Pat Conroy Literary Center

Lowcountry Children's Book Fair
2025-07-26 10:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center’s annual Lowcountry Children’s Book Fair will be held on Saturday, July 26, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Port Royal Sound Foundation Weezie Educational Pavilion (310 Okatie Hwy).
A dozen local and visiting writers will be on hand with books for sales and signing, along with art activities and readings throughout the day.

Presented in partnership between the Conroy Center, the Port Royal Sound Foundation, the Storybook Shoppe children’s bookstore, and DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), this free community event is made possible by the generous support of Oyster Cay Collection of Beaufort.

Angela May, the New York Times bestselling co-author of The Islanders middle-grade novels, will be reading at 11:00 a.m. National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman will host a special Read with a Ranger program at noon. Michael B. Moore will read from his debut children’s book, Freedom on the Sea, inspired by the life of Beaufort’s iconic historical figure (and Moore’s ancestor) Robert Smalls at 1:00 p.m.

DAYLO student volunteers will be hosting read-alouds and bookmark art projects throughout the day, and local artist Hank Herring will also be teaching free art projects and Lowcountry Wind Symphony will be offering music projects as well. A food truck will be available midday. The Maritime Center will also be freely open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Other participating authors and artists include Joy Corley, author of Percy Goes Camping…Maybe; Margie Cowles Hamner, Magic Ball of Light, Mary T. Jacobs, author of the Big Daddy Series; Martha Jaworowski, author of Sports at First Sight; Carole Marsh, author of the Real Kids, Real Places series; Emma McClure, author/artist of Beautiful Beaufort: A Coloring Book; Nancy Merrill, author of Elf Dust; Ryan Q. Milling, author of Bob’s Truck; Robin Prince Monroe, author of The Glades; Susan Montanari, author of My Dog’s a Chicken; Susan Diamond Riley author of the Delta & Jax Mysteries; Katherine Robinson, author of The Crabs on Calhoun; and Beryl Title, author of Adventures of Roxy the Unicorn. The Storybook Shoppe will have additional local books available for sale.

About the Featured Authors
Angela May is the co-author of The Islanders, a New York Times bestselling middle-grade novel series created with Mary Alice Monroe. The first book in the series, The Islanders, earned several honors, including the South Carolina Children’s Book Award nominee and the Triple Crown Award. Angela is a lowcountry native who now lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband and their two children.

Michael Boulware Moore is the great-great grandson of Robert Smalls, whose heroic journey from slavery to the U.S. Congress is the inspiration for Moore’s first children’s picture book, Freedom on the Sea. He served as the founding president of the International African American Museum in Charleston, and he is a frequent keynote speaker for universities, conferences, museums, and other organizations across the country. He lives in Charleston with his family.

Learn more about the Pat Conroy Literary Center at www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.
Learn more about the Port Royal Sound Foundation at www.portroyalsoundfoundation.org.

Teddy Bear Picnic Read Aloud with Daylo August 2025
2025-08-02 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market, 1615 Ribault Rd, Port Royal, SC, 29935, United States
Saturday August 2, 2025 – 9:30 a.m. to noon EDT
Price: Free
Venue: Port Royal Farmers Market | Ribaut Rd & Pinckney Blvd, Port Royal, SC 29935
Website: Facebook Event Page
On the first Saturday of every month, you can join the student volunteers of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization for a Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd.). In collaboration with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, high school and college student volunteers from the Beaufort-based chapters of DAYLO gather at the gazebo in Naval Heritage Park from 9:30 a.m. to noon to read diverse, inclusive picture books to children and their families, inspiring a love of stories, books, reading, and peer-to-peer mentoring.
Cozy blankets, a plethora of stuffed animals, and some snacks help the students make a welcoming environment in this free community literacy program. Several times a year, National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman also joins in for Read with a Ranger, a literacy and art project thematically connected to the missions of DAYLO, the Conroy Center, and the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.
DAYLO is a student-led diversity themed book club and community service group founded at Beaufort High School and now with chapters across South Carolina. Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/DAYLOBFT.

This program and others like this would not be possible without your financial help for which, as always, Pat Conroy Literary Center gratefully thanks you.

