In 2015, after more than 40 years in the newspaper business, I stepped away. I took some time, fixed a few things around the house, then got a job doing school programs all over Texas and beyond, working to get dads involved with their kids’ education — a noble and rewarding endeavor.

Along the way, the idea of writing a novel hit me. My school job was finished by mid-morning, so what else was there to do? Fort Smith, Arkansas had a wonderful public library, and I had the kernel of an idea. After hammering on it for a year or so, I self-published in 2018.

The Winning Streak was a little book, 106 pages, and the characters and plot, while intriguing, were not fully developed. It could probably have been edited into a decent short story.

I had started another novel when an electric cooperative hired me to write a book on their history. The novel was set aside and the next four years were dedicated to researching and writing a sweeping historical epic. Sadly, the CEO who hired me got fired, and the book went into a file box.

I retired in January 2024 and set about finishing the novel, putting to use the skills and work habits I had learned at the co-op. TCU Press has agreed publish Undiscovered in the fall of 2026. I hope you will find it to be a good read.