The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 56
It had rained all day Thursday. I was thankful it had slowed down to a mist as I got out of my truck and walked toward the back door of the Snead College Administration Building. I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. It was Regina.
“Hello sweet love.”
“Walt, where are you?”
“I’m just about to go in to my class.”
“Really quick, but I have to tell you this. It’s bad news.
Professor Anton Romanov has been arrested for the murder of Kip Brewer.”
“What? You have to be kidding.” I said standing beside the door under the stoop.
“I’m serious. Delton just called. You know he hears about arrests faster than anyone. He’s tied in pretty tight with the Sheriff’s Office.” Regina said. I could tell she was surprised from the tone of her voice.
“How is this possible? He wasn’t even here. He came to Boaz the week after we got back from Tifton. Right?”
“Apparently the cops believe he is the man in the photograph I found. Also, Frankie has identified him as the same man, the man who was at Club Eden and did the target shooting.” Regina said. I could hear Mitzi saying something in the background.
“From my viewpoint it just doesn’t fit. I cannot see the Professor being a sharpshooter. Of course, I am often wrong.”
“I’ll let you go. Is it okay if I drop by later tonight?” Regina said as though she was one of my students and needed to drop by for an instructional meeting.
“Sounds good. See you after class.” I said stepping aside as Felicia and Michael pulled open the door and stepped inside the building.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 55
An out-of-the-blue phone call from Zel had revealed Andrew Kane arrived on the Foundation’s radar back in April 2011 when many polls indicated that he would be the preferred Republican presidential candidate. They concluded he was a legitimate contender the more he called for President Obama to release his long-form birth certificate. At that time, the Foundation began to see how potentially dangerous he was. What was truly enlightening was he appeared to be a mere reflection of a large swath of the American male population. Ultimately, Kane chose not to run and went on to endorse Mitt Romney. However, Kane’s decision did not deter the Foundation from developing and executing a plan to investigate Kane. It did so because it deeply feared this wasn’t the last time Kane would appear on the national political scene.
The Foundation’s plan included hiring an international private investigative firm to learn more about Kane, mainly who he is connected to. This led to Anton Romanov. It took some digging. The lead was indirect. It was to a Russian popstar by the name of Emin Agalarov. In 2013, he and his father, Aras Agalarov, were discovered by the investigative firm at the Miss Universe Pageant Competition in Moscow, Russia. The Agalarovs had purchased the rights to the Pageant from Kane, who was also present. Later that night, the three men, Emin and Aras Agalarov and future president Kane were seen by our investigators at a swanky restaurant owned by Aras. During that meal, another man and woman approached them and ultimately sat down. It was later determined the couple was Anton and Maria Romanov. Anton has since divorced his wife.
The investigators later learned that Anton was a professor of Political Science at Harvard University and had been since 2001. In February 2015, he moved to Toronto, Ontario Canada as part of a professor exchange program with the University of Toronto. It was also learned that Anton’s brother, Anatoly was Chief Director of Technologies for the Russian government and had been since 2000. Fortunately, the investigators wire-tapped both Anton’s and Anatoly’s cell phones. What they heard triggered interest in Anatoly and led to further investigate his work with the Kremlin. In the Fall of 2015 the Foundation’s investigative team turned one of Anatoly’s co-workers into an agent. This is how the Foundation learned of Putin’s operation to infiltrate the U.S. presidential election process.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 54
Last night Regina had invited me for lunch today, a working lunch she called it. We would eat Grilled Chicken Salads from Wendy’s at the round table in her office. It was Wednesday and her least busy day. I hadn’t been to her office in several weeks and was anxious to be with her no matter where we met.
Mitzi, the new receptionist, led me back to Regina’s office like I didn’t know where to go. Of course, she didn’t know that I knew. Mitzi said she heard I was a good teacher and was interested in learning stenography. I told her that I would be happy to sit down sometime and discuss educational requirements and job opportunities. She was right out of high school and looking for direction. I encouraged her to pursue education with a vengeance.
Regina was already seated and squeezing Ranch dressing on her salad when I walked in. “Hurry, I’m hungry. Sorry, I didn’t wait.”
“No problem. I’m not used to you waiting on me anyway. Like Sunday afternoon when you woke up from our nap and went downstairs to eat the rest of my Black Walnut ice-cream.”
“That was different. That was your fault. You had said you wanted to take a nap. You deceived me. I wish I could resist you master.” Regina said licking Ranch dressing off the end of the packet.
“Funny as usual. What’s up? You don’t usually invite me here unless you have something non-personal on your mind.”
“Nothing and everything. I just wanted to see you and pick your brain.” Regina said.
“Why did you get me Thousand Island dressing. You know I’m trying to watch my calories.” I said.
“Shut up and eat. You know you’re thankful I did. You love it and you hate dieting. Listen, you may need the energy to get out of town with me. We may have to leave in a hurry.” Regina said.
“I know, we are not the two most popular people in town.”
