"Robert Hicks presents a collection of stories written by country music's greatest songwriters"--Provided by the publisher.

Nothing tells a story better than the story-songs of country music. A Guitar and A Pen presents, for the first time, the literary work of some of the best storytellers in the world: the songwriters who cut and polish tales down to sparkling three-minute gems. A blend of humor and poignancy, these tales range from Kris Kristofferson's charming tale of how an explicit natural rock formation causes chaos in a small farming town, to the domestic drama of a Kentucky family with six daughters, to Charlie Daniels' character-driven fable of money and unhappiness, to Gary Nicholson's riveting tale of an albino African American singer/songwriter who inspired him to be a musician. A celebration of music and storytelling, other contributors include Hal Ketchum, Janis Ian, Mark D. Sanders, Tom T. Hall, Marshall Chapman, and Robert Hicks, among many other notable Nashville luminaries.

A Heartbeat and a Guitar tells of the collaboration of two distinct yet connected musicians--iconoclast Johnny Cash and pioneering folk artist Peter La Farge-- Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian, the album that influenced the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. In this intimate portrayal of the two musicians, D'Ambrosio interviewed surviving members of Cash's band, his producers, and admirers Pete Seeger and Kris Kristofferson. He renders a dramatic picture of both an era of radical protest and the making of one of the most controversial and enduring works of political pop art of the 1960s. A Heartbeat and a Guitar is the inspiration for the new album "Look Again to the Wind: Johnny Cash's Bitter Tears revisited" featuring a collective of top Americana artists including Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Gillian Welch, and Kris Kristofferson.

Abruptly arrested by Hitler's police and imprisoned as part of the "Gypsy plague," 15-year-old Lilo is chosen by the dictator's favorite filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, to work as an extra, forcing Lilo to choose between working under constant danger or fleeing for her life. By the Newbury Honor-winning author of Sugaring Time.

The Top Five Regrets of Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing.