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Oct. 16th, 2011 Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy, & Martin Luther King Jr. Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.--three names that you normally don't see together. Most
people would agree that Hitler was the embodiment of evil; John F. Kennedy was one of America's most popular and loved
presidents; and Martin Luther King Jr. was a great humanitarian. Then what do these three indivuduals have in common?
When John F. Kennedy's name is mentioned what do you think
of? Probably his famous inaugural speech--"ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country".
Similarly, Martin Luther King Jr. is most famous for his, "I have a dream", speech. And who hasn't seen movies of
Adolf Hitler pounding his fist and exhorting his countrymen to rally around his cause. Yes, as different as these three men
were in most aspects of there lives, the one commonality was their ability to motivate others through their oral presentation
skills. My eleven-year-old grandson recently asked me about
the importance of a college education. While I explained that I believed a college education was an important element of a
successful carreer, I didn't believe it was the most important. I told him that I thought the most important skills a young
person should develop were the ability to manage their time properly, the ability to write clearly and concisely, and the
ability to express themselves orally. I recently saw a
young collegiate athlete being interviewed following a football game. It was painful. His response to a question went something
like this. "It was, like, you know, like a really great game, and I'm, you know, like really thankful for, you know,
like, the opportunity to, you know, like, to have been able to, you know, like, have been a part of it." It is said that talking in public is one of mankind's greatest fears. However it is also one of the
greatest avenues to present your ideas and to motivate those around you. And, if you become good enough at it, perhaps you
too can become famous--but hopefully more like Kennedy or King rather than Hitler.
Oct. 4th, 2011
For Want of A Nail
For
want of a nail the shoe was lost. For
want of a shoe the horse was lost. For
want of a horse the rider was lost. For
want of a rider the battle was lost. For
want of a battle the kingdom was lost. All
for the want of a nail. This proverb has been around centuries. No one is sure who first wrote it, but it shows
how a trivial occurrence can lead to disastrous results. Joshua Chamberlain was born on September 28th, 1828 in Brewer, Maine. Chamberlain
led a successful but mostly uneventful life until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. He joined the Union Army and advanced
to the rank of Colonel. At the battle of Gettysburg he was given command of the 20th Maine Regiment. After initial Confederate
victories, Col. Chamberlain was given orders to defend a hill called Little Round Top. Near defeat and almost out of ammunition,
Col. Chamberlain understood the significance of the battle. As the Confederate soldiers began their assault, Chamberlain ordered
his troops to attack with their bayonets. Shocking the Confederate troops his soldiers captured 101 of the enemy and protected
the hill. It is my opinion, and one shared by many Civil War historians (I think the movie Gettysburg was accurate in it's
re-enactment of the battle), that if Col. Chamberlain's troops had not successfully defended Little Round Top, the Confederate
Army would have won the battle of Gettysburg. They would have then marched into Washington and captured the city, thus winning
the war. Slavery would have continued--for how long it is obviously unknown. Some have even speculated that, being a racist
country, we would have not intervened in WWII, thereby allowing a Nazi Germany to dominate the world. That is wild speculation,
but I think it is clear that it had not been for Col. Chamberlain's leadership this could be a different country. The point of
this? One never knows what small decision they make might,if not change the course of history, at least impact those around
them. One final note to the story. Chamberlain was later selected to oversee General Lee's surrender at Appomattox. He then
went on to become Governor of Maine. A truly great American.
July 17th, 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. and I Martin Luther King Jr. was born in 1929 in
Atlanta, Georgia. I was born in 1949 in Oneida, Tennessee. Martin Luther King Jr. was Black. I’m White. Mr. King lived
a life where prejudiced and racism was a daily normal part of his existence. I had a conversation with my first Black person
while visiting Detroit at the age of sixteen. Mr. King was a minister and a civil rights leader. I was an engineer, an insurance
agent, and a writer. Mr. King frequently made the news. I watched the news. Mr. King was murdered on the balcony of his hotel.
