2018 Local Authors Expo: Meet Doug Segrest, Author of A Storm Came Up

Doug Segrest

About Author Doug Segrest
Books: A Storm Came Up (Author House 2011) and The Sea of Mississippi (in progress)
How to reach the author: E-mail Doug Segrest at dsegrest@gmail.comRead about A Storm Came UpFollow Doug Segrest on Facebook and Twitter.
Quote Segrest uses as a guide in life: "I just follow the Golden Rule."Quote from author about being involved in Local Authors Expo: "This will be my second appearance at the Local Authors Expo. I was blown away the first time by the talent of the other authors from across Birmingham and Alabama, the size of the crowd, and how accessible everyone was that day. If you are an avid reader or an aspiring author, this day is a treasure trove of opportunity."
Doug Segrest built a loyal following over two decades as a sports writer in Birmingham, so it should come as no surprise to many that he has expanded his penmanship into novels. Segrest will be among over 30 authors featured in the Birmingham Public Library's 2018 Local Authors Expo, taking place on Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m. -1:00 p.m., at the Central Library downtown.

A veteran journalist, Doug Segrest loves history. And he loves character-driven novels. In his debut novel, A Storm Came Up, he combines both, dropping three innocents into the chaos and confusion of a small Alabama town caught up in the apex of the civil rights movement. The result is a personal, fast-paced Southern novel that's part suspense and part coming-of-age. The book is well written and historically accurate, drawing strong critical praise from newspapers and readers who have taken the time to delve into the world of fictional Takasaw, Alabama.

Segrest is better known for his work outside of fiction. A long-time sports writer for the Birmingham News and Nashville Banner, Segrest remains a weekly regular on The Zone, ABC 33/40's long-running Sunday night sports talk show, with Jeff Speegle and Ryan Brown. He has also contributed stories to Sports Illustrated and newspapers across the country, from the Chicago Tribune to the Dallas Morning-News. He remains a Birmingham resident, working for a company based out of the Magic City.

He is well into his second novel, The Sea of Mississippi, which is a radical departure from his debut. Set in the future, it's a wild ride into the unknown set in the New South. Segrest has written as vocation and hobby since he was a child, inspired by legends such as John Updike, William Faulkner, and Gay Talese. He's comfortable with the everyday technology of the twenty-first century, but knows that only a good, hardcover book offers true freedom.

"The story races and turns against the backdrop of the slow south—never trite nor predictable. I literally could not put it down. Segrest has the gift of painting the time and place and bringing the people to life in such depth that you feel you are watching a movie in your mind. Don't miss this very strong first novel!"
Meet Segrest and over 20 other authors at the Birmingham Public Library 2018 Local Authors Expo on Saturday, August 11, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., in the Central Library Grand Reading Room. 

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