Jacquelyn Cook's latest novel, "The Greenwood Legacy," has just been released by BelleBooks Inc. Cook’s fans everywhere will enjoy the book, but especially here in Southwest Georgia. The book is set in Thomasville. "The Greenwood Legacy" tells the story of Thomas and Lavinia Jones, who settled in the Indian-threatened wilderness in 1827, rose to great wealth, suffered many family tragedies, were reduced ti poverty and then rose again.

Cook, who said she loves the research as much as the writing, said she had been looking for a subject for another book, and while entertaining out-of-town guests, after taking them to all the local destinations such as Andersonville and Plains, she and her guests visited the Thomas County Museum of History in Thomasville.

Later, Cook returned to the museum and talked with the curator, Tom Hill, telling him that she was interested in the local area in which to set one of her books, explaining the kinds of books she writes. “He suggested Greenwood,” she said. “And I said ‘I need to see what I write about, the old places,’ and Hill took Cook to the plantation. “It gives me cold chills just to think about,” she said. “I fell in love with it,” she exclaimed.

Cook said the Museum has many photographs of the Jones family and its background. During her research, she said she developed an affinity for Greenwood and the family who had built it and made it their home.

Walking around the plantation property, Cook said she could envision the Jones family. Gary Palmer, who grew up there while his father managed the plantation, took Cook to see the ferns and orchids, and other flora. “It’s all still there from Thomas and Lavinia’s time. I could see why they loved it so much. I had wondered how a young girl could move into the wilderness so far from home. But after I saw it, I could understand. It is so beautiful.”

Of her new book, Cook says the theme is “We are more than conquered through Christ Jesus who loves us.”

“They (the Jones family) went through so any trials and so much tragedy,” Cook said, “but nothing in life could conquer them because they had faith ... Lavinia went from a frightened 16-year-old to an old woman with great courage by the end of the book. I think that’s why I loved her so much.”

And while Cook is no promoter of “ghosts,” she admitted to feeling a presence while walking the property of Greenwood Plantation. Cook capitalizes on this feeling when writing. “I have felt this all the way back to ‘Magnolias.’ If I can get into an old house I can imagine a character. Once I do I can create the characters. When I begin moving around in a setting, the story just comes to life.”

Although Cook said her editor at Bell Bridge Books, a division of BelleBooks, is billing “The Greenwood Legacy” as the third in a series (The Georgia Antebellum History), she really didn’t write it as a trilogy. “The last three books were not written as such, but they are related in that they are all about Georgia estates.” Visit www.jacquelyncook.com for more information.

Cook has spent the last two decades of her life researching and writing books and the fruits of labor are evident. In addition, Cook speaks often on television.

The official launch of "The Greenwood Legacy" will be Sunday, Sept. 27 at the Thomas County Museum of History, 725 N. Dawson St. The Thomas County Historic Society will honor Cook with a reception and she will speak at 3 p.m. and then sign books. There is no admission and the public is invited. She said a couple of Jones descendants are supposed to be attendance. She also has a book signing from 2-4 p.m. Sept. 25 at Clinic Drug Store in Americus, to which the public is also invited.

Although Cook is not currently working on another book, she is looking forward to the re-release of “Magnolias” in March. “There were so many people trying to get it that we decided to put out a new edition. We had totally sold out and there had already been two complete editions ... Wal-Mart bought a whole edition and now those are sold out ...” She added that she has sold over a half-million copies nationwide of the Christian romance books.