Texas Talent Archives | Postcards Magazine

Smokey Culver

Ruth Fields — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 15:05:55 +0000

Postcards
April 29, 2024
Postcards

A friend once introduced him, saying, “This is Smokey. He’s a cowboy, a poet, and a musician.”

When Charles “Smokey” Culver was a young boy, his grandfather hoped he’d become a rancher; he nicknamed him “Smokey,” because it sounded like a respectable cowboy name. The moniker must have worked its magic, because Smokey, who grew up in Pasadena, spent lots of time working cattle at his grandfather’s ranch in Georgetown. He took to the cowboy lifestyle so well, his grandfather asked him to take over the ranch one day. Unfortunately, that day never came. The family went through hard times and the ranch was lost, but Smokey never forgot the lessons learned.

As it turned out, “Smokey” was also a good railroad name. Smokey joined the Missouri Pacific Railroad (later Union Pacific Railroad) in 1970 as a track worker. He began training to become an engineer in 1971 and was promoted to engineer in 1973. He ran freight and passenger trains until his retirement in 1995. Over the years, he became quite knowledgeable, and he was known for his expertise in interpreting “black boxes,” which trains—like planes—have on board. He is still called upon to testify as an expert witness at court proceedings. Smokey notes that every 90 minutes, there is a railroad accident in this country that causes a person to be injured. Most of the time, a lawsuit follows. Smokey travels throughout the country, providing assistance when needed.

Even during his years on trains, the cowboy lifestyle kept tugging at Smokey. He has entered many local rodeos as a calf roper and a team roper, and has earned a reputation for throwing loops accurately. “I don’t miss that often,” he says, “but I’m not that fast getting there.” Even today, his usual attire includes a cowboy hat and cowboy boots, and some of his favorite days are spent in the company of cows and horses. “I’m still roping cows and riding horses at 74,” he says.

Cowboy, poet, musician

When Smokey was a teenager, he learned that he had a way with words. “In high school, I started throwing rhymes out there,” he says. “I started writing poems about one thing and then another.” Poetry writing eventually led to songwriting. Smokey has played the guitar since he was 14 years old, and he has been writing songs since the early 1970s. Although he doesn’t read music, he writes both lyrics and music, playing by ear. “I get the melody down in my head,” he says. He estimates he has written 100 songs, including the western song “One More Star,” which was recorded in 1974 by vocalist Pat LaSalle. “It never went anywhere,” he says, “and that was the end. I published a lot of poetry, but not any other song.”

Smokey isn’t a fan of the way country music has drifted during the past decades, so he writes only western music that evokes the cowboy state of mind. For example, in one of his favorite musical compositions, “Arizona Sky,” he sings: “Riding through the canyon on my old paint horse, the Arizona sun is sinking low.” He likes to perform his own songs, especially at retirement centers in and around League City, where he lives today. When he packs up his gear to go home, he hears comments like, “Thank you so much for coming,” and “You just made our day. We really enjoy your music.” It pleases Smokey to make his audiences so happy.

Over the years, Smokey has become a prolific poet, composing an estimated 500 poems. Like his songs, many are about the cowboy way of life, but others were written at the request of friends to pay tribute to family members who have passed away. His latest work is a book of poems called True and Faithful Friends, which is about connections with dogs and horses. Some of his poems are happy, and some are sad. “If I make you laugh, I have done my job. If I make you cry, I have done my job,” he says.

The inspiration for poems can come from just about anything. Consider, for example, “A Walmart Rodeo,” which Smokey wrote after getting tangled up in a clothes rack at Walmart. “When something bad happens, you can make something good out of it,” he says.

Smokey never writes alone. “When I sit down to write a poem, I say a prayer asking for the words. I don’t do it on my own,” he says. “I ask for some assistance from above.” He does not have a secret formula for writing poetry, but once he has an idea for a poem, he can compose it pretty quickly. He sometimes writes a poem a day on his trusty computer. “Whenever I see anything that needs a poem written about it, I write one,” he says.

Smokey has published many of his poems. At first, he went through a publisher; today, he has a cowboy friend in Canada who makes the self-publishing process easy. “It’s a very simple operation, and it doesn’t cost me a lot,” Smokey says. “I send him the transcript, and the next thing I know I’ve got books out there.” Although Smokey sells his books on Amazon, he gets more satisfaction from giving them to people who will enjoy them. “If I had sold as many books as I’ve given away, I would be driving a Cadillac Escalade right now,” he says with a chuckle.

Smokey, along with a tightly-knit group of writers from throughout the U.S. and Canada, is a frequent participant at cowboy poetry competitions. He sometimes serves as a judge and is quick to credit his fellow poets for their abilities. “They know their poetry,” he says. Participants perform their own compositions from memory and are judged on rhyme, meter, delivery, stage presence, and other variables. Cowboy poetry competitions, like rodeos, often award belt buckles to winners, and Smokey has won a few. He humbly says, “It’s kind of like a rodeo. If you stay on the bull for eight seconds, you might win.”

Smokey is also a family man. He and his wife Susan have four children between them and have been blessed with 10 grandchildren and two great-grands. Smokey hopes he inherited his mother’s longevity. “She is 95 years old and going strong,” he says. “She drives a Mercury Marquis like A.J. Foyt.”

As the saying goes, Smokey has a lot of irons in the fire. While he doesn’t have a daily routine, during a typical week he might write poetry, participate on a conference call to discuss an upcoming trial about a railroad accident, perform at a retirement center, and work at the George Ranch and Historical Park near Richmond. The 23,000-acre ranch is 200 years old this year, and people come from all over the world to see what its cattle operation was like in years gone by. Smokey often demonstrates calf roping, branding, and dipping at the George Ranch 1930s Cattle Complex. He tells visitors that the ranch sprawls for 36 square miles and quips, “When I mow the grass here, it takes me a week and a half.”

Although his resume is long, Smokey likes the short version. A friend once introduced him, saying, “This is Smokey. He’s a cowboy, a poet, and a musician.”

Perhaps Smokey said it best himself in “Coffee with the Lord,” his favorite of his own poems:

I guess a hand reached down to me from up above somewhere

And pointed me toward the western sky

Because I was destined to become exactly what I am:

Guess I’ll be a cowboy ‘til I die.

The post Smokey Culver appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Chad Zunker

Karen Altom — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 17:06:48 +0000

Postcards
March 30, 2024
Postcards

From college football to creating baby products, this best-selling Texas novelist has traveled a unique path.

An email from Amazon Prime started my relationship with Chad Zunker. Apparently, one of the lesser-known benefits of Prime membership is First Reads, a program that offers customers early access to new books across popular genres for free. Each month, I peruse the list of offerings and read the descriptions and reviews before making my selection. One of the books listed was called “The Tracker.” Not only was it written by a fellow Texan, there seemed to be a little John Grisham feel to the description as well, so I decided to give it a try. I was hooked. Three books later, I reached out to Chad requesting an interview, and he graciously accepted.

Twenty years. 10 unpublished novels. Over 1,000 rejection letters. You say your story is one of incredible perseverance or complete insanity. As we have this conversation, you are a best-selling author on Amazon, and your latest book (The Wife You Know) has just been released. Thanks to you, I was able to read an advance copy and loved it. How’s that going?

It’s an exciting week! The funny thing about writing is you work for a whole year, followed by a two-to-three-week exciting window where the book is released, things are happening, people are posting, things like our conversation are going on…and then you get to crawl back into your cave and do it all over again. I’m definitely trying to enjoy this little sweet spot.

You are the first author I’ve read since Grisham that will hold my interest all the way through a novel. On your website, you mention it was a Grisham book that helped you realize a novel could actually be fun. Was that what started you down this path?

A couple of things happened at the same time. I really went to college (University of Texas) majoring in journalism, but hoping to play professional football. Once I got there and saw how good those guys really were (and that I was a skinny eighteen-year-old freshman walk-on wide receiver, barely 165 pounds soaking wet), I started thinking, “What else do I like to do?” This all happened about the same time I was reading and enjoying Grisham, so I thought, “I could do this…I could be a famous writer!” Little did I know.

Did you ever follow the journalism path?

