Perfect Strike

by

Kent D. Walsh

It wasn’t really long ago,

Our hearts had never met.

The dreams we dreamt could never be,

And our souls would never rest.

Then an arrow shot in the sky,

Found a place to set,

Bringing together two lonely hearts,

Creating happiness.

Cupid made a perfect strike,

When he fired that magic shot,

Not only changing our two lives,

But also those that watched.

We pledged unwavering love,

Until the end of time,

Now our dreams are coming true,

Because you are my Valentine!

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Uncle Kent

For my blog today, I thought I would share a fun little excerpt from my children's book, THADDEUS T. AND BARNABY. I sure hope you enjoy it!

          Thaddeus T. and Barnaby traveled farther and farther out into the pond and were heading toward the other side, when all of a sudden they started to hear faint little cries off in the distance.

“Quaaa, quaaa.”

Then, as they moved on closer, the cries became louder and louder.

“Quaaa, quaaa.”

Then finally they saw it!

Now Thaddeus T., at this very young age and all, hadn’t learned too many things about the other critters in the pond as of yet. He wasn’t really sure what it was that they were looking at. So, in a very excited little voice, he yelled, “What is it, Barnaby? What is it?”

Barnaby, not sure at first either, took a closer look at the noisy little creature… and then, all of a sudden he said, “Why, this thing is a baby duck. And you know something, Thaddeus T., I think it needs our help!”

“But Barnaby,” said Thaddeus T., “I don’t think we should go near that thing. It looks so much different then we do; maybe we should just go away and leave it alone.”

Barnaby just shook his head as he explained to Thaddeus T., “It doesn’t matter if it looks different than we do; it’s still somebody who needs our help. So as far as I’m concerned, we need to go ahead and help this thing in any way we can.”

Thaddeus T., with an understanding look on his face, just smiled and said, “You’re right, Barnaby, it does need our help, and so, you can count me in too.”

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Uncle Kent

I am pleased to announce my newest book, BABYDOLL'S HONOR has now gone into production and the estimated realease date will be sometime in August of 2010.

BABYDOLL'S HONOR is an inspiring and emotion filled story about a 12 year old boy, Kevin Walker, living with his parents on a small farm in a rural logging community during the recession of the early 1980's. It tells how this hardworking American family, living by their strong Christian values, struggled through many difficult times. How after the tragic death of his beloved horse, Sneeze, Kevin took on the great challenges of raising her very special offspring, Babydoll, and how in the end the two of them were recognized as local heroes.

A warm and loving adventure, BABYDOLL'S HONOR will be enjoyed by all age groups--especially those that love horses. I'll let you know the actual release date when it becomes available.

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Uncle Kent

May you have the best Labor Day ever,

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Uncle Kent

Sitting on my front porch the other day, I watched as two neighbor boys tried to climb to the top of a loosely stacked, six foot plus, pile of lumber. The smaller boy, about five or six years old, wasn't big enough to work his way to the top. So, he just stood next to the pile, watching, as the bigger boy, about ten years old, inched his way on up. Once he got to the top, he began trying to stand up. But, because the lumber was so loose and floppy, he kept falling onto his knees--and then he'd try to stand up again.

After about the fourth try, I called over to him: "I don't think that's such a good idea--I sure would hate to have to come over and pick you up, after you fell off the top of that pile and broke your leg, or something."

He didn't say a thing, but the littlest guy didn't miss a beat. Answering right back he said, "That's okay mister--if he falls--I'll pick him up for you!"

As the bigger boy climbed back down from the pile, all I could do was laugh. I guess this was a perfect case of, "He ain't heavy--he's my brother!"

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Uncle Kent

As most of you may know, all three of my books, DISRUPTED AMBITIONS, THADDEUS T. AND BARNABY, and DUSTIN AND A MOUSE NAMED CODY, are now all in the electronic ebook form at the Amazon.com Kindle Book Store.

With that being said, I am pleased to announce that THADDEUS T. AND BARNABY is now currently, and has been for at least a week now, ranked #2 on the Amazon.com Kindle (ebooks) Bestseller List for children's chapter books that feature turtles. It is also ranked #12 on the same list for children's chapter books that feature frogs and toads.

Although we still haven't hit the #1 Bestseller spot as of yet, none-the-less we are extremely excited to have reached #2. Who knows, maybe #1 is just around the corner--wouldn't that be something.

