LENOIR, NC (12-27-2019) — Along with being a talented musician, James Houston Groome of Lenoir, NC is a prolific writer. He’s been journaling for years and is the author of poems and short stories, mostly unpublished. As a young man he fell in love with the Happy Valley community and soon began collecting notes and observations about people, places and things in the area. It was always on his bucket list to write a book about his experiences.
He mentioned his desire to write a book to his friend, Leila McMichael. McMichael has over 25 years’ experience in the printing industry as a desktop publisher and typesetter. She received English and Journalism awards in high school and worked in literary research in college. She was the editor of two of the Haunted Broughton books by her sister, Margaret Langley. She volunteered to help make Groome’s dream a reality.
The Out of Towner’s Guidebook to Happy Valley contains personal and often humorous reminiscences of the author’s life and experience in historic Happy Valley, a beautiful 28-mile-long valley nourished by the Yadkin River and stretching from Patterson, NC almost to Wilkesboro, NC. Groome includes local lingo (explaining common words and phrases) folklore, hauntings, historic references to both Revolutionary and Civil wars and famous local personages, regional natural history, the local music culture, delicious recipes and more! The book is a very easy read and chock full of photos and illustrations.
The Out of Towner’s Guide Book to Happy Valley, NC by James Houston Groome, edited by Leila M. McMichael represents untold hours of discussion and planning; thousands of hours of research, writing, typing and re-typing; hundreds of hours of formatting and publishing, and scores of miles of travel culminating in a literary work of around 23,319 words; 83 photos and a whole lot of love for historic Happy Valley.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of many, Groome’s dream was fulfilled: a book written to honor Happy Valley, educate the reader on its rich heritage, and share his love for its people, culture, history, and beauty.
Copies are available at the Caldwell Heritage Museum and the Wilkes Heritage Museum and online at Amazon.com in both print and Kindle versions.
Press Release courtesy of Leila M. McMichael