WHO IS RANDY RAWLS?

Some have asked, "Who is Randy Rawls? What makes him tick?" Others who know Randy say, "I see a lot of Randy in his hero, Ace Edwards." Randy refers to himself as a simple guy who enjoys writing and hopes that others will find pleasure in my words. He was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, he inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of country. These traits have carried him through his adulthood. Each day, as he sees some of the horrific events in society, he knows he was fortunate to be born into the Southern way of life.

In many ways, he has lived an idyllic life. As a career US Army officer, he had the opportunity to learn, travel, teach, and hone talents inherited from my parents. Following retirement, he worked in other ventures for the US Government where his opportunities continued. But most of all, he has had fun. Every job has in some way been fun. Even the dark days of Vietnam had their light moments, and he cherishs the camaraderie that was an integral part of survival in that hostile world.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO WRITING?

"So how did Randy get started in writing?" people ask. It started with reading. At an early age, he discovered the town library and the librarian. She was a wonderful lady, who loved to introduce children to books. And he was especially lucky because she took him under her wing, so to speak. Every time he dropped his bike at the front door and rushed in, she had a new recommendation for him. She not only never led him wrong, but engendered in him a love of the written word. Then, one day many years later, he sat at his computer and began to type. A storyline developed, so he kept typing. About a year later, he had a tome as long and heavy as WAR AND PEACE (or so it seemed). Unfortunately for him though, WAR AND PEACE and every other book ever published had no fear of his first effort. Giving himself every benefit of the doubt, he will simply say, "It stunk." But the seed was planted, and he continued to compose and continued to learn. Today, he believes he turned out an acceptable story, one that he hopes others will enjoy as much as he does.

BOOKS:

The scene from his first published book, JAKE'S BURN, did not begin as a story line for him. A friend whose protagonist is a female insurance investigator was searching for a sequel. he suggested the arson of an expensive home followed by the discovery of bodies in the ashes. She rejected the idea, and it lay dormant. Later, while living in Dallas, he did a 100 kilometers bicycle ride around Cisco, Texas. During the day's huffing and puffing, he saw a beautiful home atop a distant hill and his memory returned to the story line he suggested. When he also found himself fascinated with the countryside and Cisco itself, JAKE'S BURN was born. Somewhere in all that, a Dallas PI became the hero--Arthur Conan Edwards, Ace. His namesake was the greatest mystery writer of all, Arthur Conan Doyle, and how Ace got his name is told in the Ace Edwards series. Cisco became the first in Randy's small towns in Texas tales. He is fascinated by their history and offer anecdotes from their past in each of Randy's stories.

JOSEPH'S KIDNAPPING, the second in the Ace Edwards series, takes place in Canton, Texas. Have you heard of First Monday Trade Days or Hoss Monday? You will.

Book three is JADE'S PHOTOS. It takes place in Grand Saline, ten miles from Canton. Randy stumbled into it while researching JOSEPH'S KIDNAPPING. The first attraction was the underground salt dome from which it takes its name. However, when you read the book, you'll quickly understand why Randy switched to Clark's Ferry.

Book four is JINGLE'S CHRISTMAS, a break from small towns. What would you do if Santa's Chief Elf for North Texas operations came to you on December 15th and reported that the toys had been stolen? Could you recover them by Christmas? That's Ace's dilemma. This is Randy's favorite simply because it was so much fun to write.

Book five (JASMINE'S FATE) took Randy back to Van Zandt County -- Grand Saline, Van, and Fruitvale. More enjoyable research, more great historical anecdotes, and, of course, another Ace adventure. This time though, Ace is in the clutches of two gorgeous redheads, mother and daughter.

Book six (JEB'S DECEPTION) took Randy home. Back to Williamston. Of course, he took Ace, Kit, and Ace's two cats (Sweeper and Striker) with him. This time, Randy did the teaching as he introduced Ace to some of the wonderful characters of the area and a bit of southern history. Oh yeah, there was a crime to solve -- embezzlement from a law firm. Heavy stuff for Ace.

Book seven (THORNS ON ROSES) is on the Home Page. Randy's first thriller and he is very proud of it. Hope you'll give it a peep.

Randy has short stories in several anthologies, three of which you can see on Amazon. Randy hopes that you'll support all the fine authors I'm honored to rub elbows with.

WHERE IS RANDY TODAY?

Today, Randy has switched his base to South Florida, his latest home. Beth Bowman is a PI who runs into difficult situations in the land where there is no fiction. No matter what you write, it happened yesterday, is happening today, or will happen tomorrow. Such is life in paradise. Ramdy invites you to keep a watchful eye out for Beth's adventures. Someday, he will find a publisher for her -- Randy hopes.

So that's who Randy is and where he is. He loves to read, he loves to write. He has written young adult, historical fiction, thrillers, mysteries, and short stories in each of those genres. With each, he makes you only one promise. He strives to entertain you. If you get more than that, he feels extremely gratified.