​Our modern world is full of lies. Not that lies were not prevalent throughout human history, but it’s different now. We are bombarded with them in every aspect of our lives and we comfortably accept them. Not just lies of men with overturned lives who have done wrong and seek to escape the consequences or those who seek to do wrong with the best of intentions but lies of every degree, small and grand. Lies that fill every crevasse of modern existence, some with little intent or purpose interposed amongst the grandest of deceptions filling our airways.

The reality is that we love to be lied to. We seek lies like treasure. They give us comfort, telling us we are successful, beautiful, and noble creatures, but only if we buy a product, donate our money, follow a cause, or vote their vote. The politician, the actor, lie to us. We know they lie to us. They know that we know that they lie to us, yet we stand to applaud and cheer, seeking their approval and attention.
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The lies we tell others hold no comparison to the lies we tell ourselves. That is the one truth that spurs this world of lies. We lie to ourselves, constantly and with impunity …. about diet and health, integrity and intent. Truth is uncomfortable, creating conflict and separation and exposing our character. Truth is a messy affair. You can’t blame people for preferring lies.

​Well, I’m at it again…. In 2016, I published “Murder in Rural Hill” and was gratified by the interest shown in the tale of a century old murder case. We sold copies all over the United States and even in a few foreign countries. The book generated a lot of discussion and brought some additional information to light about the unsolved murders of Janie Sharp, Walton Permenter and Ben Walker.
I put the story aside for awhile and worked on other material including “Bones of Mississippi,” which I just recently published, but the story of Janie Sharp continued to resurface. This classic and factual “who done it” leads the reader down one path only to diverge into a tangle of intrigue, suspicion and lies.
“The Tragedy of Janie Sharp” is an expansion of the tale, providing more local history, more detail about the life and sad death of the family man, Walton Permenter, and the intriguing possibility of an eyewitness to the crime.
Now available on Amazon in paperback and ebook form, Barbara’s Place and other local outlets soon. As always, signed copies of both books are available at our office, 875 S. Columbus (next to Louisville Utilities). 
We will also be in Ackerman at the Choctaw County Library on May 25th at 6:00 pm and in Carthage at the Leake County Library on May 26th at noon. If you have the opportunity, come by and visit with us for a lively discussion of Mississippi history and, of course, the case of Janie Sharp.
As always, thank each and every one of you for your support. The marketing and publishing of a regional book is challenging in today’s world and is without doubt a labor of love. Make an effort to support all our local writers. Without them many tales would never be told.