I never really wanted to be a journalist, but I had to pick something, and I’m good at writing. As I got closer to the end (of school), I realized I really didn’t like journalistic writing. I preferred creative writing. The question then became, “How can I stay in Austin, try to become a novelist, and just work? Surely within a couple of years it will all come together.” I guess I always had this creative bent, but my early childhood was just sports, sports, sports. I’ve also always had this built-in self confidence that I could do whatever I set my mind to; it just took a whole lot longer than I thought!

On the author page in your books, it is noted you have clerked for some of the most powerful law firms in the country. Did you entertain becoming a lawyer, or was that also due to Grisham influence?

I just happened to get a job there! I was looking for a 9-5, good job (that hopefully didn’t tax me too much) so I could write during my off hours. It ended up being a fascinating place to be, and because I was so in love with Grisham’s early work, I found a lot of great material and parallels and thought it was good experience. It was a dynamic experience for about 6-7 years, and I learned a lot. But really, from the moment I stepped out of school, it was “Novelist or nothing.” There have certainly been times over the years I questioned whether I should give this up, but nothing ever rose up to take its place where I wanted to do anything else.

So, what were you doing while you were trying to make your novelist career happen?

I had three different things happen, and I was writing the entire time. First, was the little mini-legal career I mentioned, then I got into doing full time ministry with a church here in Austin. It started by leading college ministry, then singles ministry, and then overseeing operations for the church. Eventually, I became a campus pastor for a satellite campus we had started in downtown Austin. That was my second career, which I enjoyed a lot.

My third career came after my wife and I got married. We have three girls, but our first daughter (now almost 16) was a really fussy baby we couldn’t soothe. We started using this technique we had learned from a doctor – a really rhythmic shushing that worked like magic – but my wife couldn’t do it. She didn’t have the volume or lung capacity to do this really long technique, so I got a digital recorder to see if I could replace myself. It worked, and to make a long story short, that led us to inventing a product and starting a company (again on the side) called the Baby Shusher. It went global, is now in every Target, and we sold the company a few years ago…kind of living out the American dream.

In spite of this, the whole time, I was never in a place where I put writing to the side. The writing was always shifting around all of this. Even when we started the company and it started to become really successful, I found myself at a crossroads. If I was to give up the writing and really commit myself to this company, we could probably raise hundreds of thousands of dollars…and I could be the CEO of a traditional company, but I told my wife I didn’t want to do that. It wasn’t my passion. As much as I wanted to see it succeed, I didn’t want to commit my life to it and give up my writing. Thankfully, I didn’t.

What was the pull to stay in Austin?

We love it. It’s just a great city, and certainly the entertainment capital of Texas. While I was in college, my mom moved from Houston to Austin, and then my brother and his family came. There were a lot of reasons to want to be here. I never felt like I had to be anywhere else to be a novelist. I do have a brother who lives near Huntsville with his family, so it’s awesome to share this there.

Interesting about the characters you create (other than the things most of us would never encounter in day-to-day life…like assassins chasing you) is their real-life struggles, emotions, and even faith journeys they have. Why is it important to you to include those?

I’ve always felt things really deeply and been a pretty emotional guy. I lost my father in high school to leukemia, so I went through tremendous pain and loss and hurt. It felt like I overcame some of that and dealt with life trauma with the Lord. It was just my mom and I left at home dealing with it, so a lot of my characters suffer through things that are real, difficult life experiences.

You are involved in work with the homeless. Tell a little about that.

For ten years, my wife worked with a great non-profit called Mobile Loaves & Fishes, which serves the homeless here. The Community First tiny house village is part of this organization, and I have seen it grow into more than we ever imagined it could. Through that, we met a lot of people on the street and heard a lot of stories. I have a lot of empathy there. In my David Adams series, a lot centers around that world. It means a great deal to our entire family.

One thing that stands out about your writing is that I never know what’s going to happen until the end. Invariably, I close the book thinking, “I didn’t see that coming!” Share your process for accomplishing that.

Well, (laughing) I don’t know! I am unsure how I do it, other than maybe I am intuitively gifted, having a bunch of creative thoughts running through my mind and can process them. I have probably trained my brain that way. Obviously, I want this experience for every reader. No one wants to read an anti-climactic book. I try to give my brain creative space to work in and for me; a lot of that involves running. I do long runs, and I pray a lot when I run. It is almost guaranteed there is always one run where the ideas start churning, and I will make 50-60 voice notes about the story. I will call my wife afterwards and say, “This was the run.”

I have turned in next year’s book to my editor, and I already have a general thought for the book following that, but I still need the hook…what is the one thing the reader won’t see coming? I have a lot of running ahead of me to figure it out!

If you enjoy domestic thrillers and would like to know more about Chad, you can find him on Amazon and at ChadZunker.com.

The post Chad Zunker appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Sandee June

Amy Barnett — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:56:47 +0000

Postcards
November 30, 2023
Postcards

A nurse turned singer finds music is good medicine for the soul.

Sandee June is a lifelong Texan who calls Santa Fe home. She is proud to call herself a Texas country singer, but more importantly, she loves the titles of Christian, mom, and grandmother. This talented Texan hopes she is leading by example as she pursues a career on stage and in the recording studio – and she challenges others to chase their dreams!

Tell us how you got started playing music. We understand music was not your first career.

That’s correct! I have been a registered nurse for 26 years. My background is in cardiothoracic nursing, recovery room, and preoperative nursing. I knew from the age of six I wanted to be a nurse. I loved my school nurse, Mrs. Montgomery, and would watch her so closely. I wasn’t one to go to the nurse’s office much, but when I did go, she was heaven! I knew I wanted to make other people feel the way she made me feel when caring for them. I love taking care of others. I know I chose the right career and have no regrets.

But, when I turned 50, I decided it was time to do something for myself. My children were grown and gone and working on giving me lots of grandchildren. Growing up, my mom always told me, “Don’t die with your music still inside,” which meant anything in life…anything I wanted to do or change. My Dad always told me, “Never stop learning something new.” So, I decided to buy myself a guitar because I always wanted to learn to play. I taught myself to play on YouTube, and shortly after, I decided I wanted to sing – so I started going to open mic nights. I released my first single in 2020 during COVID, and it went to Number 31 on the Texas Country Music Chart. I was hooked from then on!

As you were learning to play guitar – is that when you discovered you could sing, or did you have prior experience singing?

I did not have any prior experience singing other than in the car or shower. I was never in choir or anything. I also got back on YouTube and found some vocal training videos and started practicing. Your vocal cords are muscles, and they can be trained. It helped to have a natural ear for sound, I guess, but it was all self-taught.

Was jumping into music a hard step to take?

The hardest step for me to take was peeling myself away from my family. I look at the story of Loretta Lynn and others who made painful sacrifices taking so much time away from their families, and this has been hard for me. I don’t want to miss a thing when it comes to my grown children and grandchildren. I love that I am able to not work full-time as a registered nurse anymore and be home with my family. At least with music, I can choose the time away from my family.

How did you get your cool, classic country sound?

I think my sound is unique because I grew up listening to music all day! There was never a time that my parents or grandparents didn’t have music playing in their homes. My parents loved James Taylor, Michael Martin Murphy, Cat Stevens, Etta James, Elton John, and Kris Kristofferson… just to name a few. Then my grandparents were always listening to Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton. Listening to such a diverse group of amazing musicians really impacted my ability to cross over and sing classic country and classic rock. This music was embedded in every fiber of my DNA. It really did help create “my” sound.

What artists inspire you today?

Lainey Wilson. She reminds me so much of my younger self – a hippie soul with country roots! That is how I would describe myself. As a matter of fact, five years ago when I was online creating my publishing company, I had to select three names in case one or all were already taken. Well, guess which one survived and made the cut? “Hipneck Publishing.” I laughed because I listed that name as a joke describing my roots, but God knew what he was doing. He knew that was for me.

How do you decide what songs to record?

A song has to resonate with me. It has to touch me deep down to my soul. I have to feel it. My new song, “Whiskey Us Away,” was written by Kris Rogge Fisher of Cypress, Texas. She had sent me several songs over the past year, then she sent me this song. The minute I heard it, the first 10 seconds of the song, I loved it! The lyrics are relatable for so many people. The feel and flow of the song was just right. I ran to the studio with it!

