It's all about you...

People ask me if I talk with a Texas twang (For those of you who have never heard that term it's another way of saying a Texas accent.) I would have to say yes to that. but my neighbors might disagree. As a teacher for 24 years I suppose midwestern English has been browbeaten into me and as a result I sound Texan to people from other places but not so mush to my brother Texans. But, enough of me for now. I was going to talk about you guys. I was setting here thinking about you... oh not you personally, but the many yous that make up the viewers and readers of my blogg and how you come from such vast backgrounds. I'm sure some of you who read my books have a variety of accents. Here on my blogg I get a breakdown of where my audience is from. I love looking at it. I have viewers from the UK, Germany, Philippines, Spain, France, Malaysia, the USA and other countries too. Thank you for just being you...  and reading my work. 

In the novel I'm currently writing much of the action happens in Fort Worth. So here is a pic I took the last time I was at Sunshine Square. For those of you who have never been to Sunshine Square I think it's terrific. It is a small town atmosphere in the big city - quaint shops, and historic buildings. There is even a bed and breakfast where in the cowboy days it was one of those places where men went to party with the ladies. (Can anyone say the best little 1880's whorehouse in Texas.) Of course today it is all posh and modern in the décor with original Picassos, Warhols and other fine art hanging in the library room. You don't get in there without being a guest, but there are lots of other things to see  and do at Fort Worth's Sunshine Square. Oh and while you're there take your copy of my book "Spies Lie and Spies Die"... and if you don't have one yet... get one.  

 

Larger than Life

Here in Lubbock, we love our favorite son... Buddy Holly. We have a Buddy Statue, a Buddy Museum, and we have even moved the Allison House (Where one of the Crickets lived) to the museum grounds. (Funny they didn't move Buddy's old house too. It was just down the street from the Allison house.) Anyway, All to say that we love Buddy, his music, and his band (The Crickets). I guess you might say we've made him bigger than life. Here you see enormous Buddy glasses (a sculpture) which sets just outside the Buddy Holly Museum. I suppose being larger than life has it's advantages and it's disadvantages too. It would make it hard to fit into everyday society. I mean if Buddy was alive there would be people swarming to get his autograph and such... and imagine the paparazzi. Then I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be living in Lubbock Texas. As I understand it he had moved to New York or somewhere before he died. Why... you ask? Because Lubbock just didn't get his music. Some liked him but some really didn't. That is the way of things. Pardon the paraphrasing but I think that even the Bible says that a prophet is not respected in his own country. There is no denying that Buddy (and his band too) was a fantastic entertainer, songwriter and what some would call a poet. The Plains of West Texas has produced many musical talents like Waylon Jennings, Mac Davis, The Gatlin Brothers, Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks; and Actors too like Woody Harrelson, Barry Corbin, and Chance Crawford (best known for his role in Gossip Girl.)   But, Let's not forget the famous (and semi famous) writers from West Texas which include Elmer Kelton, Kambri Crews, Carol Hall, and of course Me... Dan Dwayne Spencer author of "Spies Lie & Spies Die" and "The Secret King and Poetry of Praise."

Fathers set the example

Father's day is coming up and this is a picture of me on my father's shoulders. I was nine... and at nine every boy has the desire to be exactly like their father. He was a mechanic. He didn't read fiction, but nightly he read his manuals on new advances in automobile transmissions, fuel injection, and other such stuff. Then before he went to bed he read his bible. It was always on his table by his recliner. I don't remember my mother being a reader. I can't remember her reading any book at all except cookbooks, however, she was the one who encouraged me to read. She bought me all kinds of historical and factual books. Most were about explorers or informative facts of some kind or some fashion. I remember reading parts of books from the elementary school library like Louis Carroll's 'Wizard of Oz,' and L. Frank Baum's 'Alice in Wonderland.' (I didn't read the whole thing... I usually skipped through to the next exciting part.) I think I was 11 years old when I actually finished a book completely.... reading it cover to cover. It was captivating. It was 'A Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle. I truly believe being a reader was a key part in my love of story telling. Because of my mother's encouragement I have all kinds of unless knowledge on all kinds of subjects. My father was the one who set the example. He was the one I saw reading. I think that is an important thing many of todays dads don't get... fathers set the example. In my story 'Deal of a Lifetime' in my book 'Spies Lie and Spies Die' the character of Blair is on his way to visit his grandfather. His mother and father have divorced and his mom feels that he needs a positive role model. Through the dialogue the reader learns that Blair admires his father. He thinks of his father as a great adventurer, and although he may not be a part of Blair's life that doesn't matter much (not that he shouldn't be a part of his life but Blair doesn't have any control of that) as long as he knows his father is an important person.

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"Spies Lie and Spies Die"

Speaking at the Rotary Club in Post, Texas

I'm excited about speaking at the Rotary Club in Post, Texas tomorrow.

Some things that are only imitations.

