This year I knew exactly what to get Joe for his December birthday: a copy of Stan Byrdy's new book, Against All Odds: The Donnie Hixon Story, which tells the amazing story of Augustan Donnie Hixon who overcame personal adversity and ultimately served as Burt Reynold's stunt double in the movie, The Longest Yard.
For those who don't know, Stan Byrdy is an Augusta writer, speaker, sports historian, and award winning journalist. He has written two other books: Alister MacKenzie's Masterpiece: The Augusta National Golf Club, and Augusta and Aiken in Golf's Golden Age.
He also happens to be our neighbor and a member of our church.
When I contacted Stan and asked if he would sign a book for Joe, he suggested we meet and do an author book swap. One of his books for one of mine. So a few days later, during a torrential thunderstorm, Stan came to our house. We talked about the writing process, shared publishing stories, discussed marketing ideas, and then we swapped books.
Now, shortly before our book swap my friend Thalia, who was flying out of the Augusta Regional Airport, sent me a photo of my book An Ocean, an Airplane, and Two Countries Full of Kisses which she spotted in the Landings Gift Shop. She didn't know I was meeting with Stan, and yet her photo showed my book AND Stan's book, The Augusta National Golf Club, sharing a book stand at the airport gift shop.
How's that for a little Christmas serendipity?
Stan's book, Against All Odds: The Donnie Hixon Story is available on Amazon and at the Sacred Hearts Cultural Center gift shop.
As it happens, my book is available in both places, too, as well as Dr. David Tribby's volume of poetry, Gifts in Time.
I guess the moral of the story is to support local authors (insert smiley face emoji).
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