Slim Randles' Home Country

Thinking about the book again

[April 21, 2015]  Dud looked at his Anita across the kitchen table and smiled at the wonderment of her. She didn’t take him for granted, and he didn’t take her for granted, either. Seemed like a nice way for a man and his wife to be in love.

But how was he going to translate this? This has been the problem for several years now with the book. Dud shook his head slowly. Anyone who thinks writing a novel is easy should spend an hour inside my head first. It’s been several years since he began writing “Murder in the Soggy Bottoms,” the book that the rest of Dud’s people referred to as “The Duchess and the Truck Driver.”

“What’s the matter, Hon?”

“Oh … nothing. Just thinking about the book again.”

“Because it’s Spring?”

He nodded. They smiled at each other.

“Mrs. Campbell,” said Dud, “may I ask you a question?”

“I think you just did, Mr. Campbell.”

“Well … I mean, could you put in words how you feel about … well, us?”

Anita put down her toast and sipped some coffee and smiled as she looked across the table at Dud.

“I think … we are special,” she said. “I used to be Anita. But now … well, I’m now half of Anita and Dud, and that half is twice what Anita used to be by herself. Dud, you have given me a foundation and a safety net. I know I can say anything to you, and I’m safe in saying it.”

Dud walked over quickly, kissed her, and almost ran into his study. Anita heard the keys clicking away on the computer.

Well, she said to herself, maybe, just maybe, I helped write a book.

[Text from file received from Slim Randles]

Ol' Jimmy Dollar is Slim Randles' first children's book.  The book is for kids K-3rd grades and is even better when parents read it with children.  Ol' Jimmy Dollar makes for sweet dreams and if you have a dog even better.  Available now on Amazon.