Author: Marissa DeCuir

RALEIGH, North Carolina – Leo Daughtry’s debut novel, “Talmadge Farm,” transports readers to the tobacco fields of 1950s North Carolina. “Talmadge Farm” (Story Merchant Books, June 4, 2024) reflects on the dreams and struggles of the American South, made more poignant by the author’s personal experiences growing up among the tobacco fields of Sampson County, North Carolina, during periods of turbulent societal change.

It’s 1957, and tobacco is king. Wealthy landowner Gordon Talmadge enjoys the lavish lifestyle he inherited but doesn’t like getting his hands dirty; he leaves that to the two sharecroppers – one white, one Black – who farm his tobacco but have bigger dreams for their own children. While Gordon takes no interest in the lives of his tenant farmers, a brutal attack between his son and the sharecropper children sets off a chain of events that leaves no one unscathed. Over the span of a decade, Gordon struggles to hold on to his family’s legacy as the old order makes way for a New South.

“Talmadge Farm” is a sweeping drama that follows three unforgettable families navigating the changing culture of North Carolina at a pivotal moment in history. A love letter to the American South, the novel is a story of resilience, hope, and family – both lost and found.

“Talmadge Farm”

Leo Daughtry | June 4, 2024 | Story Merchant Books | Historical Fiction/Southern Fiction

Paperback | ISBN 978-1-970157-43-7 | $14.99

Also available as an ebook 

About The Author

Leo Daughtry is a life-long resident of North Carolina. He grew up among the tobacco fields of Sampson County which served as inspiration for his debut novel, “Talmadge Farm.” After graduating from Wake Forest University and its School of Law, he established a private law practice in Smithfield, N.C. He was a member of the N.C. House and Senate for 28 years, including serving as House Majority Leader and House Minority Leader. When not practicing law, Leo enjoys spending time in Atlantic Beach with his wife and daughters. 

Praise for “Talmadge Farm”

“Set in North Carolina in the 1950s and 60s, Leo Daughtry’s story gives readers a cast of flawed characters that elicit sympathy, anger, love and hate. The Talmadges, landed gentry, and their two sharecropper families try to adjust to the changing political, economic and social landscape of the decade. Gordon Talmadge commits one mistake after another, ultimately destroying the legacy handed to him, as his loyal wife Claire stands by his side while the sharecropper families – one black, one white – are ultimately driven off the farm for better and for worse.  A page turner.” — George Kolber, author of Thrown Upon the World, and writer/producer of Miranda’s Victim

“In this stirring novel, Leo Daughtry creates a big, complicated portrait of family, place, race, class, and greed. Set in North Carolina, Talmadge Farm tells the story of three intertwined families. Daughtry delves deep into the heart of his characters. You’ll almost forget that you don’t know them personally; this story feels that real.” — Judy Goldman, author of Child: A Memoir and Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap

“Talmadge Farm is a classic. Through the lives of a farm owner’s family and their sharecropping tenants, Leo Daughtry weaves a story about the emerging South. This is a story of triumph and tragedy, of good and evil, and finally reconciliation. A true morality play.” — Gene Hoots, former tobacco executive and author of Going Down Tobacco Road

In an interview, Leo Daughtry can discuss:

• How his experiences growing up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina during the transformative 1950s and ‘60s shaped elements of his debut novel, “Talmadge Farm”
• The evolution of societal norms, like segregation, women’s liberation and the decline of sharecropping, and how he incorporated these important shifts into the story
• His deep-rooted connections to the region and how his novel serves as a love letter to the American South
• The evolving landscape of tobacco farming methodologies during the 1950s and beyond — including the consolidation of small farms, the introduction of new technology and the increased use of migrant workers 
• The 60th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s report on the harmfulness of smoking and witnessing the report’s impact firsthand 
• Navigating sensitive topics like privilege, racial injustice and autonomy while crafting the storyline with empathy and humanity
• His transition from successful careers in law and the military to fiction writing

An Interview with

Leo Daughtry

What inspired you to write “Talmadge Farm?” 

