A Mentor named Jay Miller

A Mentor named Jay Miller   “I was born in a tiny Southern town. I grew up with my family and friends all around.” Something to Love Jason Isbell   I grew up in a rural community where I was fortunate to have a long line of mentors and role models.  Many of these relationships …

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 …

Aunt Mollie and The Big Fire. Excerpts from “The Wayfaring Stranger.”

Ten Mile Fire Perkins Road Ten Mile, Louisiana The Wayfaring Stranger Excerpts from Chapter 42:  The Ten Mile Fire Aunt Mollie and the Big Fire Thursday, September 7, 2023 Yesterday, I drove through the devastation of the Ten Mile Fire, which burned 8,000 acres along the Rapides/Vernon Parish lines.   Ten Mile refers to the creek …

Full Chapter 42 of ‘The Wayfaring Stranger: The Big Fire

The Wayfaring Stranger    The Big Fire Full. Chapter 42 Joe Moore was making what he called his “firewood rounds”: he would go by Aunt Mollie’s, then the Sweats, and finally Miz Girlie’s. By the end of the day, he would have supplied every family with plenty of smaller sticks for the wood stove, as …

Early Chapters on ‘Where We All Belong’

Where We All Belong   Curt Iles     I. THE JOURNEY  _____________________         CHAPTER 1   CAPTURED   “A prisoner of war is someone who was trying to kill you, but then asks you not to kill him.” —Winston Churchill   13 May 1943 Tunisia, North Africa   “The first five …

Working Titles on ‘A Louisiana Journey’ Series Book 1: ‘Where We All Belong’

Where We All Belong is the first book in a three-book series, A LOUISIANA JOURNEY.   A LOUISIANA JOURNEY  will consist of three books: Where We All Belong   A German POW, Noah Becker, comes to Louisiana during War World II and finds a new life and new love. The American Woman  Louisiana girl Maggie Loewer travels …

“Back Cover Copy” of our upcoming novel Where We All Belong

Where We All Belong A Novel by Curt Iles BACK COVER COPY Visit www.creekbank.net to read “Early Reader” Chapters ____________________________ Back Cover    “Hitler said we’d march across America. He just forgot to tell us we’d be carrying shovels instead of rifles.”   During  World War Ⅱ, over 200,000 German prisoners of war, primarily members …

“You cannot make up a story better than the Truth.” Introduction to ‘Where We All Belong’ by Curt Iles

Where We All Belong by Curt Iles Introduction   You cannot make up a story better than the truth.    Mowata rice farmer Jimmy Loewer shared the following story:   In the 1960’s a car drove up to his family farm and a well-dressed middle-aged couple stepped out. The man pointed at the farm’s windmill.  …

Upcoming: Where We All Belong

  Readers, Many of you are curious about our upcoming novel, Where We All Belong.  We are currently putting the finishing touches on this 94,000-word novel. (that translates to about 370 pages.) We are in the most challenging phase of publishing a book: finding an editor/publishing house. I’d appreciate your prayer that God will open …

Rice University’s Connection to Beauregard Parish, La.

NEWS from Rice University.  Used by permission. 12/4/1997 12:06:00 AM Updated: 31 August 2023 To our knowledge, the entire Rice Land pine timber farm was lost to the Tiger Island fire. A Growing Tradition: Rice University in Beauregard Parish The Rice Land Lumber Co. is more than a tree farm: its crop rotation provides a …

The Friendship Land 2023

The Friendship Lane                       The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people halfway.                                                              –Henry Boye   This story is about two men who refused to lose their friendship over a difference of opinion.  It is a story worth telling and one worth remembering. It’s the story of The Friendship …