Paul Swearingen is a retired English/journalism/Spanish teacher who managed to survive 34+ years in public, private, and government schools. He also was a radio newsman and disk jockey, a newspaper editor and photographer, a personnel manager for a large retail store (now defunct), and a long-time publisher of the National Radio Club's magazine, "DX News". He lives in Topeka, Kansas, where his main current duty is to keep his garden under close control.

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Joe Cottonwood
Latest book: Quake!. Published on October 5, 2012.
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• Adopted on Jan. 14, 2011
  
  Kristina, you show promise as a writer, but what you have written is an outline for a Christian story. It is not a fully-developed novel, or short story - yet. As Angelica suggested in her review, you should develop this story into a full novel. But first - you need to read much more to gain some background in fiction writing. Consider studying published writers like Karen Hesse and others to see how they handle some of the same themes that you did. Good luck, and feel free to contact me here on Smashwords for more suggestions and books to read. I was a teacher for 34 years, and I'd be glad to help you get started.
  
• Market Forces on Feb. 09, 2011
  
  This coming-of-age, or self-discovery short story, is delicately and carefully created against an unexpected backdrop of an open-air market. The details and setting enrichen the story, and the portrayal of Michael's mother and the violin-playing girls, including the "Ice Queen", are a nice counterpoint to Michael's confirmation of his sexual preferences. The end-punctuation here and there is a little quirky, but it doesn't detract from the story.
  
• What I did next does me no credit at all on Feb. 09, 2011
  
  Irony and setting are the strong suit of this short story. However, it is severely flawed in that the reader cannot discern the sex of the narrator. Had we been able to determine without a doubt "Miss Goody Two-Shoes" is not quite a definitive hint), the irony might have been doubly enhanced. Still, the strong settings carry the story.
  
• Justice on Feb. 09, 2011
  
  Nice to see someone who has control of the English language and can produce a poem that is a neat package like this one.
  
• Nashoga: Book 1 of the Redstone Series on Feb. 12, 2011
  
  "Nashoga" is a fine tale by a talented writer who manages to capture emotions with her furred characters in a more believable manner than many writers do with humans. It's more than just a talking animals story - "Nashoga" is both a story of survival and love, and it answers a universal question: Can food be friends? I recommend this one especially for the middle-school-age reader.
  
• Ain't No Sunshine on March 08, 2011
  
  DuBoise has created a real page-turner with "Ain't No Sunshine". The characters are well-crafted, the plot compelling, and the outcome unexpected but not a complete surprise. A bit of closer proofreading should have been in order, as this version still has a few errors, but they do not affect the impact of this novel. A great read.
  
• Trouble in Mudbug on March 17, 2011
  
  Normally novels that include plucky female characters, multiple POV's, romance, and ghosts make me roll my eyes and move on. But this one was tightly plotted with quite believable characters populating it and moved through an intriguing setting – so I enjoyed it in spite of myself.
  
• Be the Monkey - Ebooks and Self-Publishing: A Dialog Between Authors Barry Eisler and Joe Konrath on March 19, 2011
  
  Joe and Barry tell it like it is with self-publishing. Now, I don't regret at all self-publishing my first five titles on Smashwords, and I really appreciate the positive boost I received by reading this FREE ebook!
  
• Dexter By A Nose on June 15, 2011
  
  "Dexter By a Nose" is a story by a talented author who is a worthy successor to Thornton W. Burgess, who also penned animal stories - not just "talking animal" tales, but ones that included furry characters with real human emotions and problems. In this story, a horse named Dexter is taunted by others because he is different; he is "mixed" and not a thoroughbred and is even called a "mutt". How he overcomes these differences can serve as a model for young people who may also be "different" and who may be bullied by those who should know better.
  
• Tyger Lilly on July 12, 2011
  
  "Tyger Lilly" is a delightful blend of ecology, mayhem, talking animals, suspense, intrigue, and magic that will charm any young person (plus perhaps a few of us older people). Not only is it a well-written story, but its symbolism and positive messages are a part of the narration. Lilly may be bullied, but she has the smarts to be able to fight back. She may have been abandoned by her depressed mother, but she is able to learn how to take care of herself. And she may not have the exact key to solving all the problems in the world, but she knows what's important - that we should all try to take care of each other in the best way that we can. (As a writer myself and Smashwords author, I did note some rather odd formatting and a few typos here and there, but they do not affect the quality of this fine story.)
  