What is your favorite part about the music industry?

My favorite part about the music industry is probably listening to the finished product of all the hard work that went into practicing and recording a song. It takes so much time, money, and endless editing to finalize a product, and it sure is rewarding when it is done. I also love the feedback from fans and family who have encouraged me along the way. I never thought I would be doing this at my age, but you just never know what God has in store for you.

Where are some of your favorite places to play or types of shows to do?

Honestly, my favorite places to play are at private charity events. I love giving back to the community for people in need. There are bars and clubs on every corner, but I would rather see people spend money to help save a life. I do a lot more private events than touring. I sing at a place called Marais in Dickinson, Texas, and that is another place like home for me. I am certainly open to lots of places, but I really enjoy private events.

You recently performed at the Hatching for Health Charity Ball in Houston. What a cool event! And, what a costume!

I was asked to sing for the Hatching for Health Charity Ball benefiting “Heartgift,” an organization that raises money so children all over the world can receive heart surgeries. It was such a beautiful and magical night! My costume was handmade by a very good friend and amazingly talented photographer, Lacy Dagerath. She has got to be one of the most talented people I have ever met! She drew my wings, cut them out of metal, and used 450 fiber optic lights! They were truly magical, and they definitely turned heads!

This year you were a finalist for the TRRR Future Faces Showcase. What did that mean to you, and what was it like performing at Texas Live in Arlington for this event?

I was shocked when I got the call as one of the selections for the Future Faces of Texas Country Music! I felt honored, nervous, and excited! There are so many talented artists, it was just so surreal to be standing up there like I belonged. I worked very hard the past five years and have come a long way in a very short time – so I know God called me to be in this position. One of the most important things to me that I am doing is setting an example for my grown children and grandchildren, showing them you are never too old, nor it is ever too late to do something in life that you have always wanted to do. I hope they find inspiration in seeing what I have done!

Tell us about your family.

I have four children–Kara is 38, James is 34, John is 32 and Jase is 30. They have given me 12 grandchildren! My daughter has given me the most (6)! She makes it look so easy, but I can tell you it is no easy job! Ed, my fiancé, has three children and six grandchildren. Together, we have 18 grandchildren! There is never a dull moment, and my door is revolving with family! When our kids were young, we had a family name for us all. My last name is Evans and his is Bradley, so we called ourselves the “Bravens,” like the Brady Bunch We wouldn’t have it any other way, though! They are our life!

What other things or values are important to you?

God is number 1 for me! I do not like to miss church! It is what recharges my spirit and makes me happy. It gives me hope for a lot of the sadness we see today. Next to God, honesty and integrity are very important to me. And lastly, I would say taking care of the body God gave you. There are so many bad nutritional habits and ingredients – we really need to be our own advocates of our health. I am always looking for ways to improve my health.

The holidays are upon us! What is your favorite thing about Christmas?

My favorite thing about Christmas is remembering what Christmas is all about – Jesus Christ. It is a time of giving, baking and being with the ones we love. I love seeing people in the community coming together this time of year to help others. My favorite Christmas tradition is being in the kitchen baking with my grandchildren. I love making these memories with them. I love spending quality time with one at a time and lighting the fireplace and just talking about life!

Is there anything about you that people are always surprised to learn?

People are always surprised to learn that I also sew, quilt, and crochet! I love creating and making things! I love giving handmade gifts, although music has taken time away from that some. I also can write backwards in cursive; it’s a silly thing, but people are surprised when I tell them and show them!

What are your personal and music goals for 2024?

My personal goal for 2024 is to get my legs in shape (laughs)… it is harder to grow muscle the older we get, but I will be working on this! I want some Carrie Underwood legs (laughs). My music goal for 2024 is to write a No. 1 song or at least a top 10! I also will be working on another album!

To learn more about Sandee June, visit www.sandeejunemusic.com.

The post Sandee June appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Grady Hillman

Mike Yawn — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 15:34:07 +0000

Grady Hillman is a poet, anthropologist, artist, urban planner, writer, teacher, and translator. It’s not so much he has separate careers; rather, he has found a way to roll these careers into one livelihood and one lifetime. His work has taken him around this country and to more than 20 other countries, to the betterment of diverse communities and populations. Over the past dozen years or so, he and wife Mandy Gardner have combined talents in these endeavors.

Act I: A Nomadic Education

Where did you grow up, and how did this develop your facility with language?

All over: Mississippi; New Orleans, and other parts of Louisiana; Houston; Beaumont; Odessa; and Maracaibo, Venezuela. In New Orleans, French was required; in Venezuela, I had Spanish instruction; and in high school, I took German.

How did that turn into a career in poetry?

I was studying Humanities at Southern Methodist University, but I took a break from school and sort of did the hippie/activist thing; I became a carpenter. I moved to Austin where all the artists, writers, and dancers were banging nails as the city was beginning to grow. I would do poetry readings with construction buddies. But I was always interested in people, the stories they tell, and the things they believe in that help them make sense of the world. I ultimately graduated from the University of Texas and found understanding those things could benefit communities and earn me a living.

Act II: A Nomadic Educator

How did you wind up teaching in schools and in prisons?

It began when asked to be part of ‘Poets in the Schools’ in Huntsville. I did that, then Bob Pierce from Windham (Windham is the school district for TDCJ) contacted me about doing ‘Poets in the Schools’ in prison. This had never been done.

How did you and the program evolve?

I ended up teaching in more than 100 prisons! Some of that work was the subject of the award-winning film, Lions, Parakeets and Other Prisoners (1984); I also received a Texas Humanities Council grant to do Jailin’ in Texas, a discussion program about prison storytelling. That was especially gratifying.

How do people react when you tell them you taught in more than 100 prisons?

(chuckles) They might think it’s unusual or unsafe. If they ask, I just say, “It’s interesting, but not nearly as challenging as teaching a group of middle schoolers. Middle school is the toughest place I’ve ever worked.”

I taught in Beaumont, San Angelo, Terlingua, and other places. I taught in Mumford, a small town near Bryan, and I was in a classroom with children between the ages of five and nine, teaching them all at the same time. It required innovation, and it was a great learning experience for me, too.

What type of assignment would you give inmates at Windham?

I taught Dante’s Inferno, which has various characters from literature in various circles of Hell. They read the book, and I posed questions, one of which was to assess the punishments that Dante assigned to his characters. I’m not sure if they thought I’d be turning over their answers to the parole board, but they were all in favor of harsh punishments, noting, “Oh, Dante was too lenient. They deserve much worse!” Whatever the motivation of their responses, they knew the material.

Act III: Rising Action

At the end of the 1980s, you obtained a Fulbright Fellowship and returned for your Master’s Degree. What prompted that move?

I was dependent on other scholars throughout the 1980s to do the programs I wanted to do. I had the ability to implement the big grants, but I did not have the graduate degree, and in the Humanities, you really need such a degree. The Fulbright turned into my graduate research. I was able to travel and work with Dr. Roger deVeer Renwick, and I learned a lot about the Incan culture and language.

In fact, you took on the unlikely task of translating poetry from Quechua to English!

Yes, I had been to South America, and I was interested in the Incan Empire which, at its peak, was as large as the Roman Empire. The University of Texas taught Quechua, so I had this opportunity to learn. For the translation project, I worked with a professor named Guillermo Delgado, and he didn’t speak much English, and I didn’t speak much Quechua. Our common language was Spanish, and that’s how we worked, translating these Incan myths and poems to English.

Why did you choose anthropology for your Master’s degree, and how did your work change afterward?

It connected the things that interested me. It is studying people, and that’s what I do. I had more flexibility, and I could do larger projects. I put together cultural or historical plans for many communities: the King William District in San Antonio (TX), as well as districts in Greenwood (MS), San Marcos (TX), Charleston (MS), Anniston (AL), and the cultural district in Huntsville (TX).

When did you meet Mandy, and how did that change things?

We met briefly in 2007; I then reached out to her in 2010 for something work related, and something clicked.

It didn’t so much change things as enhance them. She has a PhD in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on pedagogy, literature, and sociology. She has taught in jails and homeless shelters, and she is a writer, often writing about health. This was a match for me, and her knowledge turned out to be helpful. At the time, all I knew was: I was at the top of my professional game, and I had met a wonderful woman.

