DUNCAN — A hot Texas day in August 2007 was enough to inspire former Duncan resident Ron Churchman to put down his yard tools and head inside to the computer and begin writing his first book.

Churchman’s background consists of ranch work, driving truck and working in the oil industry. But the cover of his first novel, "Yesterday's Hero" clearly indicates baseball. Yet, the book isn’t strictly about baseball as a sport, but instead about the pitfalls that can sideline any young, impressionable athlete.

“The local interest is that (readers) will find similarities of names and places,” Churchman said. “To dealing with temptations that they (athletes) get into, it’s a good book for parents.”

Even though Churchman’s book went to print in late July, it won’t officially be on the market until Nov. 10.

When he heard about the upcoming Chisholm Trail Book Festival, he gave Tonya Shook a call. The festival, Shook’s dream project, which she describes as the largest book signing event in the state of Oklahoma, was already filled.

“I could have had 200 authors,” she said. Shook has held previous events for authors, but this is the first time for the Chisholm Trail event and for it to be in Duncan.

But, Churchman was able to get in because an author had dropped out of the event. Shook said illness and other unavoidable circumstances sometimes provide an open space.

She expects 85 authors to be at the event Saturday at the Simmons Center.



Local ties

Churchman grew up on a farm west of Comanche and is a graduate of the 1959 Comanche High School class. He lives in Flower Mound, Texas, and enjoys time as a grandfather of four and father of two daughters. They all help him in one way or another. He said one granddaughter did the photography for his portrait.

“She probably shot 100 pictures,” he said. Plus, one of his daughters is busy working on his Web site, which also will be revealed Nov. 10.

In his book, there’s a town, Korum, but it’s not the Corum area residents know. Instead, it’s actually based off Comanche, he said.

“Anybody from Comanche, Duncan would find some familiarity in the characters, the settings,” he said.

Inspiration for writing came from a high school psychology teacher. Churchman said that he was impressed at a young age to push for more potential and to use as much of his abilities as possible.

“It helped me through my life, my corporate experience, just to push myself a little bit more. The same thing applies to writing this book,” he said.

Becoming an author

And writing the book was probably the easiest, because when he started seeking a publisher, he realized that he’d really have to push himself to continue. Query letters kept returning with rejections, he said, because he was a first time author.

That’s another reason Shook created this book festival.

As author of seven books, she knows just how frustrating it can be to get a book published.

And once it’s published, authors must continually market themselves and connect with readers.

Churchman said after much internet research, he discovered an Oklahoma-based company that seemed promising.

The religious-based company deemed his book tame enough for publication, he said. Plus he’s enjoyed working with them. After a contract was signed, it was about one full year before his book was ready to be printed.

Even choosing a cover for his book was an interesting process. Churchman said he had five covers and one of his daughters who works in a large company in Dallas took the covers to work with her and people voted on them. The one chosen was illustrated by Tyler Evans, who is on the staff of Tate Publishing.

Churchman said it has been a great learning experience for him.

“I set out to write this novel, without knowing what a full length novel entails, in 30 to 90 days,” he said. After drafting the first round, he realized he had a lot more work to do.

His research even involved spending nearly a week each with the San Diego Padres and the Newark Bears at training camps so he could become familiar with baseball players “behind the scenes.”

One of the things that kept him charged up to continue was his Halliburton background.

“One of my first accomplishments is that I have 13 patents and my name went down in the same book as Leonardo DaVinci,” he said. That is valuable to him to know that things he’s created will be around forever.

Churchman is excited to come home, connect with family and old friends and is looking forward to making new friends. The festival will be a chance for readers and those considering venturing into the world of writing to connect and discover what it takes.

“I’m a workaholic, and to me work is play. It is fun and produces something tangible,” Churchman said.