Local authors shared their thoughts about their work at a meet-the-author social event at Leath Library in Rockingham that was hosted by Friends of the Library June 20.

Ned Dawkins, who authored a “History of Ledbetter Mill Village, 1881-1979,” recalled growing up on a farm near Ledbetter Lake near the once-bustling mill village.

“If you passed through the village today, nobody would ever guess that there were about 40 houses there at one time,” Dawkins told the audience. “To my knowledge, there are only about three houses there now and nobody is living in any of them.”

The history took nearly 20 years to compile, and spans nearly 100 years.

“It’s the only mill I know of that was owned by one family all that long,” he commented.

“I was always fascinated with races,” author Sylvia Austin Witmore told those in attendance. “I went to all the races. I was the oldest of six children, and we lived there in Entwistle. I went on to college and majored in journalism.”

She has penned two works of fiction inspired by the rich tradition of racing at “The Rock.” They are titled “Wheels of Danger” and “Treacherous Heart.”

She explained the protagonist of the murder-mystery “Wheels of Danger” is a female mechanic who dreams of working with the pit crew of a NASCAR racing champion.

“Throw in a murder-mystery and a love story, and you’ve got a full-blown soap opera screaming along at 200 miles per hour,” she said. “... “Treacherous Hearts” takes up almost where ‘Wheels of Danger’ ends, and has everything you want in a romantic suspense ... speed out on the race track, dead bodies, kidnapping and lots of treachery before true love can be found.”

Rockingham City Council member and author of comprehensive Richmond County history “No Ordinary Lives,” John Hutchinson commented on the richness of the historical texts shared by the authors at the event.

“I am fascinated with local history,” Hutchinson said. “You look at a small part of the Earth and try to figure out and write about what happened here - who didn’t like each other and why. That is what I am really interested in.”

One local family provided two authors, with Wingate President Dr. Jerry McGee being joined by his son Ryan, who works for ESPN The Magazine.

Dr. McGee read an excerpt from his upcoming release “Roberdel - A Village of Grace.”

His son recently had a book published entitled “Road to Omaha,” which recounts tales from the College World Series.

Irving Long is the author of two books about the Pee Dee River, two on the history of local football and one each on Hitchcock Creek and the Civil War in Richmond County, as well as a book on important dates in Richmond County history.

Finally, Dr. Jean Daniels was unable to attend, but her work “The Light of Life and Laura,” which has been described as “a book of miracles and demonstrations of love, faith and family was available for purchase.