Jesus Is Watching

Here are eighteen short stories from the “pen” of Author Ken Lord. Some are rooted in others’ experiences, such as The Angels of Dog Creek and Thanks For Your Time. The same is true of the title story, Jesus is Watching. Despite its title, this is not a religious book.

Sometimes an idea will come from something historic. A book on the founding of Australia trigged the character of Bartholomew Kelly. The Septic Tank One—Fire Engine Zero story came from someone who was involved in it. The Large Mouth story was developed around the tales of a man whose biography I ghosted. The Incident at Dead Man’s Dip is about something that purportedly happened in rural Maine.

Somewhere in Arizona right now an “old solder” is eating himself to death. I tell you about him in Suicide by the Pound. And on the subject of the paranormal, you may wonder about the endings of Enraged and Nearsighted.

It is said that authors should write what they know. The Whizzer is built around my teenage angst that home and routine was stifling. The story of the Rake has been dredged from my subconscious from 70 years ago. I tell you about getting my driver’s license in Curb, and about one of my dogs. It isn’t exactly “Old Yaller,” but you may enjoy Moose.
In the book are two essays. I take on the school system in The Student, The Teacher, The Principal and the Taxpayer. And I offer a solution to the problem. I highlight the actions of a woman whose resources have been stretched in And The Thief Was.

I explore science in A Day in the Life of a Capillary. You may not like how that one ends. And the craft of writing itself—I’m not sure that I like that one either. But you may.

I envy the person with the fertile imagination and the skill to present what he conjures. In the meantime, I’ve done what I could with what I have. Enjoy.