“Nothing new really, but the Reporter is taking a lot of heat about your last editorial. It seems people love their religion.”
“You mean they love their Christianity. Truly, they love their delusions, more than one, Christianity and Kane.” I said eating my first tommy-toe tomato.
“I often regret creating the comment system on our website. It’s just too easy for every crackpot to disclose his ignorance.”
“I still believe it is a good thing. It is a way for everybody to be a real stenographer. I know it’s a little twist but think about it. The commenter ‘hears’ someone—himself—make a statement. It’s in his head but it is real. He then records it just like he hears it. He records it online, right on your website. I love it. Well, I love the stenographic aspect of it. But, I do agree with you that it creates a forum to conjure up hatred for you and me.” I said.
“I’m seeing a lot of comments that are saying we should move back to where we came from, that we don’t represent the Boaz community. It bothers me. It makes me sad. You and I both grew up here.”
“They are right you know. We don’t represent them. We are different. We are both able to see how they are brainwashed. We are fortunate to have broken free.” I said.
“I agree, but the community certainly doesn’t see it that way. They believe we are the ones who are deluded, especially after you wrote what you did about the teacher’s prayer system.” Regina said.
“I haven’t looked. Has there been a lot of backlash about that?” I said trying to open a pack of crackers.
“Oh man. You would think you are Hitler himself, the worst atheist ever.”
“Hitler probably was an atheist even though he was born Catholic and was confirmed in the Catholic church. He used Christianity politically but probably rejected it. This doesn’t mean his lack of a belief in God caused him to exterminate six million Jews.” I said.
“This illustrates part of the problem with the locals. They don’t care too much about logic. This is the scary part. They are so used to taking things on faith they never learned basic logic. I think they are prone to simply insert ‘God did it,’ into their elementary analysis and leave it at that. It’s kind of like the prayer thing you wrote about. God gets praised for all the wonderful things he does, the things that believers think he did. Things like, the woman whose eyesight is poor at night thanking God for His grace in giving her a big semi-truck to follow home from Birmingham. Someway, this woman concluded it was God who had supernaturally placed that truck and that driver at that location just for her. Again, the scary part is these people believe this, they cannot see the insanity of their logic.”
“There is another equally important side to their argument. When things don’t go good or they become aware of horrible things, evil things such as the suffering and death of millions of children every year throughout the world. Fundamentalist believers simply chalk these consistently recurring events up to ‘God is mysterious. How could we ever know His mind?’ They have no problem believing this is simply a part of God’s plan for the world.” I said.
“How on earth are we ever going to make any head way in Boaz, Alabama? That’s what I want to do.” Regina said.
“I agree. I know the old codgers will likely never change, never learn logic and rationality, but who I’m truly and deeply concerned about is the young people. Like, your Misty. She thinks she wants to learn stenography. She told me as she brought me back to your office this morning. It would be interesting to know about her religion. My point is, young people of all ages, especially teenagers, need a counterpoint to their Sunday School teacher and pastor.”
“And to 99% of all the other people they meet as they go about their daily lives.” Regina said.
“I guess my weekly response to The Boaz Stenographic column is about all I can handle right now. Do you want your pickle?”
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 53
I spent two days researching Professor Anton Romanov. Charlette, my former girlfriend of a sort, had promised me when she left me for Tad Goldstein that if I ever needed any “gossip or world secrets” as she had put it, that all I had to do was ask. That’s what I did. I called her Monday night after returning from Snead College. She seemed happy to hear from me, telling me she wished I was still in town and that Tad was getting too predictably clingy. She assured me she could keep a secret, so I asked her to help me find out everything she could about the Professor. I had not been disappointed. Charlette’s response came Thursday morning. Seems she had asked a pal over at the State Department who was also tied in with his own pal at the CIA. Anton Mikhailovich Romanov was born November 28, 1952 in Leningrad. He studied law at the Saint Petersburg State University. In late 1970, he became friends with a classmate named Vladimir Putin. The two were part of the graduating class of 1975. Putin spent the next 16 years as a KGB foreign intelligence officer, while Romanov spent seven of these years at the London School of Economics and Political Science earning a master’s and a PhD in Political Science. In 1983, Romanov became a professor of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow. It is unknown the type relationship Putin and Romanov had during these 16 years, but it is thought they maintained a secret friendship.
In 1991 Romanov became an adviser to Putin who by now had retired from the KGB and returned to Saint Petersburg to enter politics. Romanov continued to live and teach in Moscow. Putin moved to Moscow in 1996 and joined President Boris Yeltsin’s administration. He rose quickly through the ranks and became Acting President on December 31, 1999, when Yeltsin resigned. Putin won the 2000 presidential election, and hired Anton’s brother, Anatoly Mikhailovich Romanov, as Chief Director of Technologies. It appeared Putin’s and Anton’s relationship ended in 2001 when the later moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts to become a full professor of Political Science at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In February 2015, Professor Romanov moved to Toronto, Ontario Canada as part of a professor exchange program with the University of Toronto. Officially, he continued as a full professor of Political Science at the Kennedy School of Government.
