Children's author visits Ironwood Carnegie Library

By JEAN NORDINE

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Ironwood - Author Sally Bair visited the Ironwood Carnegie Library Thursday afternoon to speak about her latest book, "Run Sally Run."

She resides in Washburn, Wis., and is a former journalist. She writes children's books and a weekly devotional column for two newspapers and has won numerous awards for her writing. Bair has three children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Bair has been writing since 14. When she was inspired by the book, "Heidi," she wrote her first, albeit unpublished book, about a girl in the mountains of Montana.

She comes by her talent quite honestly, as her mother was a published poet and her grandfather a storyteller. Although she is referred to as a children's book author, she said her books are for "readers from age 8 to 108."

"Run Sally Run" is Bair's account of growing up with a twin sister in Frederic, Wis. She says, "Of all the words I've written, telling my true story of childhood with my twin was the most fun. We disagree about some of my memories, but it doesn't matter. We're still best friends. We always make up after our disagreements. We love each other to the moon and back."

Bair's other writings include a three-part series about Alaska titled, "Ways of the Williwaw," which include the books "Williwaw Winds," "Trouble at Fish Camp" and "Runaway."

"Williwaw Winds" is a fictional tale of disaster based on the true story of how Bair's son and four others were rescued by the Coast Guard when returning from a crab fishing trip on Alaskan waters. It took her five years to write the story because it was so emotional to relive the event through her son's eyes. She said, "I called him a lot to get facts correct."

The book jacket for "Trouble at Fish Camp" reads, "A bear, a bully, and a buried secret threaten Freddy's future at fish camp."

Ron Manske, freelance writer and pastor, claims, "If you're looking for a good book that will hold your attention right to the end, then this is the one."

"Runaway" is about an orphaned teen who escapes from his foster home and spirits his twin sister away from hers, so they can camp out in Chugach State Park, Alaska. They lose their way, stumble into a camp of four strangers, and soon face tragedy. A snowstorm, a daring rescue, and a dramatic reversal of plans propel Matt into a new way of life.

Bair has also published four devotional books compiled from her weekly newspaper column. She can also be found in the book "Chicken Soup for the Soul," with a story about how she met her second husband.

She said once she has decided on her characters and the plot, she has no problem writing and has never experienced writer's block. She said she wrote "Run Sally Run" in just two weeks.

Bair has many ideas for future projects and would like to follow up "Run Sally Run" with two more memoirs, one about the years after her divorce and the other about her renewed faith. She is also working on a fourth book for the "Ways of the Williwaw" series called "The Diary."

Bair's books can be purchased through her website http://www.sallybair.com.