Our Books

A Reader Favorite: “The Evening Holler”

The Evening Holler   This is the first story from my first book, Stories from the Creekbank. Over thirty years later, it is still my most requested story. You can hear an audio version of the “The Evening Holler read by the author, at the Creekbank Podcast  as well as Spotify. Our YouTube Channel episode comes straight from my rocking …

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The 100 Foot Line: Thoughts on Forest Fires

  The 100-Foot Line     There’s a fine stand of young slash pine at Dead Man’s curve on the Longville Road. I’ve watched the growth of this forest since it was clear cut, then replanted in straight rows. The following year, the pines began to poke their heads above the grass. They’ve emerged above the surrounding bushes and scrub …

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The Best Trade: A Christmas Tree for a Basket of Jelly  

    The Best Trade: A Christmas Tree for a Basket of Jelly This story from my first book, Stories from the Creekbank, is still a favorite of readers of all ages. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas to all of my friends. -Curt Christmas jelly is probably my favorite holiday gift. Yearly, I receive this present from a …

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The Cardinal and Mr. Smith’s Plane

  The bird crashed into the plate glass window. My friend and I walked over to where a red cardinal lay on the grass. She said, “It’s dead.” “Let’s watch for a while. I’ve seen birds, knocked silly from a collision, get up, wobble around, and fly off.” But it was evident this cardinal’s flying days were over. He was …

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The Clearcut

Pine Trees and Gravel Roads This story, written in 2023, is from my third book Wind in the Pines.  They’ve clearcut a large swath of pine forest adjacent to the home I grew up in at the dead-end road where my parents live. A Clear Cut is always sad to me.  This one removed the thick strands of pines about …

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Read the entire novel A Spent Bullet by Curt Iles. Enjoy!

I’m in the process of uploading all thirteen of my books to my website. The reason I’m doing this is simple: I want folks to enjoy them. You can download a PDF of my fourth Louisiana novel, A Spent Bullet. Download here. Writing, Curt Iles P.S.  You can follow my current novel in progress, Where We All Belong, at www.creekbank.net …

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Read ‘A Good Place’ by Curt Iles: The entire book!

A Good Place, Curt Iles’ second novel,  continues to be a favorite of readers worldwide. As a gift, we’d like you to have a complete PDF download. Click this link to download Enjoy Mayo Moore on his journey! Curt Iles P. S.  As a thank you, please share this link with a friend. Our goal is always to spread our …

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Running in the Lobby

  Today would be the birthday of my precious great aunt,  Letha Stockwell Reynolds.  In honor and memory of her life, we’re posting a reader favorite story, “Running Through The Lobby.” It’s a post about love and Aunt Letha and her husband of seventy-seven years, Gordon, are the stars.   Learn more about Deep Roots at http://www.creekbank.net/books/deep-roots/         …

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A Dead End Road

                 Dead End   Mr. Frank Miller stormed into my office. Maybe stormed is too strong a word, but he was evidently highly upset. When a man over eighty storms into a room, and he is your mentor, you quickly want to find out what is wrong. I didn’t have to ask as Mr. Frank got right …

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A visit to see King Mockingbird

King Mockingbird   Author’s note: this story is from my first book, Stories from the Creekbank. It concerns a mockingbird and a place I love called Dry Creek Baptist Camp.   This week is Girls Camp at Dry Creek. The photo below shows four of my granddaughters, my two sisters, my daughter-in-law, a great-niece, and their friends at camp. I …

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A Memorial Day Story Worth Telling: A Soldier’s Story

A Note from Curt: As long as I’m alive, the story of Sgt. Leroy Johnson will be remembered. It’s a story worth telling, worth passing on.  We need reminding that our freedom is never free. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid for our American freedom with their lives. It’s important to remember stories of heroes who paid …

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Dry Creek’s White House

“The White House” from Hearts across the Water Friday, September 23, 2005 It is just before bedtime on the night before Hurricane Rita slams into Southwest Louisiana. A crowd of fifty anxious faces stares into mine as they await words of wisdom from the camp director. The faces are each so different and individual. Some faces are black; others are …

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December 29: Sharp Hooks

December 29  Sharp Hooks   Reas Weeks was a Dry Creek legend who lived and died before my time. He was a bachelor who lived in a remote area along Bundick Creek. He never owned a vehicle or held a regular job. He supported himself by fishing, hunting, and farming. He was known as the best creek fisherman in our …

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Dec. 27 “Two Masters” Bah Humbug Week Continues:

December 27   We’re walking you through the week after Christmas.  I call it “Bah Humbug Week.”  It’s a time of recovery from Christmas.  It’s often a difficult week. I believe it’s an essential week.   A time to slow down. A time to take inventory of the past week. An opportunity to look toward the coming new year.    …

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