In a turbulent time long ago, I was born in a far away land, long before West and East became neither. Since then, I have lived and traveled to many places in the world: from Germany to Georgia; Tampa to Thailand; New York to New Zealand; Yazoo City to La Paz, Bolivia; North Dakota to North Africa; Senegal to Sacramento.
My roots are southern. But my three sisters and I grew up in a military family. So, we moved around… a lot. With each move, we made a new home, changed schools, left friends behind and met new ones. Every move was anticipated and yet a surprise. Each relocation became an adventure; sometimes easy, sometimes not so easy.
Providing constancy through all of those moves were three things. First, my parents regarded every move as an adventure with endless possibilities. Second, Boy Scouting (in Georgia and Germany) provided rich outdoor experiences and leadership opportunities which allowed me to eventually earn my Eagle Scout rank. Lastly, our family remained connected to the Base Chapel, where my parents were both active and where I found strong support in the Protestant Youth of the Chapel (PYOC) particularly during my Junior and Senior years.
It was a nomadic lifestyle I grew to love; so much so, later I joined the Air Force myself, roaming the world with my wife, Rita, and two children of our own for another 20 years. In all the places we have lived, there were stories just waiting to be written: of children growing up and of families facing the challenges of every day life, as parents try to preserve the spirit and beauty of childhood for their own children.
Our move to California in 1985 has been our most permanent--at least for me and my wife. What the future holds for our children and grandchildren is anyone's guess. Now as a grandparent, I realize wanderlust has been my good fortune.
It has given me a lifetime of unrivaled experiences as grist for my rhymes and other writing, whether humorous or quirky, ribald or serious.
It's been a pleasant surprise and very rewarding so far to see my books making their way into the market place. The journey has been a bit of a long road. But living the writing life is in many ways its own reward. With any luck, visitors to my cyber home may find a familiar feel to my stories and decide to linger for a while.
If you have come this far, feel free to browse and sample some of what you find here. Just click on the Guardian Angel Publishing logo to find books and stories by me and other story-tellers young and old.
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Author's Writing ResumeBill Kirk
Career Experience:
Bill Kirk's professional life has spanned two careers over 39 years. In 1989 he completed a 20-years career in the US Air Force as an Intelligence Officer and North Africa Specialist. Since his retirement from the Air Force, he has also completed a second career with the state of California where he worked in analytical, supervisory and managerial positions in the Departments of Health Services, Child Support Services and Social Services for 19 years.
Schooling:
Bill graduated from high school in Kaiserslautern, Germany, where he earned his Eagle Scout rank. He studied a year in Paris, France, before completing his Bachelor of Arts in French at the University of North Dakota in 1969. He also earned Masters Degrees in International Relations at Florida State University in 1975 and in Public Administration in 1980 at Angelo State University in Texas, both with honors. He completed a Certificate in Total Quality Management (TQM) in Sacramento, CA in 1993.
Writing Background:
Bill's writing has been influenced by his travels all over the world. Born in Germany, he has lived on four continents and has traveled widely in South America, Africa, Asia, Europe and the U.S. He has written and edited hundreds of documents as part of his professional work for 39 years. In addition, between 1992 and 1995, Bill also wrote news and features for weekly and monthly community newspapers (The Suttertown News and The Old City Guardian) in Sacramento. He was a member of the editorial board for both papers. His creative prose has also appeared in Inner Words magazine.
More recently, Bill has shifted the focus of his writing to rhyme-children's rhymes in particular. His interest is in challenging the imagination and the learning of early and young readers by exploring everyday stories set to rhyme and filled with quirky, unusual word combinations and usage. His children's stories have been published by Boys' Quest, Wee Ones, Saplings, Grandparents and Fun For Kidz magazines and in several CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOKS published by GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING, INC. Bill was the moderator of an on-line critique group, the Rhyming Critters, for nearly seven years and is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
Family Life and Other Interests:
Bill and his wife, Rita (a Clinical Psychologist), have been married for 40 years and live in Sacramento, California. They have two children and three grandchildren. In addition to his interest in writing, Bill is a Boy Scout leader, enjoys ultra-marathon running, camping and backpacking and is a certified massage practitioner in Sacramento. Contact him by e-mail at:
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