LOCAL AUTHOR’S BOOK ‘CHARLIE THE RED-TAILED HAWK’

By LEGION TAYLOR Staff Writer

Local Author William Grimes has released a new children’s book titled “Charlie the Red-Tailed Hawk.” The book follows a father in Sopchoppy who saves a young red-tailed hawk from a rattlesnake, and over time forms an unbreakable bond with the bird.
Featuring a beautiful photo of a Red-Tailed Hawk on the cover, this book is somewhat a step away from what children’s books often are, instead focusing on telling the story through words, rather than through pictures. The reason for its unorthodox appearance and lack of illustrations is because Grimes feels that “When a child picks up a book, I want them to read, not look at pictures.”
Though he has recieved no formal education on writing, the author has written other works before, including a screenplay, though nothing else published or available yet. He says he does not plan to stop here, and he fully intends to write and further develop his storytelling style in future works, as well as turn his screenplay “Fire in the Mountain” into a movie for all ages to enjoy.
When asked why he wrote it, Grimes says he is unable to tell me. The story simply built itself in his mind, and when it had finished and he could see it all clearly, he wrote it down as it was, not stopping until it had been written out in its entirety.
Grimes and his family have lived in this area of North Florida for over a century, and you can see his love for this region poured into every page of the book, making it something everyone can enjoy.  Many of the characters in the book are even based directly on Grimes’ family, though when asked if any of the work was true, he said it was all fiction other than the fact that his sister really did drive a Crown Vic.
“Charlie the Red-Tailed Hawk” is available for purchase at Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon, with a sequel on the way.