Local author Susan Gilbert Harvey has released “POSTMARKS: the summers of ’98,” prequel to her first book, “Tea with Sister Anna; a Paris Journal.”

“Postmarks” is the story of two summers in two centuries on two continents and includes vignettes of quirky and

talented Rome women.

The book tells the story of two ambitious Rome women of the nineteenth century who traveled through Europe in 1898. During the summer of 1998, an artist at the time, Harvey read the letters describing her grandmother and great-aunt’s adventures away from home hiking in Switzerland and Germany.

The letters of her grandmother and great-aunt became the framework for Susan’s summer of transition as she moved from her career in art into a life of writing.

Harvey’s first book, “Tea with Sister Anna: a Paris Journal,” was published in 2005 by Golden Apple Press and won her the Georgia Author of the Year Award.

“Postmarks” is available at the Friends of the Library Gift Shop located at the Rome-Floyd County Library, the

Rome Area History Museum, the Last Stop Gift Shop, as well as Living and Giving on Broad Street.

On Nov. 8 she will be reading from the new book at the Friends of the Library meeting at the Rome-Floyd County Library at 2 p.m. Copies of both books will be on sale at the event.

Look for a full profile of Harvey and her new book in the December edition of Magnolia magazine.