Two Upstate authors release action-packed books—plus a movie
Real Ventures: Did We Really Do That?
By Bonnie Burgess Neely
Bonnie Neely grew up in Greenville, graduating from Greenville High School in 1962. Always an avid traveler, she moved to Texas for more than 50 years, returning to the Upstate six years ago. As she approaches 80, she is still frequently on the road.
In her latest book, published in late 2022, Neely describes her family’s unbelievable-but-true RV adventures from 1975 up to the present day. “Our RV travel is equal to three trips around the moon,” she says. The eventful journeys often included pets, friends, in-laws, babies, toddlers, teens, and senior citizens.
A journalist for numerous publications, Neely founded realtraveladventures.com, a travel website, in 2000, when “the World Wide Web was brand new.” Still writing for the site regularly, she decided to put all of her legendary, hilarious RV stories together in one place.
How did you recall stories from your travels that took place 47 years ago?
We enjoyed different RVs in nine countries and the entire US. As we traveled, I wrote articles for different publications so that served as notes from the trips.
Why RV vs. other modes of travel?
Our RV is a great way to see our children who live in California and New Jersey. During COVID, the sale of RVs increased over 1,000% because people could go to work or school in them. We never entered a hotel or restaurant during that time.
Do you have any tips for people interested in trying RV travel?
We advise people to rent one first and go a short distance from home. Spend a weekend, because you’ll either love it or hate it.
Any particular considerations for people 55-plus?
There are senior RV parks that work just like retirement centers. Unless you have an excellent mechanic along with you, as [my husband] Bill is, and roadside assistance, I don’t recommend it. When you have a house on the road, there will always be problems! And couples must work as a team, with each being familiar with all of the duties and responsibilities.
Where can we find your book?
Real Adventures: Did We Really Do That? is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, along with other sites, and is available locally at M. Judson, Barnes & Noble, and Fiction Addiction.
See more of Bonnie’s work at realtraveladventures.com.
Lucy and the Lake Monster
By Kelly Tabor and Richard Rossi
Kelly Tabor taught elementary school for 32 years, including 27 years teaching fourth grade at Paris Elementary in Taylors. Over the years, she loved sharing stories about Champ, the sea monster that is reported to live in Lake Champlain in New York and Vermont—and while the existence of the monster is hotly debated, she is a true believer. To Tabor, these aren’t just stories, but treasured memories of her childhood and her family.
After retiring from teaching in 2022, she knew it was time to take the stories of “America’s Loch Ness Monster,” as the Discovery Channel dubbed Champ, to a wider audience by putting them in book form.
She talked with her longtime friend Richard Rossi, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker, and both realized the stories had the potential to become a series of books and movies.
What prompted you to select this book as your next project?
Rossi: I had health problems and a near-death experience, and I had become a grandfather. I wanted to write something for children, and I knew Kelly’s story she told the children had made such an impact.
Tabor: I always wanted to write a book, but teaching is all-consuming. There’s no extra time. And I love to tell stories about perseverance and courage. I had quite a few students tell me that the stories about Champ impacted them, including one who wrote to me 20 years after being in my class and said, ‘You enlivened my mind.’ That was so special.
How did you write it from opposite coasts?
Tabor: We wrote a lot over Zoom. A lot of acting out scenes. We both wrote the novel and the screenplay.
Tell us about the movie.
Rossi: Emma Pearson, who just turned 9, plays Lucy. She was fantastic to work with. I play the grandfather, and Kelly was just perfect to play the teacher.
Tabor: I got to be assistant director for four weeks, and I had a very good mentor in Richard. I am from the area where the movie filmed (Crown Point, New York), so I could tell the crew where to stay. As for acting, I just had to be myself, and I was glad to listen to constructive criticism.
When and how can we find Lucy and the Lake Monster, the movie and the book?
Rossi: The movie should be ready the first half of next year. It will be available for streaming, but we also want to have it in theaters. We want to do an in-person screening in Greenville, since so many of Kelly’s students are there. The book is available on Amazon and at other booksellers.
What speaks to you about the story?
Rossi: Lucy faces things, Papa faces things. They overcome trials and struggles. But it’s wholesome. It’s been years since people made mainstream G-rated movies.
Tabor: It has an anti-bullying message. And kids just get excited. I’m always excited to see kids get excited about stories and reading.
For more information, visit lucyandthelakemonster.com.
