Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Prairie Grove library to host book signing
Yancey, a former resident of the city, has published his first novel
PRAIRIE GROVE — Although Charles Yancey had several poems and short stories published more than 50 years ago, it was only recently that he published his first novel.
The Prairie Grove Public Library will host a book signing with Yancey from noon to 5 p.m. March 3 and from 9 a.m. to noon March 4, according to library director Megan Wood.
Yancey is a native Arkansan, the third of five siblings. His family resided on a small farm located between Prairie Grove and Farmington, and his 95-year-old mother and a younger sister still reside near the old home place.
The Yancey family moved to the Prairie Grove area when Yancey was in the fourth grade, and he graduated from Prairie Grove High School in 1968. When Dillon’s grocery opened in December 1966, he was one of the first two “sack boys” the store hired, and he worked after school until closing each evening and on Saturdays, he said. Of course, that meant he often stayed up late studying. Quite active in high school, he became Student Council reporter one year and was senior class vice president.
However, Yancey said he disliked having to speak in front of classmates. He would rather write several written book reports instead of giving one oral report. His rationale was, “You have an opportunity to correct your mistakes and change your wording before the words are thrown out there.”
Although he had been an avid reader for years, it was at this time he became interested in writing.
One of his clearest memories of that era was Nov. 22, 1963 — the day of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
After three years of college and Bible school, Yancey entered the United States Army. About a week before the graduation ceremony from basic training, he broke his hip, resulting in a lengthy stay in the Army hospital at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri. After going through basic training a second time, instead of going to Vietnam, Yancey was sent to Fort Carson, 4th Aviation Company, in Colorado Springs, Colo.
It was in Colorado Springs that Yancey met a young lady from Farmington, N.M., whom he married less than a year later. He said that marrying Darla was one of the most important decisions he ever made in his life. They have now been married 49 years. They have two children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He said his three passions in life are Bible teaching, family and woodworking. He has a varied background as a minister, author, military veteran and retired carpenter. Yancey is a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature in West Redding, Conn., where he studied under the tutelage of accredited author Joan Hiatt-Harlow, an internationally known writer whose writings have appeared in major children’s publications throughout North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Almost 20 years ago, challenged by his wife to write something other than the annual family Christmas letters to family and friends, Yancey began a project he had long desired to do — write a novel. Over the years he wrote and rewrote it many times, then stashed the manuscript in a drawer. It would be removed and edited time and again before he decided to submit it for publication.
Yancey named the book, “Alone…Yet Not Alone,” and it is the fulfillment of his longtime dream. The book is a blend of drama, romance, inspiration and humor.
The idea for the design of the book cover was that of the author, but Yancey employed the artistic services of his longtime friend, Cecil Savage of Siloam Springs, to paint the picture, which adds visual support to the title.
“Alone…Yet Not Alone” is available in paperback and e- Book from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, as well as in some other bookstores. For an autographed copy directly from the author, people can come meet Yancey at either of the book-signing events on March 3 or March 4 at the Prairie Grove Library. He can also be contacted at charles.yancey@ rocketmail.com.