CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried introduced CSM President Emeritus Dr. John Sine, who discussed his experiences in writing his first novel, “Cuckold Creek,” at a literary reception Sept. 25 at CSM’s La Plata Campus.

The novel’s main plot comes from a true incident where two elderly people in Swan Point died without apparent cause just weeks after bequeathing $1 million to CSM and $1 to their daughter. It is the only real occurrence in the novel, according to Sine. "I was not trying to replicate in any way what happened. I compromised every bit of truth," he said.

 “Cuckold Creek,” written under the pen name Enis St. John, is a real Southern Maryland mystery set in a fictional town on a familiar body of water, said Sine. “Some people will want to say, ‘I know where that is!’ but they would be wrong,” he said of his liberties in creating a fictional setting within a recognizable landscape. "People went bike riding trying to find the places in this book. Some are recognizable, but they are just not in the location expected."
     
"I hope you don't mind my reading what I like," said former Sine as he shared favorite excerpts with an audience that included family, friends, CSM supporters, faculty, and past and present elected officials. He assured those who had not yet read the book that the theme was not investigative but rather one that nothing is ever quite as it seems.

Following the reading and discussion of "Cuckold Creek," by Sine, guests gathered to have their copies autographed. Signed copies of “Cuckold Creek” are available for purchase at CSM's La Plata Campus College Store or on online at www.csmcollegestore.com. A portion of the proceeds will be contributed to the CSM Foundation to fund the Fanny Louise Sullivan Sine Henderson Scholarship, established for single parents in need of financial aid and named for Sine's mother.

When Sine told his adult children that he was writing a book, they didn’t take him seriously: “Dad’s writing a book, ho hum.” When he completed the book, he couldn’t get them to read the manuscript right away.