Red dirt. What can one say about red dirt? The small town of San Augustine, Texas, sits on a twenty-six-mile swath of red clay. Once this red dirt gets into your system it is difficult to leave it behind, and if you do there is a tendency to return in your golden years. The town was organized in 1834 and was the gateway to early settlers after crossing the Sabine River into Texas. Most everyone who entered Texas in the early years passed through the town on the El Camino Real, the King’s Highway. Many settled here while others made their way to San Antonio. It was into this area of Texas that I was born and reared. This book contains 110 short stories of my experiences while growing up during the 1940s and 1950s in the town of red dirt. I have included stories of my married life as we lived in several different states through the years. A few stories of humorous events while working in law enforcement are also included. San Augustine, Texas, claims on good authority to be the oldest Anglo-Saxon town in Texas. The neighboring city of Nacogdoches is said to be the oldest town having had an Indian settlement there earlier than 1834. The debate will probably never be settled to everyone’s satisfaction.

This book explores the answers to lifes many questions, such as the following: Who was Sam Hill? What is Adams off ox? What is the difference between a redneck and a good ole boy? It is a lead pipe since you will enjoy reading this book because it is what it is, a fair-to-middling, rule-of-thumb, bird-in-the-hand explanation of the questions that you have always wanted to ask but never got around to.

Detective Jack Barnhill is going home. After more than thirty years in the Secret Service and in local law enforcement, he and his wife, Heather, are returning to their childhood roots for a nice, quiet retirement. Only their hometown is not what it used to be. A serial killer is on the loose, and Jack's old friends in the local police department need his help. The clock is ticking. A murderer is lurking. Will Jack's past finally catch up with him, or will he stand up and fight for the one thing threatening to tear his hometown apart--the truth. Step up. Find your courage. Face your fears.

The Essential Reference Guide to America’s Most Popular Songs and Artists Spanning More than Fifty Years of Music Beginning with Bill Haley & His Comets’ seminal “Rock Around the Clock” all the way up to Lady Gaga and her glammed-out “Poker face,” this updated and unparalleled resource contains the most complete chart information on every artist and song to hit Billboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart all the way back to 1955. Inside, you’ll find all of the biggest-selling, most-played hits for the past six decades. Each alphabetized artist entry includes biographical info, the date their single reached the Top 40, the song’s highest position, and the number of weeks on the charts, as well as the original record label and catalog number. Other sections—such as “Record Holders,” “Top Artists by Decade,” and “#1 Singles 1955-2009”—make The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits the handiest and most indispensable music reference for record collectors, trivia enthusiasts, industry professionals and pop music fans alike. Did you know? • Beyoncé’s 2003 hit “Crazy in Love” spent 24 weeks in the Top 40 and eight of them in the #1 spot. • Billy Idol has had a total of nine Top 40 hits over his career, the last being “Cradle of Love” in 1990. • Of Madonna’s twelve #1 hits, her 1994 single “Take a Bow” held the spot the longest, for seven weeks—one week longer than her 1984 smash “Like a Virgin.” • Marvin Gaye’s song “Sexual Healing” spent 15 weeks at #3 in 1982, while the same song was #1 on the R&B chart for 10 weeks. • Male vocal group Boyz II Men had three of the biggest chart hits of all time during the 1990s. • The Grateful Dead finally enjoyed a Top 10 single in 1987 after 20 years of touring. • Janet Jackson has scored an impressive 39 Top 40 hits—one more than her megastar brother Michael!

"This wonderful narrative by a retired history professor takes us back through the time and space of his ancestors and his own youth. Weaving between present and past, it offers a unique blend of nostalgia and incisive commentary about the imprint of Americans on the land and on each other. Gaines Post Jr. shares with us an odyssey that is at once personal and universal."-James McPherson, Emeritus Professor of History, Princeton University, and author of Battle Cry of Freedom On a solo trip in 2002, Gaines Post Jr. drives his 1966 Volkswagen Bug from California to Wisconsin and back, traveling so slowly that the land and its history seep into his bones. Crossing old trails kindles his imagination of the westward expansion that attracted his ancestors and shaped America's national character. In South Dakota, he visits Red Cloud's grave and hears the great Lakota leader whisper that Post is not at the end of his path. While working cattle on a Wyoming ranch, Post recalls his grandfather, born during Red Cloud's War. Part travelogue, part memoir, and overflowing with history's natural wonder, Blue Bug, Red Road speaks to those with a wandering spirit searching for quiet layers of time and memory within the American landscape.

“Sorry, John Green fans, but McDaniel’s been making us cry . . . for decades.” —Bustle.com Love, family, acceptance, and forgiveness are at the center of this heartfelt novel that explores the unpredictable paths that allow people to follow their dreams and help them find a way back home. Ever since Sloan won a reality television singing competition, her music career has taken off. She suddenly finds herself with a manager, a recording contract, and a tour in the works. Her manager warned her that strangers would ask her for all sorts of things, and that she must not respond. But one email stands out—from a young woman who claims to be Sloan’s half sister. Sloan’s mother, now deceased, never told her who her father was, so the prospect of knowing some family history is too strong a desire to ignore. Now Sloan must return to Windemere, the town where she grew up, to face a past she’s worked hard to forget. One trip leads to another, and when circumstances take a devastating turn, Sloan is faced with a complicated choice involving not only herself, but also those who have come to depend on her.