July 30, 2026 • 42 mins
Already an international award-winning children’s picture book, Floo Flocky Doo to the Rescue, is perfect for bedtime stories, classroom read-alouds, and early readers who love funny animal adventures. Families will enjoy the heartwarming themes of caring, problem-solving, and the magic of friendship. Bring Miss Floo Flocky Doo along with YOU! *** Visit www.FlooFlockyDoo.com to see a Floo Flocky Doo SING-ALONG video!! *** If your child loves Little Blue Truck, What should Danny Do, Llama Llama, The Berenstain Bears, Grumpy Monkey, Fancy Nancy, or Dragons Love Tacos, they’ll adore Floo Flocky Doo to Rescue! Award-winning author David L. Gillespie brings a unique blend of imagination, heart, and real-world experience to children's literature. Born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, David embarked on a global journey with his family after earning his commission in the United States Air Force. Throughout a distinguished career spanning military intelligence, public policy, and executive leadership, he served in locations around the world before ultimately channeling his lifelong love of storytelling into writing for children. His debut picture book, Floo Flocky Doo to the Rescue, has already earned more than ten literary awards, including multiple international honors. Inspired by the imagination of his youngest daughter, the book introduces readers to Miss Floo Flocky Doo—a spirited young girl whose zest for life, quick thinking, and compassionate heart lead her on unforgettable adventures with her animal friends, Peanut and Lucky Lou. Filled with playful rhyme, colorful illustrations, laugh-out-loud moments, and heartwarming lessons, the story celebrates kindness, friendship, problem-solving, and the joy of helping others. David and his family are delighted to share Miss Floo Flocky Doo’s adventures with children, parents, educators, and libraries around the world. To learn more about David, Miss Floo Flocky Doo, and her lovable companions Peanut and Lucky Lou, visit FlooFlockyDoo.com Book out now!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Looking in between the pages with James Jr. I am,
of course James Junior. It's me, it's my show.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Uh and uh.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We always talk about all kinds of books. We also
talked to the authors behind the books and he's called
me in between the pages, so we get in between
the pages of why the books were invented, but also
about who's writing them. That's why I love doing the show.
We're doing the show for about ten years. I love
doing the show, so I like this. It's a lot
of fun. That's why I started it because I feel
like you at home. I want to know all about
what's going on, and writing a book is not easy.
(00:37):
It's like giving birth to something you know you are,
you are the master of that universe, and then you
put it out for everybody to judge it.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
So it works. My guests.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Has a resume that's just so it's it's long and wide.
So I was gonna do like the Abridge version. He's
an award winning author. Of course, he's a retired lieutenant
colonel of the Air Force.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
We love the Air Force. Love that. I mean years
during that of course.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Right now serves as the executive vice president of the
Integraty Integrity Group.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
He previously served in the.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Executive leadership roles with the Florida Chamber Foundation and the
US Department of Defense. That's big cloaks. It's some big
stuff there, and worked with the Department of US Department
of Justice. He's been deployed several times. He's in Florida.
He wrote this book called flu Flocky. Do you make
sure I said to the rescue but exact correctly? Illustrated
(01:32):
by Ronnie Rooney, which will make sure you mentioned Ronnie.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
And it's a rhyming picture book for kids. And I
want to I want to find out how do you
went from serving the military to running a children's books
to be an interesting story?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Help me welcome my new friend, David Gillespie.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Well, James, thank you, thank you for having me on
the on the show. And I can I'll just one
comment to one thing you said, you know writing and
the children's are writing a children's picture book and this
and this is it? You're correct? Hard Can I validate
that it was like giving birth? I can't do that,
but my wife probably.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Could well figuratively, as I said, we don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I couldn't do it. Oh, I watched by both my
children be born. I couldn't uge doing Hey, it was like,
good for you. We're not made for that, but it
is birthing of some sorts of a project that you
feel strongly about that you're giving to the world.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So, first of all, congratulations on the book.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I really appreciate it. Should I say that? And also
thank you for your service. I say it on camera,
thank you for your service.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Well, and I appreciate that too, And uh, you know,
we we need to be thankful every day, wake up
every day for the men and women that continue to serve,
that have served, continue to serve. Uh you know, uh
here in the States and certainly abroad as well. We
got men and women that are protecting our nation every
single day through a variety of means, and we need
(03:02):
to be very, very appreciative and thankful for their service.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I agree. I completely agree with everything you just said.
I do agree.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And and it's many people on my channel, No, my
my stepdads, my grandfather's, my one of my brothers currently
is a survey. I mean, it's we we are runs
our family, so we are bigger, We're bigger on that.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
That's awesome. It's a special person. That's a special person.
So you're in.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
So you're in Tallahassee, Florida. Now I've been the main
parts of Florida. Remind me where in the state is Tallahassee.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Tallahassee is up north in the Panhandle as we call it,
and it is. Pensacola is on the Pittsacola, Florida, on
the far western tip of the panantle of Florida. Jacksonville
is on the far eastern kind of top right corner
of Florida over there by the Atlantic, and Tallahassee is
almost practically dashed back in the middle on itm So
that's where we're located. It's nice because you know, it
(03:51):
doesn't take you a day to get out of Florida,
you know, if you want to go north, you know,
unlike if you're down south like I was a couple
of days ago. It's not in Miami, and holy schmook,
an eight hour drive. I'm back up there, you know,
through all that traffic, and it just reminded me about
why how thankful I am to be up here in
North Florida.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
So you're not You're not far from St. Petersburg, right
or as that far as that's still further.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
That's about four hours south of US. That's down there
in the Tampa area. It's an easy drive.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
If I was going to live somewhere else in Florida South,
then it would probably be in that Saint Petersburg area.
That's just a beautiful area, you know, and easy to
get to.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Its beautiful, and I've been there. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
I have I have friends in Tampa. Braiding's in, but
most of my family's in Coral Gate. They're there in
southern they're in Coral Gate, carl Spring, right, Coca Beach.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Vera b They're all there.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And I have some family in the Keys. I like
the Keys, and down there in the Keys, I can
get how big Florida is. It's like California. It's a
long stay. That's right, Yeah, it I do.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And I always say, when you go to Florida, you
know you're in Florida. I always say, you get there.
I love Florida. When I go back, I just know
I'm in Florida, like I'm not in I'm not in
Alabama anymore or Tennessee. Like you just know when he
gets to Florida, like, I'm not the Carolinas. I'm in Florida.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You're in part of That's exactly right, Yeah, Palm Joy's glory.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
So yeah, I'm going. I'm going to Public's out of
go grocery shopping exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yes, yeah, we're shopping. Is a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yes, I.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Left that and that's why even a paid endorsement of Publics.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But no, not at all.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
If you want to endorse the show Publics, contact me
at at Jayla Junior like, I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So first of all, are you are you? Are you?
Are you from Florida? From elsewhere?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
No? Born and raised here in Tallahassee. As a matter
of fact, both myself and my lovely broad Marsha of
almost forty years now, we grew up in Tallahassee. But
believe it or not, the funny part of that is
during our high school years, she and I live just
about a mile apart from each other, but the high
school dividing line went between our houses, so she went
(05:53):
to one high school, I went to another. We didn't
know each other. We met in college freshman year of
college Andanish class and then the other small world is
but my father and her father had known each other
through the insurance industry, uh, and a few other social
clubs and stuff, you know, for decades before, so they
(06:15):
knew each other. So when we finally all made the
family connections there, the in law situation worked out very
nice as well.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
What what forty years? What is one piece of advice
you made for forty years? Uh?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Learned from from a guy's perspective, Learn to say yes,
ma'am a lot? Right? Uh?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, you say yes ma'am right, no, And then both
parties clearly need to have the gift of forgiveness, right, Uh,
the gift of forgiveness. No one's perfect.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
People say things you know that that are that you
know that are unintentionally taken the wrong way, you know, Uh,
and do things the same thing. Uh. So you's got
to learn to to ask and and and and and
be forgiven and to and to return the same to
your to your mate and your partner.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
And then choose to be happy and just live a
life to its fullest, you know. And and of course
for my wife and I and our family, Uh, Jesus
Christ is a big part of our family, and so
having him as our rock. You know that also, Uh
that that clearly helps the situation as well when you
have that to lean on you.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
When you have that, do you have that foundation, It's
like it's easier to land anywhere always, right, I always say,
because we always say God's ding your direction all the time.
So at some point you have them there, then you're good.
But you have you to work, have you to work
a little bit, but like it still still good.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Try have that So I like I do. I like
that a lot. I like that very much. Do you
have any kids?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Uh? We have been the Lord blessed and gifted us
with two beautiful daughters. Both daughters are adults and married
themselves and each have gifted us with two kids of
their own. So we have four grandkids between the ages
of two and almost six. And one of the daughters
and family lives here in Tallahassee with us, and the
(08:11):
other daughter, Sarah. Our youngest daughter is Hunter. She and
her family is who lives here in Tallahassee, and our
oldest daughter, Sarah and her family live up there in
the Virginia Beach Norfolk, Virginia area. Okay, that was our
last duty station. That when I retired from the air force.
