New novels from N.C. writers

Asheville author Wayne Caldwell's new novel, "Requiem By Fire" (Random House; $25), is in stores this week. In this story, Caldwell returns to the Appalachians, also the setting for his well-praised debut novel, "Cataloochee."

In "Requiem By Fire," residents of a mountain community must decide whether to sell their land to the government for the creation of a national park or risk financial peril.

"As in his debut," says Publishers Weekly, "Caldwell again attributes rich historical background to a dizzying array of colorful, authentic Southern characters in an unhurried story about resiliency and the unifying power of community."

Caldwell speaks at 2 p.m. March 6 at the Gaston County Public Library.

Charlotte's Jean Houghton-Beatty recently published "Stoney Beck" (Boson Books; $17.50), about a young woman in Charlotte who travels to a village in England to discover the secrets of her past. It's Houghton-Beatty's second novel.

"The Wind in the Woods" (Canterbury House; $15.95), a new novel by Rose Senehi, is out on Monday, March 1. Senehi, who lives in Chimney Rock and Murrells Inlet, SC, sets her novels around southern families trying to hold onto their land against the forces of development. Her previous book: "In the Shadows of Chimney Rock."

Charlotte's Steve Godofsky has written "The Liberation of Henry Belmont" (Eloquent Books; $23.95), a story of a man who learns he has ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and decides he'll spend the time he has left fulfilling his fantasies.