Authors sign heart attack survival, Sassafras books - Dec. 19, 22

Thursday, December 19, 2013

photo "Sacred Heart Attack ' Sacrée Crise Cardiaque: A Dramatic Account of an American Heart Attack Victim in Montreal"
photo "The Book of Nice"

Two authors with regional ties have scheduled book signings. One is today, Dec. 19, in Chattanooga; the other is Sunday, Dec. 22, in Monteagle, Tenn.

* Chattanooga native Jimmy Locklear, 61, a Hixson High School and UTC graduate, has written a firsthand account of suffering a heart attack while in Montreal, Canada, earlier this year.

The Atlanta resident will sign copies of "Sacred Heart Attack ' Sacrée Crise Cardiaque: A Dramatic Account of an American Heart Attack Victim in Montreal" (WestBow Press, 2013) from 2 to 6:30 p.m. today at Happy Home Realty, 300 Ashland Terrace.

The book is said to give a rare glimpse into the patient experience as Locklear shares the details of his cardiac arrest and the treatment that saved his life in Montreal's Sacred Heart Hospital. The account takes readers inside the operating room as Locklear narrates what was happening as the medical team began his triage and treatment.

Locklear says he wrote the book partially because of the enthusiastic response he received as he shared vignettes from the experience on his personal website. He also found the process of writing to be helpful in dealing with the post-traumatic stress and anxiety that he and many other heart attack survivors experience.

In addition to "Sacred Heart Attack," Locklear will be signing copies of "Heart Journey," a devotional book with 30 daily reflections, as well as discussing the value of journaling and writing scenes from your life.

He will donate $1 for each book sold to the Times Free Press Neediest Cases Fund.

* Kate Murray Brown will sign copies of the second book in her Sassafras Tales series from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST Sunday at The Smokehouse, 848 W. Main St. in Monteagle. "The Book of Nice" follows Brown's "United Acres of Sassafras" debut. The author is offering a buy-one, get-one deal.

Designed for elementary-age children, Brown's illustrated stories relate the adventures of creatures within the Deep Woods as they work together to solve problems and overcome hardships. Characters include Skeetle-The-Beetle, Duke-The-Chameleon, Queeny-The-Mouse, Hezzra-The-Centipede, Winter-The-Black-Widow-Spider and Mrs. Persnickety Fox.

At www.sassafrastales.com, Brown says she lives "in the woods" near Monteagle and gets her inspiration from "the wonders of nature." She is working on a third book, "Fiery Lizard Cove."