And at the time our oldest daughter was finished high
(08:32):
school there, met her high school's sweetheart there, and he's
from that local area, and they both went to college
and got their own professional pedigrees and then eventually moved
back to that area where they settled. So that's so
if we're not here in Florida, then we're making road
trips as well, you know, thirteen hours north up the
Virginia to see the kids.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Little junkie time.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So I have two grown daughters, okay, and I have
five grandchildren, so I only beat you by one I have.
I have one granddaughter, four grandsons. Like I didn't have
sons to my own, but now I got these boys.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
But of course I'm the closest to the girl. Of course,
that's just that's.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Right, right, right, And I said, and I said, four grandkids. Yeah,
two of those are granddaughters and two of those are grandsons.
So we we've got a nice blend there, and we're
looking forward to I mean there there are a whole
lot of fun now. Uh, it's great being with them.
It's great to be able to pass them back to
the parents. They holy smoke, you know, I mean I
had no idea how much energy it takes to be
a parent these days, you know, yes and a lot yes,
(09:34):
and so you know, I can now understand of course,
you know when grandparents back in the day would tell
us it's great being a grandparent. Absolutely, I tell you what,
it's the best things spreads.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Oh, I agree. I to agree with that. I love
I'm Papa Jamie because I was like, I'm my grandpa.
I'm Papa Jamie. I'm too young and too beautiful sounds
al as I joked. I mean I was a young
father and a young grandfather. So I was just kind
of like, yeah, I'm papa, and Papa's okay, But mind
is what they call me?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
What it was? But I when I asked you, I
will tell you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Because my daughters gave me, uh, for Father's Day this
year a shirt and a mug and his shirt said
don't mess with me. I raised two girls. And then
they then they gave me a mug that said we're sorry.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Uh. It's like it's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
And I because I mean, I want to ask you,
raising two girls taught me many things being a man myself.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
What is one thing raising your girls taught you.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Oh goodness. Well, I'm trying to think when you live
live in a house full of women, you know, at
that point then the only other guy in the in
the household was a dog, right, I don't know you
so so so I'm gonna what am I gonna say?
(10:50):
I guess I'm gonna say, you learn more the art
of sensitivity and compassion there you good?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Right?
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I think as men, you know, when we're around boys,
you know, you know, the males, young young men, whatever,
it's it's more of a come on, let's go, let's
get after it type of attitude. When you're in and
around young ladies, you know, there's clearly just a more
of it. I mean, men and women were just obviously
very very different, you know, emotionally as well. And uh
(11:21):
so I think that I think sensitivity and compassion and
and uh through that process, so.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I will.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So WHI I always tell people it's kind of similar
to saying it said, they taught me how to be sensitive. Yeah, yeah,
because with women with girls, they forced me. Because you know,
as men, we're fixers.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Fix it.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I'm totally I'm David. I'm totally that I'm the fix
I'm still doing to day kind of so they and
they'll let me and they'll let me know when they
want me to fix something. They company for that. But
when I was growing up, when they were growing up,
they were like, I just want you to listen to me.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I learned how to listen.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They just wanted to share with me what they were
going through, like get to the point, like what's going on?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Wait.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So it taught me how to listen better. That works
in my jobs as as an organ as all this,
I can, I can listen. But it all taught me more.
It taught me sensitivity too, of like, yeah, sometimes they
just want to be heard.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I was just get you took the words out of
the mouth, right, pete people that yes, it I learned
through the service and through the raising of our daughters
that what you just said, people oftentimes just want to
be heard. They don't necessarily want you to agree or disagree.
They just want to have an opportunity to be heard.
And it took me a bit to learn the importance
(12:45):
of that.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So you took the words right out amount of mouth.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's well, it's just it's just you said.
The service tests and just got get to that in
a second, why bring yourselves? Because I love my girls.
They know I love them than everything. But it's always
make jokes about the whole, like he was hard being
a girl day I was around these en got to
teenage years, it's a little rough, who knows, rough, and
early adult years a little rough too. But we're very
(13:08):
close now and now that their parents ha ha, they're
seeing it, especially my daughter with her daughter, I'm like, oh, interesting,
isn't it. We talked about that, But I would saying
you you were in the service, so I'm presuming you
were around mostly men. I know there's some women in
the service too, but I'm like, but you were mostly
(13:28):
in this very masculine atmosphere, but at home it was
very feminine atmosphere. So I was always kind of wonder
how you are, how that worked out, how that worked
for you.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Well, so not quite, but yes, And what you just said,
and what I mean by that is, was I in
a masculine atmosphere?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I mean, uh, the military service these days is of
course a very very blended right male females, And I
mean we got we got some wonderful lady that are
serving in combat rules, right, and so it's much more
blended now. And I was. And then even with that said,
(14:09):
being in intelligence operations, I was. I was never The
units that I were a part of were very blended
organizations versus versus a ranger battalion you know that might
be ninety nine percent men and one percent women. Right,
So I was in a full blended, blended thing. But
(14:29):
what I will say is that in the military, you
are around, dare I say, a lot of Type A personalities, Right,
I'm a Type A. You're around a lot of Type a's,
and so male or female doesn't matter, but you're around
a lot of Type a's. And one thing that I
had to try to learn as well, when I come home,
(14:50):
you check the type A you know, attitude at the door,
you know, leave that there for when you were in
the uniform, and and blend in to be in a
more compassionate, kind, sensitive father, right to to two daughters
and certainly to my my wonderful broade of forty years.
And I hope that that's part of why we're still
(15:10):
a couple, right, is that you you you learn to adapt,
and I had to learn to adapt my own emotion
and approach as well.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
But you know what.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
But but you know what I'm talking about though in
some level though, you know, for some people that's hard
to do that. Some people they have probably there's I
mean there's not there with domestic violence of like things
like that. Whatever, hard time switching, right, Why do you
think why do you think you were able to kind
of navigate that at least successfully?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Mean successfully?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Well, I don't know. I mean I had a you know,
I was never I was in a I'm an only child.
I grew up in a very loving family to loving
parents who fortunately never had to experience any kind of
childhood trauma, you know, of what you just suggested as well.
So I was just always raised by my mom and
(16:06):
dad as someone to respect, you know, other people, uh,
certainly respect women. I mean, after all, I'm from the South.
You know I hold open doors, you know, for women.
I open doors for women, right, you know, I mean
it's just the Southern gentleman in me. So that was
never an issue for me in terms of being able.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
To check that.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
But you're right, there are some out there, maybe i'd
say predominantly men, but there's some women too. I don't
think it's just just the male species, but that You're right,
have have difficulty in doing that. And who knows why
that is. Was it were they a product of their
own childhood upbringing?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Who knows. But I was.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Fortunate that I didn't have that, you know, So, so
I was brought up as a Southern gentleman. I try
to be that, you know, throughout my career today.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
My father's Southern, so I I my brother's we carry
that walk on the outside of the sidewalk and the
wind walking and people l are like, I'm not used
to that.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I go, I know, you're not used to that.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
It's it's not even a thought for me because I
was raised that way, and you know, Miss Helen and
Miss Susie and you know, just I just I just
I I'm very proud that I can. I come from
that part of my life right right when I used
to go visit it was just like everything it was
just like, you know, just please and thank you and
yes ma'am, yes sir, and I just I always just
(17:28):
stuck it stuck in me and I just I'm not Southern.
But that tradition of holling doors open and making sure
you wait till I see my female friends get in
the house like, I just I just do I do
all that. They're like, I'm not just saying it at all.
I go, right now, he's l a man, do that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I do it. That's right.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And even to this day, I mean, if if my
wife and I are going to go downstairs from an
establishment suckingfore go downstairs, I always go down the stairs
in front of her, and sudden I'm thinking, why are
you doing that? I'm doing it because my wife trips
and falls. I want her to hit me exactly, laying
face first at the bottom of the stairs.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Their dad let me go in front of the case
like it was a narrow staircase.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I was going down.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I was like, you can follow me on, big boy,
you can follow them, you can follow me.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I did that at the end of the day. Yeah,
I agree.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I don't understand where somebody look at it and go,
why are you walking in front of her? Like it's
it's like, no, I'm exting her.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's exactly right. Get David, I get it.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
I get it all folks, And on my fanks from Louisiana,
that sounds so. I'm so I learned all that stuff
from them. So you get it, you get it, so
you get into the military, then you come out, you're
still an intelligence you're still you're still in that kind
of in that world, but it's a civilian esque in
(18:50):
that world. Did you really enjoy it was something that you,
I mean, you just like being in that world? Said,
it sounds to me, it sounds kind of fascinating as
a as a person that has ever done that.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But it's something it's something you just did you really
enjoy your career?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Oh, it's my military career, so.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Outside and then yeah, it kind of you Yeah, you
enjoy your home. I'm sorry, Yeah, did enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yeah? So I really, yeah I did.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I mean so.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Wife and I you know, we went in the service
in over twenty years. We chose to retire right at
twenty year mark, okay, I mean when we reached that point.
I actually was selected for the next rank, colonel, and
and we consciously made a family decision to turn down
that rank and retire as a lieutenant colonel versus going on.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
A man's that's up there for a second. Yeah, you
could have been a colonel. I mean, yeah, I know
it's the title, but I mean that's to me, that's exciting.
