There are stories to tell everywhere, and Murfreesboro is certainly no exception. While not every good story will be published, many authors with connections to Middle Tennessee and Murfreesboro have seen their writing make it into book form.

Here are just a few recent releases from the group of local published authors.

Adhara’s Sonder
by Mark Alexander McClish

Mark McClish is a graphic designer and artist who graduated from Freed Hardeman University in 2018. He has recently also become a published author in 2021 with his debut science-fiction book, Adhara’s Sonder.

Adhara’s Sonder follows a young inventor named Cyrus in an isolated city after a third global war. At the beginning of the story, Cyrus runs into a time-traveling android named Adhara. The pair goes on adventures to stop catastrophes before they even happen with the use of Adhara’s knowledge from the future. As with many sci-fi stories, the destiny of every character is at stake.

“The feeling of being in a world surrounded by problems that you want to solve but being entirely helpless to fix those problems—the world that the main character, Cyrus, lives in, in a run-down, neglected city,” McClish said, describing the work.

“One day, Cyrus is suddenly enabled to do something about the problems surrounding him, and the story explores the philosophies of responsibility; if you had the capacity to address big problems, would you do a good job? Would you make things better or worse?”

McClish originally wanted the story to be in graphic novel format but later decided on a more traditional novel style. Regardless, the book still contains many illustrations that are originals by the author himself.

“The first draft took me about a month and a half to write, then I took a few more months to slowly refine the manuscript, then a month or two more to work on the illustrations, cover art, so on,” McClish said. The book can be found narrated by the author on Amazon and hard copies can also be purchased there. McClish also has a YouTube channel and a strong presence on Instagram.

Not Yet
by Freddie Snell

This autobiographical book chronicles the life of Freddie Snell, a Tennessean with an interesting and almost supernatural number of near-death encounters under his belt.

Snell, now 67, is a man of many talents including, but not limited to, music, water skiing, theater tech, horseback riding and a stint as a sailor.

The book, which came out this year, chronicles not only his interesting life but also all his brushes with near-death.

When Snell was 29, he broke his neck falling off a horse. When he was in his 40s, he survived a sinking ship in the shark-infested Caribbean waters. Before his 66th birthday, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery just five months before placing fourth in U.S. Water Ski Nationals. These are only a few examples of the challenges and rebounds in his life. Check out Not Yet for more.

His tale is one of hope and straight-up perseverance, with many of his stories about his life taking place in rural Middle Tennessee.

“From here on in these writings, it is understood that if I say ‘the lake’ I am referring to Center Hill Lake,” Snell jokes near the beginning of his life tale. Snell’s book can be found on Amazon.

Boomer’s Tales series
by Christine Isley-Farmer

Christine Isley-Farmer is a retired Middle Tennessee State University Professor in the School of Music. She is a classically trained vocalist who taught at MTSU for 34 years. In all of her published books, music plays a role. She wrote the first entry in her Boomer’s Tales series at the beginning of 2021.

The illustrated children’s book series follows a girl named Chloe and her grandmother’s dog, Boomer. The duo now has three separate story books, with a fourth on the way in October 2022.

“In all of my published books and those to follow, bullying, obstacles, teamwork, kindness, friendship, lack of self-confidence, honesty, truth-telling, and children’s PTSD are addressed,” Isley-Farmer said.

The debut book in the series, Finding My Yip, was named a finalist in the American Writing Awards for Children’s Fiction in 2021. This year, the second book in the series, A Hard Nut to Crack, was a finalist in the 16th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards for Children’s Chapter Books.

“In all my books, music has importance,” Isley-Farmer noted. “Music is powerful in the healing process and brings people together. The messages in the books deal with qualities parents, teachers, and other adults in children’s lives want children to learn.” The series is available on Amazon to purchase new or used, and in select bookstores. The site goodreadsbychristine.com offers more information about her books and work.

I Only Have Eyes for You
by Deirdre DeMarsico

Deirdre DeMarisco, a Murfreesboro resident, worked over three decades in group insurance. After retiring, she began more closely chasing her passion for writing as free time presented itself.

The fictional romance book I Only Have Eyes for You follows HR manager Katie O’Brien and her instant romance with a surgeon, Dr. Branigan. Katie has just relocated to Los Angeles where Dr. Branigan works, and, meeting through a mutual friend, they hit it off immediately.

The rest of the book explores their romance as it progresses through the years and trials that they face.

The title of the book refers to the slow song that the characters share their first dance to, as well as many more dances to follow.

DeMarisco’s book is independently published and is available as a hard copy or eBook at bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com.