
Given how hard life can be, who couldn't use a dollop of humor? This collection of stories—inspired by actual events—provides more than a dollop. Several bushel fulls of humor are contained in its pages. And the stories are all the more amusing because they are slices of actual events—or nearly so. "The Dip Takes a Plunge" relates just how badly a weekend visit can go... and just how deadly a bowl of avocado dip can be. "My Life of Crime" tells the sordid (but very funny) tale of four normally God-fearing, obedient boys who decide to enact revenge on their own when one of their friends is the brunt of school prank. The revenge doesn't go well. "My Daughter Lauren versus the State Department of Transportation" is a almost absolutely true story of one 16-year-old girl who goes head-to-head with her state's Department of Transportation—as told by her father. "You Drive Me Crazy" reveals the true stories of the author, his wife, and children, as the adults teach their four children to drive. You will never look at the sign "Student Driver" the same. "The Worst Camping Trip Ever" combines stories from family and friends into one long weekend of misadventure and comedy that even the wildlife found engaging. "Amusement Parks of Near Death" divulges the darker side of amusement parks—at least from the vantage point of a man who is terrified of roller coasters and dislikes going around in circles. This book is packed with over 150 pages of comedy, humor, indiscretions—and mortification enough for three books. "The Dip Takes the Plunge" and "My Life of Crime" were also collected in the anthology "A Little Bit of Everything," and all the titles are available in individual kindle editions.
Author
I live close to Harrisburg, PA and have been married since 1990 to a wonderful woman who puts up with me disappearing into my study more often than she would like. I have four children, two of whom are still at home, and one very cute granddaughter. I am a graduate of Red Land High school in Lewisberry, PA, and a summa cum laude graduate of Shippensburg University, also in PA, with a BA in English. Shippensburg provided a good education at a reasonable price. For years before my marriage, I performed on stage in area community theaters, directed and music directed stage and musical shows, and otherwise kept myself occupied until, on a blind date, I met my wife. Unlike previous dates where either I or the lady I was a dating knew from the first we weren't a match, I was nearly positive my wife was the woman for me. (She was less certain.) I am very, very glad I waited for the right woman. Who else would tolerate me? I have had many jobs over the years. I've dug ditches, stocked grocery shelves, tutored for room and board, cleaned restrooms, mopped floors, taught cartooning, worked in a bank, asked if you'd like fries with that (and cooked the fries to boot), ordered carpet for cars, and worked commission sales at Sears. Currently, I am a 32 year veteran of the Federal employee workforce. I consume your tax dollars in a Computer Design Agency for the Department of Defense. Believe it or not, I and my employees save you money, which will no doubt be shamelessly spent somewhere else in the government. In addition to my job, I also conduct the Home School Orchestra in our area. The previous conductor was the Chair of the Music Department in Shippensburg University, but he left to maintain his paying job. I have volunteered as conductor for 20 years or more, and I'm told they'll keep me - if for no other reason than I'm willing to do the work for nothing. I have been writing stories for decades in different genres. I've added spice to my writing life by switching from comedy, science fiction, mystery, and horror as the muse strikes me. I try to keep my stories mature, but not so mature your children couldn't read them. The exception would be "Collisions", which depicts some adult situations. While not graphic by today's standards, adults should use discretion in allowing their children to read it. My big seller is book number nine: "The Darkened Village", a Sherlock Holmes adventure. I've got quite a backlog of books, novellas, and novelettes, some of which have won local awards. And I've got more in my head, waiting to be put down on electronic paper. If you like my work, I promise there will be more of it in the future unless I unexpetedly "shuffle off my mortal coil". Of course, because I can't afford to give up my day job, it might take a while. I also write non-fiction. I have been a Christian for almost 50 years, and I decided to write a book on theology for the layman, "Solid Ground." While written primarily for believers (to provide the grounding in the faith I missed because I was not raised in a Christian home), it also should provide easy access to the unbeliever who wants to know more about how the every day Christian he may meet approaches his or her faith. You can buy the complete tome, or you can by individual chapters as eBooks and some as printed books. In addition to the books and stories you will see on Amazon, I've written four musicals (two of which were performed locally to good reviews), three piano sonatas, one etude, ten works for Christian choirs and ensembles, over 40 works for young orchestra, and even have a passel of cartoons I drew when I was a working level employee. In my spare time, I play piano, am a chain reader, volunteer in church, clean the kitchen, and write a blog on topics that range from culture, books, religion, politics, and griping about the difficulty of installing car seats. Some nights, I sleep, too.