I lived through changing times, particularly the 1950s when there was nearly complete segregation in the South, especially in rural areas. Sharecropping was common, and women did not divorce in those times because it was considered demeaning, a failure. Then in the 1960s, everything began to change. Sharecropping disappeared, birth control entered the picture, and women could live life with more freedom and less dependence on men.

Can you tell us more about your family history and its connection to North Carolina and tobacco? How did this environment influence your writing? Beyond the direct associations with tobacco and North Carolina, are there more subtle aspects of your upbringing and family history that influenced your writing? 

Tobacco was king in North Carolina. People practically worshiped it. Where I grew up, it put food on the table. Cotton was more up and down, but tobacco provided financial stability, not just for farmers but for the whole community. My family grew tobacco, sold fertilizer and seed, and managed a tobacco auction. It was our whole world.

You have had a successful career as a lawyer and an Air Force Captain before that. What prompted you to pursue writing fiction? 

I always had the idea for this particular story in my head. The 1950s and 1960s were two decades that changed the world, and a farm with sharecroppers is a bit of a pressure cooker environment. You have the farmowner’s family – in many cases people of wealth and entitlement – living just down the driveway from the sharecropping families. The sharecroppers were poor and had limited options, so they felt stuck living on a farm that didn’t belong to them doing backbreaking work with no way out. It’s a situation that lends itself to drama: families with major differences in class/race/socioeconomic status living in such close proximity to one another.

How has the landscape of tobacco farming changed, and how did you incorporate those changes into the plot of “Talmadge Farm?”  

Probably the biggest change was the shift from sharecropping to migrant workers. Today, tobacco farmers are large corporations that use migrant workers as laborers. But in the 1950s, farming relied almost completely on sharecropping, which was a hard life. Tobacco farming is physically demanding work, and sharecroppers needed the help of all family members to complete the various steps – planting, seeding, suckering, priming, worming, and cropping – of harvesting the crop. Sharecroppers at one farm would help sharecroppers at the neighboring farm because they did not have the resources to hire extra people. In the 1950s, sharecroppers were unable to get credit anywhere but at the general store and maybe the feed store. They truly lived hand to mouth all the time, only able to pay their debts after the tobacco auction in the fall. Hence the phrase “sold my soul to the company store.” Sharecroppers often turned to moonshining as a way to make extra money.

As I describe in the novel, sharecropping began to disappear in the 1960s as children of sharecroppers started taking advantage of new opportunities that the changing society offered. Migrant workers took over the labor of farming. In addition to labor changes, new machinery improved the industry. N.C. State was instrumental in developing advances in the farming world. Legislation changed and farmers were allowed to have acreage allotments outside of the land they owned. I touch on all of these changes in the novel.

Are any of the characters in your book based on real people? 

Not really. The closest characters to real people in my life are the characters of Jake and Bobby Lee. Jake is a Black teenager who wants to escape farm life and ends up running away to Philadelphia to become a success. Bobby Lee is a young Black soldier stationed at Fort Bragg. On the farm where I grew up, there was a Black sharecropping family with four sons, the youngest of whom was my age. We were very good friends. All of the boys were bright and athletic, could fix anything, yet were limited in their opportunities. They didn’t have a school to go to or a job to look forward to. Their only options were to stay on the farm or join the army. The character of Gordon, while not based on any one person, reminds me of a lot of men I knew who did not treat women well, who were racist, who enjoyed the status quo and were resistant to anything that threatened their way of life.

In addition to the changing tobacco farming methodologies, the 1950s ushered in a period of profound social change, marked notably by the introduction of credit cards. How did these outside factors impact farming, and in what ways did they inform the development of the plot in “Talmadge Farm?”

In the novel, Gordon is the president of the local bank, yet he resists the advances in the banking industry, including credit cards and car loans and the incursion of national banks into rural communities. Gordon’s father, who founded the bank, was a brilliant man adept at navigating the bank through changing times, but Gordon simply doesn’t have the smarts to see what’s coming, and no one can get through to him. He’d rather play a round of golf than look at the balance sheet. So between the changing farming landscape and the evolution of new banking practices, Gordon is getting squeezed from both sides of the ledger as it were. It proves to be his downfall. I think that’s one of the great strengths of the plot – how everything is tied to everything else.