What was what was the exact what was I mean,
it's your business, tells you one. But what was a
decision to make where you're like, that's how I could
do it? What made you not do it?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah? So multiple reasons. And I don't mind sharing, and
I haven't told a whole lot of people. It's not
something you really share. But okay, we're here, so yeah,
so multiple factors went into a mixing ball. So number
one and none of these are priority worse, just all
of these played in equal weight. Okay, number one, we
(20:21):
had we had been in for twenty years, We had
moved twelve times in twenty years, and we had hung
the same stuff on different walls for twenty years. So
that was a factor. Did we want to continue to
do that? Because when you put on the rank of colonel,
then I mean the service owned you and they can
(20:41):
pluck you out and sing you wherever with not a
whole lot of voice. Again, this is now when I
was a service. Well, I'll retired two thousand and seven,
so this has almost been twenty years ago. Plead or not, James,
some things may not have changed, you know, since then.
But nevertheless, so that got a vote. Something else that
got to vote was our daughters were involved in gymnastics. Now,
(21:05):
just like you know, parents, your kids get into some
sort of competitive tribal ball, baseball, softball, for women, basketball, football,
whatever it is. Well, for us, our daughters were gymnasts
and quite good at it, and our oldest decided to
keep going, and she in fact competed in college for
(21:27):
Ohio State University. And so we were right in the
throes of that where she was right in her prime.
And we were concerned that if I had, you know,
stayed in the service, put on colonel and they move
us somewhere, that then we were not going to be
able to follow help our oldest daughter realize her gymnastics streams. Right,
(21:51):
So that got a huge vote. Was was that aspect
of it? And then and when you put all that
and and then something else got to vote. Yes, I
got selected for colonel, But when I got selected for colonel,
it was going to be two to three years before
I even pinned on the rank. And in order to
(22:13):
retire in the grade of colonel in this case, I
would have had to do three years time in great
that would have been another three years. Then you're looking
at assignment cycles, and when you take an assignment you
tack on additional time. The reality was that if I
had accepted the rank, I was then going to be
committing myself and our family to another call it eight
(22:34):
years roughly in the service, okay, And so that got
a huge vote. And then finally, even though finally, even
though I enjoyed my ride wearing the uniform and as
an intelligence officer, I also knew I did not want
to do that forever today. And when you when you
(22:56):
put on colonel, you retire as a colonel. Now you're
approaching the age of fifthfty, then almost invariably you parlay
that experience in your credentials and the credibility that brings
along with that into being a DoD contractor in the
same space. Intelligence. Well, my wife and I had long
dream and said that once we retired from the service,
we wanted to return to our hometown of Talsey, Florida. Well,
(23:18):
guess what, Tallsey, Florida is a state capital and a
college town, not a huge demand for an intelligence skill set.
So I knew that if we wanted to do that,
I needed to also probably retire at the age of
forty two, which I did from the service, and then
companies would still be willing to take a chance on
a forty two year old retired lieutenant colonel, you know,
(23:42):
still got another career ahead of me twenty twenty five
years versus FI had retired as a colonel. Now I'm
at the age of fifty to fifty one trying to
transition to the you know, somewhere other than Department of Defense.
It was just going to be challenging. All of that
went into a mixing bowl. And the final thing was
we said, if I had taken the rank, I would
have been taken it for the wrong reasons. It's you know,
(24:05):
and so we decided, you know, not to do that.
And I tell you what, James, I've never regretted it
one iota. I've never regretted it one bit. Enjoy the
rod for twenty years. But when we retired and able
to make our way back here to Tulsa, Florida, it
was God's plan and work in motion, and uh and
we followed that and it worked out.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
So hew, I'm I'm just through the math.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Of course. And of course my peers, my peers thought
I was absolutely nuts, nuts, you're gonna do what You're
gonna turn down? That right then, nuts, But you know
it doesn't matter. You do what's right in your heart.
You do it, you know for your family. Uh, and
you go where the Lord is leading you to go.
And that's what he did for us. I agree that completely.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
At at thirty nine, I left a high paying, high
profile jobs. I was not happy anybody during the recession.
It was like two thousand and eight. They thought I
was crazy, and I was like, no, I need to
be happy. Oh that's right, I need to be happy.
And I made and I made decisions. So I said,
I will never do a job I don't like ever again.
(25:13):
That was my declaration. So I can't I know how
you feel. I thought about things, and I left that job,
and I left that city, and I came back to
tell and I don't I don't know. And so that
was almost well again, it was seventeen years for me,
so you're not about the same age. I was just thinking,
you did a twenty years ago. Will I understand? I
didn't know. I understand completely that all money is good money,
of course, they always say, but I guess. I mean
(25:34):
lieutenant colonel is great too, should I looked that's good too,
That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Good.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Oh yeah, absolutely, it's it's all fine to know. I mean,
you the taxpayer, you pay me a nice little monthly
retard start and it's not enough to retire retire on
I mean, I'm still working man. But yeah, it's it's
all good.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
So Okay, I know I talked about your life all
the death, but now I got Now I'm go make
a connection.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So you all that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
You got a book, kah, got a book? You start
going to books, say so whatsologists like? Because it's calling
between the pages? Where did where did the idea of
First of all, writing? Were you always a writer?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
On some of them? On the side like where did
it come to you that you want to do writing? Wow?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So, first of all, when you're in the intelligence uh discipline,
the intelligence space, then one thing you do is write.
I mean you're writing analysis and assessments of whatever project,
whatever you've been you know, assigned to. I mean there
are times whenever I was an analyst for Iranian ballistic
(26:38):
missile systems, Iraqi ballistic missile systems UH and other things.
So the very nature of the intelligence discipline in the
Air Force UH is you just do a lot of writing.
So you you become a little bit skilled and adept
at writing in general. Now, if you ask me, did
I always have an appetite to go write a book,
the answer is absolutely not. I mean all, all attribution
(27:04):
and inspiration for this book is got to be attributed
to our youngest starter, Hunter. She is the one at
the age of four years old. So again I've already
told you that she's you know, she's a mama of
her own. She's over you know, she's thirty and she's so.
So this is twenty six years ago when she was
four and older daughter Sarah was a few years older
than her, so we were immersed as parents in the
(27:26):
world of children's picture books. Oh and and Hunter came
over and she put a plate of food in front
of me, and she goes, Miss flu fl like you do,
is here to serve you. And I looked at her
and I said, flu who you know? Where did you
see or read or hear about her? And she goes,
I just made her up. And I looked at my
wife and we both thought, we said, that could be
(27:48):
the lead character in a children's picture book. Miss looks
like you did, right, And so that's the inspiration, that
was the spark of the idea. Now, admittedly we didn't
do anything with the idea for the next again twenty
five years. It was last summer when my again my
lovely bride, Marsha, looked at me and she goes, David,
(28:08):
we now have four grandkids between one and five at
the time, and if you want them to read this
children's book you've been saying you're going to do, you
better get after it and do it. And that's when,
of course I said, yes, ma'am, and that was the
motivation I needed to finish it up. But you know,
over that twenty five years when the idea hit from Hunter,
(28:30):
of course we still had another ten or so years
to go in the service, and so that's all consuming obviously, right,
So that's it. But then the last ten or so
fifteen years, procrastination really get a vote. Did get a vote.
Of course, I was we were busy as a family,
busy and now my post military jobs and I was
doing leading a department of people that were offering officer
(28:54):
safety and wellness training to law enforcement officers and their
agencies across the nation for a number of years, and
so yeah, procrastination got a vote. And then it was
last year that my wife said let's do it, and
I said, you know, let's do it. And then as
I'm sure we'll talk about the story kind of had
already written itself in theme because there's there's so many
(29:14):
true things in the story that happened in real life
in our family.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
So I love that. So tell me all what to
tell people in your words? What is the book?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
All?
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Right?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
So flufl Like You Do The Rescue Again is based
on the lead female character, Miss Fluflock You Do. She
is probably six or eight years of age roughly. She
has a favorite sidekick in a hummingbird called Peanut. And
our again, our oldest daughter, Sarah was the was a
very petite as a gymnast, and so when her when
she was young, her nickname was Peanut to our family.
(29:48):
So we nicknamed the hummingbird Peanut. And we set up
the scenario where the relationship between flu Flo You Do
and Peanut the hummingbird is like a Batman in Robin
type of a scenario right where Robin is is kind
of an overwatch of Batman. You know, Flu in this
sense leads Flu on adventures and then together they solve
(30:08):
a problem, and they solve an adventure. And so in
this case, the bird you know comes in and Mom says, hey,
I think you know. Basically Peanut is trying to show
you a clue, and so flu chases after the bird.
Peanut leads Flu to a baby squirrel that's falling out
of his nest that actually happened in our family, and
so Flu rescues the baby squirrel, takes it back and
(30:31):
raises it to being an adult that actually happened in
our family. And that's that's the first half of the book.
