I’ve done a bit of writing on my blog since I started it and wanted to get everything organized into one place. Here’s a collection of recent short stories with a brief description. Enjoy.
Jack: It’s Jack the dog’s finest moment as a watchdog.
I believe in you*: You can do something amazing. I know it.
The Helpers: A man, a farty dog and a plane deliver the toys.
The Garden of Talents: A breast cancer patient discovers the greatest Talent of all.
The Brothers Kringle: Santa and his brother Craig play their annual game of chess. A classic battle between good and not-so-good.
Theodore: A Christmas Story: A girl, a bear and an amazing life together.
The Menu: A man went looking for a sign and a hot cup of coffee. He found both.
Serendipity: A man and a woman cross paths. The rest is history.
The Championship Team: Champions don’t just win one game. They change others’ games for the better.
The Black Friday Miracle: A woman’s shops for the real meaning of Christmas.
The Crooked Tree: A tree’s ornaments remind a couple of their lives together.
Santa’s Magic: The true story of a true Santa.
The Day Santa took over Thanksgiving: How it all went down.
The Guardian: A tornado, a lady and her guardian.
The Best Thanksgiving Ever: A woman’s brush with fate.
The Man in the Chair: A cancer patient’s final struggle.
Along the Buffalo Waterfront: A Christmas Tale: Santa’s new base of operations.
Plymouth Rock: The best Thanksgiving ever for a man and his family.
The Wall: A Veteran Day’s story: A soldier goes back to speak to his brother.
Hope and Fear: A parable — a journey at sunrise.
The Victor: A candidate wakes up on the morning after an election.
Thanksgiving: A family finds something to be thankful for.
The Family Tree: A family tradition and a family survives a storm.
A Child of TV: Growing up as a latchkey kid.
Spork in the Road: A man’s fateful moment.
Thankful: An epiphany in the middle of the night.
Shooting Star: A young couple’s wish comes true.
A Magical Halloween: A town’s mysterious mansion and its magical owner.
The Ghost of the Smokies: A true ghost story I made up.
The Unanswered Prayer: A man of faith loses it and then regains it in a strange place.
Monster Chronicles: Short humorous stories about real monsters living real life.
The Tiffany Jesus: A man feels empathy and finds peace in a priceless light.
The Sunrise: A man awakes and emerges from the darkness.
Karl: Never judge a janitor by his broom.
Reflections: Love lost and found in a mountain stream.
The Magic 8-Ball: Sometimes you don’t want to know the future.
The Recipe: A chef makes the perfect dish.
The Town Tree: Leaving a hole when you’re gone.
The Congressman’s Last Speech: The truth comes out in a painful way.
A Standard Life: Sometimes a sign is a sign.
Close Encounters of the Halloween Kind: A couple of aliens with a sweet-tooth visit Cottondale, Miss.
Fairy Godmother Poker Night & The Magic Within: A weekly card game reveals what true magic is all about.
A Miracle on the Midway: A man, a ferris wheel and the most amazing story of his life.
Uncle Bill: My sons learn to judge a good man by his heart.
The Intruder: A man fights for the first time in his life.
Successful: I remember what the true meaning of success.
Tearing Down to Rebuild: Sometimes you have to break out of your comfort zone to be great.
Roots & Branches: After years of reaching for the sky, a man discovers his roots. You can go home again.
The Lucky Slot Machine: A older estranged mother hits the jackpot.
Monday Prayer: A prayer to help me break out of my comfort zone.
Going Home: A Smoky Mountain Tale: A father takes his son “home.”
Grand Canyon: A woman’s reminder that greatness takes time.
The Fog: A man’s doubt swirls like the fog around his feet.
The Hunter & The Buck: A man and a deer get second chances.
Crate of Solitude: A dog’s comfort zone.
The Messenger at 27,000 ft.: A random stranger brings a man back to earth.
Chasing a Miracle: Beating cancer one step at a time.
Cup of Tea: The perfect brew for a good life.
The List: A watcher feeds off the misery of others.
Ryan Estep: Meet an inspirational young man.
The Lady: The true story I made up of the ghost of The Grand Opera House.
The Caterpillar: Resisting change is futile.
The Old Dog: Every old dog needs a boy.
The Travelers: A man comes home to the unknown.
4:49 a.m.: Magic happens before sunrise.
Love & Bacon: A older man and his true love.
The Mississippi Way: Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
The Town: Life in a small American town.
Chasing the Moon: Without dreams, we’ll forever be stuck on the ground.
The Muse: Creativity’s a fickle tease.
Running up the Score: A man decides to stop playing it safe.
Ten Years Later: The world after 9/11
9/11/11 : A father explains 9/11 to his 11-year-old son.
The Sunrise & The Alligator: A cyclist greets the day with the knowledge it could be his last.
The Orderly: Even an angel needs a miracle. A love story.
Battleship: Change isn’t a bad thing, unless you’re a battleship.
Cut Flowers: A man learns the value of cut flowers and time.
