West Ashley native Kent Parker returns home for debut book signing
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
Growing up in the Northbridge Terrace neighborhood of West Ashley in a home that his parents built, Kent Parker’s upbringing during the transformative 1970s instilled in him a profound appreciation for the diverse community in which he was raised. These sensibilities, instilled in him at a young age, inform his writing and help add depth to his characters.
Writing under the pen name Julius Parker (which is his middle name and his grandfather’s name), Parker just published his debut novel Under the Draper Moon, which currently has a 4.8 rating on Amazon and a 4.7 rating on Goodreads.
As a lifelong Southerner, Under the Draper Moon is inspired by Parker’s own quest to uncover the truth of the African American journey to freedom and is a testament to his deep-rooted love for history and humanity.
Parker is currently working on his second novel, which begins here in West Ashley, where he was raised, attending Orange Grove Elementary and Porter-Gaud High School. He graduated from the College of Charleston and received a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He now resides in the sleepy shrimping village of McClellanville. He has two daughters who attend Clemson University and a son who is an attorney in New York.
West Of had a chance to catch up with the author and talk to him about his debut novel. Below is part of that conversation.
WEST OF FREE PRESS: Beneath the Draper Moon is your debut novel. How long has this story been kicking around in your head and how long did it actually take to complete once you put paper to pencil (or fingers to keys)?
JULIUS PARKER: I started writing Beneath the Draper Moon in September of 2022 after a long hike on the New River Trail near Draper, VA. The entire novel was completed, edited, and self-published in just under 17 months. The idea came to me during a very detailed dream on that trip to Virginia—my original character, Grace Henry, was developed there.
WOFP: What has been the most rewarding part of this entire publishing process?
JP: I love to meet readers and authors at various events and book clubs. The different takes and opinions they have on my story are fantastic. I love it when they recommend actors and actresses to play different roles for the movie (a deal I don’t have yet if there are any producers out there).
WOFP: What kind of reader—based on genre preferences, favorite authors, or literary style—would most enjoy Beneath the Draper Moon?
JP: My genre is historical romantic mystery fiction (I added a few words there). If you enjoy Kristen Hannah or Pat Conroy then you would enjoy my novel. I write about strong female characters, and there are definitely two distinct women in Beneath the Draper Moon who are making their own history and living their own romances. The history I reference is not something you would have ever learned in a high school class.
WOFP: What does it mean for you to return to West Ashley and do a reading/signing?
JP: I grew up in Northbridge Terrace from 1966 to 1984 in a house my parents built in 1960. West Ashley was much different then—everybody knew everybody else, or more importantly, ALL of the mothers knew each other. West Ashley will always be my home, although we live in McClellanville now. My book signing at the Barnes & Noble is in a shopping center I knew as Grant City West and the home of the Ultravision Cinema.
WOFP: You said your next book has some direct West Ashley references in it. Without giving away any major plot details, can you give us a sneak peek of what they are?
JP: My next novel begins with a 12-year-old girl who believes she is a full-blooded Cherokee, growing up in Northbridge Terrace in 1974 with her single mother. Her desire to find her father ends with a harrowing journey to Montana and Northern Canada … and her very existence may lead to the cessation of the genocide that has been waged against her people since 1876.
WOFP: Anything else?
JP: I recently attended a writer’s conference in New York and have been asked by several publishing houses for submissions of my next novel. I was also asked to submit to a media publishing house that works directly with Taylor Sheridan of Yellowstone fame. My ultimate goal is to reach best-selling status and see my novels made into films or streaming series.
Julian Parker signs copies of his debut novel Beneath the Draper Moon on April 5, 12-2 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, located at 1812 Sam Rittenberg Blvd.