Act IV: The Fall

This wonderful life stopped—literally—on June 26, 2011. While walking his dog, Hillman had a heart attack, a cardiac arrest, and a stroke—a medical hat trick. A short ambulance ride and three defibrillations later, his heart resumed beating. His fine motor skills and his voice, however, were slow to follow. The poet had lost his voice.

What do you recall about the moment you awoke?

I don’t have clear memories of much immediately following the stroke. I remember trying to communicate, but it was just gibberish. I also lost memory of events before the stroke. I didn’t even remember Mandy. That was her best chance to leave me. I wouldn’t have even known! (much laughter)

Mandy Gardner didn’t leave. In fact, she was essential to his recovery. They married in 2012, about nine months after Grady’s stroke.

How long were you unable to speak?

About two months. I was in the hospital for a month, then I went into rehab for five or six weeks. Even after I went home, I struggled, doing things like reading the paper upside down (laughs).

Mandy Gardner: He mostly babbled, and he would agree to all sorts of things, because he didn’t have a sense of time.

Grady: It’s a linguistic joke: “I lost my tenses.”

Mandy: It’s worth noting here that his speech therapists used his poetry to help him recover.

Grady: Yes, they taught me through “key vocabulary.” My poetry contained words that had meaning to me, and it helped me relearn language and speech.

When were you able to work again?

About a year later, I had my memory and most of my skills back. We got a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to do research. Beth Bienvenu, the Director of the Office of Accessibility for the NEA, contacted me and asked me to mentor writers teaching in a federal prison program. She said, “You still have your memory and your cognition, and we can work around your ability to talk.” So, I worked on that project for several years, until COVID put an end to it and similar projects.

Is the memory fully back?

Names and numbers give me the most problems. At times I cannot think of the correct word, and I have to use a circumlocution to describe it. It’s a slow, long recovery from losing about half my vocabulary.

Mandy, Grady, and half his vocabulary now live in Albuquerque, and he still works and travels. He completed a book in the past year, Arts in Corrections: 30 Years of Annotated Publications by Grady Hillman.

Act V: Revival

It’s been a dozen years since the stroke, what ails you besides the vocabulary?

My right hand has lost some motor coordination, so it’s harder to write. Things come to me more slowly, which makes it difficult to toggle back and forth among topics. It’s like a large ship trying to turn around. I’m still recovering, and I’ve been humbled, but I am doing what I need to do. I am an editor, and I am editing myself, with the help of Mandy.

What are your current projects?

I am still publicizing the book, and I am working on a project to get back into a correctional facility to teach arts and poetry. I am also working on a book based on my travels in Peru. I wrote a lot of poetry when I was in Peru, which was during their civil war, and I kept journals.

Would it have been more difficult to recover from your stroke if you hadn’t been trained in linguistics and had so many diverse life and career experiences?

It would have. I was trained as a linguist and as an anthropologist. I know what’s wrong with my brain; I know what I am doing; I know where to go for help; and Mandy knows what I don’t. It is a blessing.

The post Grady Hillman appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Timothy Sojka

Linda W. Perkins — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:37:51 +0000

All my books are set in East Texas, and they always will be. I feel like I get pulled back to Silsbee like a salmon being pulled back to its breeding ground.

I don’t know what a novelist in the “thrillers” genre is supposed to look like, but after reading the first chapter in each of his three books (where in each case someone is found murdered), I would have expected author Timothy Sojka to look a little more grisly. Instead, I am greeted inside a smartly decorated office by a tall, slim man wearing a tie and pinstripe suit, with salt and pepper hair and a neatly trimmed beard.

As he reaches to shake my hand, I wonder when I am going to see beyond the businessman and get a glimpse into the mind of the award-winning storyteller whose novels are set deep in the Piney Woods of East Texas. When he sits down and starts talking, I pick up on his drawl…and then as he crosses his left leg over the right, the cuff of his pant leg rises just enough to show a mostly-purple multicolored striped sock, and I begin to sense the creative side of him.

How long have you been a writer, and how do you balance it with your real estate business?

I knew at a really young age I wanted to be a writer. I just knew I didn’t want to be a starving author. A lot of successful writers have other jobs. A lot of them are literary. It’s just that my other job is selling about 200 homes per year, plus I do commercial real estate as well. I think we all might like to have a book where we could quit our day job–and honestly, that used to be my goal–but now I just want to write something great.

What do you think makes a writer great?

Well, some people don’t like to get tough feedback, but I love it. I swap with other authors, and there are a couple in particular I really value, because I can be tough on them, and they know they can be tough on me. When I was younger, I couldn’t handle that kind of feedback, but now I can. I know my books are so much better because they were tough on me.

**Your first two novels, Payback Jack and Politikill, address political issues. How does that exactly work in the world of fiction?**

I want to write something that changes the way people think. When I was about 15 or 16, there was a scandal about politicians who were taking bribes; the FBI came in, and they got prosecuted. So, I started thinking, “Man, that’s a great idea. We should be holding our politicians accountable.” Then 30 years goes by and nothing else happens, and that really bothered me. So, I could write a non-fiction book about corruption, but that would be boring. What if, instead, I wrote a thriller about a woman who was really affected by political corruption and then started killing people? I can use the story to talk through more effective ways to deal with corruption – not killing politicians (obviously), but term limits and the like – that is a lot more compelling than writing a non-fiction book about it.

So, these are important subjects to you personally?

Yes. Like my first book, Payback Jack, deals with the death penalty. It really bothers me the way we handle it in the United States. I can research and write about that, but my opinion doesn’t mean a lot to most people. But if I can write something that really entertains you and presents both sides of the story, then lets you make a decision about it, I have accomplished my goal.

You grew up in Silsbee, in the Big Thicket area of Texas, right? How influential is that in your writing?

My (writer’s) voice is all about where I come from. All my books are set in East Texas, and they always will be. I feel like I get pulled back to Silsbee like a salmon being pulled back to its breeding ground. I don’t go there in my dreams every day, but I go back there a lot. I think about things and the people there. I know the rhythms of how they talk. Sitting in the living room, with my uncle Raymond Gilmore and my grandparents Myrtis and Selman Gilmore, listening to them talk–that’s how I learned to tell stories and entertain people. It makes you feel differently and think differently when those are your first storytellers.

Besides your family members, who else has influenced your writing?

I love the Georges as storytellers – George Jones and George Strait. I also love the Charlies – Charlie Daniels, Charlie Rich, and (most importantly) Charlie Pride. I mean, the first people to paint pictures in my head weren’t books. Hearing Kiss an Angel Good Morning by Charlie Pride was the first time I remember words painting pictures in my mind. The Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels came out when I was in 6^th or 7^th grade, and it was the first time I could actually see and understand who the devil was and how he was buying you off. My voice has been shaped more by country music than by the fancy authors I’ve read.

What are some unique things about growing up in a small East Texas town that show up in your books?

The first death I ever witnessed was there. By the way, you get better food at funerals in small towns than you do at birthdays. So, you were excited to go to a funeral. Sure, you had to sit for a couple of hours and look at dead bodies, but then you got to have everybody’s best cooking! I also love that I’d be at a swimming hole where someone died 15 years ago, or even a week ago, and people would still be sitting around telling the stories. Everything was so dark and romantic.

I wasn’t born in East Texas. I was born in Chicago. But something really rough happened to me when I was six, and I didn’t trust adults. My parents got divorced, and I got shipped to Silsbee, Texas. I started picking up things really young – how people talked and how they acted – so that I could decide whether I could trust them. When you’re young and you can’t trust anyone, you become a storyteller.

You write on some pretty dark subjects. How can that be a challenge?

We all want our lives to be easy, but in a novel, we all want our characters to go through hell. If you wrote a book where everything went okay for the characters, it’s not going to sell anything. So you want your character to go through holy hell. You have to make their lives as difficult and as tough as possible. And it’s kind of sad, because when you create a character, you really get to know them. You really do. I mean, you spend more time with them than you do anyone else outside of your wife or kids.

Do you have a favorite character from your books?

