REFINER’S FIRE, WILL BE RELEASED
DECEMBER 8, 2026
Refiner’s Fire is historical fiction with a strong emphasis on HISTORICAL. Two South Carolina stories are woven together to form an unforgettable look at this state’s history.
More about Refiner’s Fire
When the building of the Saluda River Dam claims their family land, the Bartholomews are forced to start anew on raw earth, but mange to create a prosperous peach-growing enterprise.
Two generations later, Rufus Bartholomew works those orchards alongside Joe-Joe Daniels, the son of a beloved local Black midwife. Raised side by side under the stifling weight of the Jim Crow South, the two forge a bond deeper than blood—a quiet brotherhood that defies every line drawn between them.
As their paths diverge, Rufus enters county politics while Joe-Joe works in covert military operations in Iran before returning to South Carolina. In February 1968, when student protests against segregation escalate on the SC State College campus in Orangeburg, the two men find themselves directly at the center of the unfolding crisis.
Witnessing state police open fire on unarmed Black students—killing three and wounding forty-seven—Joe-Joe and Rufus must navigate the devastating aftermath and its effect on their friendship, holding onto the stubborn hope that the fire which consumes can also refine.
Two seldom told stories
The damming of the Saluda Riverto form Lake Murray. Hundreds of families were displaced. Refiner’s Fire traces one family as they claw back from devastating loss.
February, 1968, three unarmed Black students were killed and dozens wounded during the events that became known as the Orangeburg Massacre on the grounds of the SC State University.
What else you’ll find here . . .
— An excerpt from “Refiner’s Fire in “Written Projects”.
·— My blog, “Spicy Old Man”—a celebration of cooking and the stories behind the recipes. (mobile users look for the
— My short stories.
— With All Due Respect”. A blog-style series of essays on a wide variety of topics.