Hopefully, If Jesus doesn’t return first, I will die in my sleep at the age of 101. At first glance it would appear
that Mr. King and I had nothing in common. That would be wrong. As a youngster growing up in the late fifties and early sixties in an all-White town in east Tennessee,
I frequently saw racial conflicts playing out in the streets on the evening news. I must admit, my first reaction was to ask
myself, “What is the problem with all these Colored people? Why don’t they just get a job and do something to
get rid of their anger?” And while it made me sad to see the fire hoses and dogs turned on unarmed and defenseless people,
I figured they must have done something to deserve it. How distorted and narrow-minded my view was. But then, in the mid-sixties, I began to notice a young Black
man who made me reexamine my values. He spoke with a strength and compassion I had not heard. He carried
himself with pride but showed no anger. And when he spoke—I’d never heard anyone, Black or White—talk like
him. Not only in his words, which spoke of his dream of equality and respect for all—but also in his voice—that
melodious, booming voice. So slowly
I began to follow this young man, and I noticed that perhaps he and I weren’t so different. He, like myself, was born
in the south. He, like myself, was a Baptist. His father was a minister—my grandfather was a minister. He professed
to know Jesus, Who I had accepted into my life a few years earlier. And he, like myself, had a vision of
a better future for all mankind. As
I followed Mr. King more closely I began to have a wider view of what was going on in our country. I began to realize that
my isolated upbringing had insulated me from the realities of life—that throughout history minorities have always been
subjugated to whatever lowly life the group in power forced upon them. And while I still couldn’t justify the violence
I saw on TV—perpetrated by either White or Black—I realized the frustration that minorities felt at their treatment
in this country. However I didn’t understand the depth of that frustration until April 5th, 1968. Martin
Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on the evening of April 4th, 1968. The next day I went to
my job at the FBI where I worked as a file clerk. Just before lunch I walked to a nearby bank. Upon leaving the bank I walked
into the worst riot in the history of Washington, DC. After receiving direct threats from two rioters,
I quickly made my way back to the Justice building and was escorted by two FBI agents, with guns drawn, into a waiting car,
and driven home. As we passed the National Guard, the military trucks, and the machine guns on Memorial
Bridge, I wondered what Martin Luther King Jr. would think? This was probably not what he envisioned in his dream.
July 5th, 2011 My Favorite Writer
Like most people, I too
have a favorite writer. No, it’s not Mark Twain, although I greatly admire his ability to take the lives of two young
boys and create adventures that have enthralled generations. And it’s not Shakespeare, one of the most eloquent bards
of all time. Nor is it Jules Verne who created wondrous worlds of make-believe which we have since discovered are more science
than fiction. As much as I love and admire these writers, none of them can move my soul—can touch
my heart—as my mother. Nettie Alma (Blevins)Buttram was born in 1911 in the rolling hills
of East Tennessee. It was a different time and place, which only a few people today appreciate, and fewer can remember. It
was a simple time, a slower paced time when people lived the examined life. Women were more dignified,
and men were more courteous, and everyone was poor. My mother was the fifth of eight children—five
boys and three girls—born to Joseph and Barbara Blevins. She grew up with an appreciation of nature, a love for her
family, and an awe and respect for God. She was not a well educated woman, but was knowledgeable on a variety of subjects
and was never reticent about giving her opinion, no matter how outlandish or controversial (everywhere you look there’s
either an illegal Mexican or a coffee table—her words, not mine).
My mother grew up in an
era where women were suppressed and treated as second-class citizens—first by her father, then by mine. I’m sure,
being an intelligent and competent woman, this made life extremely frustrating for her. I think that is one of the reasons
she began to put down her ideas, sorrows, and dreams on paper. My mother’s life was not an easy one.
She survived the depression, World War II, and the everyday difficulties of life in the poverty-stricken hills of Tennessee.
