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Some excerpts

~~The pleasant feel of the morning air led Jenna’s thoughts adrift. Just as she reached the Rancho she received a start. She cringed. A loud truck, perhaps the first of the morning, had turned onto Main from Cullman Highway, gears grinding and engine backfiring. It took her a moment, but she recognized old Gerald Albright and his son Bruce passing by, a load of chickens packed into cages on a trailer behind the truck. The birds were silent and stared at her bleakly as they passed by, prisoners headed for the gallows. She thought it a little eerie and felt a twinge of guilt. It was Friday and fried chicken was the Rancho’s lunch special of the day. - from 'Katelyn Manor' (2012)

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~~She’d been hiding out in the room for what seemed to her to have been at least a year. It was remarkable that she’d escaped notice for this long, being right off Main Street. If she’d had her druthers, she’d have flown the coop, as in “blowing the state.” She couldn’t leave the area, though. She’d decided that the only way she’d leave without her son was if she were dragged off to jail. If she knew where the boy was, she’d nab him and take to the road. There was a guy down south of Blountsville that would gladly take her in, a guy who lived in the hills. - from 'Mona White's Diary' (2013)

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~~Local Man Draws Shadow Man - Bigfoot Similarities

Guntersville, Al. A local adventurer who has spent time in Alaska, Vancouver and British Columbia hunting Sasquatch has drawn a compelling series of similarities between observations he has made in the wild and certain habits of the person, or creature, that has reportedly stalked the nighttime streets of Guntersville.

“Please don’t get me wrong, now,” said Rodney Schumacher of Arab, “but I have drawn some interesting correlations that bear consideration. I’ve invited the sheriff to sit in on my presentation next week. I hope he’ll show. Even if he don’t, a lot of folks will. I can guarantee you that.”

Schumacher will speak at the retirement center, behind Mike’s, next Thursday and all are invited. There will be no charge and there will be an open discussion period. The event will run from 7 to 9 p.m. - Advertiser staff report

“Crap. Here we go,” Mike mumbled. - from 'The Shadow Man' (2014)

Greetings and welcome. For convenience, we divide our novels into two groups.

The Mountain Village Stories

Katelyn Manor (2012)

Mona White's Diary (2013)

The Shadow Man (2014)

This trio begins with the fun and satirical 'Katelyn Manor,' followed by its sequel, 'Mona White's Diary,' and the mysterious 'Shadow Man.'

While 'Katelyn' depicts a light and airy side of mountain village life, 'Mona' reveals a dark and perilous element existing outside the glow of town streetlamps.

'The Shadow Man' brings retired Marshall County sheriff Mike Holcomb back to investigate the appearance of a nocturnal "Shadow Man" who has appeared on the streets of Guntersville.

These stories are set in contemporary times.

The Crescent City Connection

Page Thirteen - The Book

Page Thirteen - Chief

A Widow on Cambronne

'The Book' takes us from the streets of Old Jefferson and uptown New Orleans to the hills of north Alabama and back. The perennial conflict of good vs. evil is on full display with no uncertainty as to which is which.

'Chief' chronicles the days of Eddie "Chief" Parfait, a man familiar with life on the edge. It's still my personal favorite.

'A Widow on Cambronne' serves nicely as a prequel to 'Page Thirteen - The Book.' Set in the Crescent City, the story presents New Orleans life near the mid 20th century relative to the Torretta Family and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Whether you start with the Mountain Village stories or the Crescent City tales, I hope you find them enjoyable and exciting. When one negotiates life's highway, there are places, people and events that beg to be set by a storyteller. I wanted to share such stories. I told a few. - David A.Myers

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Coach Steele looked at Jay for a minute. He had been so intent in his conversation with Debbie Mason that he had forgotten that Jay was listening in. He walked over to a drawer, pulled out a recent copy of USA Today, and threw it on the desk in front of Jay. The youth featured on the publication's front sports page made an immediate impression. Jay studied the photograph. In the foreground was a tall, handsome young man with black no-glare under his eyes. He held his helmet in his left hand, holding it by the face mask. He wore a white football suit with maroon numbers. The uniform was old school, very plain. It was soiled and torn. His dark hair hung down on his forehead and was soaked with perspiration. He appeared to be reading signals from the sideline. A team of rugged-looking young men in similarly tattered uniforms filled the background. Jay didn't need to read the accompanying article. He instinctively knew that this was a team of champions and that the young man in front was their leader. He looked up at Coach Steele.
"Jaybird, as a junior Jimmy Mason was rated by USA Today as the best high school quarterback in the nation. As a senior, well son, it looks like he just might be playing for the Knights." - from 'Page Thirteen - The Book' (2011)

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E
~~Ernie Parfait played a mean trumpet. He taught music at St. Agnes Parochial School on Jefferson Highway part- time and had a regular night gig at The Sands, also on Jefferson Highway. Every weekend he backed up a young, up-and-coming singer named Johnny Rivers who headlined at the club. Ernie had a twin brother named Eddie who went by the nickname of Chief. They were identical twins who were raised in old Jefferson Parish, the part of the parish along Jefferson Highway between the Orleans Parish line on the east and the Huey P. Long Bridge to the west. The Mississippi River and the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks provided the north-south borders of Old Jefferson. The four borders provided somewhat of a buffer for the area’s residents, one that was more intangible than real, but present nevertheless. Old Jefferson assumed its own identity – separate, yet forever intertwined, with her neighbors: New Orleans, Harahan, West Jefferson and Metairie. The area was tough, working class, and often law abiding. - from 'Page Thirteen - Chief' (2011)

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~~With that Chief patted me on the shoulder and trudged off, presumably heading for home. He stopped and spoke briefly with the doorman of the club, a guy I went to school with and know pretty well. Chief glanced into the club as he walked by, and just kept going. He turned toward the river. I heard my old schoolmate say “See ya later, Chief.” That’s how I came to learn my new friend’s name. - Dylan Livingston from 'Page Thirteen - Chief' (2011)

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~~Inspector Whitaker leaned back in his chair. It occurred to Henry that perhaps the Inspector had spent time mulling a plan, or at least an issue. Henry wondered why he in particular had been called in with regard to the Inspector’s issue. In any event, he was glad to know he wasn’t in trouble.

“Tell me more about these Irish Channel friends of yours,” Inspector Whitaker said.

This was how the ‘gang of six’ once again became an entity. Since Shawn Whitaker had been voted Inspector of Police by the Board of Commissioners, he’d contemplated a number of strategies to contest vice activity on the streets of New Orleans. The initiative he eventually put into place, partly decided based on his interview with Henry Lolan, was to be tested in the Third District. Inspector Whitaker considered the Third, an area bordered by Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue, and between the Mississippi River and N. Rampart Street, to be the ideal challenge. The Gang of Six, as a group and to a man, accepted the challenge with a fervor that approached zeal. from 'A Widow on Cambronne' (2023)

Contact: authorsdesk@pagethirteenbooks.com

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