—-Release date of March 1st 2010—-

Lyin’ Like a Dog is a first-person narrative told by Richard, a 12-year-old, Arkansas farm boy who, with his best friend, John Clayton, whiles away his time exploring blackberry patches and beaver ponds, hanging out at Echols Grocery, and planning frog-giggin trips to the Flat Creek Swamp.

The story is set in rural south Arkansas during the mid 1940s against the backdrop of World War II, complete with authentic excerpts from Walter Winchell broadcasts. This young boy is certainly not perfect in his actions, and his folksy speech is infused with references to hollerin’, trespassin’, and raising cane.

Dang, the sound just echoed through the woods, and I nearly jumped outta my skin ’cause a bullet smacked into a tree right beside me and bark flewout and stung my arm. Shoot, Sniffer jerked away and took off like a scalded dog!
 
Richard and his friends John Clayton, Joe Rel, and Homer Ray ride a rollercoaster of events through the novel, and readers will find themselves enthralled by their adventures. Some of the characters and their antics are reminiscent of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn; others will remind the reader of figures in John Grisham’s A Painted House.

Lyin’ Like a Dog has a strong nostalgic pull, and, although it targets the middle-reader, adults will also enjoy the 1940s setting, since it revives memories from their childhood—a time before television, video games, and the Internet, when a boy’s entertainment was as vivid as his imagination. The novel also offers glimpses of a child’s day-to-day life during the mid-1940s, when the radio kept the families gathered around the kitchen table.

Wild adventures, comic plot twists, and poignant reflections in Lying’ Like a Dog are designed to keep the readers’ interest. And eccentric characters give the book its spark—characters such as Doc, the crippled newsstand owner; Peg, the one-legged pool hall owner; and Uncle Hugh, the black, grandfatherly figure who lives in a simple cabin and has a knack for storytellin’.

Incidents, characters, and settings the book are ordinary but satisfying and believable.

In his folksy voice, Richard weaves a tale of success, failure, love, and tragedy—interspersed with bursts of hilarity and tomfoolery. Also threaded throughout the novel is Richard’s headstrong pursuit of beautiful Rosalie, the prettiest girl in the sixth grade, and his interaction with Connie, an impish tomboy, who is always competing with Richard. (“But we’re just friends,” as Richard would say.)

This novel has, at its heart, the basic goodness of an imperfect young boy. His adventuresome, inquisitive nature drives the narrative, and although failure marks many of his pursuits, he is always back up on his feet and moving forward to another adventure. Middle- readers will instantly identify with the characters in the novel, and, as the story unfolds, they will find themselves pulling for this winsome protagonist.

I have enjoyed success with my first book, The Red Scarf (www.theredscarfbook.com), a historical fiction middle-reader based on my life at age 12. August House (www.augusthouse.com) projects that 10,000 copies of the book will be in circulation this year. I speak at educational and literary conferences, and have designed an ambitious marketing plan for Lyin’ Like a Dog, which will be handled by the publicist who worked with me promoting The Red Scarf. Marketing for The Red Scarf included ads in The New York Times Book Review and a Times Square billboard.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ran a two-page spread about my work on Aug. 31, 2008, and my work has been published in The South Arkansas Historical Journal and Between the Lines. For the past several years I have been writing the statewide environmental newspaper column, “Natural Solutions.” I also write a monthly column “Our Town,” for the South Arkansas Leader and host a weekly radio program of the same name.