She also bore more than her shares of personal sorrow. Before passing away a few years ago at the age of ninety-five, she
saw the death of all eight of her siblings. She also outlived her husband and five of her children, including her oldest child
who was still-born. At each loss of a child I thought she would never recover, but she managed to continue, holding her sorrow
deep inside. But my father and each of her children she remembered in poem. It
is difficult still for me to read my mother’s poems, because each one is a remembrance of a burden she carried. But,
in this tribute, I forced myself to revisit her words. Here is her poem, The Cedar Tree, which portrays her life and attitude
more than I ever could. The
Cedar Tree By Nettie Buttram I WANDERED
TO THE OLD HOMEPLACE TODAY AND GAZED AT THE SCENES WHERE I USED TO PLAY THE HOUSE
WAS OLD AND ROTTING DOWN AND WEEDS WERE GROWING ALL AROUND.
THE HOUSE ONCE RUNG WITH LAUGHTER AND GLEE AS WE CHILDREN ALL ROMPED AND SHOUTED SO FREE I CAN STILL HEAR THEIR VOICES RINGING CLEAR AND FEEL THE PRESENCE OF LOVED ONES NEAR. THE BEAUTIFUL TREE HAD FALLEN DOWN AND NOW LAY ROTTING ON THE GROUND THIS OLD TREE ONCE HAD A SWING WHICH TO MY HEART DID MUCH JOY BRING. I GREW SAD AS I VIEWED THESE SCENES WHERE I’D HAD SO MANY YOUTHFUL DREAMS NOW MY DREAMS ARE GONE AND FADED AWAY LIKE THE CEDAR TREE THAT ON THE GROUND LAY. BUT LOOK, WHAT’S THAT I SEE BESIDE ME? WHY, IT’S
A SPROUT GROWING OUT OF THE TREE A CEDAR SPROUT GROWING ONCE MORE TO LOOK JUST LIKE THE CEDAR TREE
OF YORE. MAYBE SOME CHILDREN WILL COME SOME DAY AND AGAIN UNDER ITS SHADOW WILL PLAY HOPE SPRINGS ANEW IN THIS HEART OF MINE LOOKING
FORWARD TO WHAT TOMORROW WILL FIND. Thank you, Mom, for who you were and for passing on what little writing
talent I possess. Larry Buttram
June 29th, 2011 Blog, blog, blog. Who wants to blog? Not me. I hate to admit this--and I know the blog police will soon
be at my door, but I hate to Blog! I know, as a writer, I'm supposed to love the blog, cherish the blog, nourish the blog,
but writing is a tough, brutal, bloodthirsty business which takes a lot of time, dedication, and creativity, and somedays
(most days) I'm just not that creative. A while back I
was at a Border's store and a lady bought one of my books and asked me to sign it. "Write something creative and funny," she said. "Lady," I answered, "We have two options here. I can write something creative in a couple
of hours, or I can say something like, 'best wishes' right now." "Best wishes will be fine." I mean,
what happened to the good ole days when you could actually keep a thought to yourself? Today you're supposed to share
every event, idea, and emotion with all of humanity. Did you know that a fellow writer yesterday wrote 10,000 words? And someone
named Susie's daughter got an A in math? That's fascinating. Does
anyone even know what 'blog' means? It means we(b) log. (I figured this out on Monday). It's a clever word, but wouldn't clog
or flog sound better? Blog almost sounds like a bad word, but I guess we're stuck with it. I'm sure, like any infection, it
will grow on me. And don't even get me started on twitter. Oh, wait, my oatmeal looks like Elvis. Everyone will want to know about this.
June 27th, 2011 I just lowered the price on all of my ebooks to $.99 until the end of July. Check them out at Kindle
and B&N Nook.
June 24th, 2011 After selling my books as ebooks for a couple of months, I figured it was time
I purchased an ebook reader, so I went out yesterday and bought a Kindle. It's great. I had no idea it would actually read
the stories to you. If you haven't bought one yet, it's the way of the future.
