Bedtime with Buster – Conversations with a Handsome Hound
“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx
And if a dog and a book are man’s best friends, what could be better than a book about a dog? Especially a talking dog. Bedtime with Buster consists entirely of conversations between the author and his mixed-breed hound. Buster is precocious, handsome, vain, and opinionated. He is neither a normal dog nor an average one, as he’s more than willing to tell you. Buster leads a life of leisure but, like a hound dog, he’s crying all the time. Or at least whining. His complaints include the short life span of dogs, his inability to compete at Westminster because he’s not a registered purebred, his boring diet of dog food, and his lack of thumbs.
The conversations between Brooks and Buster cover a wide range of subjects, including Buster’s faux separation anxiety, his desire to leave a legacy, and what the two of them have in common, notably the fact that both of them were born out of wedlock, both were adopted, and both snore. Their talks are at times sentimental, sweet, and wise, but mostly they’re goofy. After all, they are conversations with a dog.
Bedtime with Buster is guaranteed to make dog lovers happy. Read it aloud to your dog. Talk to your dog about it. After you read what Buster has to say, find out what your dog has to say. As for those of you who don’t love dogs, well, find yourself a cat book.
The book begins with the story of how Buster joined the Eason family, which at the time included a wonderful cocker spaniel named Mollie, and how Buster and Brooks began talking to each other.
I was in our kitchen one Saturday morning having a cup of coffee and overheard a conversation coming from our bedroom. It was Carrie and someone with a high-pitched voice. I was pretty sure no one else was in the house and tiptoed to the scene to investigate. What I witnessed amazed me. The conversation I observed from the doorway was between Carrie and Mollie, but with Carrie playing both roles. Carrie as Carrie would ask a question and then Carrie as Mollie would answer it, an octave higher. I cleared my throat to announce my presence and asked Carrie what she was doing. I expected embarrassment but didn't get it. “Channeling the dog, of course,” Carrie as Carrie responded. "Everybody does it." She looked at me like I was the strange one. I said everybody doesn't do it and declared that she was crazy. Mollie said nothing. I also reminded Carrie that Mollie couldn’t understand a word she was saying, what with being a dog and all. “Shhh,” Carrie said, “She’ll hear you.”
Well, this was a brand new thing for me. I had never heard of channeling a dog, never seen it, and sure never done it. But I took an informal poll and soon learned that channeling is common, at least among our dog-loving friends. Many of them admitted it, some frankly, some sheepishly. Positive responses ranged from "sure, doesn't everybody?" to "yeah, well, I guess maybe I've done that." Our friends may not have called it channeling, but they did it.
And after that I did it too. Did I ever! As Carrie will attest, I took to channeling our dogs like a duck to water. She says I've come so far. My channeling was different from Carrie’s. She asked the kinds of questions a person would ordinarily ask a dog. Are you hungry? Want a treat? Where’s the tennis ball? Need to go potty? They don’t actually use a potty, but still. The dogs and I, on the other hand, discussed weightier issues. Buster bemoaned the fact that Mollie had been spayed, he’d been neutered, and they couldn’t start a family or have a sex life. Most of Carrie's channeling conversations were with Mollie so in the interest of fairness most of mine were with Buster.
On another Saturday morning a year or so after I caught Carrie conversing with Mollie, I found myself in the midst of a deep conversation with Buster about the advantages of having thumbs. Buster's very opinionated, at least for a dog, and he was irate about the hardship of having to go through life thumbless. I looked at him, smiled, and snapped my fingers. Carrie smiled too, utterly pleased with herself for converting me into a dog channeler extraordinaire. After reminding me for the umpteenth time that I now did to a far greater degree what I made fun of her for doing to a far lesser degree, she said I should preserve my conversations with Buster for posterity, that I should write them down. And so I did. Read on and you will see.
To get a copy of Bedtime with Buster signed by the author and paw-printed by Buster, send a check to the author at 500 Roses Bluff Drive, Madison, MS 39110, or send by Venmo to brooks-eason. The prices are $35 for hardcover and $20 for softcover. The book is also available online from the usual sites.
Fortunate Son: The Story of Baby Boy Francis
On the eve of the birth of his first grandchild, Mississippi lawyer Brooks Eason learned the truth about a mystery he’d lived with for nearly fifty years: the story of his birth and his birth mother’s identity. Perhaps even more surprising was how the story was finally revealed: It turned out that Eason was a potential heir to an enormous fortune from his birth mother’s family. His original identity finally saw the light of day only as result of litigation in four courts in two states, initiated in an effort to identify and find the heir. Eason, who was raised in Tupelo by loving parents, found out on the day his granddaughter was born that he began his life as Scott Francis, which remained his legal name for the first year of his life. Fortunate Son - The Story of Baby Boy Francis is the story of how he learned the story.
And what a story it is.
A truth-is-stranger-than-fiction memoir that unfolds in the Deep South, Fortunate Son is a deeply personal and deeply moving story about families, secrets, and choices. Resplendent with intrigue, drama, and mystery—all the hallmarks of a blockbuster novel—Fortunate Son is a true story, unembellished, unpretentious, and at times almost unbelievable. Eason, a gifted storyteller with an incredible story to tell, delivers a gripping, satisfying, meaningful memoir. Told with candor, wit, and honesty, Fortunate Son is a thoughtful and thought-provoking first person narrative that will have readers turning pages.
Though Eason was ultimately not the beneficiary of the fortune, he is quick to point out that he received a different kind of wealth: knowing the truth and finally being able to dive headfirst into the story of his origin, uncovering fascinating blood relatives and stories along the way.
