Award-winning fiction author Ellyn Bache will be coming to The Country Bookshop on Tuesday, June 14, at 7 p.m.

Bache’s latest novel, “The Art of Saying Goodbye,” is based on a true story about a woman in her ­neighborhood who developed ­terminal cancer. In it, four longtime neighbors deal with the grave ­reality of their friend’s suffering.

“I enjoy writing fiction for women, and I enjoy writing about women and men who are no longer young,” Bache says. “Older women generally lead rich, vibrant lives, and the richness continues as you get older. We experience all kinds of interesting and complex relationships, both with women and men. The novel is about friendship and it examines how far you have to go to be a good friend.”

Bache studied English at many of the universities in North Carolina and Maryland, but didn’t start ­writing until after two of her four children were born.

“I started writing in an effort to stay sane,” Bache says.

She had just moved to a small town, much like Southern Pines, with her husband, and she didn’t know anyone. While she was ­stranded at home with the kids, writing was her creative outlet and the “adult activity” that she could bury herself in while her kids were asleep.

Bache’s first published works were real estate features in Washington, D.C., newspapers. The bylines were motivational, so she began writing shorts stories.

Her first novel, “Safe Passage,” wasn’t published for many years after she began working in journalism.

Although she began in obscurity, she is widely recognized for her work. Her first short story ­collection was awarded the Willa Cather Fiction Prize in 1992. Bache’s accolades have included a Romantic Comedy Award, being listed in Publisher’s Weekly “Recommended Holiday Reads,” Book of the Year Award Finalist, and being a Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selection.

“Safe Passage,” her first novel, was turned into a feature film starring Susan Sarandon and Sam Sheppard. She now has written more than 11 books.

Bache has written a little something for everyone, including articles in Seventeen ­magazine, teen ­novels, nonfiction journals about Vietnam refugees, and children’s books.

For information, call The Country Bookshop at (910) 692-3211.