Opening Paragraph:
We live in a time when grim headlines dominate the airwaves. Ten minutes of any national news broadcast is often enough to dim one’s spirit. And yet, in spite of it all, I remain an advocate for joy. I believe that if we could learn to laugh together more often, we would find far less conflict, and perhaps more grace.
Main Body:
To acknowledge joy is not to ignore suffering. I’m not promoting a mindless “Pollyanna” optimism. I fully recognize that life contains difficulty, sorrow, and hard realities. But alongside those truths, there is also goodness. There are quiet acts of courage, kindness, and resilience taking place every single day. We just don’t hear about them often.
Nothing captures the innocence of joy more than the sound of children laughing. Somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us lose that sense of wonder. We forget how to play, how to laugh freely. And in doing so, we miss something essential—not just emotionally, but spiritually.
That’s why Rocky Roads was created. It’s my attempt to place a little playful, even childlike humor, back into adult life. The stories and illustrations in the collection are sometimes deliberately silly, occasionally satirical, but always rooted in the desire to spark a smile. While modeled after classic murder mysteries, they carry twists of humor that reflect the absurdity—and humanity—of life.
Closing Thought:
In a world so eager to broadcast what’s wrong, I want to contribute something that reminds us of what’s still right: laughter, joy, and the simple act of not taking everything so seriously.