Much more than a memoir about birth and adoption, Fortunate Son is a long love letter from the author to the parents who raised him, a heartfelt thank you to the birth mother who gave him the whole world when she gave him away, and a moving tribute to his beloved daughter who faced circumstances similar to those his birth mother faced and bravely chose to keep her baby. A tale of two stories that unfolded in different times, Fortunate Son is an extraordinary story extraordinarily well-told.
Fortunate Son, which was nominated in 2020 for best nonfiction book by a Mississippi author, is now available wherever fine books are sold. It can be ordered at www.wordcrafts.net/books/fortunate-son.
Praise for Fortunate Son:
“This is more than a great story about adoption, family and fate. It's a series of stories strung together by a natural storyteller that draws you along from one to the next. It is a memoir of a ‘fortunate son’ and a meditation on how society has treated and continues to treat its children and their mothers. It is by turns thought-provoking, humorous, poignant and joy-filled. It is as much a story of discernment as discovery -- and of ultimately finding grace in each person, occurrence and encounter.”
”This is a gift to be unwrapped in the reading and enjoyed. Give it to yourself and you'll find that you'll want to share it with others.”
“I was unable to put this book down. I read it in two days. Incredible story.”
“What a wonderful story. The story is so much more than a story of adoption; it is a tribute to the author’s wonderful parents. The author is a natural storyteller, and readers will not be able to put the book down until finished.”
“An amazing story of a life journey that will warm your heart and also raise awareness of the raw emotions on all sides of the adoption process. This is real life, but it reads like fiction. Really enjoyed it!”
To get a copy of Fortunate Son signed by the author, send a check to the author at 500 Roses Bluff Drive, Madison, MS 39110, or send by Venmo to brooks-eason. The prices are $30 for hardcover and $16 for softcover. The book is also available online from the usual sites.
Travels with Bobby - Hiking in the Mountains of the American West
Brooks and his best friend, Bobby Ariatti, live in the flatlands but love the mountains. They have explored the outdoors together for more than two decades, taking annual hiking trips to the mountains of the American West. Travels with Bobby is the story of their first six trips. Their travels began in Yosemite National Park in California. In the years that followed, they hiked and camped in Glacier National Park in Montana, Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, Glacier Peak Wilderness in Washington, the Wind River Range in Wyoming, and again in Glacier National Park.
On the first night of their first trip they were attacked in their tent in the middle of the night by . . . a sprinkler system. On another trip Bobby fell while hiking in the snow, split open his head, and was sewed up on a picnic table with only Scotch for anesthesia. On a third a free-range cow attacked their rental car. Along the way Brooks and Bobby made new friends, viewed wildlife and waterfalls, and enjoyed campfires as they experienced some of the most beautiful scenery in America. Retrace their steps and relive their adventures in Travels with Bobby.
Order Travels with Bobby here or here.
Praise for Travels with Bobby:
“Campfires and camaraderie. Mountains, lakes and waterfalls. Wilderness and grizzlies. Precious weeks of freedom that burn like jewels hewn from humdrum ‘normal’ life. . . . And, of course, Brooks and Bobby. This is a book that conjures up all of the above and more. I want to fly to America, hire an RV, and see all the places Brooks and Bobby have seen, hike the trails they've hiked, smell the cold winter air and feel the warmth of the summer sun. I want to hear the crackle of the campfire and the laughter of those who built it. I don't even mind, in theory, trudging through the rain once in a while. At the end of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the children were led through a mountainside cavern into a magical land. Does Travels with Bobby describe what they found on the other side?”
“This is a great book, for hikers and non-hikers (but non-hikers might become hikers after reading it). Brooks Eason provides a great combination of facts about the actual hikes and locations, history about the great American West, and a huge dose of storytelling that will leave you with a smile on your face as you read one story after another. It was hard to put down in each of my reading sessions. I haven't read a book as entertaining as Travels with Bobbyin a long time, and I hope Brooks Eason continues his craft.”
“One of the best non-fiction books I have read in years. If you like the great outdoors, like to hike or camp, like funny stories, or just like a well-written book, this one is for you. . . . But this is not just a travel book. It is hilariously funny in parts, and I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times. Do yourself, a family member, or a friend a favor and buy this book today. You won't regret it.”
“This is a great read. Funny, informative, entertaining . . . . By the time the reader finishes this book, there is no doubt that a trip to one of the Western National Parks will be high on the reader's bucket list. This is a good gift for any person who loves nature and the outdoors.”
“I absolutely loved going on adventures with Bobby, Brooks, and friends. What a fantastic tribute to our national parks and this beautiful part of the country. . . . Great book, highly recommend.”
“Eason eloquently portrays the wilderness and all its wonders as he writes of the joy derived from experiencing it all with his best friend, Bobby. As I read along, I wanted to be part of their experience. I wanted to sit by their campfires and listen to their stories. I wanted to be scared of grizzlies with them and sing with gusto along with Eason as he shooed the bears away with his a cappella singing. . . . The author has penned a book of travels that is funny at times and touching at others, but at all times is marked by a great friendship and, above all, a tremendous love and appreciation for an extraordinary man who taught him to love and experience the great outdoors, his father. This is a good read; I did not want it to end. Hopefully Eason has just begun to write.”
“Travels with Bobby was a page-turner. The author's wit intertwined with great storytelling combined to keep me wanting to come back for more. If you love the outdoors, the West, and humorous stories, you'll really enjoy this book.”
“At the end of the book one cannot help but be a bit wistful, longing to leave the workaday world behind, longing to explore our beautiful country, and wishing for a friend like Bobby and another book by Brooks Eason.”
“I loved this book.”
To get a copy of Travels with Bobby signed by the author, send a check for $20 to the author at 500 Roses Bluff Drive, Madison, MS 39110, or send by Venmo to brooks-eason. The book is also available online from the usual sites.