How did other social changes – including race relations – impact the tobacco industry and your writing?

In the 1960s, the minority labor pool available to farm tobacco began to dry up as kids started moving up north or joining the army. We see this in the novel through the characters of Jake and Bobby Lee. Ella is another example. She’s the Black teenage daughter of a sharecropping family, and she hates farm work. She ends up enrolling in a secretarial program and getting a job at the county clerk’s office, opportunities that were unheard of in the 1950s.

The Surgeon General issued a groundbreaking report 60 years ago on the harmful effects of smoking. How did this pivotal moment influence your approach to writing? What firsthand impacts did you observe while coming of age among the tobacco farms of North Carolina? 

Most people where I lived didn’t believe the Surgeon General was accurate in that report. Most everyone smoked. People viewed it as the government coming in and trying to tell us what to do. A prevailing theme was that the government was trying to get rid of tobacco but wasn’t doing anything about alcohol. One notable exception I remember is that good athletes in the 1950s were discouraged from smoking, so maybe the coaches were on to something that the rest of us weren’t ready to hear yet. In the novel, we see Gordon’s constant frustration at what he views as interference from the government, while other characters, mostly ones involved in the medical community, begin to appreciate that smoking was bad for one’s health.

How did you address the plight of women in the novel? 

In the 1950s, women were very limited in their opportunities. There were very few professional opportunities for women outside of teaching, nursing, and working as a secretary. Divorce was scandalous and unheard of in those days. We see lots of examples of this in the novel. But of all the characters, it’s two of the women who have the clearest moral compasses: Claire, Gordon’s wife, and Ivy, the Talmadges’ maid. Both of them see more clearly than anyone else where Gordon is going off the deep end, but they are nearly powerless to do anything about it.

The novel touches on themes of privilege, racial injustice, and the struggle for autonomy and dignity. How did you navigate these sensitive topics while crafting the narrative, and what challenges did you encounter along the way? 

I lived through this time, and I witnessed first-hand people who enjoyed privilege that was unearned as well as racial injustices that denied Black people access to the same opportunities as white people. And yet most people – white and Black – were simply striving to make a better life in an honorable way.  I tried to infuse all of the characters in “Talmadge Farm” with dignity and humanity, even Gordon, who finally gets his comeuppance in the end.

The novel is described as a “love letter to the American South.” Can you expand on this sentiment?

As I look back on my childhood, in many ways it was a wonderful time to grow up. It was safe. We never locked our doors. Our whole life existed just in that area; it was a long trip traveling to Raleigh, which was only 60 minutes away. There was a strong sense of community, of church, of taking care of each other.

Ultimately, what do you hope readers will take away from “Talmadge Farm?” 

I mainly hope they will be entertained by a great story about three families who called Talmadge Farm home during the tumultuous times of the 1950s-1960s.

What impact do you aspire for the book to have on discussions about history, identity, and resilience in the American South? 

We have now moved on from the post-Civil War time and the Jim Crow period to a place where we’re beginning to find our identity as a state and region. In the 1950s, North Carolina was one of the poorest states in the country. Our economy was dependent primarily on tobacco farming but also textiles and furniture making, none of which paid a living wage. Segregation was rampant, and minorities had few opportunities to improve their lot in life. Our university graduates who studied computer science and technology ended up leaving the state to find jobs in those industries. That all began to change in the 1960s with the enforcement of desegregation, the advent of birth control, and changes in farming regulations and methods. Another major turning point in our state’s economy was when Governor Hodges convinced IBM to move from New York to North Carolina as part of the development of the Research Triangle Park. A large number of technology and pharmaceutical companies followed suit, and there was a ripple effect that extended across the state, even to areas like Hobbsfield, our fictional town in “Talmadge Farm.” My hope is that reading this novel will help people understand how we got to where we are today.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – On Aug. 23, 1987, 26-year-old Selonia Reed was found dead in the parking lot of a gas station in Hammond, Louisiana. Nearly 40 years after her death, on Jan. 30, 2023, her husband Reginald Reed was sentenced to life in prison for her murder.

