Local author Greg Powell hopes that people get a sense of entertainment and a feeling of familiarity with his book “Murder In Lower Alabama.”

Powell will hold a book signing at the Opp Public Library on Fri., April 20, from 10 a.m. to noon.

Powell lives on the line of Coffee County and Covington County, which is where he pulled most of the material for his fictional town.

“A lot of the inspiration came from Opp and the people of Covington County,” Powell said. “I just wanted to make this book as true to life as possible.”

Powell said that the authors that have inspired him are Louis L’Amour, Stephen King and all of the classic Greek philosophers.

“I have always admired L’Amour’s western style of writing,” Powell said. “But all of the college courses I have taken in creative writing have made me love the classic Greek philosophers like Aristotle. They were filled with so much knowledge, it just inspired the heck out of me.”

Powell had to work hard and go through many rejections from publishers before deciding to self-publish his book.

“It was definitely a learning experience,” Powell said. “But I highly recommend it to young authors.”

Dorrance Publishing out of Pittsburgh, Penn, picked up Powell’s book.

“There were a lot of errors in my first book,” Powell said. “But Dorrance Publishing is working with me on the sequel, and I also have a better editor, so I’ve learned from all my mistakes.”

Powell’s sequel to “Murder In Lower Alabama” will hit the bookshelves soon.

Entitled “Corruption In Lower Alabama,” the book will pick up where the first book left off, keeping the same characters as the first book.

“The sequel will be a lot longer than the first book,” Powell said. “One of the main critiques that I had on the first one was that it was too short.”

Powell said that the sequel will have a lot of “who-done-it” scenarios and will take a peek into the corruption of Alabama politics.

Powell did not always plan to become an author, but after a horrific heart attack, his mind went directly to the typewriter.

“I think the heart attack gave me a care-free attitude towards writing,” Powell said. “I honestly believe this life is a gift from God and that he has freed my mind and given me a second chance.”

Powell said that perseverance and a positive attitude are what led to his success as an author.

“Do not give up. Doors slam as fast as they open,” Powell said. “Every morning I woke up saying that I was going to write, that I had to write and eventually my dream came true. So to all of you young authors, this is not an easy road, but if you persevere and never give up then you will make something of yourself.”

Books will be available at the book signing for $10 a piece.