IT WAS THE MOST UNBELIEVABLE THING I’D EVER SEEN. I was twelve years old, the year was 1964. Every morning in school we stood, faced the American flag, put our hand over our heart and recited The Pledge of Allegiance. But one morning, halfway through the pledge, my buddy nudged me and motioned with his … Continue reading He Refused to Stand for The Pledge of Allegiance
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The Woodcutter’s Wife – chapter 1
Chapter One Struggling to catch her breath and with her face glistening with sweat, Mary finally made it to the top of the hill that formed one side of the hollow that she and William’s cabin lay nestled in. The top of the hill was no peak, rather it looked as if the top had … Continue reading The Woodcutter’s Wife – chapter 1
How Long Does It Take to Write a Book?
"Just because I finished writing the story doesn't mean the book was finished."
Caring for Your Baby BEFORE It is Born
Did you know that some cultures in East Asia consider their newborns as being one year old the instant they are born? I think that is a marvelous concept and actually a more accurate measure of how old a person is. Though unseen to the outside world (except by means of ultrasound), the infant is … Continue reading Caring for Your Baby BEFORE It is Born
Attraction, not Promotion
One of the most frustrating experiences you can have is when you try to get someone you care about to change their lifestyle and the direction of their life. My first bitter taste of this was as a school teacher in my early twenties when I unsuccessfully tried to convince a student they were traveling … Continue reading Attraction, not Promotion
“My wife had her odories taken out.”
I recently visited my neighbor, Chester, who has plenty of common sense but is short on the other kind, and learned MUCH more than I expected or cared to know and some things I still don’t understand. I began by asking, “How’s your wife, Punkin’, doing?” He replied, “They performed a mammy-o-gram and told her … Continue reading “My wife had her odories taken out.”
Where Do You Get Ideas for Stories?
I'm often asked where I get the ideas for my books. I don't know about other writers' methods, but my method is to create memorable characters FIRST, then let them tell their story. Tucker's Way began with the creation of Tucker (who turned out to be a character people can't forget). Then I asked myself … Continue reading Where Do You Get Ideas for Stories?
For the Sake of a Song
What is there that can make people from all walks of life - unemployed, wealthy, married, divorced, staunch Democrats, hardcore Republicans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Church of Christ, Pentecostals, agnostics, saints and sinners, politicians, apolitical, black and white, PhD's and high school graduates, professional and amateur musicians - lay aside their differences and join together … Continue reading For the Sake of a Song
Stories With Heart 