To this day, I still really love Smith Driskill from Payback Jack, because he’s the first character I ever saw and felt. And Teeny in Claws, my new book I’m working on now that will come out next year, is my current favorite. She’s an eight-year-old who has gone through some terrible things. She can talk, but she chooses not to. I like that limit. It makes her more interesting, because she can’t say anything. I think the best characters are defined by their limits, not their strengths.

One thing I noticed in your books is how descriptive you are. For instance, I think all our readers would be able to relate to how you describe the weather in southeast Texas, “The heat surrendering to its superior tormentor – humidity. The stickiness of your clothes, the line of sweat forming across your back, supergluing skin to shirt.”

You have to get people off the page. When I read and I see the words in front of me, I hate that. But when I read and I can see pictures in my brain, that’s where I want to be. The best compliment I get is when someone says, “Hey, I read it like it was a movie. It should be a movie. I saw it in my brain.” That’s the greatest. I try to write to people’s senses a lot, as well as to their sense of humor.

Timothy Gene Sojka is the author of Amazon bestselling thriller Payback Jack, and his novels Politikill and 39: Your Last Birthday are both Maxy Award winners. His latest book, Claws, a thriller dealing with the subject of child trafficking, is due out in 2024. Tim is a Realtor/Broker and CEO of See Tim Sell Property Group, and is happily married with one grown daughter. He paddleboards for stress relief and runs so he can eat Tex-Mex.

The post Timothy Sojka appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Casey & Melinda Donahew

Amy Barnett — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 14:40:15 +0000

With eight independent albums and 23 No.1 songs, Casey Donahew is a cornerstone of the Texas Music Scene. An independent artist for 20 years, he is known for selling out shows across the country, bringing his brand of fun, honkytonk music to fans all over the U.S. In the early 2000s, the Burleson-raised singer cut his teeth in the Fort Worth stockyards, but he didn’t do it alone. He is really half of a dynamic duo, with wife/manager Melinda. These two make quite the pair and are proof that talent, hard work, and practical strategy–mixed with love and family–are the formula for success. Postcards sat down with the Donahews before a recent show at Billy Bob’s Texas to talk about their journey over the past two decades.

How did the two of you meet?

CD: She stalked me. She wouldn’t leave me alone. No, really, I came home from A&M, and she was the new girl in town; we were at a party at my buddy’s house. I really couldn’t play the guitar at all then, but I think I was playing on a tailgate, and she was mesmerized. From that moment forward, she couldn’t get me out of her head.

MD: That’s not even the truth! He didn’t even introduce himself that night. Fast-forward to the next summer. I had just graduated high school, and my current boyfriend’s roommate and Casey were friends. So that’s how we met.

By that time, Casey, you had moved back to Burleson?

CD: Yeah, A&M was restructuring some of their classes and there was a downsizing, so some of us had to leave A&M. My grades weren’t exactly up to par, so I moved home. I think I have like an honorary degree coming or something. It’s lost in the mail. So, I moved home, and she broke up with her boyfriend. We saw each other in the stockyards, and I asked her to dance.

MD: He had on khaki pants and a white button-down shirt…like a nerdy outfit. He followed me for six weeks, and then I finally went on a date with him.

Persistence! And you’ve now been together more than 20 years and married for 19. What made you click?

MD: We’re total opposites, so it was easy. Casey is very laidback. He kind of just goes with the flow. I’m loud, very organized, and have OCD.

CD: She’s super organized, super on top of things, and very determined. I’m more of a free spirit.

You’ve built a wonderful family together and an incredible business in country music. Let’s talk family first.

CD: We’ve got a fourteen-year-old, Zane River, and a nine-year-old, Zax Ryder. Pretty different kids. Our oldest…

MD: Acts just like Casey.

CD: Yeah, he’s got a little me in him for sure. They’re both super sports kids, super outdoorsmen, hunters. They’re rad kids for sure. They’re crazy smart. My oldest is kind of like Rain Man. He’s doing things on another level. He’s taught himself how to play the drums, piano, and guitar. He plays every sport there is. He wakes up at 5:30 in the morning and works out every day before school. I don’t know of any other eighth grader in the universe who wakes up at 5:30 to work out. And then the little one is like the sweetest human being on the planet–unless he’s on a baseball field; then, he’ll take your head right off your shoulders.

I know they keep you both very busy. Not sure how you balance it all with such a successful music career. Let’s jump into the music. Melinda, you began managing Casey early on. Casey, when did you realize you were good enough to pursue a living in country music?

CD: It was a hobby at first. My grandpa played guitar, and I taught myself how to play in college. Being a storyteller has always been my passion. We started in 2002, very casual, across the street at a bar that’s now a tattoo shop. It was the Thirsty Armadillo. Back then, it was kind of the spot in Fort Worth if you couldn’t play Billy Bob’s – you played there or at Woody’s. I don’t think we ever set out for this to be a career. We both still had other jobs for the first six years of this.

What were some of the struggles you faced getting started in the early 2000s?

CD: No one would let us open. No one cared. So, we did everything on our own. We would play places that no one else played – rock bars in Abilene on Tuesday nights. Because they would just let you come in and play for the door.

MD: And sometimes we played for free bar tabs.

CD: It was one of those things where we’d get through a year, then decide to do one more year. Let’s see what happens in a year. And then, all of the sudden, you’re making money. In 2008, we just decided to both do this for a living. We both quit doing anything else and dove into this.

You kept your day jobs for the first six years. How important was that in creating the success you have today?

MD: It was probably the biggest thing. I think where a lot of bands or musicians fail is they can’t invest in themselves. Because, when you first start, you’re not selling tickets. You’re not really making much, and you’ve got to pay everyone in your band and put gas in your car.

CD: When I first started, if you told me 300 people were going to be there for sure, I would play for free. My thought was, ‘I’m going to sell 300 people on me, and if I can sell $300 of t-shirts, I can pay my band $100 apiece.’ That was all I cared about. I didn’t really need to make the money, because I had a job. A lot of young artists today don’t see it like that, but you have to invest in yourself.

MD: Because if you’re getting everyone else to invest in you, it’s like you’re constantly owing everybody something. You always have a debt to pay.

So, selling t-shirts was a big part of keeping things afloat from show to show?

CD: I think one of our biggest things was our merch. I think we were advanced, merchandising-wise. You would go to places and see Casey Donahew shirts. My name or lyrics were huge across the back of the shirt, with bright colors – kind of trashy chic. It was big and bold. We sold our shirts for $10 forever, when everyone else was selling them for $20 and $25. Part of that is because we could invest in ourselves. Also, my wife’s my manager, so I’m not having to kick 15% out to somebody else.

You’ve both said timing has had a lot to do with your success. Can you elaborate?

CD: I give a lot of credit to MySpace. That’s right when we started. We’d put music on there, and everybody was on it. We were getting these crazy numbers and, also, we came along at the time of burning CDs. Like a “worn out tape of Chris LeDoux” – that was a thing with rodeo kids. Rodeo kids would burn CDs, then meet at rodeos and trade burnt CDs. We would get contacts from crazy places because of all the rodeo songs.

MD: Then when iTunes started, you could go in independently and upload your music as a third-party. It was great, because we could finally get music on something. Until then, being independent, the only thing we could do was consignments with Hastings back in the day, like in college towns. So, all of a sudden we get a couple songs on iTunes, and we start getting these checks in the mail. Casey was like, “Is this real? Can we cash this? What is happening?”

What are some of your favorite memories from the early days?

MD: Not sleeping in the van. We did a lot of van sleeping.

CD: 2008 was the first year we made a lot of money. But half of the shows we did that year were for $100. We would sleep in a van, freezing cold, not running. So many miserable nights. I can’t even comprehend it.

MD: It was like Almost Famous, but not glamorous. At all.

CD: And back in those days, there was a big deal about this trailer-stealing crisis. So, when we’d stay at hotels, I couldn’t sleep. We couldn’t afford to have everything we owned stolen.

So much has happened over the last 20 years – including racking up 23 No. 1 songs. What are your favorites of your No. 1s?

CD: “Bad Guy” is one I’m really proud of; I wrote it by myself. “Drove Me to the Whiskey,” too. I don’t spend a lot of time writing with other people. There are people I do write with that I really enjoy, but the old Nashville writing process isn’t my thing. But there are different kinds of songs. I think early on, I caught a lot of flak for the simple songs. I like fun songs, funny songs, and clever songs.