Then the second half of the book is Mom says,
let's go to the grocery store. Well, little miss, little
miss fluvlocking who doesn't want to leave that squirrel home alone,
So she says she thinks it's a good idea to
take that smuggle the squirrel Lucky Lou now is the
squirrel's name to the grocery store that actually happened in
(30:53):
our family. And of course, when the whole second half
of the book now is that squirrel gets loose in
the grocery store and counses a lot of commute chaos
that actually happened in our family. Squirrel goat loose for
about three or four days until I was able to
recover it and eventually go release it. So that's the
that's the storyline, you know, and then she saves it,
and then the other little neat pieces. We introduced an
(31:14):
elderly lady in the grocery store scene, and we named
her Miss Nellie Fae, and that's in honor of the
memory of my mother, whose real name was Miss Nelly Fae.
And my mom always wore wigs, and so we had
Lucky Lou run off with Miss Nellie Pha's wig in
the story. And so that's the entire plot. The whole
(31:36):
book rhymes, James, and I can tell you right now,
I did not intend to write a rhyming, six hundred
word children's picked up.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I'm going to read on that. And side note. My grandmother,
Mitzi jean Or wigs all the time too, and I
didn't know she were wigs till one day, early in
the mornings, was in her coffee and her donuts. She's
always say coffee a donut. She was combing something out.
I saw her hair and I'm like, with braids. I'm like,
(32:04):
what's going on. She's like, I'll getting ready for I'm like,
that's what that wasn't your hair. I was like twelve
or thirteen. I had no idea. And she wore wigs.
She was the secretary well back they called them secretaries
back then. Yeah, and then she wore wig every day.
It was like five foot No, she was four foot eleven,
I mean yeah. She thought it were five inch heels.
And she had funny so was MITCHI that was my.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Mom was like four eleven, really small.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah. Yeah, So Nellie Fay, Mitchy Jean, you're out there
doing that.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
I love it. Okay, I'm just reading for a part
of the folks. This is no ordering. They just we
barked him from down the hall. Mommy, do you called?
We need veggies for stew and food for Lou. Let's
go to the store. Flu was excited for a trip
to the store, but Lou was sad and curled on
the floor. Could this be another adventure for Peanut and Flu?
(32:55):
Can we include lucky Lou?
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Two? What should I do? Thought?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Like you do?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Who do? Who hoo do? Who? I know? What to do?
Let's play whisper hide and seek, said Flu. You hide
to be quiet until I find you. Bump bump up
down the road. They flew, Mommy do Lucky Liu and
Fleu Flagy do what a crew? Well, mommy do shop
for carrots and salary and potatoes for stew. Flu thoughts herself,
(33:22):
what should I do? Who hoo do? Who? Why? I
know what to do?
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Lucky Lou needs something to chew? Thought Flu here on
aisle too, We'll find walts for Lou.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
It was such a fun book to write. And so,
you know, you said to who do you who? That's
also personal to our family. Our family. You know, some
people can whistle really loud, right, and so if you're
if you're in a parking lot or whatever, they can whistle.
We can't do that. And so many times I'll look
at my wife, she'll look at me, and we'll go,
who do you who? And so we thought, hey, let's
(33:58):
work this in the storyline. And so we did that
with you know, we were The character repeats when she
enters into a predicament of sorts, she's not sure what
to do. Then she says, who who who do who?
I know what to do? Right, And so early in
the writing process, when when when it's like what you
just said, it was like, what should I do with
thought fluful like you do? Who do you?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Who?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I know what to do. I couldn't get away from
the rhyming, just could not get away from it, and
so I decided to embrace it. And in fact, if
in the world of children picture books, every piece of
advice that agents traditional publishers will tell you is do
not write a rhyming children's picture book because it's so
hard to do well. I couldn't get away from it.
(34:41):
I decided, let's embrace this. But James, that is why
in a six hundred word what became a final six
hundred word of manuscripts, James, I bet I've got about
one hundred and fifty different versions of a manuscript. And
that's because I had over time. If I changed one
word and that man script tomorrow from what it was today,
(35:02):
it became a new version. And that became incredibly valuable
because as we approached the finish line in the book,
and I still had a couple of spots in the
book that I just wasn't just perfectly pleased with, I
was able to go back to manuscript number thirty five
or forty two and find some words that were in
that manuscript version but he'd come out for whatever reason,
(35:24):
but now they were the perfect fit to go back in.
So it really it was really a trial and era
of how it came together and it worked out.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Yeah, it's a fun book to read, folks. Kay, parents,
get ready put your rhyming skills on.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
You got to read it. Does it rhymes all the
way through? I love it and I love it.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
And I'm pleased to say, James that it's producing another
side benefit where the book is serving really two purposes.
One is, and this is a key point that I
just wanted to chat about here if we got time,
is importance of instilling an appetite for the love of
reading in your children at such a young age. And
(36:04):
so the book is serving as a it's a fun
book to be read aloud to a child by a parent,
a grandparent, maybe an older sibling, producing memories curled up
on the couch, the chair, in the bed. But then
it's also I'm finding out from educators that it's turning
out to be a great book for young children who
are learning how to read, because it's a fun book
(36:25):
to read. The rhyming is helping them, okay, you know,
to learn that to learn the beat to learn, the meters,
that sort of stuff, and I didn't think about that initially,
but it's proven to be that as well. And why
all that is so important is, I'm sure you and
some of your guests in the past have talked about this,
but a lot of parents just don't realize this is
(36:46):
that when that child hits third grade, they're transitioning from
learning how to read to reading to learn right because
fourth grade and on, eighty to eighty five percent of
the knowledge that that child consumes is through the active reading.
And so unfortunately, in third grade nationwide, only about forty
five to fifty percent of our children are actually reading
(37:07):
at grade level, which means the other half is behind.
And so we wanted to produce a book that, in
one small way, it's our little contribution to a solution
is produce a fun book that's fun to be read,
fun to read that, and we want a child to
be able to read it over and over and over again,
you know, to hopefully better prepare them and they're reading
(37:30):
skills going into those early elementary school years.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
As a picture of him when you were younger, you
have brown hair.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Yes, exactly, Yeah, I got nothing all salt.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
You a good second.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
That's right, all salt. But that was way back in
the day when our daughters Hunter and Sarah that I'm
holding there, that was about the time when Hunter came
up with imagine the character flu fl like you do is,
so I thought we would throw that into the book.
That's been a fun aspect. The story behind the story
that I explained, as you know, is there in the
back of the book, and that's really resonated with people.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
And I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
I was like, wait, like I think I was familiar.
Well it's him. It's a good second.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
Now if you get if you go to our website
fluflogydo dot com, then you'll see me with my salt,
salt and pepper here right a current picture.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
It's still it's still you. We can tell to you
we go. It means it means we added wisdom and
all this stuff. That's why I saved my gray off
just now. But I had a gray beard until a
while week ago, so.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I know how it is.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
So yeah, since we earned it, we earned it. It's
very good. They might touch you forever. You just have
to come back on a no time.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Just quack on no time, and I appreciate that. I mean,
I've already I've already written the first half of book
number two, and I'm hoping that it's going to come
out here. Uh, it will come out in twenty twenty seven. Uh,
just because because I self published this first book and
going to remain a self published author. And so yeah,
(39:04):
we get book number two out there on the street,
and we'll come back when we talk about that.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
But again we'll go shoutut to illustrator Ronnie Rooney for
work on the book. It's very important. It's a collaboration,
two of them.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
She did. She did. She did a wonderful job through
the entire process, very collaborative. She welcomed my thoughts and
I really tried to not be as prescriptive, you know,
not be very prescriptive, but let her talents come out
in the illustrations and the trade reviews of scotten Is
also equally mentioned the fact that her illustrations really made
(39:37):
the book come to life.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, it did, it did, So I'm make sure we
mentioned that. That's that's talent, folks, talent right there, think
you with being on the shelf. Course, welcome back a
time everyone at home. I mean, you know, I try
to so my family of Voracist readers. I told you
guys about this at home before my kids read, my
grandkids read, we read, my parents read, my brother we
(39:59):
all were reads and I but for me it started young.
I started my kids young. We'll start my grandkids young
by getting them books. If you're a grandparent watching this, yes,
socks are great and other toys are great. To get
them books like this because it's also a learning tool
to help them develop mentally. Yes, and absolutely side well
(40:25):
just give us just go so after you've done watching
this interview, you know, on your phone and order it.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yes, and you can get it of course on Amazon.
And then but if someone were to come to my
website fluflockado dot com in the near future, probably within
the next month, I'm gonna have a way for people
to order the book directly from me. And if you
do that, you're gonna get it probably a little cheaper
than you count on Amazon. But more importantly, I'll sign
it and I'll sign it to whatever little kiddo and
(40:55):
kiddo's in your life that you'd like me to sign
it to. Then you'll have that opportunity as well.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Signs.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
I have mine very excite mine. Yep, yeah, I have
my mind signed. So I'm signed. Give a minute everyone,
thanks for watching the show. Of course, we talk about
all kinds of books, from children's books to adults you know,
you know, grown up books on grown up books. It's
a mysteries, all kinds of stuff. Again, I love reading it.
That's why I started this podcast. I love books. Books
(41:22):
aren't going anywhere. We'll tell you that right now. They're
not going anywhere. People people are reading. They really are.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Books are not. I don't know what you heard.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
They're not going anywhere. People are totally they already really are.
They're still reading. Uh, it's still good. Are We're on
We're on Facebook between the pages of James I Jr.
The show is on every streaming service platform you can
think of, from iHeartRadio to Spotify and Apple, all those
and the Granddaddy always calling them all YouTube. At JLJ Media,
that's my company. I have all kinds of interviews with
(41:50):
people like him who who worked their hard time to
write books for you. Check out they're working for you.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
I'm James I. Jenian. We'll see you next time and
Looking in between the pages with James Jr. I am,
of course James Junior. It's me, it's my show.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Uh and uh.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We always talk about all kinds of books. We also
talked to the authors behind the books and he's called
me in between the pages, so we get in between
the pages of why the books were invented, but also
about who's writing them. That's why I love doing the show.
We're doing the show for about ten years. I love
doing the show, so I like this. It's a lot
of fun. That's why I started it because I feel
like you at home. I want to know all about
what's going on, and writing a book is not easy.
(00:37):
It's like giving birth to something you know you are,
you are the master of that universe, and then you
put it out for everybody to judge it.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
So it works. My guests.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Has a resume that's just so it's it's long and wide.
So I was gonna do like the Abridge version. He's
an award winning author. Of course, he's a retired lieutenant
colonel of the Air Force.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
We love the Air Force. Love that. I mean years
during that of course.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Right now serves as the executive vice president of the
Integraty Integrity Group.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:09):
He previously served in the.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Executive leadership roles with the Florida Chamber Foundation and the
US Department of Defense. That's big cloaks. It's some big
stuff there, and worked with the Department of US Department
of Justice. He's been deployed several times. He's in Florida.
He wrote this book called flu Flocky. Do you make
sure I said to the rescue but exact correctly? Illustrated
(01:32):
by Ronnie Rooney, which will make sure you mentioned Ronnie.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
And it's a rhyming picture book for kids. And I
want to I want to find out how do you
went from serving the military to running a children's books
to be an interesting story?
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Help me welcome my new friend, David Gillespie.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Well, James, thank you, thank you for having me on
the on the show. And I can I'll just one
comment to one thing you said, you know writing and
the children's are writing a children's picture book and this
and this is it? You're correct? Hard Can I validate
that it was like giving birth? I can't do that,
but my wife probably.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Could well figuratively, as I said, we don't know.
Speaker 1 (02:13):
I couldn't do it. Oh, I watched by both my
children be born. I couldn't uge doing Hey, it was like,
good for you. We're not made for that, but it
is birthing of some sorts of a project that you
feel strongly about that you're giving to the world.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
So, first of all, congratulations on the book.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
I really appreciate it. Should I say that? And also
thank you for your service. I say it on camera,
thank you for your service.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Well, and I appreciate that too, And uh, you know,
we we need to be thankful every day, wake up
every day for the men and women that continue to serve,
that have served, continue to serve. Uh you know, uh
here in the States and certainly abroad as well. We
got men and women that are protecting our nation every
single day through a variety of means, and we need
(03:02):
to be very, very appreciative and thankful for their service.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I agree. I completely agree with everything you just said.
I do agree.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
And and it's many people on my channel, No, my
my stepdads, my grandfather's, my one of my brothers currently
is a survey. I mean, it's we we are runs
our family, so we are bigger, We're bigger on that.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
That's awesome. It's a special person. That's a special person.
So you're in.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
So you're in Tallahassee, Florida. Now I've been the main
parts of Florida. Remind me where in the state is Tallahassee.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
Tallahassee is up north in the Panhandle as we call it,
and it is. Pensacola is on the Pittsacola, Florida, on
the far western tip of the panantle of Florida. Jacksonville
is on the far eastern kind of top right corner
of Florida over there by the Atlantic, and Tallahassee is
almost practically dashed back in the middle on itm So
that's where we're located. It's nice because you know, it
(03:51):
doesn't take you a day to get out of Florida,
you know, if you want to go north, you know,
unlike if you're down south like I was a couple
of days ago. It's not in Miami, and holy schmook,
an eight hour drive. I'm back up there, you know,
through all that traffic, and it just reminded me about
why how thankful I am to be up here in
North Florida.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
So you're not You're not far from St. Petersburg, right
or as that far as that's still further.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
That's about four hours south of US. That's down there
in the Tampa area. It's an easy drive.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
You know.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
If I was going to live somewhere else in Florida South,
then it would probably be in that Saint Petersburg area.
That's just a beautiful area, you know, and easy to
get to.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Its beautiful, and I've been there. It's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
I have I have friends in Tampa. Braiding's in, but
most of my family's in Coral Gate. They're there in
southern they're in Coral Gate, carl Spring, right, Coca Beach.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Vera b They're all there.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And I have some family in the Keys. I like
the Keys, and down there in the Keys, I can
get how big Florida is. It's like California. It's a
long stay. That's right, Yeah, it I do.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (04:46):
And I always say, when you go to Florida, you
know you're in Florida. I always say, you get there.
I love Florida. When I go back, I just know
I'm in Florida, like I'm not in I'm not in
Alabama anymore or Tennessee. Like you just know when he
gets to Florida, like, I'm not the Carolinas. I'm in Florida.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You're in part of That's exactly right, Yeah, Palm Joy's glory.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
So yeah, I'm going. I'm going to Public's out of
go grocery shopping exactly.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
Yes, yeah, we're shopping. Is a pleasure.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Yes, I.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
Left that and that's why even a paid endorsement of Publics.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
But no, not at all.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
If you want to endorse the show Publics, contact me
at at Jayla Junior like, I love that.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
So first of all, are you are you? Are you?
Are you from Florida? From elsewhere?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
No? Born and raised here in Tallahassee. As a matter
of fact, both myself and my lovely broad Marsha of
almost forty years now, we grew up in Tallahassee. But
believe it or not, the funny part of that is
during our high school years, she and I live just
about a mile apart from each other, but the high
school dividing line went between our houses, so she went
(05:53):
to one high school, I went to another. We didn't
know each other. We met in college freshman year of
college Andanish class and then the other small world is
but my father and her father had known each other
through the insurance industry, uh, and a few other social
clubs and stuff, you know, for decades before, so they
(06:15):
knew each other. So when we finally all made the
family connections there, the in law situation worked out very
nice as well.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
What what forty years? What is one piece of advice
you made for forty years? Uh?
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Learned from from a guy's perspective, Learn to say yes,
ma'am a lot? Right? Uh?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
I like that.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Yeah, you say yes ma'am right, no, And then both
parties clearly need to have the gift of forgiveness, right, Uh,
the gift of forgiveness. No one's perfect.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
People say things you know that that are that you
know that are unintentionally taken the wrong way, you know, Uh,
and do things the same thing. Uh. So you's got
to learn to to ask and and and and and
be forgiven and to and to return the same to
your to your mate and your partner.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (07:07):
And then choose to be happy and just live a
life to its fullest, you know. And and of course
for my wife and I and our family, Uh, Jesus
Christ is a big part of our family, and so
having him as our rock. You know that also, Uh
that that clearly helps the situation as well when you
have that to lean on you.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
When you have that, do you have that foundation, It's
like it's easier to land anywhere always, right, I always say,
because we always say God's ding your direction all the time.
So at some point you have them there, then you're good.
But you have you to work, have you to work
a little bit, but like it still still good.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Try have that So I like I do. I like
that a lot. I like that very much. Do you
have any kids?
Speaker 3 (07:50):
Uh? We have been the Lord blessed and gifted us
with two beautiful daughters. Both daughters are adults and married
themselves and each have gifted us with two kids of
their own. So we have four grandkids between the ages
of two and almost six. And one of the daughters
and family lives here in Tallahassee with us, and the
(08:11):
other daughter, Sarah. Our youngest daughter is Hunter. She and
her family is who lives here in Tallahassee, and our
oldest daughter, Sarah and her family live up there in
the Virginia Beach Norfolk, Virginia area. Okay, that was our
last duty station. That when I retired from the air force.
And at the time our oldest daughter was finished high
(08:32):
school there, met her high school's sweetheart there, and he's
from that local area, and they both went to college
and got their own professional pedigrees and then eventually moved
back to that area where they settled. So that's so
if we're not here in Florida, then we're making road
trips as well, you know, thirteen hours north up the
Virginia to see the kids.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Little junkie time.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
So I have two grown daughters, okay, and I have
five grandchildren, so I only beat you by one I have.
I have one granddaughter, four grandsons. Like I didn't have
sons to my own, but now I got these boys.
I love it.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
But of course I'm the closest to the girl. Of course,
that's just that's.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Right, right, right, And I said, and I said, four grandkids. Yeah,
two of those are granddaughters and two of those are grandsons.
So we we've got a nice blend there, and we're
looking forward to I mean there there are a whole
lot of fun now. Uh, it's great being with them.
It's great to be able to pass them back to
the parents. They holy smoke, you know, I mean I
had no idea how much energy it takes to be
a parent these days, you know, yes and a lot yes,
(09:34):
and so you know, I can now understand of course,
you know when grandparents back in the day would tell
us it's great being a grandparent. Absolutely, I tell you what,
it's the best things spreads.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Oh, I agree. I to agree with that. I love
I'm Papa Jamie because I was like, I'm my grandpa.
