Dear Reader…
Thank
you for taking the time to read my book! Writing The Sheltering Palms was definitely a labor of love. I spent well
over forty years working around lawyers, cops and unions, and there was simply
too much rich material to pass up writing a story about these fascinating
subjects. And my childhood around a bourbon-swilling, piano-playing grandfather
and other eccentric family characters offered further material for some
terrific tales about these oddballs. When I could combine my childhood along
with my career and develop a coherent story, the result was a satisfying
fictional autobiography that hopefully you will enjoy reading as much as I
enjoyed writing it.
During
my career, I wrote and published three professional books about police unions,
and figured: how hard could it be to write a novel? Boy, was I deluded! A novel
is a completely different process, requiring a creativity and word usage that
at first puzzled me. But I finally got into the groove and the result is a book
that hopefully you will find to be funny, eerie, sardonic and a little bit, no
make that a whole lot, lewd.
I
hope that you especially enjoy the character by the name of Buster, who in the
book was an attorney in a small east Tennessee
burg. Buster definitely enjoyed his bourbon way too much, had more information
floating around in his head than ten people combined, could spin the funniest
tales, write the funniest letters, and had the most peculiar ideas about
religion and politicians. He was the mold for what has been termed “country
lawyer.”
When
I finished writing this book, I gave a huge sigh of relief, figuring my work
was now complete. What did I know? Several of my colleagues told me I needed a
professional editor; I said, “I took English in college, so why the hell do I
need an editor.” But I followed their advice and brought on ace editor Jeff
LaFerney, not realizing that he was going to push me through an English 101
boot camp and point on the many grammatical errors I had made in the writing
process. Because of Jeff’s efforts, the final project is so much improved. I
can never thank him enough for his efforts.
I
have so enjoyed writing this novel that a sequel is now in the works. It should
be completed sometime next spring. Good reading!
Preston
Howard
About the Author
Preston Howard spent his
entire career working on behalf of police officers, representing them under
adverse circumstances, negotiating contracts to improve officers’ benefits and
working conditions, and training police union officials in the art of
leadership. He has written numerous books and lectured not only in this country
but abroad as well.
His latest book is the
fictional autobiography/historical fiction/satire, The
Sheltering Palms.
Website Address: http://www.prestonhowardauthor.com
Facebook Address: Preston Howard - Author
About the Book:
Renowned police labor lawyer, Preston
Howard, reached a watershed in his life—a forced retirement from the firm he
built from the ground up and a cancer diagnosis. These two events made him take
a step back and reflect over a life that had at times been hilarious,
irreverent, self-mocking, eerie and even a bit, make that, quite lewd.
A family of unique characters guided
the lawyer’s formative years: a bourbon-swilling, brilliant yet flawed
grandfather who mentored the young lad in matters of religion, politics and the
quest for knowledge; a psychic mother; an oversexed nanny; an aunt and uncle
who fought on the front lines of integration; and a fire-balling uncle who got
his fifteen minutes of fame in The Show.
Preston Howard first made his mark as
a crime-fighting attorney representing the Tucson Police Department. Then he
spent over forty illustrious years as a labor lawyer working with police
officers and union leaders and handling the gamut of fascinating, high-profile
cases across the country and even in other countries.
His many tall yarns might be viewed by some with the greatest suspicion,
but his story-telling is undeniably first-class, witty, and absorbing.
PRAISE:
“The best
book I’ve ever read about lawyers, cops, and unions.” Bob Helpert, Tucson,
Arizona
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sheltering-Palms-Preston-Howard-ebook/dp/B07HS2317W/
Link to Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-sheltering-palms
Link to Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1437685823
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