By any accounts, author Barbara Anton’s life was certainly full and definitely well-lived. An award-winning playwright, jewelry designer, songwriter, prize-winning baker, columnist, actress, and writing instructor, Ms. Anton was also an avid gardener who was accredited in two schools of Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. A compassionate and dedicated philanthropist, Ms. Anton established The Barbara Anton Prize for excellence in playwriting and awarded annual scholarships to the Ringling School of Art and Design, among others.
When Oceanview Publishing accepted Ms. Anton’s novel, Egrets to the Flames, and made an offer to publish the work as part of the Oceanview Fall 2007 list, Ms. Anton was able to realize another of her wishes: to honor the memory of her late cousin, Dorothy Matis Hoyman, a devoted librarian in the Temple University Library System
Sadly, Ms. Anton passed away in May 2007 after a brief illness, but her wish is being fulfilled. Through Ms. Anton’s generosity, Oceanview Publishing is arranging to have over 5000 hardcover first editions of Anton’s debut novel, Egrets to the Flames, donated to libraries nationwide in honor of Ms. Hoyman.
Susan Greger, Publisher at Oceanview, commented, “We are deeply saddened by Barbara Anton’s death, and regret that Egrets to the Flames will be a posthumous release. Barbara Anton had a tremendous passion for life that shines through in this phenomenal work, and it is our great honor and privilege to be able to fulfill Barbara’s wish to honor Ms. Hoyman’s memory. Barbara Anton will be sadly missed but her generosity and her philanthropic spirit will certainly live on. Barbara had so much respect and admiration for librarians and her generous gift not only honors Ms. Hoyman, but was also intended as her way of honoring those fine librarians for their dedication, hard work and devotion in bringing worthy literature to those who browse their shelves.”
Egrets to the Flames (Oceanview Publishing, November 1, 2007, $23.95, ISBN-13: 978-1-933515-11-3 ) is a riveting, beautifully-written saga of family tension and high drama set amongst the burning cane fields of South Florida. In an advance review, Publishers Weekly hails Egrets to the Flames as an “impassioned debut novel” that “rages like a field afire,” and adds, “vivid scenes of harvesting and processing the sugar cane and the hot subtropical setting earn solid marks for Anton. “ Oceanview Publishing (www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent press headquartered in Massachusetts. Members of the news media wishing to receive an advance review copy of Egrets to the Flames are kindly asked to contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone – (615) 297-9875, or by email – maryglenn@maryglenn.com
