ABOUT ME AND MY FAMILY - THE DUNCAN CLAN IN ALL ITS GLORY AND MISHAPS. MOSTLY MISHAPS - Entertainment - http://maxpages.com/blackcatprod/PERSONAL

I was born in June of 1940. The son of a railroad worker. The oldest of Three children. My sister Lois, two years younger, my Brother Joe, 5 years younger.
THE BIG FIRE
When I was six or seven, the school building burned, delaying my education. The first of many delays in that department.
When I was about seven, my father's job gave out. The branch line he worked for went out of business, leaving him jobless.
ON THE ROAD.
We became migrant farmers. We worked the crops from Arkansas to Michigan. Starting with Strawberries in Michigan in the spring and worked our way South. Bluberries, Blackberries, Currents, in Michigan. Tomatoes in Indiana. Sometimes we stayed for the apple crop. Cotton in Missouri and Northern Arkansas was always a fun time,and a lot of hard work.

SCHOOLS
By the time I was sixteen, I had gone to at least a dozen schools in Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and back to Arkansas again.
My father did hold a steady job in Gideon Missouri. During the Korean war. He worked at a Box factory making ammunition boxes. That allowed me and my brother and sister to attend school for a couple of year unitnerrupted. His second job was as a farm worker in Indiana. There, we lived in a nice two story farm house, with a basement, for three years. I worked at various farm jobs and attended school. This lasted until I was sixteen.
TRAGEDY STRIKES
My mother had been a diagnosed Diabetic since I was about nine. She had a miscarrage while we were living in Indiana. The Doctors told my father she wouldn't live long. Her diabeties had progressed to the stage where nothing could be done for it. She was only 45 when they made the dagnosis.
We returned to Arkansas, settling near the town of Clinton. My siblings and I went to school in Clinton for a year. I worked in the local poultry processing plant and attended school. After two years of this, I was so far behind in school that I decided the best thing I could do was join a branch of the armed forces.
Seaman Recruit Duncan completed Basic training at Naval Training Center San Diego Califorinia in Aug 1959.
I was called home from Guam to attend my Mother's funeral Dec 8 1961.
While I was home attending Mother's funeral I met a woman. I had no plans of marrage, hadn't even given it a thought. This little lady just took my breath away.
I finished my tour of duty on Guam and returned to the States to wed one Sarah Elizabeth Van Horn. We have five lovely children. Elizabeth, Anita, Ruth, Karrie, and Patricia. You guessed it, all girls. I was surrounded by women. I had to return to sea to get any peace and quiet.
I attended many military schools, completed my education and received a GED high school diploma.
BACK TO THE FRONT.
I started writing in my last two years of military service. I wrote VIRGINS IN THE HAYLOFT under the name of James Blayer. It sold. Suree Ltd of Santee Calif. bought it for a flat fee. Next, I wrote a Science Fiction adventure, THE ETERNAL MAN. Eveyone wanted to edit it but no one wanted to buy it. Next I tried one with a little more adventure. While I was in the Naval Hospital at Charleston Sc for a hernia operation I started a S.F. adventure titled LANCE SAUNDERS "ASTRONUT".
It worked very well. Poor old Lance got into all kinds of trouble but like THE ETERNAL MAN, everyone wanted to edit it. If I wanted the Damned thing edited I would do it myself.
I retired from the Navy from a Sub Tender in Charleston Sc. and we moved to Arkansas to a little fifteen acre tract of land in the country. My daughters didn't take to country living to well. Gardening and raising livestock was just to much for them.
I worked in the poultry processing industry for a number of years, until the place was paid for then became a mason, carpenter, electrician, and plumber. Anything that was needed to build a house. I worked for several years building houses for Jim Walters, United, and privite contracts.
With the kids all married off, I finally got back to writing. Lance and me had a few sessions. He got added to consideribly and THE 200 YEAR WAR (now for sale on http://www.1stbooks.com/bookveiw/2282 ). BOWMAN had long been a daydream of mine. Something I played around with while I was processing Poultry. I finally got around to putting it on paper. It turned out to be a long one, 113,000 words, involving one immortal and two other species. Insectoids, a creature that looked like a locust but was roughly human size with the hiving instinct of a honey bee. Hipoids, a one and a half gravity world being. They derived their name by their size and coloring. Huge gray beings who were gentle and absolute geniuses when it came to math.
Presently my wife Sarah and I are enjoying my retirement. She acquired a job as a mold operator in a local plastics firm. It keeps her occupied and gives her a chance to get away from the house.
I took a job delivering the state news paper. It's a seven day a week job but for only a few hours each morning.
I was diagnosed a diabetic seven years ago. Who knows how long I will last. Maybe long enough to sell a couple of books to ensure Sarha's future.
I quit the paper route and went to work for Wal-Mart. They put me in the freezers where I caught Pneumonia. This caused my lungs to fill with fluid and made my hear run away. The Doctor swares I had a heart attack but there is no damage, just a very large medical bill.
My main goal is to find a publisher for BOWMAN, the only book I wrote that made me cry. Several passages in it are very sad and I get very emotional. Anyhow, http://www.gaterbooks.com has it out on CD and in Rocket E book format. http://www.amazon.com has it out on CD. Now if you would buy a copy I could begin to relax. Order it from me. I'll e mail it for $5.00. See page labeled BOWMAN paypal is available.

Sign Guestbook

View Guestbook

BLACK CAT PRODUCTIONS
254 Red Hill Road
DENNARD	Ar.	72629
United States
501 745-4369 PC line 501 745-5610
Fax 1-916-237-3095
^A blackcat@artelco.com

Visitors: 02013

Page Updated Tue Jun 28, 2005 10:06am EDT