Your current single is “Starts in a Bar,” another No. 1 off your “Built Different” album. Why do you think this song resonates with your fans?

CD: To me, it feels like a traditional country song, in a time when that doesn’t seem as popular as it used to be. It still has some appeal to people. That’s one of the things that jumps out to me – it’s a grab-your-girl, hit-the-floor-and-two-step, dancing country song. I wrote it with Tim Nichols and Josh Leo.

What can fans expect next?

CD: There may be another single off “Built Different,” but I have a lot of songs to go into the studio with and am really excited about the new stuff.

Looking back over the past two decades, what’s the formula for being married and working together?

CD: Melinda was capable and stepped into a prominent role in my career; there is nothing more valuable than having someone who has nothing but your best interest in their mind.

Finally, what is the best advice for an up-and-coming artist?

CD: When we started, somebody told me this, and I have tried to stick with it for 20 years – do everything you can yourself until you can’t do it anymore. You don’t need anyone taking any of your money for things you can do yourself.

Great advice! Thank you, Casey and Melinda Donahew, for sharing your story. To learn more about Casey’s music and to see his up-to-date touring schedule, visit caseydonahew.com.

The post Casey & Melinda Donahew appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Kathryn Casey

Mike Yawn — Mon, 02 Jan 2023 15:23:21 +0000

Kathryn Casey is primarily known as a true-crime writer, but her writings cover the spectrum. She’s written about glitzy art galas in Houston, interviewed A-list celebrities, interrogated serial killers, dished with first ladies over tea, and authored several novels. She has written more than 100 magazine articles, 11 works of non-fiction, and 7 novels. She has been seen on numerous news programs and documentaries and can currently be seen in all three episodes of Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, which ranked as one of the most streamed programs in December 2022.

Where did you grow up?

The Midwest, in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, which is near Milwaukee. I still have family there, and we go back from time to time.

When did you move to Texas?

I moved to Texas in 1980, when my husband moved here for a job. At the time, I was working a flexible job as a bookkeeper. When I got to Houston, though, I decided to make a switch and earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston.

Did you pursue that degree with the idea of being a writer?

I did. I wanted to major in English, but I was in my thirties, and I thought that was really old. I figured I needed to be practical and get a degree in journalism.

Do you still think that being 30-something is old?

I do not.

Did the degree lead to a job writing?

Yes. I obtained an internship with Houston City Magazine, which, in turn, led me to being hired by the magazine. By the time I left a couple of years later, I was a senior editor. I then jumped to Ultra.

It was a bit like a Town & Country for Texas. I went to many ritzy parties and store openings, and we published a lot of stories with ball gowns and jewels. I was there for about two years, and then I worked regularly as a contract writer at Ladies Home Journal for almost two decades. During this period, I did a lot of freelance writing.

I wrote for numerous magazines and newspapers. I published for The Washington Post, Houston Chronicle, and The Boston Globe. I was a stringer for Newsweek and People. I wrote for Rolling Stone, Town & Country, and Seventeen. Freelancing was great because it allowed me to do different things, but it was important to have regular work, as I did with Ladies Home Journal.

Things are so different now that a lot of people don’t realize what a thriving and stimulating world journalism was in the 1980s and 1990s.

It was a lot of fun. One week I might be in a penthouse at Caesar’s Palace interviewing Reba McEntire; then I would go to talk to a grandmother in another state who had been artificially inseminated with her grandchildren; this could be followed by a visit to Allentown, Pennsylvania to cover a serial-killer case; and then it was off to the White House to interview Hillary Clinton.

She wasn’t the only first lady you interviewed.

That’s correct, I’ve interviewed Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Laura Bush.

Who was your favorite interview?

That is a tough one. But I really liked Laura Bush. I spent two days with Ms. Bush, one day with her during the campaign and a day interviewing her. She had been a librarian, and we spent a lot of time talking books, which I enjoyed very much.

Do you have any amusing stories from your time with first ladies?

When interviewing Rosalynn Carter, I had something of a surprise. While in her home in Plains, Georgia, President Carter walked through the door. He had been clearing out some vegetation, and he had cut his hand. He walked in the door, saw Rosalynn and me speaking, and he interrupted, asking, “Rosalynn, do you think we have health insurance?”

Was he serious?

No, he was just playing, but he sat with us for a while during the interview. At one point he interrupted again, and noting that I worked for Ladies Home Journal, he said, “Lot of recipes in that magazine. Think you could make us some lunch? I’m getting darn hungry.” At that point, Rosalynn got up and escorted him out of the room.

Around this time—the late 1990s—the internet is changing journalism. Can you describe what effect this had?

Absolutely. The internet was emerging, and people were writing internet content for free. A lot of the print media began to dry up, and jobs became scarce. Fortunately, I was writing books by then. Not all writers were that fortunate.

The internet has made information more available, but not necessarily more reliable. When you were writing for major magazines, what steps were there to ensure accuracy?

Just as one example, when I did a piece for Rolling Stone, I had to supply the editors with a list of all my sources and their contact information. The magazine had fact-checkers, and all my work had to go through a legal team. Back then, even as a freelance writer, I had support from the magazines. The leading magazines had research teams to support writers. There were strict journalistic standards.

During this period, you wrote on a diverse set of topics, and you could have written books about any of those broad subjects. What brought you specifically to true crime?

I began covering true crime while I was with Houston City in the 1980s. There was a love-triangle murder I covered, and I spent months working on it. I found the trial addictive; I enjoyed seeing the attorneys in action. It was like a chess game; as a journalist, I was watching the strategy. I enjoyed that aspect of it. But the cases are also sad, and it is difficult to interview the victims’ families. But I thought there was something valuable in getting the information to the public.

Is it the investigative challenge that intrigues you?

Partly. It’s putting the puzzle together, assembling the pieces into a coherent picture, making sense out of the case. Prosecutors have asked me, “How did you get all that information?” For me, it’s a quest.

What’s the most interesting true-crime case you have covered?

The Celeste Beard case in Austin probably involved the most unusual set of circumstances. It was something of a preposterous story, one I described in She Wanted it All. If the Coen Brothers made a movie about domestic murder, it might look like the Celeste Beard case.

Celeste married a millionaire widower, Steve Beard, who was more than twice her age. She had also befriended Tracey Tarlton, the manager of Austin’s Book People, and the two of them, according to She Wanted it All, made two unsuccessful attempts on Steve’s life. In a third attempt, Tracey shot Steve in the stomach, and he died four months later from a (probably related) blood clot. Tarlton received a reduced sentence for testifying against Celeste, and she was released from prison in 2011. Celeste was convicted of capital murder, and she is not eligible for parole until 2042.

You made the transition from magazine journalist to true-crime author, then you made the transition to novelist. Tell us about that transition.

I’ve basically been in a long-running legal education, dating back to the 1980s, when I began covering criminal trials. I’ve been in a lot of courtrooms. True-crime is interesting, but it’s not a lot of fun to write, and it’s reporting, not creative writing. I began writing fiction to explore things creatively, to have control of the plots, and I’ve been having fun with it.

Casey’s first novel, Singularity, was published in 2008, and it featured Sara Armstrong, a Texas Ranger. Library Journal called it a “well-written debut” and Booklist called it “impressive,” with a “memorable heroine” who “has brains, moxie, and heart.” Casey wrote four novels featuring Armstrong.

**After years of writing magazines and non-fiction, you wrote Singularity, featuring a female Texas Ranger. How did you prepare for that?**

I spent about a month going around interviewing female police officers. They shared with me the process of breaking into the profession and various elements of law enforcement. And, of course, I have my own experiences covering cases, so I have a lot to draw on. What I learn in non-fiction bleeds into my fiction.

Which sells better: your non-fiction or fiction?

They both sell pretty well. The fiction works have been pretty successful, but I am known as a true-crime author.

Ann Rule referred to Casey as “one of the best in the business” and author Gregg Olsen called her a “true crime great.”

With several successful novels under your belt, do you think you’ll return to the more emotionally and physically grueling true-crime?

I have submitted a couple of chapters of a proposed non-fiction work to my agent. I would like to do more. True crime is very popular right now, perhaps a function of both podcasts and documentaries on Netflix and such. I think readers take something from the true crime.