Charlette said the above is the official report from the CIA, but unofficially, her friend at the State Department, told her that part of Special Prosecutor Mueller’s investigation was the role Professor Romanov played in the Russian infiltration of the 2016 Presidential election process. She said it could be that the Professor came to America as part of a long-term strategy by Putin to control the White House. With Vann’s help, along with the assistance of local attorney Micaden Tanner, I could loosely connect the Professor with a Gustaf Nielsen. Tanner became aware of Nielsen as part of the criminal investigation of Wade Tillman and James Adams, both members of Club Eden. Wade is Warren’s father. Tanner said that Nielson was part of an international sex trafficking ring that purchased local Hispanic girls from Club Eden. I lucked up when I found in my Presidential files a photo of Vladimir Putin relaxing beside an outdoor pool in Brussels, Belgium during June 2014 at the 40th G8 summit. I had attended this meeting with President Obama and recalled how the summit originally had been scheduled for the Black Sea resort of Sochi, but seven nations decided on March 24th to hold it in Belgium because of the Russian intervention in Crimea.
Thanks to photos furnished me by Tanner, I could identify Gustaf Nielsen standing behind a shirtless Putin. Besides Nielsen, was Anton Romanov and another man who favored Anton and who I believed to be his brother Anatoly. So far, I had been unable to learn any details as to why these four men were together at this very important summit. Based on rumors, some of which my mind seemed to create, I began constructing the beginnings of a hypothesis. I believed Russia infiltrated and altered the results of the 2016 Presidential election and Gustav Nielsen was the connecting link between Putin, Romanov brothers, and Club Eden.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 52
Over the past several weeks I had become almost despondent over why I was writing my book. What led to this feeling or belief was all the insanity I saw on Facebook. Who was I kidding to think that my book, The Coming Civil War, would cause a single Kane supporter to change his mind and vote against the man in 2020? Certainly, it would have no effect upon the residents of Boaz, Alabama.
Facebook was a marvelous tool for the researcher. How else could I learn the inner most feelings, the real beliefs, opinions, philosophies, and thinking ability of my subjects—those who would decide whether President Kane went back to be a regular U.S. citizen after November 2020. Facebook was like a huge neon sign attached to the front of the speaker’s face. Better yet, it was like a huge open book nailed to the speaker’s face, revealing his inner-most thoughts.
I had spent much of last night exploring my thoughts and my recent Facebook reading trying to get an angle on my next Boaz Stenographer editorial. My deadline was today at 5:00 p.m. The subject that had caught my attention was a Facebook Post by a local teacher (I’ll call her Jill). She was asking her Christian friends to pray for her students. Jill had developed a unique idea. Of course, she couldn’t divulge the name of her students. This would violate the school’s (and society’s) privacy policy and standards. It would also likely be a source of embarrassment for the student if details about his or her needs were ever discussed online. Jill avoided the privacy issue by assigning a number to each of her students. For example, Suzie would be number 25, and no one, except Jill, would know who number 25 was.
My problem was this interesting Facebook post wasn’t the community submission Regina’s committee had selected for the subject of last week’s Boaz Stenographer column. They had chosen this recording: “Never in our history has a past president acted with so little dignity.” The one who wrote this was a Facebook user and was referring to Barack Obama (that was made clear by the Obama photo that was included with the Post). The submitter of this recordation wasn’t the Facebook poster. I was familiar with this person and knew he often posted things that were misinterpreted or most often, untrue. This guy is a diehard Kane fan, an uneducated racist (not to say that all Kane fans are uneducated).
I knew, without doing any research, that President Obama was truly a man of dignity. I had served in his White House for eight years. This Facebook poster, I’ll call him Bill, doesn’t care what the word dignity means (according to Merriam-Webster, dignity is “the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed”). No, Bill wants two things: to be noticed and to be honored and highly esteemed, to be held as being worthy. So funny. I could lay out a zillion examples of why Barack Obama has more dignity than all Kane supporters combined. No doubt, Bill does not want to see Obama in the news, or to hear about anything he is doing. Of course, to any rational American, his wisdom is needed to guide us through this dark and dense wilderness Kane has led us into.
Back to my problem, how could I write my response to last week’s Boaz Stenographer column. I finally figured out a way, maybe one that was just a little mischievous. What lay at the heart of both Jill’s prayer idea, and the selected recording (Bill’s Facebook posting) was the lack of interest in the truth. No doubt, both Jill and Bill believed in their positions: Jill believed in prayer, and Bill believed Obama was something akin to a scoundrel. Over the past few weeks, reading a ton of Facebook posts by Kane supporters (it’s easy, just find one popular post by a local Kane fan and dig into who comments, including exploring their own personal posts) I concluded that there was a direct correlation between Christianity (Fundamentalist Christianity that is), and Kane’s version of Republicanism. In other words, the most accurate profile of the diehard Kane supporter is that he hates President Obama, he loves God, believes in the power of prayer, believes God has put President Kane in power, and believes he (the supporter) is part of a much-needed revolution that is going to ‘Make American Great Again.’ From this profile, I can easily conclude that the Kane supporter is deluded; he isn’t interested in the truth.