June 23rd, 2011 Here
is a great Review from a reader in California. This is about my first book, False Witness, and was taken from the Amazon website. "I downloaded this for my reader because it was so inexpensive. However, the quality of the book far
exceeded my expectations. The characters are complex, and the book keeps you so interested you keep reading and reading. I
like that the characters are not perfect, but grapple with the situations and tragedies of life. Each evening I found myself
providing updates for my husband on what was happening in the story to the point I had read. Within
a week, I had downloaded and read everything I could find by Larry Buttram. I think False Witness would make a wonderful movie.
I will be looking forward to more books by Mr. Buttram in the future."
June 23, 2011 This is a trivia question from my monthly newsletter. Be the first to answer
it and win $25.
With the internet it becomes harder and harder to find a question
that can't be answered in two minutes, but this should at least take a little research. In 1967 I went to work for the FBI delivering
mail to J. Edgar Hoover. As an employee we got a special tour of the FBI museum. One of their most difficult and fascinating
cases took place in the 1950's and involved a man and his mother. $25.00 to the first person who can tell me about the case
and give me the man's name. Thursday, June 16th, 2011 Last week was horrible for sales. I was getting very discouraged and then, yesterday, I had my first
ten sale day (with two more this morning). I checked my stats, and those sales put False Witness in the top 2% of all Amazon/Kindle
sales. Is the top 1% possible? Let's keep those sales coming, folks. Thank you.
June 14th, 2011 Let me preface this by stating that lately I have been concerned with my memory. It seems I forget things
that, ten years ago, I would have remembered.
A couple of days ago I was in line at the drug
store when a woman seated in the waiting area began a conversation with me. It went something like this.
"Hi, how are you?"
"Fine, how are you?"
"Okay.
I don't see you around much."
"Oh, well I've been around."
"Are you still out walking?"
I do go out walking sometimes, and figure I must have
spoken to her on the street, but I have no idea who she is.
"I walk some, but not too often."
"And you're not wearing your hat."
A hat? What hat?
"Well, I only wear a hat when it's really hot."
By now
I'm searching the deepest recesses of my memory to recall this woman.
"Did you walk over
hear today?"
"No, that would be a long walk."
"It's
only a mile or so."
Now I'm beginning to suspect that perhaps it's not my memory that's
the problem.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but who do you think I am?"
"I don't remember your name, but we run into each other all the time over on Euclid."
"I'm sorry, Ma'am, but I don't live near Euclid. I live up at Blooms Crossing."
The
woman leans forward and squints and her face becomes red.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you look just
like the man I run into while I'm out walking."
"Poor guy."
It's a good thing I don't live on Euclid or I would have never realized it was my memory that was fading.
June 12th, 2011 This has nothing to do with writing, but it's so funny
I had to post it. As
an insurance agent I call on our local health department which is located in the basement of a hospital. Before attending
a meeting a few days ago I stopped in the restroom. I was in the stall when the door opened. In broken English I heard a woman
say, "I wait for your pee-pee." Evidently they also do drug screenings. I replied, "I'll be out in a minute."
The woman, very sheepishly said, "Oh." I heard the door slam and, upon finishing, I walked into the hall, but the
woman was nowhere to be seen. I've
heard of fans collecting strange items from stars before, but I didn't know I was that famous.
June 5th, 2011 While discussing my book, The Curtain Torn, with the host of the Jellyvision show recently,
he made a statement that has come up many times before. He asked how was it possible that Robert Carter III freed more
slaves than Abraham Lincoln? That fact is that Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slaves.
The Proclamation was actually directed only at the states that were in rebellion in which Lincoln had no legal authority.
So I stand by my statement that Robert Carter III freed more slaves than anyone in American history.
