This is just a little excerpt from "Mystery of the Leech Cemetery Witch." This piece gives us a little insight into the wisdom of "Mr. Bill." Give it a quick read, I hope you like it. “I’m gonna take me a smoke break son;” why don’t che come with me? As soon as the door closed, he produced that old Zippo lighter from his pocket again. With one quick flick of his hand, the lighter magically opened with a bright orange flame. He lit his cigarette, and after taking a long, deep, practically religious drag, he flicked his wrist; the lid snapped shut, and the lighter magically disappeared back into his pocket. He made himself a seat on an empty lard can. He sat there for a few seconds, deep in thought, and resting his bony elbows on his knees before saying a word. The heavy rain on the tin roof sounded like a snare drum, making conversation difficult, to say the least. You boys, give any more thought ‘bout what we was talkin’ ‘bout yesterday? Yes sir, I replied; we figure we’re gonna head up that way tomorrow after school. He nodded his head a bit. “I figured as much.” I asked Ma what she knew ‘bout the story; she told me a great deal. But she says that woman weren’t any witch at all. Said she was just a woman that was done wrong by some men in town. Says this whole witch thing is just a cover story. He scratched his head thru his paper hat and took a long pull from his cigarette. With a long, almost burdened breath he blew the smoke into the rain. Ye know what I figure? I figure everybody leaves a mark on this ol’ world, a kind of shadow that hangs around long after we’re gone. The longer the life, the longer the shadow, just as it does when the sun gits lower in the sky. For example, you’re just a boy; the sun’s still high on ye, high noon so to speak, shadows kinda small. Me? Well… I’m a great deal older, suns’ gittin’ mighty low, and my Ol’ shadows got ‘bout as long as it’s gonna git. Now, I figure those shadows hold our stories, our memories, and… well, just about everything that makes us who we are… or were. The longer the shadow, the more story’s a bodies got to tell. He outstretched his thin arms, proudly displaying his old tattoos.’ Ye see these pictures here? They’s a story behind each and every one of ‘em. Some good, some not so good. But they tell my story jest the same. Yes, sir. I figure I got myself a mighty long shadow by now. One of these days, I’ll tell ye ‘bout ‘em, and that’s a promise, and ol’ Bill don’t make promises he don’t intend to keep. He rubbed his bony arms as he looked at each of the drawings. He stared with the same intensity a father has when he watches his children play. I could see the memories in his face, and I could see that some of ‘em hurt him. Now… if yer askin’ me what I think. Well…I believe the good Lord gives each of us a limit as to how long he allows our shadow to git. But all too often, some unfortunate soul gits their shadow cut short in an unnatural manner. When that happens, well… I figure that leaves some of ‘em a might upset. Now I cain’t tell ye if they’s a witch up there or not. But I can tell ye this; I figure if anything rests ‘neath that stone, it was done wrong once upon a time. Good or bad, it ain’t much for sufferin’ company. A body might do well to steer clear of it. Suddenly he smacked his hands to his knees, scaring the daylights outta me. He flicked his cigarette into a puddle as he stood up. But that’s jest my two cents young man… just my two cents. I reckon we got some work to do; we best be gittin’ back to it. He turned and walked inside, leaving me standing there with a confused look on my face and staring at the rain.

@JHMoorebooks Have you noticed what the gatekeepers are looking for these days? It's no wonder men don't read as much. There is an entire market out there that is being ignored in a big way.

Going next week to my old hometown. Gonna be taking some B/W pics for the cover. Some dead mines and the real cemetery where the Witch is buried, (yes the Witch is real too.) Maybe even the Holler where I grew up, and a whiskey still as well. I'll put them on the site.

@TheMaleMan365 Neither, I'm a dug in the back of the Holler like a tick-in-a-dog's ear person.

@TennesseeLady85 @davidcoverdale @gh0st3at3r I preach this at home all the time. It's one freaking bowl, just wash it and put it away. It's not rocket science.

@JWenner_Author It's like buying your dream house and then picking it apart to find that "one" bent nail. Those folks need help.

I received an E-mail from a lady at a local store who wanted to read The Cemetery Witch, so I sent her a PDF. She raved that I had not been tamed by the literary gatekeepers and pundits telling us what is popular and what is accepted. This meant a lot, agents should take notice.

@JosephPino_ I hated to see this from a mutual. unfollowed and muted. BTW I gave up the check because I'm retired and money is tight. I don't want it back even if I could afford it and I'm certainly not "pathetic."

@CynsShadowland I've been through it far too many times, it can be unnerving.

@ActingOutHere1 @tweetajanuary I got home from the hospital and climbed in bed, Peaches curled up next to her daddy, then bit me hard on the nose and ran off. My typical relationship with females.

@GetOnTap About a 1/4 mile down the road from my Holler.

@struutinsky Our short story "Christmas in a cardboard box" was inspired by the scent of a Christmas basket as we carried them home.

@GirlRyan_27 Every single comment I have made tonight has been liked by a bot in about 2 seconds.

@JMW5424 I hope they stay away from my house. I'm old, and the tax burden would kill me.

@leilacsaliba That is the only way I can write. I don't have the attention span to plan things out.

@byMorganWright But do they write with their pinkies up?

@J_Schiecke Life. My pinned is an excerpt of a janitor named "Mr. Bill." He was a real character in my childhood, and the lessons he taught are still with me.

@MemoirJoyGirl I sent you a follow

@KnoxPhilli84492 Never hesitate blowing your own horn, you never know where those others have been.

@BettyWoodsWrite I wrote this as tongue-in-cheek, but once I stared at it, I began to think it would probably work.