Retiree's book shares stories of his youth

Ron Richardson, a retired Topeka Realtor, always wanted to write a book. In fact, he put that goal on his bucket list.

With the publication of "Horny Toads and Cotton Bolls" last year, that goal has been reached. The book, which consists of humorous short stories and vignettes of his youth in Hollis, Okla., reminds readers of their earlier misconceptions of life and the fun they had in their youth.

Richardson said he grew up in a family of storytellers, and his reflections of what it was like to live and grow up in the 1940s in small-town Hollis shows he may have inherited that ability.

Richardson answered questions about his book and how it came to be.

How did you come up with the title of your book? How many stories are in it?

I grew up in Southwest Oklahoma. Horny toads and cotton bolls are very recognizable items in that part of the country. In addition, I think the name has a very catchy sound and creates an interest even if you are not from that area. There are 36 stories, counting the bonus story.

I see your book has a co-author, Morris Hart. Can you tell me a little about him?

Morris Hart and I became best friends in the first grade. We stayed best friends up until the day he died. He received a master’s degree in creative writing from Central State College in Edmond, Okla. He knew of my writing and asked me to co-author a western with him, which I did. He died a year ago this January.

Is this your first book? Do you have others in the works? What led you to write this one?

Yes, this is my first book published. As I stated earlier, my co-author and I wrote a western, which is still In need of editing and a cover design. I also have a book entitled "How I Beat Stage Four Colon Cancer," which I am in the process of getting edited. I wrote “Horny Toads and Cotton Bolls” first. Concern from my family about my advanced age and prior health problems pushed me to get it done and published first. My daughter said, “Dad, when you are gone, these stories will go with you and be lost forever if you don’t finish it.”

Why did you decide to self-publish as opposed to going through a regular publisher?

It is extremely difficult to get a publisher to invest time and money in an unknown writer. Since the explosion of the ebook, self-publishing has become the wave of the future. High-speed printers can print out a 250-page novel in 60 seconds. No longer does an author need a warehouse full of books to sell. This has coined a new term called "print on demand” and a misprint or mistake can easily be corrected with a few key strokes.

I read through the reviews and all talk about growing up in a small town. Will those of us who grew up in larger towns be able to relate to the stories? What gives it a universal appeal?

Obviously, our youth is a learning experience and many of our adolescence experiences are very similar to others in whatever size town or city we live in. I think youthful curiosity is universal.

Are your stories all true or based on true events?

Stories are based on facts, but I decided early on to retain a fifteen to twenty percent poetic license to add or subtract anything that I thought would drive the story forward or make it funnier.

I see this has been out since last fall. When did you start it? How long did it take to write?

I had written stories or vignettes for several years. I got serious about finishing this book and publishing it about two years ago.

Who designed the cover?

My wife said I should use my picture as the front cover because it’s about my memories. I thought about it for a while and the idea of using old family pictures seemed like a good idea, which has proven true.

So far, the reviews look good. How are sales going? Can the book be found locally or only on Amazon?

Sales have been steady and will spike when I do a press release or put something on my Facebook page timeline. Now the book is only offered on Amazon in EBook format, regular print or large print but in the near future, I plan to get it on Smash words, which is another venue for ebooks. In addition, as time allows I will offer the book to independent bookstores.

Tell me a little about the western you co-authored with Morris Hart. When will it be out?

My best friend, Morris Hart, and his family had recently retired to Ecuador. It took approximately a year to complete the writing. We would spend two to three hours a day communicating on Skype. We focused our writing on the southwest corner of Oklahoma. At one time, the four counties that made up that part of the state belonged to Texas. The period, was a few year after the Civil War. Some of the stories are based on truth with a coating of our embellishments. The working title is “Red River Crossing” and has not been professionally edited yet. I have not decided on a book cover at this time.

What advice would you give to others wanting to write a book?

I think the best advice to someone wanting to write a book (especially the first one) is to write about what you know. Later when they have some experience, they might try some fiction. Also a great help to me has been my writers group with several published authors. (When it comes to publishing) I think it depends on a person's computer skills. If their skills are good, they could probably self-publish on Kindle Direct Publishing which is now a part of Amazon or another self-publishing format is a company named Smash Words. However, Smash Words only publishes ebooks. If a writer's computer skills are lacking, there are many companies that charge a fee and will help a person get their book published.

Carolyn Kaberline is a freelance writer from Topeka. She can be reached at carolyn.kaberline@gmail.com.