June 4th, 2011 No Bill Cosby. I guess I misunderstood. The owner of the studio where I was being interviewed said the
host had to move up the time because he had a date with Bill Cosby afterward, so I assumed that Mr. Cosby would be in the
audience. Wrong. He actually was going to see Mr. Cosby at a performance at Wolf Trap. Very disappointing.
June, 2nd Just a reminder that today at 6:00 PM Eastern time I'm being interviewed on the "Jellyvision" show. I hear
that Bill Cosby is going to be there after me. I hope I get to meet him. This is Internet only so to follow it go to http://www.soundry.net/2011/05/the-jellyvision-show-17-get-in-my-jelly/
June 1st, 2011 I just finished the first month with my books on Kindle and received 45 sales. I guess that's not
so bad since Amanda Hocking, the best ever, got 100 sales her first month.
May 31st I just announced the writing contest for my July newsletter. Submit an entry and, if you win, you get $25. Email
me at lab1949@verizon.net for more information.
May 27th, 2011 I found this interesting tidbit. From Dan Poytner, the self-publishing guru--there are now about 10 million ebook
readers in the country, however, this figure will jump to 30 million in the next three years. Another sign of technology changing
the world.
May 26th, 2011 Just trying to decide which one of my books I should read from for our writer's club meeting on Saturday. I hope
this time that everyone understands what 'ten minute limit' per reader means.
May 25th, 2011 I just donated five copies of The Curtain Torn to be given away on www.goodreads.com and already have 56 people signed up for the drawing. If you want to enter go to http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/10964-curtain-torn-the.
May 24th, 2011 Working
on my sixth book--a children's book, Snatch That Cat--which is something new for me. It's about a little girl, Susie Bipp,
who tries to steal her neighbor's beautiful cat, Simon. But, as you would guess, it all goes wrong. Trying to decide if it
should just be an ebook or printed as well. Input would be helpful.
May 23rd, 2011 I just received my first ebook sale from England. Hopefully many more to come.
My 22nd, 2011 Well, I'm still here. Guess the rapture missed Manassas Park. While I do believe that Jesus will come
back in the near future, the Bible says that no one knows the time but God. Just wondering what part of that these people
don't understand. We had a great party yesterday for my
wife's birthday. The good thing about this time of year is that, until my birthday, I'm only nine years older than her.
May 19th, 2011 I find it difficult to understand how anyone can have something significant to blog about everyday--at
least something that other people would find interesting. On
another note, I just realized that my first book, False Witness, is now in the top 4% of sales at the Amazon Kindle ebook
store. Yeah. The bad news is that you have to be in the top 1% to make any significant money. Boo.
May 17th, 2011 I'm putting the finishing touches on the June newsletter. If you receive it and do not want to get future copies,
please send an email with 'delete' in the subject matter.
May 16th, 2011 I attended a great workshop yesterday held by one of Amazon Kindle's best selling authors, Karen Cantwell.
I discovered how little I knew about promoting ebooks. It can take five to six hours a day just promoting your books. Oh,
well, I guess that's what it takes to be successful. I also just lowered the ebook price of my first book, False Witness,
to $.99.
May 12th, 2011 Any of you who have been following my web site for some time know of my passion for Robert Carter III,
who freed more slaves than anyone in American history (sorry Abraham Lincoln). There's a great new web site that gives a sound
bite about Robert Carter III as well as his grandfather, King Carter, and his wife, Frances Tasker Carter. Go to http://www.qwiki.com/q/#!/Robert_Carter_III Of course you can also read my historical novel, The Curtain Torn. Mr. Carter should be in all the history books.
May 10th,
2011
I've had my books on Amazon/Kindle for a few weeks now, and they're selling quite well, however many
readers have stated that they would like them on Barnes & Noble as e-books. Even though there were a number of formatting
issues to work out, I'm proud to say that all five of my books are available with B&N. To see them go to http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooks/index.asp and put in my name.