This gave me the ability and justification of speaking about Jill and her insane idea. I would love to meet Jill and attempt to reason with her. Of course, that would be impossible because, no doubt, Jill doesn’t have the ability to listen to reason. She has long ago lost that very critical trait. Jill probably grew up in a Southern Baptist Church. She has been bombarded all her life with the Christian message. God created the world from nothing, in six days. He created Adam and Eve. They disobeyed God’s command and were cast out of the Garden of Eden; the perfect paradise God had created for them. All men have inherited Adam and Eve’s original sin and need a savior. Jesus, who existed with God from the beginning (whatever that means) took on the form of a man and came to earth as a baby (born of a virgin) to give himself for mankind’s sins. Jesus died on a cross in full payment of the sins of all who believe on Him. He died but was resurrected on the third day and now sits on His throne in Heaven by God’s side. And finally, Jill believes Jesus (and God) hears her prayers, answers them, has a plan for her life (and all Christians), and that nothing happens to a believer without God’s permission or His direct action.
There is no doubt in my mind that Jill has never once truly questioned her faith and her belief that prayer is real. She has never honestly investigated the validity of praying. Jill, if she did look and investigate, would have to conclude (if she was being honest) that she had never experienced answered prayer. This would be difficult for Jill. She would fight this conclusion. She would recall many examples of how God had answered her prayers, not just someone else’s prayers, but her very own. She would say things like, “I know I would not have this job teaching at Boaz High School if God had not heard my prayer and intervened.” She would go on to trot out how this had come about. Things like, “I was living in Dothan teaching at Woodhaven High School and was so homesick. I wanted to move back to Boaz, my hometown. I was going to First Baptist Church of Dothan and told my pastor about my unhappiness. Right then and there he led me in a prayer that God would be gracious and merciful to me and lead me to a job in Boaz. It was the next day that my mom told me she had heard of an opening at Boaz High School, a need for a History teacher.” And on and on Jill would go, describing how she wound up as a History teacher at Boaz High. She would raise her hands in praise to God for His love and compassion. No doubt, Jill would have story after story. To most any third grader, especially ones who had not been indoctrinated in the Christian faith, how Jill got her Boaz job would likely have nothing to do with God. These third graders would say, “Jill, that is not proof God answered your prayer. More likely, it was nothing but a coincidence that you heard about the job after your Dothan pastor prayed for you.” What I would want to ask Jill if I could would be, “how do you explain the times God didn’t answer your prayers?” And, “how do you explain the child or adult who you prayed for healing who died?” No doubt, Jill would have a pat response, “God isn’t a slot machine. Sometimes he answers with a ‘maybe,’ and he is also mysterious, and His plans and ways are far above my own. Therefore, he called my Uncle Ted home and didn’t heal him as I wanted.”
Prayer and politics, especially the Kane Tribe type, is all about ignoring the facts, they are all about refusing to ask questions and pursue common-sense rationality.
After drafting an outline of my editorial, I almost shelved my book writing project. But something, maybe someone’s prayer, caused me to find assurance in the belief that it would be worth all the effort if I could persuade one person of the truth, if I could persuade one person to vote against the real scoundrel, President Andrew Kane.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 51
The next four months went by in a blur. I was constantly busy with research and writing my book, teaching my class at Snead State, steno-recording for Rains & Associates, writing the Sand Mountain Reporter’s weekly editorial response to The Boaz Stenographer column, and snooping around as a hybrid double-agent of sorts. To Pastor Tillman, Club Eden, and Professor Romanov, I was a reliable resource for Presidential history, and a surprisingly astute strategist. To the Constitution Foundation, I was the closest thing imaginable to a heart monitor; I captured and relayed every move the higher ups at Kane Tribe were making.
I had never worked on a political campaign. My work with Pastor Tillman and crew wasn’t exactly that anyway, but it was the behind-the-scenes engine for a multitude of campaigns across the country, including Justin Adams’ campaign for Alabama governor, and several dozen men and women running for a representative or senate position at the State level. Pastor and crew were not focusing on national elections, even though every U.S. Congressmen and 33 U.S. Senators were up for reelection.
I finally learned, after nearly a month faking my interest and support to Professor Romanov, that his and the Pastor’s goal was to create a team of State legislators who were willing to vote for a Constitutional Convention. They believed this was the best route for
President Kane to obtain the power he needed to ‘Make American Great Again.’ I also learned the team I was working with was already convinced President Kane would win reelection in 2020. Therefore, they were not directly expending resources on that aspect of the Kane revolution. I thought it odd, but the Professor repeatedly said,
“President Kane will win reelection. It is now assured based on his spectacular performance during the devastating double crisis caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria.” I thought Kane did a respectable job during these times—except of course for Maria—but I never could figure out the persuasive impact upon undecided voters. I guess this is why I’m not a political adviser.
