Our Books

“You’re the Man” I wonder if they’ll give Captain Sully his “Broken Wing” award. It’s a special aviation award for safely landing a disabled aircraft. As you are aware, Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullenberger III is the pilot who saved the lives of 155 passengers of US Airways Flight 1549, when he safely landed the large jet in the Hudson River. …

This is an excerpt from my third book, Wind in the Pines. As I watched today’s inauguration of Barak Obama, I was reminded of an estimated one- million- man crowd I was a part of on the National Mall. This is a story of what God taught me there. “From ‘Big D.C.’ to ‘little d.c.’” …Sometimes the best place to …

Where is your prayer tree? Jesus, in His sermon on the mount, talked about having a place to get alone with God. In the older Bible versions, He called it a “closet.” The New International Version states it this way: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Matthew 6:6 …

The first short story in my first book, Stories from the Creekbank, continues to be one of our reader’s favorites. It is entitled “The Evening Holler” and I’ve told it and read it to literally to hundreds of groups over the past ten years. At the end of this short story is a special picture from Africa and a postscript …

Passage from Chapter 25 of The Wayfaring Stranger by Curt Iles Background: Joe Moore, a teenaged Irish immigrant has been befriended by an old Redbone woman known as Miz Girlie. This scene takes place in the longleaf pines of Louisiana in 1849. Joe slept each night on the porch. Miz Girlie gave him an old quilt and moss-filled mattress to …

Epilogue: Wet Paint This story is the final story from my second book, The Old House. It describes the strange mix of emotions a person feels when they finish a big project—regardless of if it’s a painting, a book, or building a house. I’ve just finished my next novel, A Good Place. Well, if you ever finish a book, I’ve …

A New Word to Learn: “Belum” From the book, Hearts across the Water, by Curt Iles In Indonesia there are so many unique and unusual things. Chief among them are the nuances of their language. The following illustration is probably my favorite: When an Indonesian is asked a specific question, they qualify their answer in many ways and terms. For …

The Evening Holler I’m sitting in Crooked Bayou swamp on a cold still October morning. I love this time of year when the weather becomes cool and the sky is usually clear. As daybreak comes, a mile through the woods I hear a neighbor’s roosters crowing and in the opposite direction, I hear my brother-in-law’s loud voice scolding his dog. …

From the book, Stories from the Creekbank by Curt Iles To learn more, visit www.creekbank.net A Pair for Life Clay, Clint, and I crawled over the wet leaves to the bluff bank on the small stream called Dry Creek. We were just west of where the creek runs into Bundick Creek. As we crawled along, I kept looking at the …

The two maps (above) are in the second edition of The Wayfaring Stranger. The first map is sketched by my special Dry Creek friend, Debra Tyler. I think it is great. The second beautiful map is by my good friend, Peyton Freeman of Wise Publishing in Sulphur. Thanks Deb and Peyton! click on maps to see a larger view. The …

Christmas Jelly Of all the Christmas memories and traditions, “Christmas Jelly” is one of my favorites. Each year I receive this special gift from a very special lady in my life. Before I share what Christmas jelly is, let me share about the special person who gives it to me each year. Eleanor Andrews is my neighbor in Dry Creek. …

(Left) Ron Yule at Dry Creek Camp Curt with Juanita Jordan During my Saturday book signing at Author’s Alley in DeRidder (1-3 PM) I will be joined by “fiddler extraordinaire” Ron Yule (Pictured above. He’ll be signing copies of his fiddle book.) At 2 PM I’m going to read from my chapter on the Ten Mile House Dance and Ron …

The Wayfaring Stranger Chapter 1 I am a poor wayfaring stranger, Traveling through this world of woe. There is no sickness, toil, or danger In that world to which I go. “The Wayfaring Stranger” Traditional Ballad I knew my life would finally end this way. That was the burning thought in Joseph Moore’s mind as he lay hidden behind the …

The Pine Knot Pile: A Lesson on Earthly Treasures (Below: Dry Creek’s finest pine knot pile at the Jay Miller estate)     All of a sudden, the February wind picked up and turned out of the south. Instantly what had been a small controlled fire in my back field became a raging monster. The flames spread rapidly through the …