The Puppy: A boy and a dog train each other.
Rain: Grateful for the dry-spell and the blessings.
The Amazing Game: A father’s and son’s lives painted on the background of college football.
The Real Superman: A story of a real hero.
Changing Course: A woman sails out of a storm.
The Harvest: A farmer grows an amazing crop.
The Oak: A sentinel watches the Coast recover.
Landfall: A man struggles to recover from Katrina as another storm blows in.
The Levee: A woman rebuilds her protection from the flood through running.
Monuments: Bigger isn’t always better.
Leaders: Why Pat Summitt’s and Steve Jobs’ bad news hurts so badly.
A Man of Few Words: Actions are louder than words.
The Sweeper: A chance encounter cleans out a bad attitude.
Abrams Falls: Making memories in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Lucky: A woman and her dog live up to his name.
The Canvas: Miriam Weems: Remembering a beautiful painter.
Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season: A man confronts the monster in his life.
Looking for Motivation? Go Deep: Don’t look outside of yourself for motivation.
The King: Elvis visits his fans.
The Sunrise’s Promise: Taking the blessing of a new day and running with it.
Smoky Mountain Sunrise: A man takes a hike on the path of life.
The Adventures of Moses the Terrier: A dog exodus and one of my favorite tales.
Saturday Night: A man’s one paragraph look at futility.
The Bluesman: A cocky young musician learns a valuable lesson in a smokey bar.
The Landline: Cutting the cord to what’s safe and familiar.
Framing the Shot: A former soldier now photographer learns the art of seeing the bad in the good.
A Smoky Mountain Lesson: A man learns an important lesson from his grandfather.
Jasper the Demon Elf: The true story about the kindest of the nasty creatures who hide our keys.
Taming the Volcano: A man’s anger finally becomes dormant.
The Foundation: A man looks at his life’s house.
Are we there yet? Looking at the trip we call life.
After midnight at the Pearl Walmart: The real people of Walmart.
The Amazing Pooping Pachyderm Parade: A date gone horribly wrong.
The Tow Truck: The Devil tries to repeat the Crossroads.
The Magic Lamp: A genie teaches a man the greatest gift is opportunity.
Vapors of Vicksburg: Soldiers reappear in the mist.
The Fourth Quarter: Changing plans in the middle of the game.
A Night at the Fox: An overnight ten-year success.
The Asteroid: The glory of gridlock as an asteroid heads toward Earth.
The Day D.C. Stood Still: Little green men come looking for our leaders.
When You’re A Mississippian: You know people wherever you go.
Fighting Malaise: The country’s crisis of confidence.
The Bottle Tree: A couple discovers that love is fleeting but laughter is forever.
Miracle at the Panther Burn International Airport: The story of a grandfather, father and son told through flight.
A Father & Son Chat: A conversation based on one I had recently with my son.
The Bridge: A lesson I learned at mile 20 of my marathon.
A Strange Night at the Lincoln Memorial: Two ex-presidents comment on today’s news.
The True Story of Kudzu: The origins of the South’s most infamous vine.
In a Small Southern City: If you’re trying to catch a dream, you can’t sleep in.
The Statue: A Confederate soldier’s soul watches the world change without him.
The Rain Dance: A man ends a personal drought.
Betty Ford: Thanks to a hero and a lady.
Burying Talents: What I learned from being a janitor.
The Terrier: A Border Terrier gets a taste of victory.
Second Act Man: A few thoughts on my second, and better, act. Thanks to my friend Andy Andrews.
Happy Birthday America: A few thoughts on our great country.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness: A note on the Government’s true gift to us.
The Bottle: A reminder to get up and get moving washed in from the sea.
Man in the Moon: A tribute to our audacity to dream.
The Best: A reminder that champions do get beat. They just don’t STAY beat.
The Mountain: A Civil War battlefield reminds me of the importance of flanking unimportant fights.
The Rapids: Rocks in life’s stream determine our character and our course.
Mental Jumping Jacks: Learning to play when you’re tired and not to quit.
A Father’s Present: A gift from a son to a dad on Father’s Day.
The Success Pyramid: A way to organize your priorities.
Should Have: A man’s last minute regrets
The Father’s Day Gift: A dad gets the best gift of all.
The Wright Stuff: Two aviation pioneers get stuck in the Atlanta airport.
The Two Travelers: Two mysterious strangers plant a crop in a fertile land.
Time to Thrive: A cancer survivor decides there is more to live than just surviving.
Up in the Delta Sky: A crop duster pilot reveals why he takes to the sky.
The Ruins: A man seeks to rebuild his life in a place famous for not rebuilding.
Life & Water: Be spectacular like Niagara Falls.
The Final D-Day: A Heroes last forgotten but glorious battle.
National Cancer Survivors’ Day: A look at a day that really is everyday.
Campaigning Near the Crossroads: A devilish candidate pays a visit.
A Memorable Memorial Day: Memorial Day from the perspective of a fallen pilot.