I'm Papa Jamie. I'm too young and too beautiful sounds
al as I joked. I mean I was a young
father and a young grandfather. So I was just kind
of like, yeah, I'm papa, and Papa's okay, But mind
is what they call me?
Speaker 2 (10:00):
What it was? But I when I asked you, I
will tell you.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Because my daughters gave me, uh, for Father's Day this
year a shirt and a mug and his shirt said
don't mess with me. I raised two girls. And then
they then they gave me a mug that said we're sorry.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Uh. It's like it's hilarious.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
And I because I mean, I want to ask you,
raising two girls taught me many things being a man myself.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
What is one thing raising your girls taught you.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
Oh goodness. Well, I'm trying to think when you live
live in a house full of women, you know, at
that point then the only other guy in the in
the household was a dog, right, I don't know you
so so so I'm gonna what am I gonna say?
(10:50):
I guess I'm gonna say, you learn more the art
of sensitivity and compassion there you good?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Right?
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I think as men, you know, when we're around boys,
you know, you know, the males, young young men, whatever,
it's it's more of a come on, let's go, let's
get after it type of attitude. When you're in and
around young ladies, you know, there's clearly just a more
of it. I mean, men and women were just obviously
very very different, you know, emotionally as well. And uh
(11:21):
so I think that I think sensitivity and compassion and
and uh through that process, so.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I will.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So WHI I always tell people it's kind of similar
to saying it said, they taught me how to be sensitive. Yeah, yeah,
because with women with girls, they forced me. Because you know,
as men, we're fixers.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
Fix it.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
I'm totally I'm David. I'm totally that I'm the fix
I'm still doing to day kind of so they and
they'll let me and they'll let me know when they
want me to fix something. They company for that. But
when I was growing up, when they were growing up,
they were like, I just want you to listen to me.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
I learned how to listen.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
They just wanted to share with me what they were
going through, like get to the point, like what's going on?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Wait.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
So it taught me how to listen better. That works
in my jobs as as an organ as all this,
I can, I can listen. But it all taught me more.
It taught me sensitivity too, of like, yeah, sometimes they
just want to be heard.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I was just get you took the words out of
the mouth, right, pete people that yes, it I learned
through the service and through the raising of our daughters
that what you just said, people oftentimes just want to
be heard. They don't necessarily want you to agree or disagree.
They just want to have an opportunity to be heard.
And it took me a bit to learn the importance
(12:45):
of that.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Right.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
So you took the words right out amount of mouth.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
Yeah, yeah, it's well, it's just it's just you said.
The service tests and just got get to that in
a second, why bring yourselves? Because I love my girls.
They know I love them than everything. But it's always
make jokes about the whole, like he was hard being
a girl day I was around these en got to
teenage years, it's a little rough, who knows, rough, and
early adult years a little rough too. But we're very
(13:08):
close now and now that their parents ha ha, they're
seeing it, especially my daughter with her daughter, I'm like, oh, interesting,
isn't it. We talked about that, But I would saying
you you were in the service, so I'm presuming you
were around mostly men. I know there's some women in
the service too, but I'm like, but you were mostly
(13:28):
in this very masculine atmosphere, but at home it was
very feminine atmosphere. So I was always kind of wonder
how you are, how that worked out, how that worked
for you.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Well, so not quite, but yes, And what you just said,
and what I mean by that is, was I in
a masculine atmosphere?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
No?
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I mean, uh, the military service these days is of
course a very very blended right male females, And I
mean we got we got some wonderful lady that are
serving in combat rules, right, and so it's much more
blended now. And I was. And then even with that said,
(14:09):
being in intelligence operations, I was. I was never The
units that I were a part of were very blended
organizations versus versus a ranger battalion you know that might
be ninety nine percent men and one percent women. Right,
So I was in a full blended, blended thing. But
(14:29):
what I will say is that in the military, you
are around, dare I say, a lot of Type A personalities, Right,
I'm a Type A. You're around a lot of Type a's,
and so male or female doesn't matter, but you're around
a lot of Type a's. And one thing that I
had to try to learn as well, when I come home,
(14:50):
you check the type A you know, attitude at the door,
you know, leave that there for when you were in
the uniform, and and blend in to be in a
more compassionate, kind, sensitive father, right to to two daughters
and certainly to my my wonderful broade of forty years.
And I hope that that's part of why we're still
(15:10):
a couple, right, is that you you you learn to adapt,
and I had to learn to adapt my own emotion
and approach as well.
Speaker 2 (15:20):
But you know what.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
But but you know what I'm talking about though in
some level though, you know, for some people that's hard
to do that. Some people they have probably there's I
mean there's not there with domestic violence of like things
like that. Whatever, hard time switching, right, Why do you
think why do you think you were able to kind
of navigate that at least successfully?
Speaker 2 (15:41):
Mean successfully?
Speaker 3 (15:44):
Well, I don't know. I mean I had a you know,
I was never I was in a I'm an only child.
I grew up in a very loving family to loving
parents who fortunately never had to experience any kind of
childhood trauma, you know, of what you just suggested as well.
So I was just always raised by my mom and
(16:06):
dad as someone to respect, you know, other people, uh,
certainly respect women. I mean, after all, I'm from the South.
You know I hold open doors, you know, for women.
I open doors for women, right, you know, I mean
it's just the Southern gentleman in me. So that was
never an issue for me in terms of being able.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
To check that.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
But you're right, there are some out there, maybe i'd
say predominantly men, but there's some women too. I don't
think it's just just the male species, but that You're right,
have have difficulty in doing that. And who knows why
that is. Was it were they a product of their
own childhood upbringing?
Speaker 2 (16:45):
Who knows. But I was.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Fortunate that I didn't have that, you know, So, so
I was brought up as a Southern gentleman. I try
to be that, you know, throughout my career today.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
My father's Southern, so I I my brother's we carry
that walk on the outside of the sidewalk and the
wind walking and people l are like, I'm not used
to that.
Speaker 2 (17:07):
I go, I know, you're not used to that.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
It's it's not even a thought for me because I
was raised that way, and you know, Miss Helen and
Miss Susie and you know, just I just I just
I I'm very proud that I can. I come from
that part of my life right right when I used
to go visit it was just like everything it was
just like, you know, just please and thank you and
yes ma'am, yes sir, and I just I always just
(17:28):
stuck it stuck in me and I just I'm not Southern.
But that tradition of holling doors open and making sure
you wait till I see my female friends get in
the house like, I just I just do I do
all that. They're like, I'm not just saying it at all.
I go, right now, he's l a man, do that.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
I do it. That's right.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
And even to this day, I mean, if if my
wife and I are going to go downstairs from an
establishment suckingfore go downstairs, I always go down the stairs
in front of her, and sudden I'm thinking, why are
you doing that? I'm doing it because my wife trips
and falls. I want her to hit me exactly, laying
face first at the bottom of the stairs.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Their dad let me go in front of the case
like it was a narrow staircase.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
I was going down.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I was like, you can follow me on, big boy,
you can follow them, you can follow me.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
I did that at the end of the day. Yeah,
I agree.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
I don't understand where somebody look at it and go,
why are you walking in front of her? Like it's
it's like, no, I'm exting her.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
That's exactly right. Get David, I get it.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
I get it all folks, And on my fanks from Louisiana,
that sounds so. I'm so I learned all that stuff
from them. So you get it, you get it, so
you get into the military, then you come out, you're
still an intelligence you're still you're still in that kind
of in that world, but it's a civilian esque in
(18:50):
that world. Did you really enjoy it was something that you,
I mean, you just like being in that world? Said,
it sounds to me, it sounds kind of fascinating as
a as a person that has ever done that.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
But it's something it's something you just did you really
enjoy your career?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Oh, it's my military career, so.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Outside and then yeah, it kind of you Yeah, you
enjoy your home. I'm sorry, Yeah, did enjoy it?
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Yeah? So I really, yeah I did.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
I mean so.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
Wife and I you know, we went in the service
in over twenty years. We chose to retire right at
twenty year mark, okay, I mean when we reached that point.
I actually was selected for the next rank, colonel, and
and we consciously made a family decision to turn down
that rank and retire as a lieutenant colonel versus going on.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
A man's that's up there for a second. Yeah, you
could have been a colonel. I mean, yeah, I know
it's the title, but I mean that's to me, that's exciting.
What was what was the exact what was I mean,
it's your business, tells you one. But what was a
decision to make where you're like, that's how I could
do it? What made you not do it?
Speaker 3 (19:59):
Yeah? So multiple reasons. And I don't mind sharing, and
I haven't told a whole lot of people. It's not
something you really share. But okay, we're here, so yeah,
so multiple factors went into a mixing ball. So number
one and none of these are priority worse, just all
of these played in equal weight. Okay, number one, we
(20:21):
had we had been in for twenty years, We had
moved twelve times in twenty years, and we had hung
the same stuff on different walls for twenty years. So
that was a factor. Did we want to continue to
do that? Because when you put on the rank of colonel,
then I mean the service owned you and they can
(20:41):
pluck you out and sing you wherever with not a
whole lot of voice. Again, this is now when I
was a service. Well, I'll retired two thousand and seven,
so this has almost been twenty years ago. Plead or not, James,
some things may not have changed, you know, since then.