• The Baker Village Science Club Monthly Meeting Minutes on July 28, 2011
  
  "The Baker Village Science Club et al" is one of the funniest pieces of scatology I've read in a long time. Organized as minutes taken at meetings of an erstwhile science club, it chronicles the disintegration of a group of erstwhile adults whilst overseeing the demolition of each other, not to mention select portions of their meeting spaces. In spite of using words that aren't part of the English language (alright, anymore, its'), and misusing others (dint, vain), this little exercise is made all the more unexpectedly hilarious for being written in Aussie English. But is it worth $3.99? You'll have to decide that for yourself. Just because you were asleep when the author dropped the price to nil isn't his fault, is it? Maybe ingesting the f-bombs found in nearly every paragraph will assuage your pain in overpayment? Don't be such a cheapskate. Just buy the effing thing and read it. Okay?
  
• Four Dog Riot on July 31, 2011
  
  Joe Cottonwood gets it - that new teens, those who have just turned 13 and 14, can skip a couple of decades at the speed of a Hair Galaxy and pop right into their 40's. And yet they can be light years apart - like Mimi, who harbors a deep, dark secret inside her but radiates power and manipulative ability, and tiny Jaz, who has yet to find out who she really is. Or little Hoot, who is mostly clueless about life and couldn't harm a fly, and big Bowie, who has known the rough side of humanity nearly all his life and knows how to protect himself and his home, even if it involves using a priceless triple-ought-forty-five C. F. Martin guitar as a weapon. Cottonwood has captured all the emotions that are possible to run through teens, and his characters are almost larger than life in this novel, which is as masterful as those penned by Walter Dean Myers, Gary Soto, Paul Zindel, and S. E. Hinton. It's a powerful piece, and I recommend it without reservation.
  
• Sea Cutter: Book I in The Chronicles of Nathaniel Childe on Aug. 13, 2011
  
  The plot of this story of a young boy at sea never slows; Timothy Davis has re-crafted a tale that is sure to please pre-teens and those slightly older. Intrigue, deceit, threats, treasure, and an isolated paradise are all combined in a manner reminiscent of both Nordhoff and Hall's and Isabel Allende's coming-of-age stories. The characters are unique, even the villains, and the ending of the story is indeed a cliffhanger - literally.
  
• Amazon on Aug. 22, 2011
  
  "Amazon" hits the ground running - or maybe the air - and does not slow down until the last word. As in her earlier novels, Weinstein's trademark conversant animals are back in this novel, and their personalities serve as counterpoints to the humans. Like Greece? You'll love the setting, a remote Grecian isle, and its inhabitants, the Amazons of historical lore, who skirmish with each other, hate men, and provide all kinds of excitement and even support for the main character, Regina.
  
• The Last Summer Snow on July 01, 2012
  
  Ms. Coleman's stories are very visual, written very closely in style to a play and complete with descriptions which could easily serve as stage directions. The unique similies which I consider a trademark are fun but not distracting although some of the punctuation and mechanics are not consistent. Nevertheless, Ms. Coleman's prose is stark and clean and very evocative, and "The Last Summer Snow" is one of her best pieces. Not many writers can capture the intense emotions and memories of a plus-100-year-person.
  
• They Stole Your Book! Now What? on July 06, 2012
  
  Very useful information. Thanks so much for making it free; I've posted the URL more than once in response to people who've commented that their book has been pirated and offered for sale.
  
• Good Luck, Fatty?! on Oct. 09, 2012
  
  Although this coming-of-age story doesn't quite achieve the level of suspense nor the sparkle I'd hoped to see in the main character, Bobbi-Jo, considering the obstacles in her life, it's still a good read for any age level. The characters are finely drawn and the story line quite believable, and the editing is impeccable.
  
• Famous Potatoes on Oct. 30, 2012
  
  How can a young man be on the road and underground at the same time? Hint - the title of this book is a clue. I suspect that this novel is more or less a reassembled version of Cottonwood's early life, perhaps without some of the more violent episodes, but it's true-to-life (you can't make up some of this stuff), timeless, and eminently readable. The character portraits of the women alone are worth the price of the book - especially Erica, whom I've met oh-so-many times with oh-so-many faces, not all freckled.
  
• The Ghost Of Christmas Past on Dec. 02, 2012
  
  A bit artificial, but cleanly written with a clear story arc. Nicely-designed cover, too.
  
• Assured Destruction on May 06, 2013
  
  Janus is computer-savvy - perhaps too much for her own good. She can handle the 1's and 0's with the best, but her school work, relationships with friends, and even her own self-assuredness come crashing down to a big zero. "Assured Destruction" is a classic one-sitting read, packed with surprises, glimpses into the world beyond the computer screen, and non-stop action. Highly recommended for anyone who knows a lot, or just a little, about programming and social networks.