But that’s far from the entire story.

With unyielding candor, Selonia’s son Reginald L. Reed Jr. courageously navigates the trauma of his mother’s murder and the subsequent arrest and conviction of his father in his debut memoir, “The Day My Mother Never Came Home” (May 21, 2024). Through masterful prose, Reed skillfully navigates the complexities of pain, acknowledging its elusive and intangible nature. As the narrative unfolds — with the inclusion of raw crime scene details, never-before-seen evidence and gripping trial testimony — the author embarks on a courageous exploration, peeling back the layers of decadeslong trauma to reveal the raw wounds that lie beneath the surface.

The book transcends mere true crime storytelling, offering intimate anecdotes and a glimpse inside the process of grief. Through the author’s raw honesty and vulnerability, readers are drawn into a narrative that resonates on a universal level and is a must-read for anyone seeking solace and understanding in the face of loss. Interwoven with reflections on identity and the father-son relationship, the memoir explores the enduring bond between parent and child, despite deep complexity. 

For those hungering for a narrative that lingers long after the final chapter, “The Day My Mother Never Came Home” serves as a poignant testament to the strength found in vulnerability, offering inspiration to all who have journeyed through the depths of grief and emerged on the path to healing.

“The Day My Mother Never Came Home”

Reginald L. Reed | May 21, 2024 | Memoir / True Crime

Paperback, 9788989711116, 19.99| Hardcover, 9798989711109, 27.99

Reginald L. Reed Jr. is an author and an accomplished professional in the pharmaceutical industry. He holds a master’s degree in business and global marketing. In his first book, “The Day My Mother Never Came Home,” Reed recalls the events surrounding the unsolved murder of his 26-year-old mother when he was just 6 years old and the indictment and trial of his father 32 years later. With raw honesty and transparency, the memoir sheds much needed light on losing a parent and the childhood trauma that results. Reed’s narrative style immediately draws the reader into his story — the roller coaster of emotions is captivating and what reads like a true crime novel is Reed’s actual life. He resides in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, Paula, their son, Lathan, and daughter, Selonia. 

Follow Reginald L. Reed on social media:

Facebook: @RLREEDII | TikTok: @rlreed0 | Instagram: @reginald_l_reed_ii

In an interview, Reginald L. Reed can discuss:

• How writing the book allowed him to reclaim his voice and shed light on the darkest corners of his life, empowering others to do the same
• Advice for those navigating trauma, especially young people and those in marginalized communities
• How the book transcends traditional true crime narratives and offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of justice
• How the process of writing the book allowed him to process, grieve and move forward, as well as help others who are hurting 
• The positive and negative effects of pop culture’s ever-increasing preoccupation with the true crime genre
• Why the literary community can benefit from elevating authors such as Reed, Kiese Laymon, Michael Todd, Saeed Jones, Bryan Stevenson and more who share their stories

An interview with Reginald L. Reed

1. What has it been like reading news stories about your mother’s death and father’s arrest, and did that inspire you to share your own narrative?

Reading the news stories about my mother’s death and my father’s arrest have been a profoundly disorienting and painful experience. It feels like my private grief and turmoil are being publicly dissected, which has led to feelings of vulnerability and exposure. However, the external narration of this tragedy also serves as a catalyst for reclaiming my own story. It inspired a desire for me to share my narrative, from my perspective, while providing an opportunity to add depth, context, and personal truth to the public discourse.  By doing so, I was able to make powerful steps toward healing and empowerment.

2. In writing your memoir, how did you navigate the process of revisiting and recounting traumatic experiences, especially regarding events that occurred so early in your childhood?

Time and patience! Navigating and recounting the traumatic experiences, especially those from early childhood, often involved a delicate balance of introspection, emotional processing, and seeking support from therapists and trusted individuals within my small circle. It was essential to approach these memories with care, allowing myself the space and time needed to reflect and heal, and craft a narrative that honors my experiences while also respecting my emotional well-being. Additionally, incorporating techniques like meditation, mindfulness and self-care helped manage the emotional toll of revisiting such challenging memories.

