Now a nationally acclaimed author, Sumter native Minnie Dix, who writes under the pseudonym Leigh McKnight, is breaking new ground in her career by literally taking a page -- or several hundred -- from her past.

A writer of celebrated novels set against the backdrop of the South, and South Carolina, in particular, local readers will have the opportunity to personally experience the humor and heart of Dix's style during a book signing from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday and 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12-13, at Waldenbooks in the Prince of Orange Mall.

Dix will be autographing her latest book, "From My Front Porch," during her two-day Orangeburg appearance. A graduate of the now-defunct St. John High School in Cameron, Dix said the irony involved with the book's latest release is not lost on her.

"I first got the idea for 'From My Front Porch' about 16 years ago, but I was more into writing poems and song lyrics at the time," Dix said. "The first and second publishing was done by popular Orangeburg photographer Cecil Williams in September 1997 and Morris Publishing out of Kearney, Neb., did the third printing. I finished 'From My Front Porch' in about a year, which followed my first short story, 'The Storm Within' in 1996."

"From My Front Porch" is about a Carolina girl who finds adventure, excitement and love in New York City. The main character then returns to South Carolina, where she is faced with issues such as abuse, crime and violence.

Dix said the book has opened some new doors for her, thanks to an unexpected interest in the novel by a New York publisher.

"I didn't think much about the book because I though it had pretty much run its course," Dix said. "One day, however, my agent called and asked how long would it take me to do a synopsis of 'From My Front Porch' because Kensington Publishing was interested in buying the rights to the book and printing it under its Urban Soul women's fiction line. I did the synopsis in about 30 minutes."

Kensington Publishing is the largest publisher in the United States not considered one of the six major publishers, which include the likes of Random House and HarperCollins.

"The published also had me submit some rewrites and revisions to update the book, which meant changing some things, like the models of the cars and fashions," Dix said. "It didn't change the essence of the story, although my agent cut a lot out. However, I'm getting a lot of feedback from readers clamoring for the second part. The first signing I did for 'From My Front Porch' sold out at Columbiana Center."

Kensington decided that the original work, at 458 pages, was too long and chose to break up "From My Front Porch." Dix said since book publishers don't sign single-book deals, the arrangement helped her fulfil the two-book contract. She said the follow-up to "From My Front Porch" has the working title "Sinners Never Sleep" and should be released in October 2009.

Although she has never been able to personally confirm it, Dix noted that many people have told her that "From My Front Porch" was mentioned as a "must read" on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 1998 because of the issues dealt with in the book.

"I was recording my soap at the time," Dix laughed. "Two ladies came by the bookstore in Sumter (where) I was doing a signing in at the time and told me the book was mentioned on 'Oprah.' I contacted the show for tapes, but I was told that this dialogue was outside the normal taping scheme of the show so they had no record of it. My agent said they all knew about the book because of this."

Although Dix has had a number of her works published, including the "Oak Trees That Talk" series, "Belcher, The Tenth Reindeer: The Reindeer That Missed The Flight" children's books and the humorous "150 Reasons I Can't Serve On Jury Duty," virtually all of her writing has been done on a part-time basis. Unlike other authors whose only occupation is writing, Dix penned her works while working and handling family duties.

"I lived in New York for 12 years, working first for the New York Association for the Blind and then Reader's Digest," Dix said. "I loved the Broadway shows and the restaurants, and Reader's Digest was a terrific place to work. However, my mother had an accident in 1979, so I came back home to care for her, which I still do now. I became a secretary with the S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs and retired from there in 2002 as a complaint analyst."

"I liked my job with the state and being here in Sumter with my parents," she said, adding that her father died in 2004 from prostate cancer, and her mother has Alzheimer's. "I've never wanted to be famous but simply to do well at what I wanted to do. Many times, I would have a writing tablet or a tape recorder with me on the way to and from work, taking down ideas as they came. I then knew exactly what I wanted to write about in the evening, and sometimes, I would just do a chapter. It was like therapy for me."

A graduate of the South Carolina Area Trade School, now Denmark Technical College, Dix said she started writing at a very early age.

"I started writing out questions for my teachers because I stuttered so badly as a child, and I wouldn't even raise my hand in class," Dix said. "Even after I stopped stuttering in later years, I couldn't always adequately express myself verbally because everything came out so fast. Writing has always been the most comfortable form of expression and communication for me."

Dix, whose becoming a celebrity in the world of writing, has connections with another celebrity, this one from the hip-hop world. Her nephew, Elgin Jamal Turner, is better known as "Masta Killa" of the Wu-Tang Clan.

"My parents raised Elgin in Sumter from the time he was four until the age of 13," Dix said. "One of my main characters discussed the group with her boyfriend. Because of that, he has made an offer to help promote the book."

Dix said she is getting her second wind, with plans to release "Looking For Mr. Tonight" followed by a companion work, "Don't Get Even, Get Everything." She joked that Kensington will have first right of refusal.

"I still have so many stories to tell," Dix said. "I have truly enjoyed all facets of my life, and writing is another part of it. I just tell people that I've gotten to this point by staying focused, believing in myself, pursuing my passion and never giving up, and they can, too. People still tell me I could have had the money if I had pursued writing full-time, but I tell them it's more important to be happy with who you are and where you are at the moment."

T&D Staff Writer Phil Sarata can be reached by e-mail at psarata@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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