Paul Swearingen

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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adventure    africanamerican    battlefield    bigotry    bullying    car chase    civil war    corvette    country school    danger    day of the dead    death    disk jockey    el dia de los muertos    enemies    football    gardening    gay    hispanic    history    influenza epidemic    journalism    kidnapping    love    metal detecting    mexican american    mustang    neutron bomb    newspaper    photography    postapocalyptic    problems and realtionships    psychic abilites    radio station    relationships    romance    school challenges    stalking    survival    survivalism    temptation    theft    tornado    writing    yearbook   

• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 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.
  
• 99 Jobs: Blood, Sweat, and Houses on Nov. 25, 2013
  
  In this memoir/philosophical work, Cottonwood shows that not only can he mend almost anything on, under, in, or around a house, he can also mend errant souls, or at least nudge them in the right direction. This is a fabulous read for anyone who has fancied him or herself a Mr./Ms. Fixit and found that sometimes the problem is not so much the physical dwelling - it's the people who live there.