First-time Authors Fulfill Personal Goals “The Red Clay of Eden” by Genee Graves
At 78, a local woman whose pen name is Genee Graves has written her first novel, and is dedicating 100% of the proceeds to her favorite local charity, Cherokee FOCUS. For Graves, it’s not about fame or fortune. It’s about helping families and children in our county. Cherokee Youth Works, an initiative of FOCUS, helps young people complete their education, gain life skills and obtain employment with a strong career path. Two of the author’s grandchildren have been successful in this program, along with hundreds of youth. The novel is a suspense story, filled with twists and turns, and features an elaborately carved box with a mysterious, faded note containing a reference to Eden. It is available at amazon.com.
“If and Only If ” by C.S. McKinney
McKinney is a Canton native who has accomplished a dream so many of us have: writing a book. He graduated from Cherokee High School in 2008, and spent a year at the University of Georgia before calling the University of North Georgia home. During college, he ran cross-country and track before switching his focus to triathlon. “Writing has always been an interest of mine, but I never grasped the idea of writing a novel until after college,” McKinney said. “ ‘If and Only If ’ is the first novel of a series that follows Sarah Mills during the most challenging, exciting, yet deterministic times a young woman faces while in college: emotionally, physically, and spiritually.” More details are available at www.csmckinney.com.
Doing Good in the Neighborhood Girl Scout Troop 14665 held a 10-day book drive to kick off a January 2021 community service effort and collected 3,819 books. All books were donated to the Little River United Methodist Church to help encourage reading in our community. The donation was presented to David Bailey, the church’s scout leader. A total of 3,819 books were collected by scouts in Troop 14665. 38
AROUND CANTON | February 2021
Samuel Verniero Jr.
Local Resident Proclaimed a Hero
Woodstock resident Samuel Verniero Jr. has been named 2020 MPN Hero of the Year by Incyte Corporation and CURE Magazine. He has had a life of distinction in service to others as a United Nations diplomat, honorary Kentucky Colonel and Georgia leader for people with disabilities. He speaks with authority for people with disabilities, because he knows what it’s like. Verniero is living with polycythemia vera (PV), a rare blood cancer that is compounded by multiple serious medical conditions. He uses his public platform and contacts on various boards and commissions to raise awareness of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), which are blood cancers that occur when the body makes too many white or red blood cells, or platelets, according to cancersupportcommunity.org. He and his fiancee, Lanora, have been approached by two motion picture companies that want to tell his story. Verniero is excited that these opportunities can make a greater impact for the MPN community by reaching a nationwide and maybe even global audience. Several strokes have disabled his body, but not his personality or spirit. He continues to work for change and voice the need for additional MPN research that could improve the lives of patients with MPNs. www.voicesofmpn.com/ meet-mpn-heroes.aspx.
