By Austin Rust
Reporter, The People’s Defender
The author of “A Book of Matches,” Robert E. Hawkins, visited the public libraries in Peebles, West Union, and Ripley at various times in the month of December to promote and sign copies of his first printed work, a novel which retells the story of a shocking murder in Peebles.
The author, Robert E. Hawkins, graduated from West Union High School in 1988. His formative years were spent in Adams County, which he affectionately refers to as his “stomping grounds,” where he was encouraged from an early age by family, friends, and educators to pursue a career in music. Hawkins wrote his first songs while still a student in high school, and after graduation, he became a successful musician in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has been able to record over the course of his career with numerous high-profile celebrities, musicians, and stars of all genres.
“A Book of Matches”, Hawkins’ first novel, recalls the life of Oliver Elliott (or “Zeke”) Stayner, his grandfather, who was born September 22, 1918. Zeke Stayner outlasted the Great Depression, which spanned the larger part of his teens, and graduated from Peebles High School in 1937, the same year that a massive flood of the Ohio River ravaged Adams County and southern Ohio. In the winter of 1941, the U.S. entered WWII, and Stayner joined the Army Air Corps, a precursor to the United States Air Force, where he was tasked with training all recruits on how to operate and maintain their weapons. He progressed quickly in rank, ultimately becoming a Sergeant, and he married Hawkins’ grandmother, Edith, when it became clear that WWII was nearing its end. After WWII had ended, the couple returned to Peebles, where Zeke became an entrepreneur, first owning a pool hall then an automotive business before he was murdered at the age of 31.
“A Book of Matches” revisits the cold, dreary night of Monday, November 28, 1941, when in a characteristic act of charity, Zeke Stayner left his home to help a young couple stopped near the road with their car, taking the household’s only flashlight with him. After Zeke had been gone for some time, his wife Edith came out to look for him with a book of matches, striking them to light her way in the darkness. Oliver Elliott “Zeke” Stayner was found murdered that night. It was an event that shook the Peebles community to its core, and it left Edith Stayner and her two children “… without their guiding light.” The novel champions Hawkins’ grandmother Edith and her two daughters, Susan and Dottie Stayner, who found the strength to move forward from this tragedy.
Hawkins explained that he had always had the feeling that this was a great story to write, and that he wanted to honor his grandfather’s memory. He spent five years researching the court cases conducted to convict his grandfather’s murderer(s), which were reported widely in Ohio newspapers, and compiled information from diaries, letters, and personal memoirs written by members of his family, including his grandmother. Two years were spent writing and editing the novel, and it was finished earlier this year. “A Book of Matches” was then published Nov. 7 by the Jesse Stuart Foundation in Ashland, Kentucky – the same town, coincidentally, where Zeke and Edith Stayner were married in the early 1940s, said Hawkins.
The novel was an instant success, Hawkins confirmed. He explained that “A Book of Matches” did sell out twice in the first week of its release, and it continued to sell at such a high rate that the Jesse Stuart Foundation requested the advance author copies it had sent him back; those sold out quickly, as well, and copies had to be pulled from their graphics department to fill orders.
“It was gratifying to have such an interest and a great response to the story, especially since this is my first book,” said Hawkins. “We are all thankful for the continuing support locally, and it is starting to sell in other places like Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and even Australia.”
Hawkins explained that he was encouraged to pitch “A Book of Matches” to the Jesse Stuart Foundation by an author named John R. Simon, who had written a book about Cowboy Copas with its support. Hawkins had anticipated that it would be difficult to secure a publisher for his story, but he said that in a single phone call, the Jesse Stuart Foundation’s CEO assured him that his book had found a home, and that it was exactly what they were looking for.
That same night, Hawkins began speaking to their graphics department, and the publishing process was underway.
In the recent weeks since publication, two videos have been produced to promote “A Book of Matches”; one is an introduction to the book, and the other is an interview with Robert Hawkins’ mother, Susan, his aunt Dottie, and his aunt Joyce. The novel was recognized by Metro Nashville Public Schools, where it has been included in their online and print publications reaching 90,000 people, and an event is planned at McKay’s Books in Nashville, Tennessee.
“A Book of Matches” is available for purchase now on robhawkins.com, via the Rob Hawkins Facebook author page, on the Jesse Stuart Foundation’s online store, and from the Jesse Stuart Foundation’s amazon.com webpage. The Blake’s Pharmacy locations in West Union and Peebles, the Hallmark Store in West Union, and McNeilan’s Trash Removal Office (in West Union) have agreed to carry the novel, and copies will also be sold at each book signing event.