Tales from the Valley...

10:52 AM Elizabeth Seckman 17 Comments

A few months ago, I mentioned I was working with a group of young writers here at home on a short story anthology with our own Spunk on a Stick, Dancing Lemur Press 's Diane Wolfe. The work is now  done and the anthology releases on March 7th. 

Working with these kids has been wonderful on so many levels. One, I got to know an amazing group of humans. They are clever, funny, sensitive, caring...I could go on and on. Second, I was reminded of how much there is to learn, things those of us who have been writing for a long time now take for granted. And three, I had fun. Yes, there were times when I might have, in passing, for the very briefest of moments, thought...I really don't have time for all of this! 

But, just like childbirth, in the end, there is the finished product and the fabulous happy faces. It's beautiful and amazing and you're ready to start the process again. 

Our next meeting is tonight...

If you'd like to help us out and host us on your blog, sign up here. And if you'd like to pre-order a copy of the e-book, Diane has those ready to go! 

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTV1MJ1J

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940166012302

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844941

Scribed - https://www.scribd.com/search?query=9781939844941&language=0

We'll have autographed copies later if you're wanting one of those ;) 

What I'm Reading Now...

Rocket Boys 

I don't know why it has taken me so long to read this novel. Homer Hickam is a fellow Mountaineer who has "done good". Actually, I do know why. I thought it was a work of science fiction and honestly, I'm not a big fan of sci-fi (sorry Alex!). Shows what I knew! This book was an amazingly honest, humble portrayal of West Virginia at its finest. Small towns, dreams, hard work, and of course, some football.  The story is set in a small coal town and portrays miners as they were: brave folks whose dedication to one of the worst jobs on the planet fueled a growing nation. 

The story reminded me of my grandpa, Bud. Born poor, my grandfather had no intention of staying poor. He started work in the coal mines as a young man. By his own accounts, it was an awful job. Deadly hard work. But that was what was easily available, and he needed work to fulfill a goal: to marry my grandmother. In my grandpa's way of thinking, a man couldn't propose until he had the means of supporting his future family. 

Once he was established, he and my grandma married and quickly had three little girls. Tired of the mines, he took classes to be an electrician...locking himself in the bathroom to study because it was the only quiet place in their little house. 

By the time I was a little girl, he was a full-time farmer, retired from the mines and the chemical company where he was the electrician. He was a special guy and as I write this, my mind is flooded with memories of him. He never said much, but he was a man who lived by principle and had a very quiet, most profound impact on who I am today and how I see the world. 

I'd go on, but the post is already too long. I'll have to jot all these memories down and revisit them later...as a walk down memory lane with one of my favorite people. 

My grandpa and me on the farm in 1971

Promo Time 

YEARS IN THE MAKING, IT IS FINALLY AVAILABLE:

In Darkness: The Vampire

By L. Diane Wolfe

Souls shrouded in darkness…