Local Author Deresa Rhea to Host Book Signing at Blackwell Public Library

Local author Deresa Rhea will return to where her love of reading first took root later this month as she hosts a book signing for her debut novel Believers at the Blackwell Public Library.

The signing will be held March 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., offering readers an opportunity to meet Rhea, purchase a copy of the book, and visit with the author about the first installment in her three-part Karma series.

Described as a philosophical supernatural novel about love, truth and belief, Believers centers on Melody, a widow who chooses to live as Karma in human form. The idea for the story, Rhea said, came unexpectedly.

“My best friend and I were joking one day about how crazy it would be if Karma was an actual person,” Rhea said. “Would people avoid her because ‘Karma is a…’ you know? Or would you even know that she was Karma? The whole idea came to me after what was a five-minute conversation and a 20-minute drive.”

Rather than treating karma as an abstract concept, Rhea chose to personify it.

“We tend to use Karma as a weapon of justice,” she explained. “I found it fascinating to wonder what would happen if a woman showed up one day at your door and informed you justice was now being served. Would we react differently? Would we beg for understanding and compassion from a human? Would we ask for fairness — or what the book leans toward — balance?”

Though the novel features supernatural elements, Rhea describes it as deeply character-driven.

“At its heart, it’s absolutely character-driven,” she said. “Fantasy gives me a powerful way to externalize internal struggles. I like taking very human experiences — fear, belief, identity — and twisting them into characters readers don’t initially expect to relate to.”

One of the book’s central themes — “nothing born of fear can be defeated by force, only by unconditional acceptance of truth” — developed organically during the writing process.

“I kept asking myself two questions: How are demons created, and how are they destroyed?” Rhea said. “Fear distorts truth. When we try to fight something born of distortion with force alone, we only feed it. The victory isn’t in overpowering fear — it’s in understanding it.”

Truth, she said, was the most personal theme to write.

“Each step the characters take toward where they’re meant to be is marked by a truth being revealed. But the most powerful moment isn’t simply discovering the truth — it’s accepting it unconditionally. That acceptance comes at a cost.”

Rhea is no stranger to writing. She previously authored two nonfiction books, including Lessons After Death, which explores grief and challenges how society responds to widows. While fiction had always been her goal, she said stepping into it felt less freeing and more responsible.

“When you’re writing nonfiction, you’re recounting what happened,” she said. “In fiction, you’re building an entire world that has to feel emotionally and philosophically truthful. I felt a deep responsibility to honor the characters and the moral framework of the story.”

Her understanding of grief also shaped Melody’s journey in Believers. In the novel, Melody chooses to become Karma on the day of her husband’s funeral — a decision that may appear like avoidance on the surface but reflects a deeply personal way of processing loss.

“Grief doesn’t follow a clean timeline,” Rhea said. “Just because someone isn’t visibly unraveling doesn’t mean they aren’t grieving. They may simply be carrying it differently.”

Though Believers was originally envisioned as a standalone novel, the story naturally expanded into a trilogy. The second book, The Weight of Forever, will explore themes of self-love and identity, while the final installment, The Price of Eternity, will delve into sacrifice and consequence in a world governed by balance.

Rhea, who splits her time between her hometown of Blackwell and her children’s hometown of Medford, said both communities have played a vital role in her journey.

“Blackwell has allowed me the opportunity to set up these meet and greets and connect with readers,” she said. “Medford has wrapped us in their arms and helped us find peace at home. I believe my love of home and traditions that is so clearly present in this series is there because of these two communities.”

Holding a signing at the Blackwell Public Library is especially meaningful.

“It feels like coming full circle,” she said. “It’s where my love of reading was nurtured. It was the place where stories felt endless and possibility felt real. To return there now as an author is deeply meaningful.”

As for aspiring writers who may attend the March 27 event, Rhea offers simple advice:

“Tell the story that only you can tell. That is the story we all want to read. How do you know you have the story? Because it’s the one you know forward and backward without explaining how you know it so well.”

Community members are invited to stop by the Blackwell Public Library between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on March 27 to meet Rhea and learn more about Believers and the Karma series.