 I am from the rural Lowcountry of South Carolina. I can do all the things that the male farmers do. My soybeans rows are straight and I love the outdoors. I have 2 daughters and 4 grandsons. I am a Baptist and play the piano. God is my Keeper. My family is loved and I hope that they will always know my door is open. I have written two books. Rum Gully Roots and The Well-Traveled Path. There is much to be said about long-forgotten values such as team work, appreciation for a job well-done, and good old neighborly love. However, Rum Gully Roots revives memories of these wonderful traits from the dusty yet nostalgic countryside of America. Rum Gully Roots is the creation of Southern belle, Edna Carroll. Rum Gully is Edna’s actual place of descent, located in South Carolina. It is in this book – her first novel – where she narrates her family’s beautiful story through a collection of reflections, essays, and old photographs that ooze with Southern charm. Edna recalls her fondest memories, and well as lessons she learned while living in this quiet town through Rum Gully Roots. She gives a snippet of what the book has to offer: "Rum Gully Roots shows the tears and (the degree of) work (needed) to survive. It also shows the bonding of neighbors that have never been to school." |
So far, Rum Gully Roots has been earning rave reviews, especially among her family, friends, and neighbors – most of whom were included in its chapters. She enthuses, "Neighbors and friends have been delighted. Everyone reports that (the book) just wasnt long enough. I have friends who have read it two or three times." In response to the clamor, Edna is already considering making a sequel to Rum Gully Roots. "I barely scratched the surface with this first book," she notes. The positive reactions to Edna’s Rum Gully Roots has not only proven her success in weaving a tapestry of nostalgia and bliss in her peaceful hometown: it has also shown that in the age of individualism and the rapid development of technology, it is still a joy to escape to the fundamentals of living in the rustic and dreamy backlands of the American landscape. Rum Gully Roots has certainly given Edna a new perspective on her life, considering that she was once a scared little girl from long ago – as she describes herself. "Poverty is never forgotten," she says. "It is a memory that makes me always look ahead and never go back to that situation again." Edna’s heartbreaking past has taught her to make sure that her money is spent wisely. This is why she chose Xlibris as her partner in getting Rum Gully Roots published. She has not regretted her decision. "I definitely would recommend Xlibris. New writers will find the encouragement and help they need (for self-publishing their book) here," she says. Edna does not find it difficult to search for inspiration in her writings and in her life. She already finds it in her familys smile, her grown grandsons hugs, and her younger grandsons’ reaching out to her. She adds: "The respect I receive as I play the piano and see my daughters faces while singing; fresh dew on a spiders web; nature and God working together. What else could a person desire? | 