May 7th, 2011 As
the saying goes, nothing's simple. I just put my books on Kindle as e-books and I'm getting a few sales, so decided to also
put them on Barnes & Noble. The only problem is that Barnes & Noble has different requirements than Kindle, so I've
spent hours trying to reformat them. They should be available soon.
May 5th, 2011 Here
is an essay I just finished about growing up in the hills of Tennessee
The “Paper”
Every Sunday morning was the same. Our father would arise at first daylight, take his rifle from the closet, and go
into the woods hoping to return with a rabbit or a squirrel, or, if he was really lucky, a quail. His dog would run along
beside, spinning in circles, yelping out a warning to anyone within earshot. An hour or so later he’d return, usually
unsuccessfully. Our mother, by this time, would have the coffee made and our father would smoke a cigarette while he sipped
his cup. Soon our mother would yell for us to get up and have breakfast. After breakfast our father would listen to the radio—usually
a song by Dolly Parton or Loretta Lynn, and then make his Sunday announcement.
“Well, reckon I’ll go on into town and get the paper.”
“Alright then,” our mother would always say.
Our father would then get in our 52 Plymouth and head to town.
We lived on a dirt road atop a hill a few miles outside the east Tennessee town of Oneida—population about 1,500.
We were a poor family, although we really didn’t think much about it since virtually everyone in Oneida was poor. At
least we had a roof over our heads and food to eat. And while we had no TV or telephone, my brothers and sisters and I always
found a way to entertain ourselves. Sometimes it was just playing tag or hide and seek, or often it was the more involved
game of ‘annie, annie, over’. In this game we would divide into two teams, each on one side
of the house. One team would then yell annie annie, over, and throw a ball over the house to the other team. If the
ball didn’t make it over the house you yelled pig’s tails. If someone on the other team caught the ball
they would run around the house while hiding the ball, and then throw it and try and hit someone. The person hit had to sit
out. The other team would then throw the ball over the house. The game continued until all members of one team were eliminated.
It was great exercise and cheap entertainment.
It was understood that when our father spoke of going into town to get the “paper”, he was referring to
the Knoxville News Sentinel. The local Scott County News came out Thursday afternoon and virtually everyone in the county
read it to find out who had killed a rattlesnake or caught the biggest fish, or whose relatives had been visiting for the
week. But the Sunday Knoxville News Sentinel was “the” paper. Reading it made us citizens of the world. For that
reason our father never missed a Sunday morning of going into town to get the paper. It was our lifeline to the outside world.
I was about seven or eight when I began to wonder why it took our father two hours to pick up the paper. Oneida was
a five to ten minute drive away, and virtually no stores were open on Sunday morning, so how could he spend two hours picking
up the paper? Then one day he came to me with a question.
“Larry, reckon you’d like ta come into town with me ta get the paper?”
“Sure,” I responded immediately.
Now the mystery would be solved.
We drove into town and up Main Street and stopped in front of Danny’s Drug which had not yet opened for the day.
My father got out and put some money into the machine and removed the paper. We then headed back down the street and, I assumed,
back home. Then, just as we were leaving Oneida, my father pulled into Bilbrey’s Garage, which was owned by his first
cousin. I followed him into the dirty, run down office and said hello to my second cousin, Ed Bilbery, who always was pleasant
and polite to me. He and my father sat in the cluttered office smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, and planning their next
fishing or hunting trip. After a few minutes I got up and wandered around the garage, pondering whether or not the satisfying
of my curiosity about my father’s trips was worth the boredom of being stuck in the dark, smelly garage. After a while
my father came and got me and we headed back home to deliver the paper.
The thing that amazed me most about my father’s trips into town to get ‘the paper’ was the absolute
determination with which he did so. Nothing would prevent him from his Sunday morning quest. It didn’t matter if it
was August and a hundred degrees, or January and bitter cold. He made his trip in torrential rain, gale force winds, or blizzards.
