Overview

COLORED PEBBLES is an eclectic collection of stories about people -- people who, through their interactions with the author, were instrumental in shaping a man's life. Imagine looking back and mapping who inspired you, who nurtured you, who nudged you to reach for your dreams; who in your life taught you how to be, how to act, how to discern, how to meet challenges, how to overcome disappointments. Del Staecker's ""pebbles"" are more than recollections. They are stories that teach us all what is important in life, what is important in being human, and why life is not about us, but about the people who help make us who we are. ""Colored Pebbles is more than a memoir. It is an engrossing guided tour led by a man who seems to have known just about everyone worth knowing in the 20th and 21st centuries."" Howard Owen, author of twenty-five novels, including the best-selling Littlejohn and Oregon Hill, winner of the 2011 Dashiell Hammett Prize. ""Full of grace and grit, warmth and wit, Del Staecker's Colored Pebbles is a gift from the author, who has lived an extraordinary life, and, here, with a kind of calm urgency, shares stories from his odyssey. At the start, Staecker seems on the brink of oblivion, his epic journey at an anguished end, but then, forever drawn to the light of life, he rages against darkness with his mighty pen and indomitable spirit, his memories on fire. In Colored Pebbles, mentors and friends, father figures and mother figures, great adventures and pivotal episodes of pain and revelation from boyhood to manhood all come vividly to life, every tale a polished stone reflecting the path of Staecker's education and destiny as a master storyteller."" Jim Zervanos, author of AMERICAN GYRO; www.jimzervanos.com

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9781938505829

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Reviews

""Every once in a while, I come across a memoir that doesn't try to impress-it simply asks you to slow down and reflect. Colored Pebbles by Del Staecker is that kind of book. Told through a series of stand-alone stories, this memoir highlights the people, lessons, and events that shaped this author's life. I appreciate this structure; it makes the book easy to absorb in pieces while still feeling cohesive. ""Staecker writes with humility, grace, and forgiveness. He doesn't avoid difficult topics such as a deadly illness and the lack of love from his mother. He gives credit to his military experience and the skills he acquired in ""junk jobs,"" that helped him throughout his life. He acknowledges how near-death moments solidified his belief in a higher power, and approaches this with honesty rather than preachiness. ""'The Darkest Pebble' was another standout, and the reveal genuinely shocked me. This demonstrates how trusting your intuition can be the difference between life and death. I appreciate how open Staecker is about his writing process. He acknowledges that he sought therapy when others warned him that he was getting too close to his characters. He also advises that in order to write a memoir one must ask the question, 'How did I end up this way?' That level of introspection adds depth throughout the memoir. ""The 'colored pebbles' metaphor is simple but effective. This is a thoughtful, reflective memoir that gently encourages you to look at your own life-and the moments and people who helped to shape who you are today."" UNDERRATED READS-dedicated to finding undiscovered gems ""Colored Pebbles is more than a memoir. It is an engrossing guided tour led by a man who seems to have known just about everyone worth knowing in the 20th and 21st centuries."" Howard Owen, author of twenty-five novels, including the best-selling Littlejohn and Oregon Hill, winner of the 2011 Dashiell Hammett Prize. ""Full of grace and grit, warmth and wit, Del Staecker's Colored Pebbles is a gift from the author, who has lived an extraordinary life, and, here, with a kind of calm urgency, shares stories from his odyssey. At the start, Staecker seems on the brink of oblivion, his epic journey at an anguished end, but then, forever drawn to the light of life, he rages against darkness with his mighty pen and indomitable spirit, his memories on fire. In Colored Pebbles, mentors and friends, father figures and mother figures, great adventures and pivotal episodes of pain and revelation from boyhood to manhood all come vividly to life, every tale a polished stone reflecting the path of Staecker's education and destiny as a master storyteller. Jim Zervanos; www.jimzervanos.com, author of AMERICAN GYRO

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