Gray Court author AnneDee Watkins, 20, returns to Fountain Inn’s Swanky Steer to sign ‘I’m Walking by Faith’
October 21, 2026
AnneDee Watkins was back in familiar territory last weekend when she held a book signing at the Swanky Steer in Fountain Inn. The 20-year-old Clemson University student once worked at the store, and this time she returned as a published author.
Watkins released “I’m Walking by Faith” on Sept. 15. Written with Lindsay A.S. Felix, the book tells the story of growing up with Williams syndrome, earning a spot in the Clemson LIFE program and learning to trust God through every step.
The Fountain Inn signing followed an earlier appearance during Squealin’ on the Square in downtown Laurens, where Watkins had to stop her interview several times as friends and neighbors lined up for signed copies and photos.
Watkins is the daughter of Jonathan and JoDee Watkins of JBW Farms in Gray Court, just a few miles south of Fountain Inn. The family relocated to the Upstate from Northern Virginia, where Jonathan worked as a police officer and JoDee was a registered nurse. Since 2017, Pet Commander Kennels on the family’s property has provided jobs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
A book born from a dream
Watkins said the idea for the book first came to her while she was sleeping.
“God gave me a dream about this book,” she said. “I want people to see that God can do anything. If you pray, he will do it. You just have to pray and believe.”
She described the book as an answer to prayer that arrived in an unexpected way.
“I didn’t know I was going to write a book,” she said. “God just told me, write a book, go tell your mom about it.”
Watkins and Felix met weekly on Zoom, often for two hours at a stretch. Felix recorded their conversations and shaped them into the book’s chapters.
Proving the doubters wrong
“She just told me I couldn’t go. I wouldn’t get in,” Watkins said.
Today, Watkins is a student in Clemson LIFE, which stands for Learning Is For Everyone. The program helps students with intellectual disabilities develop independent living and employment skills.
She remembers the moment she learned she had been accepted. She sat at the computer in the family kennel while her father logged in, then saw the word “congratulations” on the screen.
“My hands were shaking. My heart was racing,” she said. “I literally freaked out.”
The next day, her classmates at Laurens District 55 High School threw her a surprise celebration. Asked how she feels now about the person who doubted her, Watkins said she is “proud, very proud.”
At Clemson, Watkins is in her third year as a manager for the volleyball team. She is also a member of Kappa Delta.
“They are my sisters, even though they’re not blood related,” she said. “I can call anytime, and they will be right there.”
What she wants readers to understand
Williams syndrome is a genetic condition caused by missing genetic material on one copy of chromosome 7. Watkins explained the difference this way: Down syndrome involves an extra chromosome, while Williams syndrome involves something missing. People with the condition sometimes need a bit more time to process information, she said.
In the book, Watkins recalls the day she realized her classroom was not like the others.
“It didn’t feel like a regular classroom,” she said. “We only had a couple of students in the classroom, and we had two teachers.”
That moment led her to ask God difficult questions. The answer she found became the heart of her story.
“He made me unique,” she said. “He didn’t make a mistake. He made me on purpose with a disability.”
Watkins also hopes readers will feel more comfortable approaching people with disabilities. She said some people seem unsure how to start a conversation when they see her in public.
“Don’t be scared of a kid or a person with a disability. They just have something extra,” she said. “They want friends like everyone else, and I think they deserve friends.”
The book encourages readers to greet anyone they see sitting by themselves.
“I don’t want anyone sitting alone,” she said.
Encouragement for parents and children
Watkins has a simple message for parents raising children who learn differently.
“Just keep believing in your child, because your child can do anything they put their mind to,” she said, noting that her own parents always encouraged her to aim higher.
JoDee Watkins said seeing her daughter share her story ranks among her proudest moments as a mother.
“From the time she was little, we told AnneDee that God made her on purpose and that her disability would never set her limits,” JoDee Watkins said. “Now she is telling the whole world the same thing. We could not be prouder of the young woman she has become.”
To children who have been told they are different, AnneDee Watkins offers this: “You got this. Just keep believing in yourself, because you never know.”
When life feels confusing, she turns to her mother and to prayer.
“Sometimes you do not understand what God is trying to tell you to do,” she said. “But I want people to know that God will do amazing things in your life.”
More books ahead
Watkins already plans to write more. The final page of “I’m Walking by Faith” lets readers know this book is only the beginning.
“I’m going to write more, but I’ve got to enjoy this one first,” she said.
She hopes to one day share her story from a large stage, possibly alongside author and speaker Sadie Robertson.
Watkins thanked Felix, her parents, her siblings, her Kappa Delta sisters and the many friends and relatives who supported her along the way.
“I’m an author,” she said. “It’s crazy to say.”
So far, she said, readers have responded with “a lot of smiles.”
“I’m Walking by Faith” is available on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble and at Watkins’ book signings. Golden Strip readers can follow AnneDee Watkins on Instagram and Facebook for news of upcoming appearances.
