Shelby native appears on CBS' ‘Early Show' to promote new book

Author of a South Carolina based book still considers himself a Shelby native.

“The Shelby connections I have are kind of cool,” said Batt Humphreys, now living in Charleston, S.C. “It was an important part of my life.”

In the past year, Humphreys is enjoying success with his novel “Dead Weight” and was recently invited to talk about the book on the CBS’s “Early Show.

“One of the anchors is a close friend, read the book and liked it,” Humphreys said. “She thought the story had merit and was worth putting on the air. Getting authors on shows doesn’t happen as much as it used to. There is a perception that people aren’t reading anymore."

Humphreys attended Marion Elementary, Shelby Junior High and graduated from Shelby High School in 1973.

The historical novel is based on a real person, Daniel Duncan who was wrongly accused of a crime and was the last person hanged in South Carolina, Humphreys said. He is currently trying to get 1,000 signatures on a petition to posthumously pardon Duncan for the crime.

“For a first time author, the easy part is writing the book, other part is getting it out there,” Humphreys said. “It is a lot of hard work and not really that easy.”

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