Thank you, Gordon Kent, librarian at Montgomery Public Library (part of the Fayette County Public Library system) for the wonderful Author Meet and Greet on Thursday, June 6. First, the Montgomery Public Library Book Club members used my debut novel, Forgotten Voices: Excerpts from Valentina’s Journal, for their June reading. I was invited to attend and answer questions.
As I listened to the comments, ranging from questions about the actual events to what was the answer to the math question Margaret Rose gave the students she was teaching, I recognized how the incident with the Bull Moose Special still impacted some of the members of the group. It was their families’ ancestors and friends who suffered the brutality at the hands of the Baldwin Felts detectives. That single night, the night of the ambush, still affects the families 100+ years later.
When the book club ended, I stayed for the Author Meet and Greet. What a surprise! More than 50 people attended the event, and we extended it for another half hour. Residents from the Midland Trail, from Ashland, KY, to Charleston, to Rainelle, WV, attended. We discussed so many things—from the two years that represented the beginning of the coal wars to why I chose a 13-year-old protagonist to my adventures with publishing. People bought copies of the books, and I signed copies.
Thank you to all who attended! I expected a small crowd, so I was elated with those who attended a small county library event. Pictures are available on my Facebook page (Katy J. Smith, Author).
Katy J. Smith
June 10, 2024
The Math Problem (on page 159)
A coal dealer bought 400 tons of coal at $4.75 a long ton (2,240 pounds). He paid $0.75 a ton for freighting and sold the coal at $6.00 a short ton (2,000 pounds). What his gain percent?
Try to solve it. I’ll post the answer in a future blog.