Anyway--I want to thank all of you that have purchased any of my books--and especially for helping make THADDEUS T. AND BARNABY, a #2 Bestseller.

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Uncle Kent

This is a poem of a father reminiscing about his grown son on Fathers Day—I hope you enjoy it!

ONE MORE HUG FOR DADDY

By

Kent D. Walsh

One more hug for Daddy,

I pray it’s not the last,

The years have passed so quickly,

My son has grown fast.

I remember him small and pudgy,

The many times he cried,

The innocence with which he slept,

As he lay by Daddy’s side.

The fun of teaching him all the things,

That little boys should know,

Teasing him almost into tears,

Taking him wherever I go.

Oh the fishing and hiking,

He enjoyed them the same as me,

The joy of running wild,

The feeling of being free.

All my wisdom I passed to him,

My endless love to him I’d give,

So proud I’d say to everyone,

Yes this is my little kid.

The pride was in this Daddy,

As the years passed quickly by,

We never lost an ounce of love,

He stayed by Daddy’s side.

Through school he learned so many things,

In sports he was the best,

He wanted to be just like his dad,

To me he outshined the rest.

His grades never seemed to bother me,

For average is not too bad,

All his thoughts he confided in me,

I was his wonderful dad.

Now our time has passed on by,

My son has become a man,

Off on his own he’s leaving me,

Strong and tall he must stand.

I pray that he’ll remember me,

I say these things so sadly,

In my heart are his last words,

One more hug for Daddy.

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Uncle Kent

Outside was a perfect 10 today! It was one of those clear and warm sunny days that make you feel like you just hit the jackpot, because it landed on a Sunday. For me, this time of year is really special--everything is so fresh and green, and most of the flowers are already in a full bloom. Sitting out on my deck drinking a cup of morning coffee, I couldn't help but admire a number of towering fir trees proudly standing off in the distance. In fact the sight of their incredible beauty inspired me to start thinking about a children's poem I had written a few years ago, so I decided to share it with you.

THE PERFECT TREE

By

Kent D. Walsh

(Uncle Kent)

When I was a little boy,

I found a tiny seed,

Everyday I watered it,

And it grew into a tree.

The winter winds would wonder in,

And I'd brush away the snow,

Then the spring would come again,

And again the tree would grow.

Through the hottest part of summer,

I'd shade the tiny tree,

And after several summers,

The tree was shading me.

When the autumn season's came,

The leaves would begin to fall,

And I would go and rake those leaves,

Every one and all.

After many years,

I forgot the tree was there,

But still it kept on growing,

Despite it's lack of care.

Now the day had finally come,

When we would move away,

I saw my yard the final time,

And the tree where I had played.

I remembered all the fun I had,

And how I loved it so,

All the times I climbed on it,

And how I helped it grow.

Then a happy feeling came,

Of which I could not hide,

For the couple that bought our home,

Had two children by their side.

As they ran into the yard,

I heard the two kids say,

Yes it is a perfect tree,

And we'll play there, every day.

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Uncle Kent

Almost a year has passed since I lost my mother. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her. Because this Mothers Day is going to be the first since she died, it no doubt is going to be very difficult for me.

Last year, because of special circumstances it was just Mom and me for Mothers Day dinner. I told her I wanted to grill steaks. But, as I should have guessed, knowing my mom and all, she wouldn't have it. She didn't want me to have to go through all that bother--so we had take-out Chinese instead. I mean here's a woman that not only gave me life, she nurtured, fed, and raised me for over 20 years before I moved out on my own . . . and she didn't want me to go through all that bother. Yes, mothers are truly, very special--and mine was the best.

So, as Mothers Day fast approaches, I'll be thinking and missing her more and more. And by the way, I sure wish I would have grilled those steaks!

"I love you Mom!"

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Uncle Kent

What should I write about? Now that's a question we all seem to have at one time or another. Let me see if I can help? If you're just interested in writing for the enjoyment of writing and do not intend to be a professional writer, then my suggestion is, whatever you want. You can write about yourself, familiy or friends (be careful with this one), pets, silly stuff, make things up, or whever crosses your mind. It really doesn't matter as long as you enjoy what you are doing.

When I come up with a story idea, what I like to do first is to hand write my thoughts out in the form of a rough draft. I scribble down what my story will be about, I add bullet points of what I want included in the story, and I make a list of the characters, especially the main character. (Remember, at this stage the bullet points do not necissarily have to be in the same order they will appear in the final story) Next, I type my story out on my compter, using my rough draft as my guide. Once I have everything typed out I will then rewrite, add too, modify, delete, rearrange, edit, and re-edit many times over--until I like what I have written. In a nutshell that's it . . . that's how I write my stories.

