The event marked the official premiere showing and signing of Old Rugged Cross, a novel by inspirational author Catherine Ritch Guess, set in Findlay, Ohio, and centered around Roger Powell?s sand sculpture of Christ done in Riverside Park each Easter.

Rodger Powell, Catherine Guess and Friends

John Nesler, the owner of Rose Gate bed & breakfast was dressed as Charles Dickens as he and his wife, Belinda, welcomed guests in the Magnolia Room and the Lace Room, to meet Guess and Powell. Both the author and artist signed copies of the Old Rugged Cross.

The book signing started with a private unveiling of the book from 4:00 - 5:30 pm for Findlay businesses and residents who were a part of Guess? Old Rugged Cross. Then from 5:30 - 8:30 pm, there was an open invitation for anyone to come and experience the flavor of a Christmas past, complete with a reading of A Christmas Carol, and meet inspirational author Catherine Guess and Findlay?s own Roger Powell, as well as Hancock County?s budding author.

Catherine Ritch Guess selected four winners, Kari Hohman, Alyssa Logsdon, Alisha Riley, and Molly Boes, from the Findlay Living Magazine "Future Authors" contest and were on hand to meet and talk with Catherine and Rodger. The four Winning Future Authors and their stories are to be published online in the Findlay Living web site, www.findlayliving.com. They will also appear in the next Christmas book by Guess, There?s a Song in the Air, the second volume of her Shooting Star Series to be released in 2004. All four contest winners received an autographed copy of the book. The winners where on hand to sign copies of their stories.

Old Rugged Cross Book Cover

Old Rugged Cross came into being last November in Charlotte, NC, where artist Powell had a booth at the Southern Christmas Show. Guess, who had been invited to do a booksigning at the same show had also been asked for a live radio interview. When she came back in from the interview, she happened to pass Powell?s booth. She stopped for a second to admire his work, then heard him telling a woman how the sand sculptures began. Within five minutes, she had the entire story (minus the actual sculpture) in her head. She told Powell about her idea, and he wanted to hear the rest of the story. Her reply was, "You are the rest of the story."

Thus, Guess came to Ohio in April, after driving down from Canada to find the hometown of the book?s fictional main character, Maggie Matelli (who happens to be a University of Michigan grad student from the Little Italy section of Cleveland), and wrote "the rest of the story." Old Rugged Cross turned into the first volume of her Sandman Series, three books that are all set in Findlay around the sand sculptures.

Future Author Winners (Kari, Alyssa, Alisha, Molly)

Her publisher and editors have changed books in the author?s publication line-up to get this book ready for her to appear at the 2004 Southern Christmas Show with Powell, where she will also be featured for In the Bleak Midwinter, her new Christmas title which features NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett.

Maggie takes off from Ann Arbor to spend Easter week in the sun and sand of Florida while she seeks her "perfect" man. She takes what is supposed to be a quick turn off I-75 at Findlay and finds herself stuck behind five dump trucks filled with sand. After getting sidetracked, she spends the evening at Rose Gate Cottage. During the tour of Rose Gate Cottage, guests will see the Garden Villa (the room where fictitious Maggie stays), the "guardian of the stairs," and the dining room and parlor that are also in the book. Also featured in the book is Emmy, the Nesler?s Maltese, and the antique stuffed animals made by Belinda.

In The Bleak Midwinter Book Cover

While in Findlay, fictional Maggie finds the landmarks of Miller?s Luncheonette and Dietsch Brothers, as well as the Swan House Tea Room and Cheddar?s. And she naturally reads the Courier while she?s in town. Residents who had interesting stories and tales of Findlay life and characters were invited to meet Catherine Ritch Guess and Roger Powell at Miller?s Luncheonette on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 7:30 - 10:00 AM, and Coffee Amici on Thursday, December 4th, from 11:30AM - 1:30 PM. She and Powell will be available to sign books at both of these times. Guess will also be speaking at Noon to the Kiwanis Club at the Elks on Wednesday, December 3rd.

Guess, who is often compared to Jan Karon and referred to as "the female counterpart of Nicholas Sparks," currently has five books in print, three in publication, and twelve others under contract. She will be working on the next two volumes of the Sandman Series while in Findlay. And where will she be staying to pen these books? The Rose Gate Cottage, of course!

Book Signing at the Rose Gate Cottage

Many guests, including Mayor Elect, Tony Iriti, attended the event to meet the Author and socialize with the public. Findlay Living Magazine was on hand to listen to Catherine and discovered that the Author has had three inquiries from Hollywood Studios interested in possibly creating a movie about the Sandman Series. With fingers crossed, there is a good possibility that Findlay, Ohio could be the basis of a Major Motion picture in the near future.

It is a sheer blessing for Findlay, Ohio to have such a wonderful person and talented writer as Catherine Guess to base her character and books around our wonderful city. Look for more stories to come from Catherine in the near future as she begins to work on writing the Third book in her Sandman Series.