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2025-08-23 16:30 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, 29902, United States
Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, will hold its next meetup on Saturday, July 19, from 4:30 to 6:30PM at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.). A relaxed and pressure-free space for readers of all types, this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere.

Silent Book Club Beaufort is co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization).
Unlike traditional book clubs, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading, no deadlines, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks, audiobooks, comic books, textbooks, or paperbacks, readers are invited to bring their book of choice, settle in, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals.

Silent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book, take a book.

The casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations, make friends, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading, everyone is welcome.

Silent Book Club Beaufort is free to attend and proudly supports local businesses and organizations. Additional dates and locations will be announced via the SBCB Instagram page at www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.

Monthly Teddy Bear Picnic Read-Aloud with DAYLO
2026-01-03 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-02-07 09:30 - 12:00, 2026-03-07 09:30 - 12:00 | Port Royal Farmers Market
On the first Saturday of every month, you can join the student volunteers of DAYLO: Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization for a Teddy Bear Picnic read-aloud at the Port Royal Farmers Market (1615 Ribaut Rd.). In collaboration with the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, high school and college student volunteers from the Beaufort-based chapters of DAYLO gather at the gazebo in Naval Heritage Park from 9:30 a.m. to noon to read diverse, inclusive picture books to children and their families, inspiring a love of stories, books, reading, and peer-to-peer mentoring.
Cozy blankets, a plethora of stuffed animals, and some snacks help the students make a welcoming environment in this free community literacy program. Several times a year, National Park Service Ranger Katherine Freeman also joins in for Read with a Ranger, a literacy and art project thematically connected to the missions of DAYLO, the Conroy Center, and the Reconstruction Era National Historic Park.
DAYLO is a student-led diversity themed book club and community service group founded at Beaufort High School and now with chapters across South Carolina. Learn more at: https://linktr.ee/DAYLOBFT.
The Pat Conroy Literary Center is a nonprofit interpretive and learning center advancing the legacy of beloved, bestselling writer, educator, and mentor Pat Conroy (1945-2016), author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides, and more. Learn more at: www.patconroyliterarycenter.org.

Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Bo Hee Moon, Author of Birthstones in the Province of Mercy
2026-01-08 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event, live-streamed to our Facebook page, on Thursday, January 8, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is poet Bo Hee Moon, author of Birthstones in the Province of Mercy, winner of the Jake Adam York Prize. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
Interested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
About Our Featured Author:
A South Korean adoptee, Bo Hee Moon is the author of one previous book of poems, Omma, Sea of Joy and Other Astrological Signs, which she published under another name with Tinderbox Editions in 2021. Her poems have appeared in AGNI, Poetry, Poetry Northwest, swamp pink, The Margins, and other journals. She is a PhD student in Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Houston, where she has received the Inprint Brown Foundation Fellowship. Moon currently lives in Houston. www.boheemoon.com
“Bo Hee Moon’s Birthstones in the Province of Mercy salvages a language for the unheard and unseen experiences of Korean American adoptees, whom neither America nor Korea have ever envisioned to be as vital, dynamic, and wide-ranging across poetics, literature, and advocacy around the globe. Moon exhumes a sense of mothering across the threshold of life, revealing our human lineage, perpetually renewed and destroyed by our own hands. In the bloody fight for belonging, Moon confronts linguistic, geographical, and cultural borders. With these poems, Moon joins the long and rich tradition of Korean and Korean American women’s poetry.”—E. J. Koh, author of The Liberators
“Some people’s families are conjured by biology. Some seek the families they need. But what if the fact and myth from which we first fashion a self leaves us carrying the weight of a hole, the wound left when one is manufactured to fill another’s emptiness? Bo Hee Moon’s Birthstones in the Province of Mercy is a beautiful, harrowing, resolutely honest, and moving examination of this question. Precise, eloquent, vividly lyric, this collection is spun from grief and a self-preservational steel. This is poetry with a tensile strength of mind and heart at its core that I admire deeply. It’s a book for anyone who’s had to will themselves free.”—Erin Belieu, author of Come-Hither Honeycomb