From late July until November 5th, ‘Bama Team,’ as it became known, at least to the inner circle, coordinated with similarly-structured teams throughout the United States. The focus was on states that were democratically controlled. That was only 13 states. The teams all believed Republicans would maintain control in the other states. I must say that Professor Romanov was an absolute genius in developing and coordinating this entire process. He used a combination of newspaper articles and advertising, social media promotions, and town hall meetings to exploit Kane’s message of ‘draining the swamp.’ The thing I could never figure out was where all the money was coming from. I suspected at the time, and still do, that the Professor was using his Russian ties to achieve Bama Team’s goals.
November 6, 2018 didn’t come too soon. The entire team, including myself, had spent the prior week traveling across the United States. I’m not sure why Pastor Tillman wanted me to go, especially since I didn’t have an active role, in public appearances, or back-room dealings with any candidate or his or her team, but I suppose it was my knowledge of Presidential politics from the past 35 years that fed an occasional word of wisdom to the Professor that justified my cost and presence.
Justin Adams was elected governor of Alabama by an impressive margin. My hat was off to my sister DeeDee. The Birmingham News even wrote a feature article on her the day before the election. Republicans retained their control of both U.S. Houses of Congress with a hefty increase in what the Professor called, Kane Republicans. The big victory, at least according to Pastor Tillman, was at the State level. Kane Republicans won control in 8 of the 13 formerly democratically controlled states. Now, it seemed there was no solid obstacle that would prevent two-thirds of the States from voting to convene a Constitutional convention, nor stand in the way of three-fourths of them from amending the U.S. Constitution. Never in U.S. history, had the States so much power. Never in U.S. history, was it on the brink of destruction— at least that’s the way I saw it.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 50
Sandra Donaldson, this is your last day to spew hatred. Freddie had read her Posts and watched her house for over a week. She lived in a subdivision off Martin Road. As he had been doing every day, he parked his truck a mile away and walked through two pastures and some woods that came to the back side of Sandra’s acre-sized lot. She was a widow, a retired school teacher, and now, as predictable as a clock during the early morning hours. At 7:00 a.m., at least in the summer, she brought a cup of coffee out onto her patio. She sat in a swing that had a coffee table of sorts directly in front. She would sit there reading for at least thirty minutes, sometimes as much as an hour, and then walk back inside her house. She didn’t have any type security system. Freddie had learned that last Sunday morning while she was at church.
He tapped on Sandra’s storm door less than a minute after she went inside. Almost immediately she was looking at him. Her eyes opened wider, as though surprised to see Freddie, but not shocked and scared. It wasn’t as though she didn’t know him. She had been a steady customer of Sand Mountain Tire & Muffler for years. Sandra opened the inside door leaving only the storm door between the two of them. Freddie said, “Sandra, I hate to bother you but I’m looking for Frankie’s German Shepherd.” Sandra knew that Freddie and Frankie’s elderly mother still lived less than a mile away, just through the woods to the west. “Have you by chance seen her?” Sandra didn’t immediately reply but she did push open the storm door. She then said, “Hi Freddie, how are you? Sorry, but I haven’t. I assume you are talking about the big dog Frankie keeps at work with him.” Freddie responded in the affirmative.
“I’ll give you a call if I see her.” Sandra said. “I hope you find her.”
Before Sandra could close the storm door, Freddie rushed inside pushing her back. She fell against a table forcing it back several feet. He slammed the inside back door shut. She was laying on the floor trying to get up. She was screaming. Freddie kicked her down, rested his foot on her chest, and told her to shut up. He pulled out two vinyl gloves and put them on his hands.
“Sandra. Do you know why I am going to kill you?”
She didn’t respond but looked like a sheep waiting for slaughter, like she knew a knife was about to split open her heart.
“You are a devil. You spew hatred. That must stop. You are causing others to hate. It’s your last moment to live, your last moment to be a racist.”
“What on earth do you mean?” She said, continuing to struggle to get up, pushing on Freddie’s foot and leg.
He didn’t respond but kicked her hard along the side of her head. She fell back wincing in pain, grabbing her head. Freddie pulled out a garotte, a two-foot piece of 4MM hemp rope he had ordered online. Sandra tried to use her hands to keep him from putting the rope around her neck. He finally rolled her over and sat down on her back. He slipped the rope around her neck, crisscrossing the ends, and tightened with all his strength. Freddie kept at it for over a minute. He then released the rope. Sandra Donaldson lay silent and still.
