After spending the first 62 years of her life in the Mt. Morris and Oregon area, Beth George is returning home this summer with a new title she never expected to earn: novelist.

Writing under the pen name Georgia Lovett, George recently published her debut novel, “They Called Him LongMan,” a 420-page generational family saga inspired by many of her own lived experiences, family stories and travels around the world.

Many local residents know George as the former owner of White Pines Lodge, Cabins and The Wedding Canyon in Mt. Morris, as well as Eagle’s Nest in Oregon. Following her retirement and move to Costa Rica six years ago, she began writing what would eventually become a novel spanning multiple continents, generations and decades of family history.

While fiction, “They Called Him LongMan” draws inspiration from real-life experiences and includes characters, events, and relationships that many local readers may recognize. The story transports readers from small-town America to the remote mountains and jungles of Papua New Guinea, the towering peaks of Nepal, and the beaches of Costa Rica while exploring themes of family, love, loss, forgiveness, resilience and long-buried secrets.

George will appear at two local book-signing events during the Independence Day weekend.

• Thursday, July 3, from 7-9 p.m. at the bandshell for the concert in Mt. Morris. She will be set up near the Freedom Bell. The event is sponsored by the Mt. Morris Library. In support of the library, George will donate 50% of the profits from all books sold during the event.
• Sunday, July 5, from 11-12:30 p.m. at Books on First Bookstore in Dixon during Petunia Festival activities.

Readers are invited to stop by, meet the author, hear the story behind the story, and have books personally signed. Copies will be available for purchase at both events. Readers who have already purchased the book through Amazon are encouraged to bring their copies for signing.

“What began as a personal project eventually became a way to preserve many of the experiences, places, and relationships that shaped my life,” George said. “While the book is fiction, many readers enjoy trying to guess which parts may have been inspired by real events. Coming home to share it with friends and neighbors makes these events especially meaningful.”

For more information, visit www.GeorgiaLovett.com.