Month: June 2014

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Beaver Lake, Arkansas

Finished another story for inclusion in a second book of short stories set in my home state of Arkansas.

This latest adventure takes place in a fictional recreation area on Beaver Lake.

The real lake is a man-made reservoir in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas and formed by a dam across the White River constructed by the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers between 1960 to 1966.

The main plot of my latest story deals with a landowner unwilling to leave peacefully when his land is seized under right of eminent domain to build Beaver Lake Dam.

Here are some pictures of just a portion of the beautiful lake and its surrounding area.

If you would like more information you may contact Beaver Lake Project Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2260 N. 2nd Street, Rogers, AR 72756

 http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/parks/beaver/or

Beaver Lake Project Office: 479-636-1210.

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Eureka Springs Historical Museum

I am pleased to announce the gift shop in the  Eureka Springs Historical Museum in beautiful downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas carries my book “Storytellin’: True And Fictional Short Stories Of Arkansas”.

Many thanks to Steven Sinclair, Director.

“The Eureka Springs Historical Museum is located in the heart of the Historic District at 95 S. Main in the 1889 Calif Building. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and exhibit the documents, photographs, and artifacts pertaining to the history of Eureka Springs (Carroll County) and the surrounding area.”

For more information visit their website at http://www.eurekaspringshistoricalmuseum.org/museum.html

 

 

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 Signing my books for sale in the Eureka Springs Historical Museum. Photos by Steven Sinclair, Museum Director.

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Old Barns & Story Ideas

I have no idea what’s going on in my mind when I see old barns (and pre-1900s abandoned houses) but they activate my creative imagination.

My grandfather had an old red barn built during the American Depression of the 1920s and it served as an inspiration for two stories, Artie’s Old Barn and JackOBones, both included in my multi-genre book Storytellin’: True And Fictional Short Stories Of Arkansas .

 

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June 6th, 1944 D-Day

Artie "Jack" Cotner, England, one week prior to D-Day Invasion of Normandy

Artie “Jack” Cotner, England, one week prior to D-Day Invasion of Normandy

It seems appropriate to use this date as the first post to my new blog.

On this date in 1944, my father, Artie C. “Jack” Cotner was a radio-gunner on the famous “Dee-Feater”, a B-26 Marauder and part of the Allied Invasion Force at Normandy.

I have written of his experience on that day in a chapter of my book Storytellin’: True And Fictional Short Stories Of Arkansas explaining how, according to his Group’s Historical Record, my father was the only known enlisted man in the U.S. Army Air Corps to make two bombing runs over France that day.

Here’s a picture of his plane with D-Day Invasion Stripes on the wings.

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