3. How did you balance honesty and vulnerability while also respecting the privacy of those involved?

Balancing honesty and vulnerability with the privacy of others while writing, especially about sensitive personal experiences, involved carefully navigating the ethical considerations of storytelling. This process often included focusing on one’s own emotions, reactions and growth, rather than delving deeply into the private details of others’ lives without their consent. When mentioning others, it was important to consider their perspective and potential impact on them, possibly anonymizing identities or seeking their input. This approach allowed for a truthful recounting of events and feelings while maintaining respect for the privacy and dignity of all involved, whether good or bad.

4. Why was it important to you to include details like crime scene specifics and your mother’s autopsy report?

By including specific details such as the crime scene specifics and the autopsy report within the context of my memoir, it served several important purposes. First, my intention was to provide readers with a clear, unflinching look at the reality of the events, grounding the story in undeniable facts and allowing for a deeper understanding of the impact these events had on my life. Secondly, it helped in the process of confronting and processing the trauma, as writing about these details forced me to face the facts head-on, which was a crucial step in the healing process. Lastly, these specifics also contributed to the authenticity and credibility of my memoir, ensuring that the story is not dismissed as exaggerated or overlooked in its severity.

5. How has the process of writing this book impacted your own journey of healing and personal growth?

Writing this memoir about my personal trauma and the journey of healing has profoundly impacted my process of healing and personal growth. This process served as a form of therapeutic expression, allowing me to examine and articulate my deepest feelings and experiences in a structured way, which also led to new insights and provided a deeper understanding of my life and the experiences I was challenged with. It has also been empowering, allowing me to control the narrative, transforming my personal history of pain into a story of resilience and survival. Additionally, my purpose for sharing my story is to foster a sense of connection and support from readers who may have faced similar challenges, further reinforcing that there is life after trauma.

6. In what ways do you hope your memoir will resonate with readers who have experienced trauma or loss?

I hope my memoir will resonate with readers who have experienced trauma or loss by providing them with a sense of companionship and understanding, making them feel less alone in their struggles. By sharing such a deep personal journey of facing and navigating through trauma and loss, the aim is to offer insights into the complexities of healing, showcasing both the vulnerability and resilience inherent in the human spirit. My story seeks to inspire hope and provide practical reflections on coping mechanisms and the nonlinear path of healing, ultimately encouraging readers to find their own strength and pathways to recovery in the face of adversity.

7. What do you think keeps men from writing memoirs and sharing their stories?

Several factors can deter men from writing memoirs and sharing their personal stories, often rooted in societal expectations and norms around masculinity. I believe there’s a fear of judgment, weakness or not living up to these societal standards that prevent men from exploring and sharing their emotional experiences in a public format like a memoir. Additionally, there may be concerns about how their personal revelations will affect their relationships and professional lives. I work in corporate america, therefore; I understand. However, there’s a growing recognition of the value in diverse stories and expressions of masculinity, encouraging more men to share their journeys and contribute to changing narratives around vulnerability and strength. I hope my memoir serves as a reminder to men, especially marginalized men, that sharing one’s story is far from weak, but the most powerful act one can undertake. 

8. Can you share a favorite memory of your mother — something you’d like readers to remember her for?

One of my favorite memories of my mother that I’d like readers to remember her for is her incredible warmth and ability to make anyone feel at home. One of the ways she welcomed others was through her baking skills. Although our time together on this earth was short lived, I constantly hear from others that I was her pride and joy. There were very few times, if any, that I was not with her when seen out in public. I miss my mother and father; I wish so much that they were here to cheer me on in life and be grandparents for our son and daughter. Unfortunately, my cards were dealt from a different deck, but I am determined to use those cards and continue to go through life playing my best hand.

Download press kit and photos

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

What can we say, Books Forward authors are always going, going, going! We’re excited to feature some of our authors and their recent media wins.

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Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/