The Friends of the Newton County Library will host author Wright Gres at 7 p.m. April 16 in the meeting room of the Newton County Library.

Gres is the author of "Macedonia Passage," a modern-day sailing adventure with a touch of Balkan politics and a hint of romance. The novel tells of Captain Frank Brown who is hired to captain a private yacht from the West Indies into the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. The mysterious cargo is a necessary ingredient of a plot to foment civil war and revolution in Greek Macedonia. A beautiful and enigmatic Turkish intelligence agent, Nevser Chase, joins Brown and his crew, helping to figure out the danger.

"The book sounds like an exciting read," said Pat Haymore, president of the Friends of the Newton County Library. "I hope we have a large crowd to welcome this author to Covington. I am sure he will be entertaining."

Gres has spent his life at sea and used his experiences in his novel. He grew up near Hillsborough and Tampa bays and learned to sail any kind of boats — outboard-power boats, cruising boats and sailboats. He served as commodore of the Tampa and Orlando Hobie Fleets and raced cruising boats in Florida Ocean Racing Association, Midget Ocean Racing Club and other less formal events.

He used his hobby to help finance college expenses by working as a deckhand and steward on a large luxury yacht. After college, he worked in corporate advertising but was a volunteer crewmember of the brig Unicorn. In the 1980s he made a transatlantic voyage on a schooner and spent several months sailing the Mediterranean. This experience became the basis for Macedonia Passage.

He was the marine coordinator in the Robert Altman film. Now, Gres lives with his wife and way too many dogs on a bluff above the Altamaha River and works as a tugboat captain.

The meeting is open to the public and refreshments will be served.