You self-published one of your novels. Tell us how that works.

My first three Sara Armstrong books were done through St. Martin’s, and I had a clause in that contract that I could get the rights back under specific conditions. It worked out, and I was able to get those rights. When I wrote my fourth Armstrong book, I self-published it.

Is that a risk?

Not as much now. Self-publishing is quite common, and if I don’t like an offer from a publisher, I can go the self-publishing route.

What are the industry standards for royalties through a traditional publisher and self-publishing?

It depends on various factors, such as who the author is, but the standard on a paperback is for the author to get eight percent; and for an e-book, the author receives twenty-five percent. With self-publishing, the author will receive between thirty and seventy percent of the cover price, but the author will also need to hire the copy editor and cover designer. And, of course, the author will need to do all the promotion.

**Your latest books feature Detective Clara Jeffries. The first of these books, Fallen Girls, begins in a Mormon community. How did you come across that idea?**

In my magazine years, I spent a week in a polygamous Mormon town about an adoption case. It is a lifestyle that’s very different from what most people know, and, as I was writing my novel, I thought that knowledge might be useful in forming the backstory and setting.

In both your fictional series, you have a female investigator as the lead. Is that because it’s what you know, or is it a social statement?

Female sleuths sell well; they are in demand. But, also, I am female, and I have done a lot of investigating. I know female police officers. I can take what I know, and I can incorporate it into my novels.

Have you ever thought of inserting yourself into one of your novels as a character? For example, having a dogged female reporter named Kathryn Casey cover one of the cases that Clara Jeffries is investigating?

I have never done that, but it is a great idea. If I do that, I’ll have to include you in the acknowledgements!

You can see Kathryn Casey on Netflix’s Crime Scene: The Texas Killing Fields, you can find her books on Amazon or at almost any bookstore, and you can learn more about her on her website: https://www.kathryncasey.com/index.htm.

The post Kathryn Casey appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Flatland Cavalry

Amy Barnett — Mon, 02 May 2022 15:29:49 +0000

Since their humble beginnings playing music in Lubbock, Texas, Flatland Cavalry has taken their old-school, yet uniquely fresh sound across the country and to country music’s most iconic stage. The sextet now has three critically-acclaimed albums and is touring the country and beyond, gaining new fans with every show. Postcards Magazine sat down with bandleader Cleto Cordero to learn more about the journey that started in West Texas songwriting circles and dancehalls—and how faith has been the greatest driver of their success.

How did this incredible musical journey start for you?

My mom would keep a radio on the windowsill when I was growing up, and I think that’s where I fell in love with music. And usually, it was turned to a country station. My parents loved George Strait. We would listen to his “50 No. 1 Hits” in the car, and it would get us all the way from Midland to Alpine for family visits. And growing up, I would listen to my older brother’s CD player when he was away (even though he always said, “Don’t touch my stuff!”). I would listen and write down the lyrics, because I wanted to know the words so I could sing for the kids on the school bus. I would mimic people’s voices, and they got a kick out of it. When I was 14, that’s when it really changed for me. My brother bought me a guitar for Christmas, and the movie School of Rock had come out around that time. It was really influential in me wanting to learn to play. I thought if those kids could learn, so could I. I never get tired of watching that movie.

So, what happened next after getting the guitar?

I was raised Catholic, so we would turn off the TV for Lent. I had nothing to do the whole Lenten season, and my dad had this VHS tape of a guy teaching you how to play guitar. We started it together, and I did it every night. After Lent was over, I had gotten hooked and pushed past the blisters on my fingers.

Then, when I turned 17, I wrote a song because I told someone I would. Had to keep my word and write it in a pinch. I played it for my peers and showed it to my English teacher. She was a very sweet lady and a believe-in-your-dreams kind of person. I saw people were moved by it. My dad said, “You wrote that? You should keep going.” He had never said that before – he never said, “Good job at baseball.” (laughs)

After graduating high school, how did you continue developing your skills and begin really chasing your dreams?

After two years in a junior college, I moved to Lubbock to go to Texas Tech. My brother said if you’re going to waste Mom and Dad’s money, get a good degree. So, I got a degree in accounting. He knew I wanted to do music.

Our drummer Jason and I have known each other since 8^th grade. We were both living in Lubbock, going to Tech, and both had this dream to play music. We went to open-mic nights as soon as we moved to town and started to get our feet wet out there. The Blue Light had a songwriter night, and I had heard of Blue Light Live that put out people like Josh Abbott, William Clark Green, Pat Green, and Wade Bowen. I initially thought after junior college I would go to Austin to the Music Capital of Texas, but I would have been a goldfish in a big pond when all these signs were pointing north to Lubbock. So, I did songwriters’ night every Monday – never missed one. Jason and I started playing around town and found our guitar player Reid, who was 19. Soon we had six band members. We were a cover band playing on Broadway in Lubbock where our peers were. Every once in a while, we’d throw in an original, and we did that for a couple of years. Then I graduated in 2014 and had a panic attack.

Oh no! Why a panic attack?

I realized I wasn’t a student anymore, and I had to get a job, and that rocked my world. I was working in construction installing windows as I was doing in college, and I tried to find an accounting job which was one of the most painful memories I have – knowing that’s not what I wanted to do.

Then I heard a still, small voice that said, “Record the songs – get to work.” So, I called Scott Faris at Amusement Park Studios and asked if I could cut a single, which ended up becoming the Come May EP in 2015. Then we got a single on local radio, Red Dirt Rebel, and it became a Top 5 on the Drive At 5 and then got to No. 1. People were requesting it, and we played it at The Blue Light, and people came out in droves. That’s when I decided either to get a real job or chase this with my whole passion.

I had to wait for the band to graduate, so I still did odd jobs – built road cases in my garage. I remember cutting metal in my garage and listening to our mixes for our album Humble Folks, and it made me cry because I knew when people heard it, I wouldn’t be doing that anymore.

Soon after, we got a booking agent, management and people wanted to help us. We’ve had ups and downs, but it’s worked out for us to be here today.

Over the past few years and now with three albums, your music has evolved, but you’ve stayed true to your roots. Talk about the inspiration behind the song, Gettin’ By.

I went to the cowrite one day, but I didn’t have much to say. But I showed up and did my best. We talked about growing up, and that title brought to mind a photo I have of my dad and all us kids – there were seven of us – and he had a stern look on his face. He didn’t really smile a bunch in photos. Then I realized he was younger than me in these photos with seven kids. I can imagine he was stressed. We were just getting by, but as a kid I didn’t know that. Their love and faith have been a driver for me.

My parents dreamed of having a large family. They came from very humble beginnings near the border, and they wanted to get us away from that life, so we settled in Midland. At one point, there were all nine of us in a single-wide trailer. From nine people in a single-wide to paying for all of our college. They built a house on the same property, and they are just wonderful people. All the faith and love I have in my heart comes from them and my journey.

How did Flatland Cavalry adapt to the pandemic?

Pandemic was a sowing season for us – we knew it was a time to write songs, rehabilitate, and spend time with family – soak all that time up, and here we are back at work.

Flatland Cavalry also made its Grand Ole Opry debut during the pandemic. What was that night like?

The Grand Ole Opry debut was a pivotal experience. All our families drove in from all over. All six of my siblings showed up, and my mom and dad. When we took the stage and stood in the circle and played Country Is, I told the story about starting in a garage. We ended with Stompin’ Grounds – a song about being born in this land and ending up back in the ground. We got a standing ovation, so that was special.

You talk about your family a lot and how they have had a major role in your success so far. You also talk about your faith. How much do you rely on your faith in this journey?

It’s the most important thing in my life. I am not saying I am never doubtful, worrisome, or fearful, but I know it’s the most important thing, because without belief you cannot have a dream or anything to shoot for. You stick with that, and it will give you everything – the songs, people in your life to love and love you, and just try to be a decent person.

Speaking of love – you also got married during the pandemic to the super talented Kaitlin Butts. You both are so down to earth, yet so focused on your musical careers.

I tell Kaitlin, “Let’s pour all our time into this and do all the work that we’ve been doing, and in the future if we don’t get to do this, we can still say – look at all the stuff we did.”

