Under the Wedding Tree

STEVEN D. AYRES known as “Steve” to his manyfriends has lived most of his life in the country around SaltSprings Georgia. Now Lithia Springs and once known tothe Indians as Deer Lick it has been the home of the authorfor over half a century now. Born in Atlanta at the age offi ve his family moved to the old farm just three miles westof Lithia Springs where much of this story takes place. Thesurrounding area is rich in history especially about the Civil War includingthe ante-bellum house in which the author was reared. As a boy he played inthe creeks and fi elds climbed Kennesaw Mountain and went horseback ridingand camping at Factory Shoals and the ruins of Manchester Mill. For fouryears he did re-enacting as a Confederate soldier during the American CivilWar Centennial celebration making all his own equipment and uniforms.Later as an adult he attended and graduated from Emory University where hedeveloped a close friendship to Professor Dr. Bell Irvin Wiley noted historianand author. After studying law for another year the author entered the familyreal estate business. Within several years he had earned his Broker’s licenseand soon took over the family business. Among other things at the age oftwenty-fi ve he was elected as President of the Douglas County Chamber ofCommerce and a few years later as the President of the West Georgia Board ofRealtors and serving as a State Director. Business family and history has kepthim busy these many years as well as his avocation as an artist also playingthe guitar and sometimes performing at the local Cedar Grove Bluegrass gettogether on Tuesday evenings. Recently he took up learning the fi ddle. Heis also a licensed private pilot and currently owns a 1947 Piper PA-12 SuperCruiser Taildragger. This is his third novel and completes the trilogy of FallowAre the Fields and We Danced Until Dawn. He has three grown marriedchildren and three grand-children. He and his wife Beth still live on thefamily farm just west of Lithia Springs Georgia.