An Evening with USA Today Bestselling Novelist Jennifer Moorman, Author of The Charmed Library
2026-01-10 16:00 - 17:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening with USA Today bestselling novelist Jennifer Moorman, author of The Charmed Library, on Saturday, January 10, at 4:00 p.m., at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St., Beaufort). Moorman will be in conversation with Conroy Center executive director Jonathan Haupt. This free event is presented in partnership with the DAYLO student book club and the Storybook Shoppe. Books will be available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call in advance to reserve: 843-379-7025.
ABOUT THE CHARMED LIBRARY
Like many other public libraries, the one in Blue Sky Valley, North Carolina, is a haven for readers. But it’s also unlike any other. In this library, fictional characters step off the page into real life. Assistant librarian Stella Parker has no idea. Still reeling from her father’s death and–more recently–a breakup, she hasn’t noticed. All she knows is she’s stuck in a job she’s overqualified for and stumped about what to do with her life.
Everything changes when she burns her beloved journal. Words matter to Stella. For as long as she can remember, she’s seen them. Words appear–in varying colors and fonts–rising from surfaces, bouncing over objects, and even wiggling out of people. Words give her insight into emotions and untold stories. But the words change for Stella after she burns her journal. Suddenly they’re demanding, urgent–and painful.
Then Stella stumbles upon strange characters in the library after hours. One is an oddly familiar World War II soldier who introduces himself as Jack—Jack Mathis, the main character from her favorite book. A fictional hero and Stella’s first crush. Standing in front of her in the flesh.
Jack tells Stella about the magic hidden in the library. Skeptical, Stella rashly invites a villain to visit, and chaos ensues. As she discovers the importance of protecting the library’s secret and gets to know the real Jack, words continue to appear. What are they trying to tell her? Much too quickly, Stella is faced with the reality that all stories must end, and magic comes at a price. The characters who visit the library can only stay for fourteen days. And Jack’s time is almost up.
“Moorman delivers the perfect blend of magical realism and romance in this sweet tale about the power of books . . . With enough surprises to keep it from being predictable, Moorman’s delightful story will charm readers.”—Library Journal
“Moorman examines the consequences of losing oneself to grief and the magical, healing power of books. This enchanting and delightful read is a must for book and library lovers.”—Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Moorman writes enchanting novels inspired by the everyday magic and whimsy in the world around her. She is the bestselling author of the magical realism Mystic Water series, The Baker’s Man, and The Magic All Around. Born and raised in Southern Georgia, Jennifer has a deep love for nature, a fondness for honeysuckle, and childhood memories of whippoorwills singing her to sleep. When she’s not writing, you can find her testing a new recipe, chasing rainbows, or stargazing. She lives in a magic house in Nashville, Tennessee.

Silent Book Club Beaufort
2026-01-17 16:30 - 18:30, 2026-02-21 16:30 - 18:30, 2026-03-21 16:30 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
Silent Book Club Beaufort, a unique take on the traditional book club, meets at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St.) on third Saturdays from 4:30 to 6:30PM. Co-sponsored by the Conroy Center and the student book club DAYLO (Diversity Awareness Youth Literacy Organization), .this community gathering invites book lovers to enjoy their current reads in a welcoming and peaceful atmosphere.
Unlike traditional book clubs, Silent Book Club Beaufort has no assigned reading, no deadlines, and no discussions required. Whether you prefer ebooks, audiobooks, comic books, textbooks, or paperbacks, readers are invited to bring their book of choice, settle in, and savor the joy of uninterrupted reading among like-minded individuals.
Silent Book Club Beaufort also features a book swap: Leave a book, take a book.
The casual meetups provide an excellent opportunity to discover new book recommendations, make friends, and reconnect with the love of reading. Whether you’re a lifelong bookworm or just getting back into reading, everyone is welcome. Additional dates and locations will be announced via www.instagram.com/silentbookclubbeaufort.

