COLUMBUS - Meet Syd nie Gaston, the epitome of a true heroine, who comes to life in a way that will captivate audiences young and old in The Spirit of Gonzales, a work of historical fiction and one of five books by local author Betsy Wagner.
Friends of the Weimar Public Library will host author Wagner on Friday, Dec. 1, at 11 a.m. at Weimar United Church fellow - ship hall, 403 W. Main, Weimar.
Wagner, of Columbus, will present "Islands of Truth Joined by Bridges of Logic." She is best known for her realistic portrayals of Texas history through well- drawn characters and historically accurate details.
The presentation will address the process she uses to build her stories, focusing on how she uses facts and fiction to create mem - orable characters, her research process, and the combining of the two to tell a compelling story.
" as the semi-fictional char - acters began to intersect with the Texas history, I began to under - stand the human cost of being a colonist in Texas leading up to and during the Texas revolution," said one reader.
Another says that Wagner's stories have given her an insight into what being tough really meant in the settling of Texas.
The fictional stories are drawn from the lives of real people and built around real events. Syd - nie Gaston was Wagner's great- great-great grandmother in the Spirit of Gonzales. The sequel, Dauntless Spirit, describes the abduction of one of the family members by the Co - manches. A third book, German Spirit for Texas Freedom, relates the authentic story of German immi- gration to Colorado, Fayette and Austin counties.
Copies of Wagner's books will be available for purchase. The program is free. Please RSVP to the Weimar Public Library at 979-725-6608.
