Jason Dry, right, author of "House of Love," sits on the old front steps of his
great-grandmother, "Big Mama's," house, and reflets on his memories, with his
mother, Linda Sewell Dry. The house was located at the corner of Texas and Bellview
Streets in Sulphur Springs.

 

"House of Love"
Fictional Book With Roots In
Sulphur Springs

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

Denver, Colorado, Spanish teacher and author of  "House of Love," comes back
to Sulphur Springs to refresh his memory of those long ago days, he spent
visiting his relatives here.

 

What on earth would possess a secondary Spanish teacher from Denver Colorado, who has lived in Spain and Germany, to use Sulphur Springs for the setting of his new fictional book, entitled House of Love? It's because of those "glorious" memories that he has of coming to visit his grandparents and great-grandmother, here in Hopkins County. Jason Dry, author of House of Love, remembers the many, many trips to Sulphur Springs, from his home in Kingsland and Winters, Texas, as he was reared and the impact that his grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. O. C. Sewell and "Big Mama" had on his formative years. "It was just a natural, to use the sedentary setting of their house, neighborhood, and my grandfather's produce stand, on Main Street, to form the nucleus of the book," relates Jason. "I was a bit 'homesick' while living in Germany, when I wrote the book, back in 2002. I was teaching English to German students, back then, and found myself miles from home, and missing the ones that I loved in the states. Both my grandfather and great-grandmother passed away, while I was in Germany, and I was too far away to attend their funerals, so the book served as a catharsis for my losses!"

 

The cover photo of "House of Love" is a photo taken on California Street in Sulphur Springs,
depicting Jason's Mother, Aunt, grandparents, and great-grandmother, "Big Mama."

 

Linda Sewell Dry and Loretta Hooks Cox stand on the lot on Bellview Street,
where "Big Mama's" House stood.

 

 

 

"I majored in English and creative writing at the University of Texas and always wanted to document the 'golden years' of growing-up, riding in the truck with my grandfather, and the many other solid memories of my childhood exploits of coming to Sulphur Springs," expresses Jason, "So that gave me a reason to collect those thoughts and weave them into this fictional novel, about a family caught in the grips of love, loss, and a period in time that we'll never see in America again!"

 

Jason visits the site of his grandfather's produce stand, at the corner
of Main and Magnolia Streets, in Sulphur Springs. The building that
housed the stand burned, but was once a washateria.

"First, let me confirm, just one more time, that this is certainly a work of fiction, and I've just used the familiar setting of my grandparents' and great-grandmother's homes, in my book!" expresses Jason. "They lived on Bellview and Locust Streets in Sulphur Springs and I remember the visits to their homes so well, that I just had to use the setting for the fictional story!"

"You capture 'Daddy C,' 'Mama Ray,' and 'Big Mama' in a period of time, in Sulphur Springs' history, that will never be repeated. A time when folks' lives were centered around the home, women stayed home from work, and people shared the life of neighborhoods," remembers Jason, as he recounts his visits to Sulphur Springs. "But the book deals with a young boy, Paul, who I guess has many of my attributes growing-up, as he deals with loss, death, and finding his place."

"Paul is encircled with his family's love, and made to understand what has happened, as 'Big Mama' connects with the spiritual world," continues Jason.

 

Jason visits with local author, Barbara McCarley, on Saturday, as he signs her book and
gathers information for another book he is planning to finish by the end of this year.

 

"All I can say, is come take the trip with me, in the book, to when life in Sulphur Springs was much, much simpler, and love abounded on every street corner!" invites Jason. "It's a time of slower living, good country cooking, and days spent 'soaking up' the life, with those you love!"

 

 

 

Jason captures the essence of living in our community during the late 1960's and early 1970's, when the neighborhood fruit stand was the source of buying your produce, many of the women worked at the H.D. Lee Plant, sewing garments, and the local Super Handy Store was the source of big "slurpies!"

Take a trip back in time, and relive those special memories of growing-up in Sulphur Springs, while connecting with your own favorite memories, and "who knows" you just might connect with a "spirit" or two from your own past!

Jason's book is available at The Hopkins County Genealogical Society, and a great summertime read for anyone who lived during the 1960's and 1970's!

Jason began a book tour here in Hopkins County, on Thursday, July 15, 2010, with his first appearance in Winnsboro, at the Gilbreath Library, then it was on to Sulphur Springs, on Friday and Saturday, as he made a number of appearance, and he will conclude his tour with a signing in Yantis, on Monday. Then, he's headed to Winters, Texas, for additional promotions, before going back to Colorado.

 

Jason Dry pauses to once again reflect on his formative years, visiting in Hopkins County,
as he looks forward to another novel, that he hopes to have finished by year end.

 

One of Jason's students, Makenzie Bailey, whose family is also from Sulphur Springs, has started a facebook page to get Oprah Winfrey to include the book on her book list. You can go to "House of Love's" page on facebook and make certain that the book gets included, by placing your vote!

 

The book is also available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon Bookstores by following the links below:

 

http://www.amazon.com/House-Love-Jason-Montgomery-Dry/dp/0984530908/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279672862&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/House-of-Love/Jason-Dry/e/9780984530908/?itm=1&USRI=Jason+dry+house+of+love

Available in ebook format at barnesandnoble.com for those who want to download it. Here is the link to the ebook listing:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/House-of-Love/Jason-Dry/e/2940000840863/?itm=2&USRI=Jason+dry+house+of+love

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