Freddie got up, pushed the rope into his back pocket and walked out the back door pulling the inner door shut. He headed to the woods at the back of Sandra’s lot and pulled off his gloves putting them in his front left pocket. At 8:05 a.m., he drove through Hardee’s drive-through for a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, and a large coffee. He pulled into a parking spot at Hardee’s and ate his breakfast. At 8:20, he was sitting at the ATM at First State Bank of Boaz retrieving $60.00 in cash. At 8:45, Freddie was at home reading today’s ‘The Boaz Stenographer’ column in the Sand Mountain Reporter.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 49
Two could play this game. The game Freddie Olinger was speaking of was hatred. The answer to his question, “what motivates the typical Kane supporter?” had been flying around in his head for weeks. He just couldn’t seem to catch it. This morning, it landed, right on his Facebook Newsfeed.
A local man, one he, Vann Elkins, Walt Shepherd, and dozens of other residents went to school with posted to Facebook a photo of President Barack Obama. The Post also included the definition of ‘buffoon.’ It was straight from Merriam Webster:
1: a ludicrous figure: clown
2: a gross and usually ill-educated or stupid person acting like a ridiculous buffoon.
The moment Freddie saw this Post, he knew Kane supporters were racist. He was mad that he hadn’t seen it earlier. He should have. There had been plenty of evidence to have already reached this conclusion. There had been the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia. Early on, almost the first day or week of Kane’s announcement that he was running for President, he had ridiculed Mexicans. He was also mad that he had given too much credit to his theory that Kane supporters, were merely stupid, that they were idiots. He now could put that erroneous idea to rest. The truth is, when you combine white racists with their belief they are being marginalized, that they are the new minority, America is in deep trouble. One thing Freddie had been right about for a while: America is headed for a Civil War that will dwarf the one that began in April 1861.
The ‘Obama is a buffoon’ Facebook Post was two weeks ago.
Freddie had spent every available moment since then reasoning his way
to today. It had not been an easy journey from one who was satisfied being alone and reading every hour when he wasn’t at Sand Mountain Tire & Muffler with Frankie, his Kane-crazy brother, to his current willingness to take matters into my own hands. What had convinced him was rather simple after giving it a little thought. Kane supporters are killers. No, not exactly in the traditional sense. Freddie suspected most of them didn’t pick up guns and shoot their enemies. They didn’t take knives and ram them into the hearts of a black or brown-skinned man or woman. But, what they did do is spew hatred every chance they got. And, always, they harbor this putrid vile in their minds and hearts every second of the day.
What makes this more deplorable, if that is even possible, is these same folks are all, and Freddie meant 100% all, Christians, church-goers. Somewhere along life’s way they have convinced themselves that God condones their hatred and justified them in speaking hate at every turn. The supporters know, 100% know, they are doing God’s work when they are attempting to spread the ‘hate gospel’ and claw themselves back into power. Freddie believed these white Christians, a strong majority of Southerners, think God himself appointed Andrew Kane as President. It is therefore their mission to crown him as Lord and Savior of America, thereby restoring her to her former glory.
These people must be stopped. Up until now, Freddie’s main plan to stop these folks from re-electing Kane was to study history and create posts to one of his fake Facebook accounts that hopefully shed a new light to what 99% of the folks around him were posting. For days, weeks, months, he had continued with his plan. But, he also grew to believe he had to do more. Freddie convinced himself that he had a purpose, albeit small, but one important and one only he could do. Freddie could stop one, maybe more, from continuing to spew their hatred. He had convinced himself that if these folks, these ‘Obama is a buffoon’ folks, are willing to daily cross the line from respect, decency, and honesty, then he too could cross that line. Some would say his line was in a totally different zone. So be it. It is time their hatred met real opposition. It is time these racists felt some blow-back.
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 48
I had just returned from taking Sandi for a walk when Zel called. Vann, his wife, and their two nephews, left before my walk. Regina was upstairs still contemplating ideas for the best furniture arrangement.
“Hello Zel.”
“I’m honored to be one of your formal contacts.”
“What, oh, I see. I like knowing who’s calling. What’s up?” I said pouring Sandi a cup full of dog food into her bowl in the kitchen.
“I just wanted to say thanks again for taking that assignment in
Tifton. Did you and Regina enjoy a little down time?”
“Yes, we did. Even considering the trip being one of my most expensive ones.”
“Why is that?” Zel asked.
“Regina talked me into buying an expensive bedroom suite. We wound up renting a U-Haul trailer to bring it back in.”
“Women do sometimes have rich tastes.”
“This was an aberration for Regina. She’s normally low needs.”
“Listen, I just wanted to give you an update and encourage you to keep your eyes open. The Foundation has recently learned the FBI found a Red Star at the sight the killer likely used to shoot and kill Representative Kyle Turner and his brother-in-law. Sorry, I assume you have heard of what happened while you were in Tifton?”
“I have. Regina and I learned about it on our way back yesterday morning. She saw it in the Atlanta Constitution.” I said.
“It’s definitely looking like Russia is involved. Probably a Russian assassin.”
“Funny you say that. Let me update you. First, I’m now an associate of sorts with Pastor Warren Tillman. You know I’ve told you how connected he is to President Kane. Tillman is the perfect representative of Kane Tribe.”
