Author, Eastern graduate returns to Columbus for his book signing
Former Columbus resident and author Tori (Cole) Whitaker will have a homecoming of sorts when she’s featured at a book signing event at Viewpoint Books next month for the launch of her second novel.
Whitaker, a graduate of Columbus East High School and former member of the North Christian Church, will be back in town for the release of her new historical fiction novel, “A Matter of Happiness.”
“I haven’t missed a class reunion in 45 years,” said Whitaker, who now lives near Atlanta with her husband, John, the former owner of the Today’s Wheels van store in the 1970s and 1980s. “But it will be special to celebrate the launch of my second novel with people from my old hometown.”
Whitaker, who lived in Columbus from 1968 to 1982, will sign copies of his new historical fiction novel Nov. 12 at Viewpoint Books, an independent Columbus organization. The signing will come just days after the release of the book, which is described as a dual-timeline story that “follows two fiercely independent women a century apart and the cherished legacy that unlocks family secrets.”
Whitaker’s new book has received rave reviews and follows her first novel of 2020, ‘Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish,’ which was a finalist in the historical fiction category of the 2020 International Book Awards celebrating self-published and independent authors.
A synopsis for “A Matter of Happiness” describes a story that unfolds from protagonist Melanie Barnett’s discovery of a diary of a distant relative, Violet, who led a life of adventure in the 1920s in Detroit, the hub of the auto boom then the fastest. -growing city in America. “But in an age of speakeasy, financial windfall, free-spirited friends, and unexpected romance, it’s easy to spiral out of control,” the synopsis reads.
“Now, as Melanie’s own world takes unexpected turns, her and Violet’s lives intersect. Generations apart, they blossom and wonder what modern womanhood – and happiness – really means. .