But nevertheless, so that got a vote. Something else that
got to vote was our daughters were involved in gymnastics. Now,
(21:05):
just like you know, parents, your kids get into some
sort of competitive tribal ball, baseball, softball, for women, basketball, football,
whatever it is. Well, for us, our daughters were gymnasts
and quite good at it, and our oldest decided to
keep going, and she in fact competed in college for
(21:27):
Ohio State University. And so we were right in the
throes of that where she was right in her prime.
And we were concerned that if I had, you know,
stayed in the service, put on colonel and they move
us somewhere, that then we were not going to be
able to follow help our oldest daughter realize her gymnastics streams. Right,
(21:51):
So that got a huge vote. Was was that aspect
of it? And then and when you put all that
and and then something else got to vote. Yes, I
got selected for colonel, But when I got selected for colonel,
it was going to be two to three years before
I even pinned on the rank. And in order to
(22:13):
retire in the grade of colonel in this case, I
would have had to do three years time in great
that would have been another three years. Then you're looking
at assignment cycles, and when you take an assignment you
tack on additional time. The reality was that if I
had accepted the rank, I was then going to be
committing myself and our family to another call it eight
(22:34):
years roughly in the service, okay, And so that got
a huge vote. And then finally, even though finally, even
though I enjoyed my ride wearing the uniform and as
an intelligence officer, I also knew I did not want
to do that forever today. And when you when you
(22:56):
put on colonel, you retire as a colonel. Now you're
approaching the age of fifthfty, then almost invariably you parlay
that experience in your credentials and the credibility that brings
along with that into being a DoD contractor in the
same space. Intelligence. Well, my wife and I had long
dream and said that once we retired from the service,
we wanted to return to our hometown of Talsey, Florida. Well,
(23:18):
guess what, Tallsey, Florida is a state capital and a
college town, not a huge demand for an intelligence skill set.
So I knew that if we wanted to do that,
I needed to also probably retire at the age of
forty two, which I did from the service, and then
companies would still be willing to take a chance on
a forty two year old retired lieutenant colonel, you know,
(23:42):
still got another career ahead of me twenty twenty five
years versus FI had retired as a colonel. Now I'm
at the age of fifty to fifty one trying to
transition to the you know, somewhere other than Department of Defense.
It was just going to be challenging. All of that
went into a mixing bowl. And the final thing was
we said, if I had taken the rank, I would
have been taken it for the wrong reasons. It's you know,
(24:05):
and so we decided, you know, not to do that.
And I tell you what, James, I've never regretted it
one iota. I've never regretted it one bit. Enjoy the
rod for twenty years. But when we retired and able
to make our way back here to Tulsa, Florida, it
was God's plan and work in motion, and uh and
we followed that and it worked out.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
So hew, I'm I'm just through the math.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Of course. And of course my peers, my peers thought
I was absolutely nuts, nuts, you're gonna do what You're
gonna turn down? That right then, nuts, But you know
it doesn't matter. You do what's right in your heart.
You do it, you know for your family. Uh, and
you go where the Lord is leading you to go.
And that's what he did for us. I agree that completely.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
At at thirty nine, I left a high paying, high
profile jobs. I was not happy anybody during the recession.
It was like two thousand and eight. They thought I
was crazy, and I was like, no, I need to
be happy. Oh that's right, I need to be happy.
And I made and I made decisions. So I said,
I will never do a job I don't like ever again.
(25:13):
That was my declaration. So I can't I know how
you feel. I thought about things, and I left that job,
and I left that city, and I came back to
tell and I don't I don't know. And so that
was almost well again, it was seventeen years for me,
so you're not about the same age. I was just thinking,
you did a twenty years ago. Will I understand? I
didn't know. I understand completely that all money is good money,
of course, they always say, but I guess. I mean
(25:34):
lieutenant colonel is great too, should I looked that's good too,
That's a good one.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Good.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Oh yeah, absolutely, it's it's all fine to know. I mean,
you the taxpayer, you pay me a nice little monthly
retard start and it's not enough to retire retire on
I mean, I'm still working man. But yeah, it's it's
all good.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
So Okay, I know I talked about your life all
the death, but now I got Now I'm go make
a connection.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
So you all that.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
You got a book, kah, got a book? You start
going to books, say so whatsologists like? Because it's calling
between the pages? Where did where did the idea of
First of all, writing? Were you always a writer?
Speaker 2 (26:12):
On some of them? On the side like where did
it come to you that you want to do writing? Wow?
Speaker 3 (26:17):
So, first of all, when you're in the intelligence uh discipline,
the intelligence space, then one thing you do is write.
I mean you're writing analysis and assessments of whatever project,
whatever you've been you know, assigned to. I mean there
are times whenever I was an analyst for Iranian ballistic
(26:38):
missile systems, Iraqi ballistic missile systems UH and other things.
So the very nature of the intelligence discipline in the
Air Force UH is you just do a lot of writing.
So you you become a little bit skilled and adept
at writing in general. Now, if you ask me, did
I always have an appetite to go write a book,
the answer is absolutely not. I mean all, all attribution
(27:04):
and inspiration for this book is got to be attributed
to our youngest starter, Hunter. She is the one at
the age of four years old. So again I've already
told you that she's you know, she's a mama of
her own. She's over you know, she's thirty and she's so.
So this is twenty six years ago when she was
four and older daughter Sarah was a few years older
than her, so we were immersed as parents in the
(27:26):
world of children's picture books. Oh and and Hunter came
over and she put a plate of food in front
of me, and she goes, Miss flu fl like you do,
is here to serve you. And I looked at her
and I said, flu who you know? Where did you
see or read or hear about her? And she goes,
I just made her up. And I looked at my
wife and we both thought, we said, that could be
(27:48):
the lead character in a children's picture book. Miss looks
like you did, right, And so that's the inspiration, that
was the spark of the idea. Now, admittedly we didn't
do anything with the idea for the next again twenty
five years. It was last summer when my again my
lovely bride, Marsha, looked at me and she goes, David,
(28:08):
we now have four grandkids between one and five at
the time, and if you want them to read this
children's book you've been saying you're going to do, you
better get after it and do it. And that's when,
of course I said, yes, ma'am, and that was the
motivation I needed to finish it up. But you know,
over that twenty five years when the idea hit from Hunter,
(28:30):
of course we still had another ten or so years
to go in the service, and so that's all consuming obviously, right,
So that's it. But then the last ten or so
fifteen years, procrastination really get a vote. Did get a vote.
Of course, I was we were busy as a family,
busy and now my post military jobs and I was
doing leading a department of people that were offering officer
(28:54):
safety and wellness training to law enforcement officers and their
agencies across the nation for a number of years, and
so yeah, procrastination got a vote. And then it was
last year that my wife said let's do it, and
I said, you know, let's do it. And then as
I'm sure we'll talk about the story kind of had
already written itself in theme because there's there's so many
(29:14):
true things in the story that happened in real life
in our family.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
So I love that. So tell me all what to
tell people in your words? What is the book?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
All?
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Right?
Speaker 3 (29:25):
So flufl Like You Do The Rescue Again is based
on the lead female character, Miss Fluflock You Do. She
is probably six or eight years of age roughly. She
has a favorite sidekick in a hummingbird called Peanut. And
our again, our oldest daughter, Sarah was the was a
very petite as a gymnast, and so when her when
she was young, her nickname was Peanut to our family.
(29:48):
So we nicknamed the hummingbird Peanut. And we set up
the scenario where the relationship between flu Flo You Do
and Peanut the hummingbird is like a Batman in Robin
type of a scenario right where Robin is is kind
of an overwatch of Batman. You know, Flu in this
sense leads Flu on adventures and then together they solve
(30:08):
a problem, and they solve an adventure. And so in
this case, the bird you know comes in and Mom says, hey,
I think you know. Basically Peanut is trying to show
you a clue, and so flu chases after the bird.
Peanut leads Flu to a baby squirrel that's falling out
of his nest that actually happened in our family, and
so Flu rescues the baby squirrel, takes it back and
(30:31):
raises it to being an adult that actually happened in
our family. And that's that's the first half of the book.
Then the second half of the book is Mom says,
let's go to the grocery store. Well, little miss, little
miss fluvlocking who doesn't want to leave that squirrel home alone,
So she says she thinks it's a good idea to
take that smuggle the squirrel Lucky Lou now is the
squirrel's name to the grocery store that actually happened in
(30:53):
our family. And of course, when the whole second half
of the book now is that squirrel gets loose in
the grocery store and counses a lot of commute chaos
that actually happened in our family. Squirrel goat loose for
about three or four days until I was able to
recover it and eventually go release it. So that's the
that's the storyline, you know, and then she saves it,
and then the other little neat pieces. We introduced an
(31:14):
elderly lady in the grocery store scene, and we named
her Miss Nellie Fae, and that's in honor of the
memory of my mother, whose real name was Miss Nelly Fae.
And my mom always wore wigs, and so we had
Lucky Lou run off with Miss Nellie Pha's wig in
the story. And so that's the entire plot. The whole
(31:36):
book rhymes, James, and I can tell you right now,
I did not intend to write a rhyming, six hundred
word children's picked up.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I'm going to read on that. And side note. My grandmother,
Mitzi jean Or wigs all the time too, and I
didn't know she were wigs till one day, early in
the mornings, was in her coffee and her donuts. She's
always say coffee a donut. She was combing something out.
