Red River Press

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go,”
― Dr. Seuss 

One of the greatest gifts a parent can give a child is a love for reading.    At age three, I was a regular attendee of the Nursery Reading group held each Tuesday afternoon in the basement of the Wichita Falls Public Library.  On those days – rain or shine, hot or cold – my mother and I rode the bus to and from that red brick building surrounded by oak trees near downtown. At age five, I received my first card entitling me to borrow three books at a time. When they were returned the following week, each had been read and reread several times.

Maybe because television was yet to become the dominant source of entertainment in the late 1940s and 50s, my parents were habitual consumers of the printed word with tastes that ranged from semi-trashy romance novels to esoteric ramblings about metaphysics and theology.  They extended the same freedom to my brother and me, never censoring the subject matter of our interests in the belief we would quickly learn to separate the good from the bad, the brilliant from the banal. They were right.

My Writing Efforts

When I was forced to retire in 2012 due to Parkinson’s Disease, I began writing a history of my father’s life enabled by a collection of letters and emails sent in years past.  After being asked by an acquaintance to write an investment article, I realized that ghostwriting was an opportunity to monetize my experience and develop an author’s skills by trial and error.

Over the next decade, I sold more than two hundred and fifty 1000-word articles about personal investing, entrepreneurship, and business finance and management.  I also completed and self-published a short book about my teenage years, The Storm.

Sniper's Target

A World War II draftee, Jimmy Lewis landed in France as an infantry rifleman shortly after D-Day,  joining the 104th Division of the U.S. Army—nicknamed the “Timberwolves”.  In 200 days of fighting on the front lines of Europe, Private Lewis details his fears of snipers, machine guns, and mine fields. His descriptions of artillery bombardments, liberating the Nordhausen work camp, and meeting the Russians reflect the thoughts of a man struggling with his own values in a world where life and death are the only constants.

Read an excerpt from the book.

This book, written by a 5th Generation Texan, explores the history and persona of the State. The author explains the regional differences and paradoxes within the State, the quirks of natural forces, and the influence of the cowboy, oilman, and fierce pioneer women that continue to echo through its rural and urban communities. Lewis delves into the history of its politics, music, and food as only a Texan can. In Texas talk, he gives readers the bacon with the sizzle.

The 1930s Depression hit those living in the Panhandle of Texas especially hard, ending a way of life for many. This is the story of one family – through the eyes of a young boy born in the mid-1920s – and their efforts to persevere during one of the most difficult eras of American history.
This book describes life in America during simpler times, before the advent of television, computers, and the Internet. It was an era where neighbors helped neighbors, children played outdoors in safety, and a man’s word was his bond.

From the dusty streets of El Paso walked by mankiller John Wesley Hardin to fabulous “Parlor Houses” in Fort Worth and San Antonio where beautiful “soiled doves” practiced their trade, the book introduces you to a diverse cast of characters who became icons of the West. Delve into the lives of “Killer” Miller, the church-going, non-drinker who headed a murder-for-hire business; “Squirrel Tooth Alice,” a young Indian captive shunned by her family and her community after her rescue; and King Fisher, who ruled the Nueces Strip, a land of “snakes, insects, thickets, thorny plants, lack of water, and more.”

Everything is bigger in Texas. Its land, its heart, and, as many are coming to discover, its burgeoning scene of wineries, brewers, and distillers. From the rolling vineyards of Hill Country, offering a taste of varietals as bold and complex as Texas itself, to the bustling brewhouses of Houston and Austin, echoing with tales of hops and heritage, and all the way to distilleries tucked away in corners where the spirit of the Lone Star state is captured in every bottle — this is a journey deep into the heart of Texas’s most intoxicating treasures.

This family-friendly guide ventures beyond the beaten path to unveil unforgettable Texas Adventures for families. It’s compass to a Texas brimming with educational escapades, vibrant festivals, and fun for a day or a week.
The guide covers every nook and cranny of Texas, from the Seashore to the Panhandle, El Paso to Texarkana, from the popular places to the overlooked pleasures. With almost 750 identified sites, it’s the only guidebook you need.