children around the state will author stories to enter the GWM Spooky Story contest. And it is the month a ghostwriter (make that a writer of ghosts) appears at Georgia Writers Museum as the Meet the Author presenter to talk about her best-selling book, “Haints on Black Mountain.”

Mystery writer Ann Hite will wing in on her broomstick on Oct. 3at 7p.m. (doors open at 6:30p.m). Here is a teaser to scare you!

“Haints on Black Mountain” is more than a scary story; it is a collection of scary short stories.

“Wrinkle in the Air” features Black Mountain’s Polly Murphy, a young Cherokee woman, who sees her future in the well’s water. “The Root Cellar” introduces Polly’s great-grandson, who tends to be a little too frugal with his money until a tornado and Polly’s spirit pay a visit to the mountain. “The Ghost Dog” brings a young widow and her thirteen-year-old son to the foot of Black Mountain to live in a 150-year-old house, only to find spirits from the past inhabiting the house. “Take Me Home” features a young girl whisked away from Black Mountain to stay with her grandmother in a house with the infamous Georgia Central State Hospital almost in its backyard. One can only imagine what happens. After an evening with Ann Hite, you will be sleeping with the lights on for a while.

Hite’s debut novel, “Ghost on Black Mountain,” not only became a Townsend Prize Finalist, but won her Georgia Author of the Year in 2012. “The Storycatcher,” her second Black Mountain novel, was released in 2013. “Where the Souls Go,” the third novel in the series, was an IndieFab finalist in 2016.

Her latest novel, “Sleeping Above Chaos,” was a finalist for the 2017 Georgia Author of the Year Award. It was also a finalist for IndieFab 2017, and nominated for a Pushcart Prize. “Roll the Stone Away: A Family‘s Legacy of Racism and Abuse,” was released in 2020.

Hite is an admitted book junkie with a library of over a thousand books. She lives near Powder Springswith her husband and daughter, where she allows her Appalachian characters to dictate their stories.

Admission is $45 ($40 each for two more tickets) and $200 for a table of six (a savings of $40). The event will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and a full bar. Following her presentation, Ann will be signing copies of her books. Call the Georgia Writers Museum to register for this enchanting event, 706-991-5119.