I think adverse weather conditions only made him more determined to complete his mission. And usually he had no trouble getting
into town, but the trip home was a much greater challenge, for then he had to make it up the ‘hill.” We lived
about a half-mile off the highway on a dirt road that wound around and ended with a steep hill to our house. The hill became
a challenge during wet weather, but was almost impossible to ascend in snow or ice. But this did not stop our father from
making his journey. Many times he would arrive back at the house on foot and announce that the car was stuck on the hill,
and we all had to help get it unstuck. We would bundle up and trudge down the hill, our mother usually
carrying a bag of something—ashes, sand, sawdust—which she felt was certain would give the wheels better traction.
After considerable effort and time, the car would make it up the hill, leaving behind those of us who had made it possible.
Often all of our attempts to get the car unstuck would fail, and only then
would our father take out his secret weapon—tire chains. It only took a couple of minutes to attach the chains, and
then, with no problem, the car would climb the hill. This did not seem strange to me as a youngster, but then, as I grew older,
it became more confusing. Let’s see—you knew you had the chains in the trunk; you knew the chains would get
the car up the hill; but you first let us all stand in the freezing cold for fifteen minutes attempting to push the car up
the hill. Only then did you put on the chains. What sense is this? Then, one day, it struck me. If he got the car
up the hill without the chains, he won—putting the chains on the tires meant the hill won. It was a battle of man against
the elements—but a battle in which he felt it necessary to engage his wife and small kids. Those days are long
gone, along with my mother and father and many of my older siblings, but I can still see us huddled together in a heroic attempt
to get the car up the hill. And all in the quest of the all-important “paper”. But I guess some things never change.
Someone called recently to see if I wanted to subscribe to the Washington Post. I told them I always went out on Sunday morning
to get the paper. It’s a tradition. Larry Buttram
May 4th, 2011 My
latest book, The Curtain Torn, is now on Kindle. The book is about Robert Carter III, who freed more slaves than anyone in
American history. He should be in all the history books.
May 3rd, 2011 Why would a terminally ill six-year-old want to go to the top of Mt. Everest? Check out my book of short
stories, The Greatest Gift, on Kindle to find to find out why.
May 2nd,
2011
I've just had my books on Amazon/Kindle (e-books)for a few days and have already sold quite a few. Thanks
to another writer, Karen Cantwell, for encouraging me to do this.
May 1st,
2011 A beautiful day yesterday. At a cookout at my brother-in-laws
with family and friends. Great weather.
April 30th, 2011
Just added 30 new friends from facebook. It' neat to recognize people's faces I haven't
seen in 30 or 40 years. April 29th, 2011
Just started a new contest. Submit an article for my newsletter and win $25.00. E-mail me
for more details.
April 28th, 2011--From my latest newsletter:
Wonderful Children's Answers
The following are supposedly real answers given by kids to questions. Even if they are
not, they are great. Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
Q: Explain
one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes
large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.
Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on
the leaves and makes them perspire.
Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.
Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to
flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this
fight.
Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.
Q: What happens
to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.
Q: What happens
to a boy when he reaches puberty?
A: He says good-bye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery
Q:
Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.
Q: What is artificial insemination?
A: When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.
Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized?
(e.g., abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts---the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium
contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O,
and U.
Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie.
Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.
Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section"
A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome.
Q: What does the word "benign" mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight."
Thursday, April 28th, 2011 In keeping up with the new age of technology, my first three books, False Witness, Honor Thy Sister,
and the Third Generation are now available in e-book format from Amazon/Kindle. You can find them at amazon.com/kindle and then
search for my name. And, the best part, the e-book price is only $2.95. My other two books will be available soon.
Thursday, Sept. 26th, 2007
Here is a really nice
e-mail I got from Nancy Renfroe, a reader in Tennessee. Nancy—
You are in for a treat. Never-the-less this
book is not quiet what you expect. Enjoy. I certainly did. Thanks a million.