“The Foundation is aware of Tillman and Club Eden. It is a powerful organization. I’m sure you know its criminal background.”
“Somewhat. My knowledge lies at the feet of the Flaming Five, my high school classmates, their fathers, and other forebears.”
“You’re partially correct. The Foundation continues to gather information on exactly what the current five families are up to. We suspect they are not lily white.”
“Something else I want to report. Late this afternoon Vann and I met with Pastor Tillman. The fourth person present was a man named Romanoff, Anton Romanoff. He hails from Russia.” I said.
“Wait, it can’t be. Do you know if this man is a teacher, a professor?” Zel asked.
“Yes, Pastor kept referring to him as the Professor. He teaches at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. I think he has a PhD in Political Science.”
“The Foundation knows the man well. Not personally of course.
Romanoff, the Professor, has ties to Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President.
Get this. They both were born in Leningrad, then part of the Soviet Union, and they both studied law at Saint Petersburg State University, graduating in 1975.”
“That seems a little odd. I think the Professor is younger than that, more mid-forties or so.” I said.
“Try to send me a photo, get a snapshot if you can. I have seen him on the news and he does look young for his age. I would bet it is the same person.”
“I’ll do what I can. It appears I will be having some interaction with him. He is now part of Club Eden’s team. Since you, the Foundation, knows so much, I suppose you know that Pastor Tillman and Justin Adams, and the rest of Club Eden most likely, have one goal, and that is to see that President Kane is re-elected in 2020.” I said.
“Unfortunately, you are correct. That’s why we asked you to do some snooping around. Again, you are in the best position to feed us information that we can use to hopefully make sure Kane is destroyed.” “Do you think the Professor is still connected someway to Putin?”
“No doubt about that. Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s not publicly known but, in secret, he and his college mate are still fast friends. There are some strong rumors that the Professor was instrumental in hijacking the 2016 election. It seems he has a brother or a cousin or some other family member that is a computer genius. The Foundation suspects he, the Professor, played a significant role in designing the plan that altered the Presidential election outcome. In other words, without the Professor, President Kane would not have been elected. One thing for sure that was and is publicly known is President Putin did not want Hillary Clinton to be elected President of the United States.” Zel said. “This is getting a little too close to home.”
“Exactly. Exactly what we want. Therefore, the Foundation needs you more than ever to infiltrate Club Eden and learn what they’re planning and doing. Walt, America’s future may depend on how well you do your job.” Zel said.
“Thanks for reminding me of one job I wished I didn’t have.”
“Here’s food for thought. Just remind yourself that you are earning big money, enough money to satisfy that beautiful and sweet girlfriend of yours.”
“Thanks. That makes it all better.” I said.
“By the way, I just today wired your $50,000 signing bonus to an account the Foundation set up for you in Grand Cayman. Next time I see you I will give you the account details.” Zel said.
“Signing bonus. We haven’t talked about that. All I knew about was the $1,000 per week, plus expenses.”
“No worries. It’s just a little token of our appreciation.”
“Sounds like you are expecting quite a bit from me?”
“You are correct. But again, if you do your job at the level we believe you are capable, there will be a nice bonus at the end.” Zel said.
“I assume you are referring to 2020, November, after the election.”
“Exactly.”
“I’m glad you are so sure of things, exactly.” I said.
“Walt, I have to run. Please keep Ginger and me up-to-date on what’s going on.”
The primary aim of the "Novel Excerpts" blog category is to showcase my creative writing, specifically from the novels I've written. Hopefully, these posts will provide a glimpse into my storytelling style, themes, and narrative skills. It's an opportunity to share my artistic expressions and the worlds I've created through my novels.
The Boaz Stenographer, written in 2018, is my fourth novel. I'll post a chapter a day over the next few weeks.
Book Blurb
Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House’s stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie.
Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched right before graduation to marry the daughter of a prominent local businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper.
Walt and Regina’s relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes campaign.
Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College in Boaz, and one as an itinerant stenographer with Rains & Associates out of Birmingham.
Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to prevent President Kane from being reelected in 2020, and is scheming to initiate a civil war that will hopefully restore allegiance to the U.S. Constitution.
While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Constitution Foundation.
Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U.S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina, prevent President Kane from being reelected as the defacto head of a Christian theocracy, and the eruption of a civil war that could destroy the Nation ?
Chapter 47
My deposition in Albertville took less than two hours from the time I left home until I was back in my car pulling out of attorney Gullahorn’s parking lot. During my drive home, Vann called and asked if I could meet him and Pastor Warren at the church at 5:30. He promised the meeting wouldn’t take long and we could still have our planned gettogether. At first, I wasn’t interested, but when he told me a Russian professor would be there, I agreed to attend. I drove straight to First Baptist Church of Christ and arrived straight up at 5:30 p.m.
Vann was waiting next to my usual parking spot just west of the old cemetery. “Walt, listen to me. Go along with what Pastor Warren is going to ask you. Trust me. It is in our best interests for writing our book.”