The Day the Mississippi River met its match: The river goes down thanks to a ghostly Governor.
The Notch: A man’s journey home during the Great Flood of 2011.
#Winning: An alligator defines what winning really is.
Faith: How faith drives me.
Mustard Seed: What happens to you doesn’t define you.
Mother Nature Captured by Navy Seals
The Bet: Good and Evil make a wager in a flooded Tunica casino.
Flames of Guilt: A Man’s burning secret.
The Flood: A man watches history rise at his feet.
BANJO and the Attack of the Squirrels Part 1: A story of a boy, his dog and evil Squirrels.
BANJO and the Attack of the Squirrels Part 2: A story of a boy, his dog and evil squirrels.
TODAY will Happen With or Without us: A little advice to my son.
Santa, the tooth Fairy and The Easter Bunny at the Bar: Imaginary creatures face reality.
The Easter Bunny: A man finds salvation.
The Haley Clone Army: The Governor’s secret plan to take over the world.
H.O.P.E.: How to Slay a Dragon’s Little Brother: A fable about how to survive being a survivor.
The Ring: A man’s journey return back from brink after Hurricane Katrina.
My 10th Birthday: A brief thank you note for ten years of cancer survival.
The Storm: A story set in the Delta about the amazing power of forgiveness.
If Sherman Attacked Atlanta Today: The real Battle of Atlanta takes place on its Interstates.
Santa’s Day: A day in the life of the real Santa’s part-time job at the Mall.
Sprayberry Football: How a playing a team sport molded my life.
Opportunity Knocks: A quick observation about opportunity.
The Great AlaMiss War: Mississippi seals the borders.
Falling with Style: Sometimes the worst moments are the seeds for your best ones.
The Namesake: A dad, a son and his son reunite on a hot, dusty Mississippi summer day.
The Selfish Man: A man’s world expands when he looks beyond himself.
Banjo: A note about one of my best friends.
#winning: Forget Charlie Sheen, winning has a different meaning.
Closing doors, opening windows and sledgehammers: Sometimes new opportunities need a hand.
Stumbling into blessings: Sometimes its not that you fall, it’s where you fall and how you get back up.
It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere: A new father wishes for a special gift to keep his family together. It’s a tale of a Christmas miracle.
Choices: We’re the product of our decisions.
Soaking in Christmas: Looking back and trying to grab onto today.
A Modern Christmas Tale: Santa struggles to regain the spirit of Christmas after his workshop is taken over by Wall Street.
The Biggest Winner: Congratulations to Mississippi’s later star and how we could learn from him
Budget Plan Approved; Speaker McCoy challenges Governor Barbour to a Duel: How the Speaker probably would like to handle budget negotiations.
Barbour: State can’t afford Heat Anymore: Blaming the cold weather on yet another budget cut.
The Role of a Lifetime: A little story about my favorite part in life — being a father.
Searching for Christmas Cheer in Bulk: Looking for love in all the wrong places, the Ramsey family goes looking for cheer at Sams.
A Haley Barbour Christmas Carol: The Governor of Mississippi is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve.
The Commencement Speech: What 42-year-old Marshall would tell 22-year-old graduating Marshall.
The Roast: A few thoughts after roasting Sec. of State Delbert Hosemann
Scars: There are two ways of looking at scars. You can be ashamed of them or realize they represent fantastic stories you can tell.
Stones: A glass jar, some rocks and some sand help keep life priorities in place.
All I want for Christmas: A Christmas list for a few famous people.
Making Peace with The War on Christmas: A few thoughts on why I don’t get angry when someone wishes me Happy Holidays.
Christmas Shopping? Bah Humbug: Why when it comes to shopping, I becomeScrooge’s nightmare.
A Dog’s Advice on the First Day of December: Valuable advice from my dog Banjo and one of my favorite pieces I’ve written (with Banjo’s help, of course).
Nine Questions I Get About Dave Ramsey: Real questions and real answers about my cousin.
How Running a Marathon Improved My Life: How my recent finish at the Marine Corps Marathon prepared me for the massive change in my life.
All I need to know I learned from Christmas Specials: A list of life’s facts I gleaned from TV Christmas programs.Ace in the Hole: My secret weapon when times get really tough (an appreciation.)
Friday Morning at Tiny Wheels Media: An update on change and how to tackle it.
The Shark: If a shark bites your arm off, don’t be mad at the shark, get out of the tank.
First Breath: What my new company Tiny Wheels Media stands for.
Ten Ways to Save the State Money: A list of cash savers during lean budget times.
Tiny Wheels Media, LLC: The story of where I came up with the name for my new company.
Leaf in a Whirlwind: Reflecting on one of the most the most challenging weeks of my life.
Wisdom of a Three-Year-Old: A few things I learned from my son’s surgery.
Thanksgiving: A list of things I’m thankful for (in no particular order.)
I’ll Always Have Your Back: A promise to my sons.