As you already know by reading my blog that I like to go to West Texas car shows. Pictured here are two very different cars. On the surface they look old and redesigned into hot rods, but that is only on the surface. The truth is that one is a rare off the showroom car designed to have that retro look and the other is pieced together with hours and hours of patients welding and sanding... bondo, paint, and ordering parts only to have them chromed by custom shops that specialize in plating and chroming. Now that I've told you about the differences I'm sure you have noticed which car is the retro designed one. Yes, it is a collectors item. It is called 'The Prowler' by the Chrysler Plymouth Corp. between the years of 1997 and 2002. The 1997 version in violet is worth about $47,000.00 today. (It was pretty pricy back when it was new.) Ok, That being said I want to make another comparison. In my book "The Secret King and Poetry of Praise" I have the Egyptians (my lead characters) hiding in the land of Israel. To escape the wrath of the evil Egyptian witch, they are pretending to be something they are not. The thing about 'The Prowler' is that one day it will not only be rare but it will become a true antique... something that the chopped rod will never attain.  In my book the impersonators pretend so well that they start to believe in the Hebrew God and they start to abide by the Hebrew laws... not because they must but because they want to. It becomes a choice for them to trust and believe in the one God. I know that this makes it sound like a religious story but it is really just an adventure story set in the bible days.  

'The Secret King & Poetry of Praise' by Dan Dwayne Spencer   Available through Amazon.com   

The West Texas Mountian Range

This is another of my pictures of the West Texas mountain range which I took with my instamatic camera. I love how the cattle break the horizon line. This time I was on my way back to Lubbock from Brownfield. (One of these days I feel I must write a story which is set in Brownfield, Texas. It was my home away from home for almost ten years.) I have to say I enjoyed teaching my classes there.  This is a brief account of my career leading up to teaching at BMS.  I left teaching at Monterey High School and took the job as the Art Director for KAMC and KLBK Television. It was invigorating. I worked there during the "TexasSize" era. That was a brief time around the year 2000.  I was there seeing all the feeds during the terror attacks on New York. I personally did the screen art used 'on screen' from 2000 to about 2004. I left The Television station and returned to teaching again. - this time in Brownfield. I find it funny how people like to compare things... they ask if I missed teaching at one of the biggest schools in Lubbock and later teaching in a small town. (It's not that I disliked Monterey, but you see, I had this great opportunity.) Where I ended up had great people, classes of 18 to 30 instead of 35 and sometimes more; I'd say what's not to like. Sadly I left because of a family tragedy. Funny that I had been writing on a story here and there all the while I was teaching and doing artwork. I always said that Art was my profession but writing was my vocation. Now I guess it's both... I hope you enjoy my books "The Secret King & Poetry of Praise" and "Spies Lie & Spies Die." They were a long time in the making. (Thanks to my Sis and my Wife for encouraging me to pursue publication.)

Plows and Treasures

My mother told a story about how (in the 1930's) my grandfather went to the bank and borrowed the money for the next year. They had a good size farm... So, he would (and could) borrow enough money to buy seed to plant and then the rest would hold the family over till the crop came in. That money was for food, clothing (including fabrics), entertainment, and as for food it was to pay for the feed for the horses and the cows. He stopped by the seed store on the way home and bought the seed for the year's planting. Then he came home, changed out of his Sunday best (he had been to see the banker you know) into his work clothes and started seeding his land... Planting his crop. When he returned to the house he was going to show granny the money he had borrowed and that there was enough for them to live on till the harvest... but he couldn't find his billfold. It was gone. He went over his trip again. He looked everywhere and nothing was to be found. It was lost. It must have fallen out of his pocket. They had a hard season, needless to say. The next year he goes back to the bank. Gets the money for that year and stops by and gets the seed. He is very sure to keep a grip on his billfold this time. He gets home changes his clothes and starts plowing his fields. He is plowing when he sees something strange turn up as the earth is broken and the plowshare turns the soil. It was his billfold. That year they had money from the year before and the current year too. In my story "A Deal of a Lifetime" a fortune is dropped in Helen Baxter's lap by mistake. The scam artists misplaced the real statue and Helen accidently bought the priceless object. Of course no one came hunting my grandfather down for the money but have you ever tried to put off those bill collectors? They are the worst!    


CLICK HERE - Books by Dan Dwayne Spencer

"The 38 Special"

I went to an auto show not long ago. Where was it? On the Texas Plains where I live of course. Anyway, there were some terrific Rat-Rods in the car show. For those of you who don't know what a Rat-Rod is... well, it is a cut up collection of cars and parts reassembled into a hot rod. Most are extremely cool as the builders have searched high and low for just the right part to put in just the right place on the hot rod. They usually don't even try to paint them but let them be in whatever condition they come out being. This picture is the dash of one of my favorite Rat-Rods at the show. I can't help wondering if the driver has to have a (firearms) carry permit to drive the car. The name written on the side of the rod was "38 Special." I bet the owner is a mystery writer... What do you think? Oh maybe not.  

