The Novels

In 1969, at its peak the United States had over half a million troops in Vietnam and was still calling for more. The average age of an infantry man was 22. All men between the ages of 19 to 26 were eligible to be drafted for a service requirement of a twelve month tour of duty. Some young men did not want to end up counted among the tens of thousands who had already been shipped home in body bags. David was one of those draftees who decided Canada might be a better option. On his way to Nova Scotia he meets the girl of his dreams. Charity is on the run from her own nightmare.

David’s plans get interrupted when he learns that his younger brother Andy is also on the run. Andy is in trouble and the subject of a nationwide manhunt involving the murder of a local high school beauty. David must make some hard decisions that question all the values he ever believed in, things like family, loyalty, friendship, and even the cost of freedom. In many ways, the late 1960s in America was a very turbulent time, but perhaps in so many ways it was also A TIME FOR CHARITY.

Read more about A Time for Charity.

A modern day Jesuit, filled with self-doubt and guilt, finds himself accompanying his 98 year-old grandfather’s body on a train from Nova Scotia to its final resting place in Kentucky. The ghost of his grandfather seems to challenge him along every mile of track, making him question his values and life choices. It was bad enough that the old man’s last confession included a double murder — without remorse. The priest is further challenged by an extraordinary woman who becomes his traveling companion. Not only does she threaten to steal his heart, but she also has a mysterious connection to his grandfather.

Old Frank Martin had so many secrets his grandson never knew about, including an illegitimate daughter and a fortune in diamonds. As the journey continues, more and more of those secrets are revealed, as the old man’s story unfolds. From rural Kentucky to New York City in the Roaring Twenties, to rum running in Nova Scotia, old Frank’s adventures were legendary. Driven to madness by his single-minded quest for revenge, his darkest secret remained buried for nearly eighty years in a remote Kentucky landscape BENEATH THE WALNUT GROVE.

Read more about Beneath the Walnut Grove.