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Never too late to start over

PICKENS COUNTY — Upstate South Carolina comes to life in a new book by Easley native, Ron Fisher.

Fisher, raised in Easley, recently launched the first of three books in a new mystery-suspense series titled “Cadillac Tracks.” The second and third books in the series, titled “Dark Corner” and “The Junkyard,” will be following shortly, Fisher said.

“All three books take place in the S.C. Upstate, in Pickens, Greenville and Oconee Counties,” said Fisher. “The protagonist of the series is fictional J.D. Bragg — who grew up in the Upstate too — but now lives in Atlanta, where he’s an investigative reporter.”

Cadillac Tracks has been given five stars on Amazon and, before publication, won Best Manuscript at the Atlanta Writers Club SE Conference, Fisher said.

So, what’s the book about? According to Fisher, a little bit of everything: J.D. Bragg is a banged up and bummed out ex-college quarterback — a city boy with country roots and stubborn to a fault, describes Fisher.

As he sets out on a dangerous hunt for the truth, the trail leads him back to the picturesque Upcountry of S.C. where he was born and where a once-remote and native landscape is rapidly changing by high-end real estate developments, gated communities, million dollar homes, exclusive golf courses — and a greedy, exploitative man who doesn’t mind a little murder to get what he wants.

Sounds like fun.

“Although the book is a work of fiction and the product of my imagination, those who know the area will recognize many of the locales where the story hypothetically takes place,” he explained.

Besides being from Easley and now residing in Atlanta, Fisher himself bears little resemblance to the fictional Bragg. He is the son of the late Romie and Ruby Fisher of Easley and a graduate of Easley High School.

Also, he wasn’t always an author.

“I was in the advertising business for years, doing ads and TV commercials for accounts like Pace Picante Sauce, where I created the ‘New York City!’ ad campaign and for many other well-known brands, like Quaker Oats, Hardee’s, Greyhound and American and Delta Airlines, just to name a few,” he said.

But in the back of his mind, he always wanted to write books, he said.

“So I retired from the ‘ad biz’ a couple of years ago and set out on a new career: writing mystery novels,” stated Fisher. The biggest adjustment I had to make was to learn how to go from writing 30 second TV commercials with a stopwatch in my hand, to writing 300-page novels. That took a while.”

Cadillac Tracks is his first book, he said.

Fisher studied at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla., and has been a creative director and writer for several of the top advertising agencies in the country, including his own.

While at Henderson Advertising Agency in Greenville early in his career, he played a part in designing the beloved Clemson Tiger Paw. He went on to win numerous advertising awards, including a Gold Lion at Cannes.

“The amazing thing for me is that the book is getting such fantastic reviews and five star ratings from readers on Amazon. I take that as an unexpected validation of the decision to give up a successful advertising career and follow my dreams — even at my age,” he said. “And it warms the cockles of my heart.”

Ron Fisher with his debut novel, Cadillac Tracks.
https://www.sentinelprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/web1_Ron-Fisher.jpegRon Fisher with his debut novel, Cadillac Tracks. Courtesy photo
Easley native leaves career behind to pen mystery novels.

By Kasie Strickland

kstrickland@championcarolinas.com

Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.

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