Grassroots Marketing for Authors: Workshop Led by Helen P. Bradley
2026-01-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
GRASSROOTS MARKETING FOR AUTHORS MARKETING
A Writers Workshop Led by Helen P. Bradley, Author of Breach of Trust
Today’s social media landscape is more saturated than ever, making it hard for new writers to stand out, connect with their target readers, and sell more books. In this writers workshop, instructor Helen P. Bradley will share how she promoted her debut novel Breach of Trust on a tight budget by using tried-and-true old school marketing.
You’ll learn how to: create community, find book clubs and events, write an elevator pitch, organize a book launch, create a mailing list, and more. Even if you’re an introvert and marketing sounds more painful than a sunburn, you can promote your book to your ideal audience with these authentic, ethical marketing tools.
This workshop is for published authors as well as those still on the writing journey. It’s never too early to think about marketing. Come hang out with other writers and bring something to write with like old school pen and paper or your favorite device.
Location and Cost
This is an in-person writers workshop, held at the Pat Conroy Literary Center (601 Bladen St, Beaufort). Limited to 15 participants with advance registration required; $50/person.
About Our Instructor
Helen P. Bradley’s debut novel, Breach of Trust, was released in April 2023. It draws from her experiences during twenty-seven years heading a nationally-recognized crime victim advocacy program. It’s about one woman’s fight to protect crime victims and expose corruption within the district attorney’s office that leads her on a harrowing and life-changing journey.
Helen was nominated for 2024 Georgia Author of the Year for a debut novel. She recently was voted Best Local Author and Breach of Trust Best New Local Book in Connect Savannah’s Best Of contest. More than 100 people attended her book launch and broke all sales records for the bookstore selling her books. In August 2022, she won first place in NextTribe’s essay contest. The essay about raising her grandson was selected out of a field of 55 entries from across the country.
For a decade (pre-Covid) she mentored middle school student writers through the Deep program which was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama (www.deepcenter.org). She helped young people write their powerful stories and they, in turn, inspired her to write hers.
She’s written curricula, essays, and articles for The National Organization for Victim Assistance, The National Victim Center, and the Georgia Victim Assistance Academy. She was a journalist at two daily South Carolina newspapers and has had essays published in The Savannah Anthology, Savannah Magazine, The Savannah Morning News, and Law Enforcement Magazine.After her victim advocacy career, she started a wedding officiant business, Savannah Simple Weddings.
Helen has a degree in English from Clemson University and earned a master’s in public administration from Georgia Southern University. She served as a trainer for the National Organization for Victim Assistance, The National Victim Center, and numerous other organizations. She lives in Savannah, Georgia, with her husband, teen grandson, and an antisocial rescue cat. She enjoys practicing yoga, gobbling chocolate, and reading obituaries.

Pat Conroy as Nature Writer
2026-01-25 15:00 - 17:00 | 21A-1 Market Street. Beaufort, SC 29906
On Sunday, January 25, at 3:00-5:00 p.m., at Village Social of Habersham, Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and poet Tim Conroy will discuss the nature writing of Pat Conroy, the bestselling author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides, and more. From his obscure boyhood poetry to his beloved lyrical adult prose, Conroy wrote about the beauty of our natural world as both wondrous and perilous, using the lowcountry not only as a setting but as the central character of his many books. This presentation will highlight representative examples of Conroy’s nature writing from across the span of his writing life, drawing attention to how Conroy’s relationship with nature is also ultimately a relationship with his deeply felt spiritual and humanistic faith.
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By popular demand, this program is now being offered twice: January 25 AND 26.
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The $25 registration fee includes the presentation, refreshments, and a donation in support of the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. Register in advance for this event and others in this series at
https://www.villagesocialhabersham.net/upcoming-events
About Our Presenters
Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. Under Jonathan’s leadership, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership.
Tim Conroy, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route, is a poet and retired educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines, Blue Mountain Review, Jasper Magazine, Marked by the Water, Sheltered, Twelve Mile Review, Poetry on the Comet, The Post and Courier, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth, DWG Anthology, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor.

