The Pride of Park Avenue

Book excerpt: "The True Tales of Shorty Stevens" tells the adventures of three best friends during the great depression . The story is situated in the Ico Community of southwest Arkansas.Some 25 miles south of Little Rock, just outside of Sheridan, the town is full of hard working railroad and timber industry families. Shorty Stevens, nine years old and full of life is the leader of the group. Blessed with the gift of gab, he tells stories almost too big to be true. His best pal since the time they could walk is Easter Rhodes, also nine. He loves to read, and someday wants to be a writer. He's usually stuck smack dab in the middle of one of Shorty's schemes, but he doesn't seem to mind too much! The last in the group is Scooter McElroy. He's eight and sometimes a little shy. He and his folks moved down to Ico from Little Rock a few years before, so he hasn't known the others as long as they've known each other, but they're all as close as peas and carrots just the same. The year is 1933. No television. No video games. No magic Wizards, with magical powers. These boys have to find their own adventures in and around town. It doesn't take long before an adventure jumps up and finds them! Shorty's Pa, Johnny was over at the Ico Grocery when it all started. He told the folks there about a ghost story he'd heard when he was a boy. The others just looked in amazement as Johnny Stevens went on and on about a "Ghost Gal" that was killed on bad roads going to her honeymoon. Why, she'd be seen for years and years, just standing by the side of the road with a suitcase in her hand waiting for a ride to meet her Mister. Of course, once they got there, she'd disappear from the car leaving the driver surprised and confused. Shorty overhears his Daddy telling this story with great enthusiasm, and it definitely piques his interest in Ghost Hunting! He tells the others about what he's heard that fateful day. After lots of convincing, they decide to go on a ghost hunt some 12 miles away through the backroads and over the highway to find the mysterious curve, and a Ghost Gal! The boys not only go looking for a ghost story, they find out about themselves as well. They have a lot of other adventures along that road. They have some laughs as they tell stories, and have fun doing something exciting and different with their best friends. They also learn some things about themselves that they never knew before. Like how strong they were when they needed to be. Or how close the three really were. Life was different in 1933 Arkansas, but the adventurous spirit of boys was not. These boys want to see everything, and do things the grown-ups either can't or wont. Read all about their adventures in "The True Tales of Shorty Stevens" due out in bookstores in the Spring of 2006, by Authorhouse books.