Unexpected Things

 Pictured here is a common sight here in West Texas... Of course, it's a cactus. They are everywhere. Every wilderness area that has not been cultivated for agriculture is loaded with this plant. This kind of cactus is flat, thin and teardrop shaped with spiny needles that can be three inches long. It  is very common to see them everywhere and because of that we here on the plains just all but over look it. It's just a another cactus. So Invisible. Then it blooms in the spring. It covers itself in cactus roses. A magnificent sight. the bigger the cactus the more magnificent the display. What a delicate display of color and texture from the most prickly plant on earth. Yucca plants are much the same. (A yucca is also pictured in this photo.) The tips of the leaves are so spiny... so sharp and needle like (even the cactus are jealous of how they poke and hurt.) You can't clean under them and they collect all kind of blowing trash. Truly an annoyance most of the year and then they bloom. I'm sure we have all had that moment in life when we take things for granted (no matter what they might be) because they are so ordinary. Yes... These things are very ordinary, in fact so much so, that they become invisible. Then for what ever reason... they bloom, transform, and suddenly they are noticeable.  -  In my book "Spies Lie & Spies Die" there is a particular short story titled "Morning Fog" The main character is a fellow who is driving on highway 62/82 from his Texas home to where he works in Crosbyton. (A town on the Texas Plains.)  His name is Eugene Bentley and he is about to have a similar experience. He believes himself to be so ordinary that he is invisible. It takes quite an adventure for him to make his transformation. A near death experience for sure.

Buddy Holly was a West Texas Writer, a world class poet

The picture featured here is really the birth home of Lubbock's favorite son... Buddy Holly. Now there was a writer for you, a world class poet. His birth house was just around the corner from where my parents and I went to church for years (and years) and down the street from the Texas Tech Stadium. Busloads of people would stop there to see it. Usually they were on some world famous tour of Buddy Holly's home town. There was a great debate whether or not to tear down all the old houses in that area and build a new and more prosperous neighborhood. It went on for quite a few years, but it somehow lost the battle. Now that area is a thriving metro area of townhouses, fabulous housing for the University students, restaurants and shopping. Everything changes... even if it is a part of out history... even if it has great emotional value... and even if it is irreplaceable. It may have the best outcome and sometimes it is a sad ending.

In my short story "A Christmas Season in Hell" from my book "Spies Lie & Spies Die" The professor is looking for someone with an original story... an original thought. He didn't know that below him in a sealed room that person had been waiting for him. What was Edgar's story. Why was he sealed up in that room for forty years?  How would his story finally end after the professor falls into his morbid tomb?


CLICK HERE - Books by Dan Dwayne Spencer

Memorial Day Salute

You might think it's a little late to put something up for Memorial Day. Indeed, I agreed with that line of thinking... but then I reconsidered. I'm not sure it is ever to late to make that salute. So, here goes.

Question: Why did he write God so big.   Answer: Besides the fact I love the G in that type style... have your read my "Poetry of Praise" in my novella "The Secret King and Poetry of Praise?" No... Then all I can say is read it and you will understand how I feel. After reading it maybe you can say... I feel that way too.  

What is the difference in fences and walls?

This is a unique picture I took in a little West Texas town called Meadow. The house was rather ordinary, but it had this great fence which was surrounding a side yard. I couldn't resist framing this pic with my instamatic. In my book "The Secret King & Poetry of Praise" it's a good thing my characters Nachet and Amon didn't build a fence like this or else they couldn't have seen those three wise men coming up to their little house just outside the walls of Bethlehem.

(Ok... So, I don't know if Bethlehem actually had a wall... but most towns of any size built in that time did and the horrible smell of the firing clay would have made it all but necessary for the potter's shop to be outside or on the edge of the town.) So I have to ask... Is the structure here a wall or a fence? It could be used as a wall for a little village. Humm… maybe.


CLICK HERE - Books by Dan Dwayne Spencer

Why use the phrase Water Bird as a code word in "Spies Lie & Spies Die?"

I must admit to a fondness for water birds... especially cranes. I also draw them. They are magnificent. No one would suspect that here on the West Texas Plains I see an abundance of cranes. I think they migrate and my home is on their migration path. They fly off to somewhere about October, and return again in the spring. However, a few long legged white beauties can be seen from early spring through fall. I'm no expert; just an avid observer. At the right time of year some of our local parks with ponds will be full of them... in the trees, in the shallow pond water, walking on shore. Amazing.

Title: Water Bird

Artist: Dan Dwayne Spencer

Media: Polychrome Pencils

In my story "Spies Lie & Spies Die" I needed a pass phrase to keep the money safe in the virtual vault. I used 'Water Bird' for the pass code to access the money. When Angie got that strange phone call and the breathless man said "Water bird" she had no idea it was so important, but she knew she had to find out.

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Finding Beauty in the Flat Land of West Texas

Yes, I really do live on the Texas Plains. As I was driving to work one day (you see, I traveled from Lubbock to Brownfield every day when I taught there) when I realized that before me was this perfectly framed picture describing the flat land of the West Texas Plains better than any words could. I had to take the snap on my instamatic camera. If you look close you might see our one and only mountain. Nope it was only an ant hill... sorry.