Pat Conroy as Nature Writer
2026-01-26 18:00 - 20:00 | 21A-1 Market Street. Beaufort, SC 29906
On Monday, January 26, at 6:00-8:00 p.m., at Village Social of Habersham, Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and poet Tim Conroy will discuss the nature writing of Pat Conroy, the bestselling author of The Water Is Wide, The Great Santini, The Prince of Tides, and more. From his obscure boyhood poetry to his beloved lyrical adult prose, Conroy wrote about the beauty of our natural world as both wondrous and perilous, using the lowcountry not only as a setting but as the central character of his many books. This presentation will highlight representative examples of Conroy’s nature writing from across the span of his writing life, drawing attention to how Conroy’s relationship with nature is also ultimately a relationship with his deeply felt spiritual and humanistic faith.
– – –
By popular demand, this program is now being offered twice: January 25 AND 26.
– – –
The $25 registration fee includes the presentation, refreshments, and a donation in support of the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. Register in advance for this event and others in this series at
https://www.villagesocialhabersham.net/upcoming-events
About Our Presenters
Jonathan Haupt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, the past director of the University of South Carolina Press, and co-editor of the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy, winner of 17 book awards. He is a frequent guest book reviewer for the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Post and Courier. Under Jonathan’s leadership, the Conroy Center has been recognized as an American Library Association Literary Landmark, an affiliate of the American Writers Museum, and winner of the Civitas Award for Tourism Leadership.
Tim Conroy, the author of the collections Theologies of Terrain and No True Route, is a poet and retired educator. His work has appeared in Fall Lines, Blue Mountain Review, Jasper Magazine, Marked by the Water, Sheltered, Twelve Mile Review, Poetry on the Comet, The Post and Courier, Ukweli: Searching for Healing Truth, DWG Anthology, and Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy. In 2022, he received the Broad River Prize for prose from Fall Lines, Volume IX. A founding board member of the Pat Conroy Literary Center established in his brother’s honor.

Open Mic Night--Featuring Ifetayo J. White, Author of Reiki Heart and Soul
2026-02-12 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be held at the Conroy Center (601 Bladen St.) on Thursday, December 11, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured author will be Ifetayo J. White, author of Reiki Heart and Soul. Open Mic will also include short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
Interested in reading as part of Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
About Our Featured Author
Ifetayo J. White, an influential figure in the realm of Reiki and wellness, hails from Washington, DC, but now calls St. Helena Island her home. She established the Lowcountry School of Reiki and CHOICES Birthing and Wellness Support, contributing significantly to healing practices in the area since 2000. A Howard University graduate, she pursued diverse paths before dedicating herself to healing modalities such as reflexology, Jin Shin Do Acupressure, and massage therapy. As a Usui Reiki Master Teacher since 1999, Ifetayo continues to share her expertise through sessions, workshops, and her own Reiki certification program. Her heart is also filled with love for her family, crafting, cooking, and beach walks.
About the Book:
REIKI HEART and SOUL: Many Stories, One Bright Light is an enlightening anthology, presenting the narratives of U.S. Reiki Teachers and Practitioners whose family and spiritual backgrounds expand the globe. This collection of experiences offers a distinctive rhythm and tone, contributing to the expanding Reiki community. This body of individuals is as diverse as humanity itself, encompassing various races, cultures, locations, and Reiki lineages.
From urban to rural, from ministers to retirees, from the African American to the Jewish and Ifa communities, each story shines a unique light on the practice of Reiki. These narratives are the lifeblood of a global community, united in their commitment to Reiki’s powerful healing energy. They echo a singular, potent message – We are ONE. This mantra encapsulates the unity within diversity that is the essence of the Reiki community.

