A teacher turned writer will be hosting a book signing Thursday at the Starke County Public Library.
Jerry Slauter retired as a shop teacher from Knox High School in 2011, but used time over the last 30 years to complete his first work: “Woodcutter’s Revival.” Slauter said he was inspired by a trip through the mountains while reading several books.
“I tried to think: if I’m a reader, how would I want to read this?” says Slauter. “I tried to get out of my own mindset of what I like and what I prefer into: how would people best receive this?”
Set in the industrial revolution as a historical fiction, Woodcutter’s Revival has been noted for its religious themes.
The second book took Slauter only two years to complete. His writing can be found at the book signing in Knox, but is also available on Amazon.
He believes his writing has enriched other areas in his life.
“If you write your first novel, you work on improving the things that your critics tell you about your first book, the things that you know fell short, and the things that you think were Grand Slams that other people say ‘uh-huh’ you just keep all that in your mind,” says Slauter.
The author says he is in the process of writing a third book – which he describes as a dystopian look at the year 2020.
Giving advice to aspiring writers, Slauter stressed the importance of putting words to paper every day.
He will be reading a selection from his books and signing copies at the Starke County Public Library between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 p.m on Thursday.