I saw her hair and I'm like, with braids. I'm like,
(32:04):
what's going on. She's like, I'll getting ready for I'm like,
that's what that wasn't your hair. I was like twelve
or thirteen. I had no idea. And she wore wigs.
She was the secretary well back they called them secretaries
back then. Yeah, and then she wore wig every day.
It was like five foot No, she was four foot eleven,
I mean yeah. She thought it were five inch heels.
And she had funny so was MITCHI that was my.
Speaker 3 (32:26):
Mom was like four eleven, really small.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah. Yeah, So Nellie Fay, Mitchy Jean, you're out there
doing that.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
I love it. Okay, I'm just reading for a part
of the folks. This is no ordering. They just we
barked him from down the hall. Mommy, do you called?
We need veggies for stew and food for Lou. Let's
go to the store. Flu was excited for a trip
to the store, but Lou was sad and curled on
the floor. Could this be another adventure for Peanut and Flu?
(32:55):
Can we include lucky Lou?
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Two? What should I do? Thought?
Speaker 3 (33:00):
Like you do?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Who do? Who hoo do? Who? I know? What to do?
Let's play whisper hide and seek, said Flu. You hide
to be quiet until I find you. Bump bump up
down the road. They flew, Mommy do Lucky Liu and
Fleu Flagy do what a crew? Well, mommy do shop
for carrots and salary and potatoes for stew. Flu thoughts herself,
(33:22):
what should I do? Who hoo do? Who? Why? I
know what to do?
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Lucky Lou needs something to chew? Thought Flu here on
aisle too, We'll find walts for Lou.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
I love it. I love it.
Speaker 3 (33:38):
It was such a fun book to write. And so,
you know, you said to who do you who? That's
also personal to our family. Our family. You know, some
people can whistle really loud, right, and so if you're
if you're in a parking lot or whatever, they can whistle.
We can't do that. And so many times I'll look
at my wife, she'll look at me, and we'll go,
who do you who? And so we thought, hey, let's
(33:58):
work this in the storyline. And so we did that
with you know, we were The character repeats when she
enters into a predicament of sorts, she's not sure what
to do. Then she says, who who who do who?
I know what to do? Right, And so early in
the writing process, when when when it's like what you
just said, it was like, what should I do with
thought fluful like you do? Who do you?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Who?
Speaker 3 (34:20):
I know what to do. I couldn't get away from
the rhyming, just could not get away from it, and
so I decided to embrace it. And in fact, if
in the world of children picture books, every piece of
advice that agents traditional publishers will tell you is do
not write a rhyming children's picture book because it's so
hard to do well. I couldn't get away from it.
(34:41):
I decided, let's embrace this. But James, that is why
in a six hundred word what became a final six
hundred word of manuscripts, James, I bet I've got about
one hundred and fifty different versions of a manuscript. And
that's because I had over time. If I changed one
word and that man script tomorrow from what it was today,
(35:02):
it became a new version. And that became incredibly valuable
because as we approached the finish line in the book,
and I still had a couple of spots in the
book that I just wasn't just perfectly pleased with, I
was able to go back to manuscript number thirty five
or forty two and find some words that were in
that manuscript version but he'd come out for whatever reason,
(35:24):
but now they were the perfect fit to go back in.
So it really it was really a trial and era
of how it came together and it worked out.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
Yeah, it's a fun book to read, folks. Kay, parents,
get ready put your rhyming skills on.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
You got to read it. Does it rhymes all the
way through? I love it and I love it.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
And I'm pleased to say, James that it's producing another
side benefit where the book is serving really two purposes.
One is, and this is a key point that I
just wanted to chat about here if we got time,
is importance of instilling an appetite for the love of
reading in your children at such a young age. And
(36:04):
so the book is serving as a it's a fun
book to be read aloud to a child by a parent,
a grandparent, maybe an older sibling, producing memories curled up
on the couch, the chair, in the bed. But then
it's also I'm finding out from educators that it's turning
out to be a great book for young children who
are learning how to read, because it's a fun book
(36:25):
to read. The rhyming is helping them, okay, you know,
to learn that to learn the beat to learn, the meters,
that sort of stuff, and I didn't think about that initially,
but it's proven to be that as well. And why
all that is so important is, I'm sure you and
some of your guests in the past have talked about this,
but a lot of parents just don't realize this is
(36:46):
that when that child hits third grade, they're transitioning from
learning how to read to reading to learn right because
fourth grade and on, eighty to eighty five percent of
the knowledge that that child consumes is through the active reading.
And so unfortunately, in third grade nationwide, only about forty
five to fifty percent of our children are actually reading
(37:07):
at grade level, which means the other half is behind.
And so we wanted to produce a book that, in
one small way, it's our little contribution to a solution
is produce a fun book that's fun to be read,
fun to read that, and we want a child to
be able to read it over and over and over again,
you know, to hopefully better prepare them and they're reading
(37:30):
skills going into those early elementary school years.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
As a picture of him when you were younger, you
have brown hair.
Speaker 3 (37:37):
Yes, exactly, Yeah, I got nothing all salt.
Speaker 2 (37:45):
You a good second.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
That's right, all salt. But that was way back in
the day when our daughters Hunter and Sarah that I'm
holding there, that was about the time when Hunter came
up with imagine the character flu fl like you do is,
so I thought we would throw that into the book.
That's been a fun aspect. The story behind the story
that I explained, as you know, is there in the
back of the book, and that's really resonated with people.
Speaker 2 (38:07):
And I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
I was like, wait, like I think I was familiar.
Well it's him. It's a good second.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
Now if you get if you go to our website
fluflogydo dot com, then you'll see me with my salt,
salt and pepper here right a current picture.
Speaker 2 (38:25):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (38:25):
It's still it's still you. We can tell to you
we go. It means it means we added wisdom and
all this stuff. That's why I saved my gray off
just now. But I had a gray beard until a
while week ago, so.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
I know how it is.
Speaker 1 (38:37):
So yeah, since we earned it, we earned it. It's
very good. They might touch you forever. You just have
to come back on a no time.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Just quack on no time, and I appreciate that. I mean,
I've already I've already written the first half of book
number two, and I'm hoping that it's going to come
out here. Uh, it will come out in twenty twenty seven. Uh,
just because because I self published this first book and
going to remain a self published author. And so yeah,
(39:04):
we get book number two out there on the street,
and we'll come back when we talk about that.
Speaker 1 (39:08):
But again we'll go shoutut to illustrator Ronnie Rooney for
work on the book. It's very important. It's a collaboration,
two of them.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
She did. She did. She did a wonderful job through
the entire process, very collaborative. She welcomed my thoughts and
I really tried to not be as prescriptive, you know,
not be very prescriptive, but let her talents come out
in the illustrations and the trade reviews of scotten Is
also equally mentioned the fact that her illustrations really made
(39:37):
the book come to life.
Speaker 1 (39:38):
Yeah, it did, it did, So I'm make sure we
mentioned that. That's that's talent, folks, talent right there, think
you with being on the shelf. Course, welcome back a
time everyone at home. I mean, you know, I try
to so my family of Voracist readers. I told you
guys about this at home before my kids read, my
grandkids read, we read, my parents read, my brother we
(39:59):
all were reads and I but for me it started young.
I started my kids young. We'll start my grandkids young
by getting them books. If you're a grandparent watching this, yes,
socks are great and other toys are great. To get
them books like this because it's also a learning tool
to help them develop mentally. Yes, and absolutely side well
(40:25):
just give us just go so after you've done watching
this interview, you know, on your phone and order it.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
Yes, and you can get it of course on Amazon.
And then but if someone were to come to my
website fluflockado dot com in the near future, probably within
the next month, I'm gonna have a way for people
to order the book directly from me. And if you
do that, you're gonna get it probably a little cheaper
than you count on Amazon. But more importantly, I'll sign
it and I'll sign it to whatever little kiddo and
(40:55):
kiddo's in your life that you'd like me to sign
it to. Then you'll have that opportunity as well.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
Signs.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
I have mine very excite mine. Yep, yeah, I have
my mind signed. So I'm signed. Give a minute everyone,
thanks for watching the show. Of course, we talk about
all kinds of books, from children's books to adults you know,
you know, grown up books on grown up books. It's
a mysteries, all kinds of stuff. Again, I love reading it.
That's why I started this podcast. I love books. Books
(41:22):
aren't going anywhere. We'll tell you that right now. They're
not going anywhere. People people are reading. They really are.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
Books are not. I don't know what you heard.
Speaker 1 (41:28):
They're not going anywhere. People are totally they already really are.
They're still reading. Uh, it's still good. Are We're on
We're on Facebook between the pages of James I Jr.
The show is on every streaming service platform you can
think of, from iHeartRadio to Spotify and Apple, all those
and the Granddaddy always calling them all YouTube. At JLJ Media,
that's my company. I have all kinds of interviews with
(41:50):
people like him who who worked their hard time to
write books for you. Check out they're working for you.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
I'm James I. Jenian. We'll see you next time and
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