An Evening with South Carolina Novelists Dorothy McFalls and Linda Lovely
2026-02-19 17:00 - 18:30 | Pat Conroy Literary Center
The nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host an evening conversation for readers and writers with two South Carolina authors whose work spans multiple genres—Dorothy McFalls and Linda Lovely–on Thursday, February 19, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the Conroy Center, 601 Bladen St. Free and open to the public, with books available for sale and signing. Seating is limited; please call 843-379-7025 in advance to reserve a spot.
Authors McFalls and Lovely are both avid readers who relish everything from cozy mysteries, gritty thrillers, and historical fiction to steamy romance and otherworldly fantasy.
McFalls and Lovely also have chosen to write in more than one literary niche. McFalls has published 10 cozy mysteries, 3 steamy romantic fantasies, and 9 romances. Lovely’s 12 published titles explore a mix of mystery, suspense, thriller, and romance subgenres.
In their conversation at the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center, the authors will share their experiences and discuss the risks and rewards for writers who stray beyond their established niche—including both the creative and marketing aspects of shifting or blending genres They’ll also discuss how this growing author practice can benefit readers.
ABOUT DOROTHY McFALLS
Award-winning author Dorothy McFalls was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy beach community in South Carolina with her husband, neurotic dog, and persnickety cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She then put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.
Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the stories that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.
Now multi-published author since 2005, Dorothy enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.” She writes mysteries as Dorothy St. James.
ABOUT LINDA LOVELY
A journalism major who spent most of her career in PR. Linda Lovely now focuses on her first love—fiction. She’s published 12 mystery/suspense novels, including traditional and humorous cozy mysteries, romantic suspense thrillers, and a stand-alone historical suspense set in 1938.
“I write in genres I love to read,” Lovely comments, “and I’m hooked on all mystery/suspense/thriller genres.”
For the past four years, Lovely has served as secretary of the six-state Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. A long-time member of Sisters in Crime, she presided as president of the Upstate SC Chapter for five years. She also belongs to International Thriller Writers and the Authors Guild. Lovely teaches craft classes and often visits with book clubs.
An Iowa native, Linda now lives with her husband beside a South Carolina lake. Her hobbies include reading, swimming, kayaking, tennis, and gardening.

Our Prince of Scribes: Featuring Tim Conroy, Cassandra King, and Ellen Malphrus
2026-02-23 18:00 - 20:00 | 21A-1 Market Street. Beaufort, SC 29906
Best-selling writer Pat Conroy (1945–2016) inspired a worldwide legion of devoted fans numbering in the millions, but none are more loyal to him and more committed to sustaining his literary legacy than the many writers he nurtured over the course of his fifty-year writing life. In sharing their stories, his fellow writers honor his memory and advance our shared understanding of his lasting impact on literary life in and well beyond the American South. Winner of 17 book awards, the anthology Our Prince of Scribes: Writers Remember Pat Conroy is a collection of remembrances from 67 writers befriended, beloved, taught, mentored, and championed by Conroy—and no two stories are the same. Neither are any two panel discussions among the contributors.
Join us at Village Social of Habersham on Monday, February 23, 6:00-8:00 p.m., for a lively conversation, moderated by Our Prince of Scribes co-editor and Pat Conroy Literary Center executive director Jonathan Haupt and featuring a trio of contributing writers: Conroy’s brother Tim (author of two poetry collections, most recently No True Route), Conroy’s widow Cassandra King (New York Times bestselling author of fiction and nonfiction, most recently Tell Me a Story), and USC Beaufort writer in residence Ellen Malphrus (author of Untying the Moon).
The $25 registration fee includes the presentation, refreshments, and a donation in support of the year-round educational mission of the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center. Register in advance for this event and others in this series at
https://www.villagesocialhabersham.net/upcoming-events

Virtual Open Mic Night -- Featuring Janice Daugharty, Author of A Righteous Wind
2026-03-12 18:00 - 19:30 | 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort, SC, United States, South Carolina 29902
The Pat Conroy Literary Center’s monthly Open Mic Night will be presented as a virtual event, live-streamed to our Facebook page, on Thursday, March 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Our featured presenter is novelist Janice Daugharty, author of A Righteous Wind. Open Mic will also feature short readings of 3 to 5 minutes each by other writers in many genres.
Interested in reading as part of virtual Open Mic? Let us know at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org.
About Our Featured Author:
Janice Daugharty is the author of 10 published novels and 2 short story collections. She lives in Georgia, on the Echols/Lanier county line, divided by Cow Creek. Her 250 acres she calls Cow Creek Farm.
“Getting into a Janice Daugharty novel can be like moving into the rural Georgia she writes about…. By the time you have to go, you wish you could stay a spell longer.”–Orlando Sentinel
About A Righteous Wind: Kim and Shelton, are left behind. Kim’s husband and young son, along with Shelton’s wife, and millions of others, have vanished without a trace. Is it the weather? Or some other fluke of nature or science. All signs point to the Biblical Rapture, but Kim and Shelton weren’t buying that. They join forces to come up with a reasonable explanation.