Great advice, and Flatland Cavalry is certainly doing stuff! They recently went across the pond to perform at the C2C – Country to Country festival, and they just released a YouTube video series, “Far Out West Sessions.” Cordero will soon begin recording the second album by “The Panhandlers,” which consists of himself, Josh Abbott, John Baumann, and William Clark Green. And we could see another Flatland Cavalry album in the works by year’s end.

To keep up with Flatland Cavalry and find out when they will be playing near you, visit flatlandcavalry.com.

Photo caption for group photo:

Flatland Cavalry consists of bandleader and lead singer Cleto Cordero, guitarist Reid Dillon, bassist Jonathan Saenz, drummer Jason Albers, fiddle player Wesley Hall, and utility instrumentalist Adam Gallegos

**For all the full-band photos, please give photo credit to Fernando Garcia.

The post Flatland Cavalry appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Elle Townley

Postcards — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 12:55:38 +0000

She may only be 13 years old, but Georgetown, Texas, native Elle Townley delivers the lyrics of her new song, “One Too Many Heartaches,” like a seasoned pro.

“The song is about feeling vulnerable while opening up to someone new and realizing that the reward can be worth the risk,” said Townley, who wrote the song with veteran Nashville songwriter Britton Cameron. Her classic country voice subtly sends a powerful message – “No matter how bad your heart hurts, it will heal over time.”

Postcards Magazine is pleased to debut the lyric video for “One Too Many Heartaches.” Check it out here.

“One Too Many Heartaches” will be available on all streaming platforms on March 10.

Learn more about the very talented Texas singer-songwriter Elle Townley in the April edition of Postcards Magazine.

The post Elle Townley appeared first on Postcards Magazine.

Morgan Ashley

Amy Barnett — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 15:05:19 +0000

She is the Texas Country Music Association’s reigning Female Artist of the Year. Born in Bryan, raised in Columbus, and now calling College Station home, 25-year-old Morgan Ashley is a Texan through and through. She has taken the Texas Country Music Scene by storm and is proving you can be down to earth and still shoot for the stars. Postcards Magazine visited with Morgan about the FFA talent show that first sparked her interest in music, and the journey that led her to the big stage at Billy Bob’s Texas, where she accepted her award among veterans in the business – women she has looked up to for many years.

What was it like growing up in Columbus, Texas?

It was a small country town, and for as long as I can remember, I wanted a horse really bad. I grew up in 4-H and FFA. I did barrel racing, and we had a 4-H horse program. I pretty much did all the different programs – leather making, cake making, anything 4-H offered, and FFA as well. That’s kind of how I got introduced to music, in a way. One day I decided to do the FFA talent show. I was nervous to get up and talk in front of people, but for some reason, I thought I could get up there and sing.

So how did it go? What did you sing, and what was the crowd’s reaction?

I sang “Famous in a Small Town” by Miranda Lambert and “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. It was like an overwhelming supportive crowd of my peers. I was so nervous, but it ended up being a very positive experience. There were other people in the talent show who played guitar, and I thought that was just the coolest thing ever, so I wanted to play, too. I had one in my room for several years, but I never played it. So, I finally picked up a guitar and then started doing open mic nights and stuff within the next two months. Then I started playing shows and have been grinding at it ever since.

So, you were still in high school when you started doing open mics?

Yes, I was. I decided when I was a freshman to graduate high school in three years, so I picked up the guitar in the last year of school and had my first official show while I was still in high school at our little bar in town called Cantu’s – now it’s Blake Street.

That’s impressive. At what point did you realize you had the talent to take this further?

I took guitar lessons at Guitar Center in Katy, and my guitar teacher was young, in her twenties, and I was 17 or 18 at the time. She was an artist and pursuing music. She just really made me believe music was something I could pursue as my career. I actually went to college right out of high school and did one semester. Then, I decided to ask my parents if it would be okay for me to just work and play music. I was nervous. I thought it was going to be a whole drawn-out conversation, but it wasn’t. They were on board. They were like “Yes, absolutely, work and play music.”

So, what came next?

I went to Nashville and played shows for about a year and a half and was just trying to hone in on who I was as an artist and trying to write songs. Writing songs didn’t come very easily to me at that point, and that was really important to me as an artist. I wrote songs when I was younger and knew it was in me. I recorded my first EP, which I didn’t promote to radio, but then my full album that I did, called “Karma,” is where my first radio single came from. That was February of 2018, and the song was “Your Girl.”

“Your Girl” did really well for a first single.

Yes. It was a Top 40 song on the Texas country music charts.

You’ve now had six Top 40 songs on the Texas Charts, and you are starting this year with a powerful girl anthem. What is the story behind “Girl FYI?”

“Girl FYI” basically came about because I dated a guy for about a year, but I thought he was possibly secretly seeing other girls. Finally, I realized what was going on and ended our relationship. But he continued a relationship with another girl, and I guess she didn’t know about me. So, I wrote a song letting her know, like, “Girl, FYI, he was with me last night and said that he loved me, so something’s not right here.” It’s a true story, and I wrote the song by myself.

What do you hope people feel when they hear this song?

I hope it can just empower people. The situation empowered me to write the song. It was a step toward healing and getting over what happened. Hopefully, people relate to it. I mean, at the same time, I hope they don’t; but I just want it to be like an anthem people can listen to and sing at the top of their lungs and feel empowered.

**2021 was a great year for you! You took home two big awards and were up against some stiff competition. First, how did you feel winning Best New Female Vocalist at the Texas Regional Radio Awards?**

I was nominated in the spring. I was so nervous and excited. I wanted it so bad! That event is so cool, too. I got to sit at a table with Jon Wolf and his team and Clay Hollis, and just a table away was Randy Rogers. It’s just such a cool place and award show to hang out. Then to hear them call my name – it was definitely surprising! I was ecstatic.

And then, in November, you won big at the Texas Country Music Awards – Female Artist of the Year! What was that night like?

I was literally over the moon! I didn’t think there was any possible way because of the other amazing females in the category. I was really excited, and it was crazy to get up there and accept the award. I thought I was going to see everybody’s face, but I couldn’t see a single thing. That definitely made me nervous, but I was happier than I possibly could have imagined.

I was there that night, and to see the other female finalists excited for you really speaks to the camaraderie you all have. How would you describe your relationship with other female artists in Texas?

Everybody has been nothing but nice to me, and they’ve supported me. It just makes me the happiest person in the world to be able to text Bri Bagwell and say like, “Hey, you were such a big inspiration to me. I am so excited that I won this award, but oh my goodness do I look up to you!” It’s the same with Sarah Hobbs, Kylie Frey, and Ariel Hutchins. We really have great relationships and are truly excited to see each other succeed.

As the reigning Female Artist of the Year, you must know you made the right decision to chase your music dreams.

I definitely go through these periods of time where I’m always doubting and second guessing myself. So, to win an award like that was definitely an affirming thing, and it has helped me push forward in a positive way.

If you had to describe yourself, what kind of artist are you?

What kind of artist am I? I’m a wild card. That’s been like my most “iconic” song so far, and it’s about me. I have revenge songs, sassy, quirky, upbeat songs. I’m just a person who wants to tell the truth and have a good time and express the crazy things that happen and embrace the weird quirkiness.

I love it! So, let’s wrap up with a quick game called “5 Bests with Morgan Ashley.”

Best country song ever?

That’s such a hard question, but “Famous in a Small Town” by Miranda Lambert seems to me like the perfect Texas country music song! And I feel like I can 100% resonate with it like so many others being from a small town.

Best thing you’ve ever eaten?

Recently, I would say sushi. Love a good, spicy California roll. It’s a new thing I have been liking to eat a lot.

Best place to shop?

I am all about getting the basics from places like Old Navy and Target, but I love boutique shopping. That’s where I always find the cutest stuff!

Best thing on Netflix?

New Girl! My absolute favorite show! I’ve watched it so many times.

Best advice you’ve ever been given?

To always strive to be the hardest working person in the room!

Don’t miss your opportunity to hear Morgan Ashley live. Visit morganashleyofficial.com to find out when Morgan will be playing a show near you! Whether it’s a full-band show or acoustic, you are in for a real treat!

The post Morgan Ashley appeared first on Postcards Magazine.