I started to ask a series of question but saw the look in Vann’s eyes. He had a look of confidence that real teachers exuded. “Come on.
Follow my lead for once.”
We walked up three flights of stairs to Pastor Warren’s study on the third floor. Vann announced our presence and a voice summoned us to another room behind the Pastor’s desk. It wasn’t a large room but had an over-sized conference table. A man I had never seen stood at the far end of the room. Pastor Warren introduced him as Anton Romanoff from Moscow, Russia. He was a middle-aged man, about my height and weight, although it was distributed better, a stronger frame with broad shoulders and a much slimmer waist. I could tell because of his snug fitting blue-stripped dress shirt. His hair was snow-white, and his face was clean-shaven. Vann and I shook Anton’s hand and we both sat down across from the Russian as directed by Pastor Warren as he sat down at the end of the conference table.
“Mr. Romanoff, Professor, taught at the University of Leningrad for twenty years. Since 2002, he has taught at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He specializes in political science. Professor was and continues to be an adviser to President Kane.
Our own Justin Adams hired him a few weeks ago.”
“Again, it is nice to meet you Professor. But, Pastor, why am I here?” I needed a little context for this meeting no matter what Vann had commanded.
“I was getting to that.” Pastor said. “The President has asked me to take on an expanded role in his re-election campaign. Walt, Vann has told me you have agreed to assist him and me in our efforts.”
Vann jumped in before I could respond. “Walt, as you surely know, is not a big fan of President Kane, but he is an advocate for openness and honesty. Walt is the most principled man I know. And, he is driven, as I am, to write a book about what is going on in American politics.”
“May I speak?” Anton, the Professor, said.
“Of course. Please say what’s on your mind. We value your judgment.” Pastor Warren said.
“Walt, I’ve read and heard quite a bit about you. There is probably no one on earth who knows more about the true history of what went on inside the White House for the last thirty-five years. Even though I have spent nearly that long reading American history, and the last fifteen years engaged in an intense investigation into American politics, I pale beside your knowledge. Let me be clear, we need you on our team. It is not imperative that you have a fondness for our President, or, the Republican Party for that matter. What is vitally important, is that you invest yourself, the true self that caused you to stand by your principles when President Kane asked you to lie.”
“Can you do that?” Pastor Warren asked?
“He can, and he will.” Vann, once again, jumped in before I could respond.
“Thanks Vann for your confidence in your best friend, but we need to hear from Walt.” Warren said.
“Before I answer, I have a question. What exactly are you, we, if I join in, trying to accomplish? I’m not speaking of the goal of having Kane re-elected in 2020. I’m speaking of the multiple steps, processes, that will necessarily be involved?” I asked.
“Fair question.” Professor said. “Influence, manipulation, if you want a word that unfortunately carries negative overtones. Votes are what win elections. Okay, let’s set aside the electoral college for the time being. But, even there, it’s still about real people entering real voting booths and casting real votes. That’s what this campaign, our role here, is all about. A strategic form of manipulation. Using facts embedded in persuasive stories to cause sufficient numbers of American voters to pull the Kane lever.”
“I’m listening but my question still stands, as it concerns me. What role are you wanting me, me personally, to play?” I asked once again.
“Research and reporting for one. Second, being a confident and persuasive spokesperson when called upon. We will be attempting to not only persuade individual citizens to vote for Kane but will also be involved with a nationwide effort to persuade state legislators to join Kane Tribe, even to the point of voting for a constitutional convention if necessary.” Professor stated.
“Walt and Vann, the Kane Tribe, me included, believe the ‘politics as usual’ mantra is broken, that America cannot survive.” Pastor Warren added.
“Do you realize that I believe, that Vann and I believe, that America is headed for another civil war unless conservatives and liberals, and all in between, find some common ground. Politics has become a contact sport. Hatred is rampant and dividing the country unlike anything seen since the real Civil War?” I said.
“This is why we have to do what we are doing, even at the risk of making things worse for a while.” Professor added.
“Political correctness has about killed America. We have to kill political correctness.” Vann added. I looked at him and he gave me the ‘get on board’ look.
“Okay, I’ll do what I can. But, I will not lie or do anything that I believe is illegal. Can we agree on these terms?” I said.
“We can, and we do.” The Professor quickly said. He slid a business card over to me and asked me to write my email address on the back. I did and pushed it back to him.
“This is enough for today. I’ll be in touch no later than Monday. You guys are free to leave. Vann told me you have a little party planned.” Pastor said.
“No party, just a gathering of close friends.” Vann said as we stood, shook the Professor’s hand again, and walked out.
We rode the elevator down to the ground floor. As we exited the Administrative Building, I said, “I feel about as dirty as I did when I walked out of the Oval Office for the last time.”
“You’ll get over it my friend. Politics is naturally dirty.” “That’s what I’m afraid of.” I responded.
The Pencil Driven Life 