Your friend and fellow Servant in Christ-
Henry
The book
my African American friend was referring to is the book, "The Third Generation" by Larry Buttram. As I write to
you, I just finished reading the last page of this wonderful book and as usual Larry did not disappoint me in his writing.
This book is the third writing of this Tennessee family, whom you grow to love and discover how God uses people for his glory. The first book was
"False Witness" in which the main characters meet and fall in love with each other and also the problems they face
as a white husband and a black wife, they also discover that not all things are black and white. This book as all three
of them will keep you in suspense all through the book. All three are centered around Greeneville, Tennessee. The second book, "Honor thy Sister"
continues on with this family but they face different situations and also explain how their belief in God carries them on.
You will find in this book that the Love/Hate District Attorney is still around spreading his hate. I refuse to tell you if
he is in the third book because you just have to read it to find out, as Henry told me after he read the book before I did.
LOL There were
several times when I would read the book that I wanted to share different things with you but the one that I chose is at the
very last.
"Actually, I
don't think it's that simple. Let me ask you a question, Mr. Ross. What's the difference between Jesus and Satan? "Between Jesus and Satan? he repeated wide-eyed. "That's quiet a question. I guess
the obvious answer-based on your statement- is that Jesus loves everybody and Satan hates everybody, right? "Well, close. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and...well to me the answer
is that Satan did love, but only himself, while Jesus loved everybody. I believe that God gave everybody the ability and the
need to love and be loved, but some people turn it inward, like Satan, while Jesus instructed us to love each other as we
love ourselves. Wouldn't the world be a different place if everybody really did that?"
God Bless and happy reading if you are able to get Larry's
Books.
Nancy
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Tuesday, September 4, 2007
The past few days have been hectic. Thursday morning I was interviewed by the radio station in my hometown of Oneida, Tennessee.
That afternoon my wife and I left for Tennessee for a couple of book signings. Friday morning we stopped at a number of bookstores
in Virginia and Tennessee to drop off copies of my new book, The Third Generation. Friday afternoon I had a book signing at
Jacobs Well Coffee Shop in Greeneville, Tennessee. I had a really nice turnout, including a reporter and a photographer from
the Greeneville Sun. Since the reporter called me with questions late Friday, I was surprised to see the article appear in
the Saturday morning paper. My wife and I also had a nice dinner at a friend's house in Greeneville.
Saturday morning we left for Oneida, arriving there in time to visit long-lost relatives before my book signing at
Oneida Books and Gifts. I had a great turn-out at the signing, including an English teacher I hadn't seen in forty years.
Then, Saturday evening I attended my fortieth high school reunion and again saw many people I hadn't seen since I graduated
in 1967. So the weekend was really about seeing old friends and family and signing a few books.
I had
a winner in this month's contest. Matilda Green was the first one to tell me that the score in the football game was LSU
34, Tennessee 9. I should be over the loss soon. Look for a new contest in the next newsletter. Larry Buttram
Monday, August 20, 2007
Welcome to My New Website
I hope you enjoy my new web site. Please check out all the pages, including my schedule of events. You can also e-mail
me from the contact page. Thanks to the nice people at Borders Express in Springfield, Va. for letting me do a
book signing there. I met a lot of nice people--even one from my little hometown in Tennessee, and sold a few books.
My
last and final book in the False Witness trilogy--The Third Generation--is now available. You can order it on-line. It may
take a few weeks, however, for it to appear in retail stores. Associated with The Third Generation I'm announcing
a contest. $50.00 (that's fifty) to the first person who can answer this question.What was the final score of the football
game Emily and Julius attended? Good news! My problems with my neck seem to be over--at least for the moment--and I
was able to reschedule my TV interviews. They're in October. See the schedule of events for the details. Next week
I will be going to my hometown for a couple of book signings and to attend my 40th high school reunion. 40th! That's got
to be a mistake. I think I should be about 39, although my body seems to disagree. That's all for now. Have a great
week. Larry
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2007.08.01
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