State Liar's Contest

It's April Fool Day and I'm ready to talk about my lying pedigree.

The address above is a prayer letter I receive monthly. As you can see, it reads Curt Lies.

I've thought about correcting it, but kind of enjoy the laughs it gets.

It's a good April Fool Day item to share.

Several weeks ago I had a great honor-- I served as a judge for the Louisiana State Liar's Contest. It was fun and a neat experience. Sponsored by the La./Cenla Storyteller's Guild, it is a yearly event.

I laughed that my years as an assistant principal prepared me to judge liars, or maybe it was the address on the above envelope

It was a fun day of storytelling. By the way, a preacher won second place.

On Friday and Saturday I spent time at the Merryville Heritage Festival. As always, it was a fine time of music, visiting, and making new friends.

Picture are my friends who were my next door neighbors at my booth.

(from left) Paul and Beth Cuevas and Jackie Womack. The Cuevas' live in Merryville. Jackie is the chief of the Four Winds Tribe. Visit http://www.blogger.com/www.fourwindstribe.cc.com to learn more about this tribe.

Pictured is Cherry Winche Creek. To learn more about its unique name, visit our Wayfaring Stranger blog.

We visited Clay and Robin Iles and Noah in Fort Worth. Terry Iles is on the left and DeDe on the right. We are at an Indian Restaurant. It was the hottest food I've ever eaten. They made fun of my sweating!

Three of my boys.

Greg Johnson (center) is one of my writing inspirations. He is the "character behind the character" of Unk Dial in The Wayfaring Stranger. Greg lives at Union Hill, LA (in the Ten Mile area) and is one of the Godliest and wisest friends I have.

Pictured with him at Dry Creek Camp are two members of the Creek Redneck Literary Society, Todd Burnaman (L) and Jake Givens.(R)

Todd and Jake are giving invaluable advice as I work on my next novel, A Good Place To Be. * Todd is the manager at our beloved Dry Creek Camp and Jake serves in many capacities at the Camp. I love these guys as sons and am very proud of them.

* If you would like to look over early chapters of A Good Place, email me at curtiles@aol.com

Eating Vietnamese in Houston. When I was in Houston last week for a writing clinic, I ate dinner with some Florida College- Dry Creek Camp friends.

From left (Vonnie and Peggy Beard, Curt, and John Kilgore.) John has directed Dry Creek Florida College Camp and is a very special friend. Peggy is a camp legend who rules the Piney Wood Lodge each summer during her visit.

On Thursday at Dry Creek Camp, Juanita Jordan (Pictured with me) told me about The Wayfaring Stranger: "It's a 'Darling Book' and I loved it!" Her "review" meant as much to me as one from The New York Times! She described her favorite part of the book, "When Joe is in that fight and Amos pulls that big knife, I could just see Joe feeling for that pine knot club with his foot."

Jennings Daily News article

Click on the article to go to a readable font

Kristi Waddle of Merryville is one of my most faithful readers. She visited with me recently at Author's Alley in DeRidder.