Helen Norris Releases BLACK DIAMOND DESTINY

Author Helen M. Norris wrote "Black Diamond Destiny" (published by AuthorHouse) after retiring from teaching at 72, but due to her untimely death, the novel never made it to a publisher's desk. Now in honor of Helen's memory, her son, T. Randolph Norris, has published his mother's poignant and heart-wrenching novel of a family of West Virginian coal miners.

"My mother's health failed before she could get it published," says Randolph. "I found it 23 years later and decided it had merit."

Helen's novel centers on the poverty-stricken Mattison family and expands for several generations. Matt, the head of the family in 1850, wants to pull his wife, five sons and daughter out of poverty. He secretly kills an itinerant Jewish peddler named Abe, steals all his money and opens a small drift mine on his farm. Unknown to Matt, his daughter, Gem, had fallen in love with Abe and planned to run away with him. Now pregnant and without a husband, Gem refuses to take any of the family's new found wealth and becomes the proprietress of the town's bawdy house.

The narrative follows the lives of the five brothers, Gem and her son as the family becomes the head of the world' largest coal corporation and becomes more and more extravagant. The complications of romances, money and business will keep readers engaged until the end.

Randolph hopes readers will take away "enjoyment while reading a history of early coal mining in West Virginia."

"Black Diamond Destiny"
By Helen M. Norris
Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 260 pages | ISBN 9781481772693
Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 260 pages | ISBN 9781481772716
E-Book | 260 pages | ISBN 9781481772709
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Helen M. Norris was born in 1897 and educated in Marion County, W.Va. She attended business college and was accepted as secretary to the Marion County prosecuting attorney. Upon the sudden death of her husband in 1952, she obtained her degree and taught in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., public schools for 17 years. She retired from teaching and embarked on research for "Black Coal Destiny."

AuthorHouse, an Author Solutions, LLC. Inc. self-publishing imprint, is a leading provider of book publishing, marketing, and bookselling services for authors around the globe and offers the industry's only suite of Hollywood book-to-film services. Committed to providing the highest level of customer service, AuthorHouse assigns each author personal publishing and marketing consultants who provide guidance throughout the process. Headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse celebrated 15 years of service to authors in Sept. 2011.For more information or to publish a book visit authorhouse.com or call 1-888-519-5121. For the latest, follow @authorhouse on Twitter.

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