In a turbulent time long ago, I was born in a Germanic land far away, 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 in High School.
Some of those High School memories stand out far ahead of
the rest, along with the friendships that go with them.
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 was our last move of my Air Force career and has been our most permanent--at least for me and my wife.
We currently have two grandchildren on each coast: California and South Carolina. What the future holds for our children and grandchildren
is anyone's guess, although coastal property in the Florida Panhandle has now become part of the equation.
As a grandparent, I now 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.
If you have come this far, feel free to browse and sample some of what you find here. As a visitor to my cyber home, may you find a
familiar feel to my stories and decide to linger for a while. Just click on the Guardian Angel Publishing logo to find books and stories
by me and many other story tellers young and old.
Thanks for stopping by billkirkwrites.com©.
If you like what you see here--or not--please drop me an E-mail at:
I look forward to hearing from you. All comments and inquiries are welcome....
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Author's Writing Resume
Bill 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 staff 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 also 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 since 1969 and currently live in Sacramento, California.
They have two children and four grandchildren. In addition to his interest in writing, Bill is a Boy Scout leader, enjoys running, camping
and backpacking and is a certified massage practitioner in Sacramento. Contact him by e-mail at:
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