As you can see, writing a story is not a one step process. And no, this may not be the perfect way of doing things--but for me, it seems to work just fine.

So, if you are thinking of writing a story just for the fun of it, I hope this information proves helpful.

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Uncle Kent

Kent, how do you find the time to write a book? Now that's a question I hear a lot. But you know something interesting, almost every one of those people that ask that question all share the same dream--they would someday like to write a book of their own. But when I ask them why they haven't, the answer seems to be pretty consistent--they just can't find the time!

Now my intent today is not to give you some long drawn-out lesson on how you can outline, write, and then edit a book. It's simply to give you some very good advice about setting aside some time to write. That is, if writing a book is what you really want to do.

The advice is--just do it! I don't mean sit down and write a book non-stop. That's not normally how it's done. You write it over a period of time; days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years. You write a book just like you'd eat an elephant--one bite at a time! Each day just set aside enough time to write a couple of paragraphs, or perhaps a page or two, and you'll be making great progress. It can be in the morning when you first get out of bed, after the kids have gone to school, on your lunch break at work, or in the evening before dinner. It really doesn't matter when you do it, just as long as you are consistent. So, in a nutshell, that's it! I know it sounds too easy--but really--that's how you can find the time to write a book! Good luck and happy writing!

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Uncle Kent

Again this year I am giving my wife, Madeline, the card I've been giving her for about the last 20 years. It is one of your standard Valentines Day Hallmark cards, with a beautiful poem written on the inside of it. But what makes this card so special is, I added a little poem of my own, written just across from the one they wrote--and, Madeline just loves it. It's her favorite card!

Here's the poem:

Giving

by

Kent D. Walsh

You give my heart joy!

You give my heart warmth!

You give my heart faith!

You give my heart love!

And I,

Give you my heart.

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Uncle Kent

Today I would like to share an email a friend of mine sent me this morning. Its a short message--but it might be just long enough to save you or your loved ones life.

"Hello everyone!

     I receive many emails asking me to do this, that, or the other thing, as well as emails keeping me informed as to what is going on around us. I came across this website that I truly believe is imperative you not only take a look at, but also take a few seconds (literally) to do what they suggest, possibly saving your life some day!

     The website is www.icestickers.com.

     The point I would like you to take away is not purchaing the stickers, but taking a few seconds to add an ICE contact in your cell-phone (or, 2 or 3 to be safe). ICE in this case stands for, In Case of Emergency. Many people in America who end up in the emergency room have no identification, or a bigger percentage are incoherent and need someone else to make decisions for them, but the ER staff do not know who to call. By simply putting a contact, and most importantly their phone number (ie ICE wife, ICE mom, ICE dad), the ER staff can quickly know who to call if you are not able to tell them. This system started in the UK, and is now spreading rapidly in the US.

     Please take a moment and do this.

     Really, DO IT NOW! Then pass this on to your loved ones.

Thanks,

Brian J. Rohan"

Thank you for sharing this very valuable information, Brian. It just might save a life someday!

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Uncle Kent

Since the release of my most recent book, Disrupted Ambitions, I've been asked several times; isn't your new book just a story about those wild and crazy high school days at Fort Vancouver High School back in 1962 through 1965? And my answer is a resounding--NO--its much more than that! Not only does it tell of the life and death struggles of a 16 year old athlete determined to accomplish his high school dream of competing in the State Championship Wrestling Tournament, but it also features a couple of Washington State coaching legends, Coach Chuck Furno and Coach John Eagle.

Yes, the story includes a girl! In my case it was a secret crush I had on a beautiful dark haired girl named, Paula Parkey. Unfortunately I was very shy at the time, and never did build up enough courage to let her know of my interest. Along with that, there was just that normal high school stuff; my friends and I cruising down main street from one end of town to the other with the cars horn blasting, goofing around in class with my fellow students while our teachers looked the other way, and of course laughing and joking at the silly things we all do while growing up. It was great fun!

But even more importantly, this book is intended to bring awarenwss of the symptoms and potential seriousness of a desease that affects over 5,000,000 Americans--ulcers. And that's not even counting the millions of people that don't even know they have them.

Inspirational and filled with emotion, this book sends a clear and distinct message to all; "Never give up your dream!"

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Uncle Kent