![Author Gary Lloyd's new book, "Valley Road: Uplifting Stories from Down South," includes stories based mostly in the South, including Pace. [Special to the Press Gazette]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-571315db-e3c3-04fa-e053-0100007f7ff1-dd3d2243.jpeg)
MOODY, Ala. — Gary Lloyd has released his fourth book, “Valley Road: Uplifting Stories from Down South,” which includes tales from New York City, the Appalachian Mountains and Pace.
The book is divided in three parts: people, places and play.
In the people section, Lloyd tells stories of inspirational people, from a BMX stunt team motivating a school of elementary students, to a man with Alzheimer’s remembering how to play a specific song on the piano.
In the places section, Lloyd includes stories based in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the concrete jungle of New York City, the Green Monster at Fenway Park and the azaleas at Augusta National Golf Club.
In the play section, high school coaches from around the Southeast talk about why they became coaches, about basketball saving lives, about baseball players gathering for Bible studies, and a serve-others-first mentality.
“This has been a book I wanted to put together for a long time,” Lloyd said. “So much focus these days is on the 24-hour news networks, the horrible things that people say and do. I believe this is a book that many people need to read these days. They need to know that life in the 21st century is about much more than political debates, riots and negativity. This book is a collection of stories about the good in the world, about undisturbed land in Ellijay, Georgia, about ‘Stop For Prayer’ signs in the Wal-Mart parking lot, about a man retiring after more than fifty years in city service pleading for his wife to be thanked publicly for her support.”
Former University of Alabama quarterback Jay Barker, who led the Crimson Tide to the 1992 national championship, praised “Valley Road.”
“Gary shows in this book how coaches, youth pastors and community leaders truly impact the people around them and in turn impact communities in such a positive way,” he said. “Each chapter demonstrates the positive impact of such people and reminds me of how such people have impacted my life, and encourages me and others to do the same. This book is a must read and one that hopefully encourages us all to realize the impact we can have on the people around us.”
“Gary Lloyd writes with fervor that leaves the reader feeling something akin to a plate of blackberry cobbler—with vanilla ice cream, of course,” said author Sean Dietrich, who wrote seven books about life in the American South. “This book, and Gary himself, are gems in this world.”
Lloyd is also the author of “Trussville, Alabama: A Brief History," published by The History Press in 2014. He has also written two novels, “Deep Green” and “Heart of the Plate,” also available on Amazon.com.
“So much focus these days is on the 24-hour news networks, the horrible things that people say and do. I believe this is a book that many people need to read these days. They need to know that life in the 21st century is about much more than political debates, riots and negativity" — author Gary Lloyd
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: New book includes stories from Pace