“Storytelling is an ancient and honorable act. An essential role to play in the community or tribe. It's one that I embrace whole heartedly and have been fortunate enough to be rewarded for.” 

That’s a quote from Russell Banks, author of The Darling, The Sweet Hereafter and other successful novels.  Like Banks, J Russell Rose is a story teller that obviously embraces the honorable act wholeheartedly.  Born and raised in the foothills of Southwestern Virginia, travelling far and wide over the years, he has now returned to those mountains that he loves and spends a great deal of his time entertaining people like you and me, those of us that love a good story.

Like many other writers, he says that the stories are not simply a product of his imagination.  He feels that he is something of a middleman.  He knows the stories of Dolores’ life (a character in Looking Down on the Moon).  He cannot fully explain why he knows them.  But, he says that all he has done is put her stories down on paper.

Readers have asked, “Why did you make that happen?” 

He explains, “That’s what happened.  I didn’t make it happen.” 

To date, all of the stories written by J Russell Rose are inspirational.  The characters are inspirational.  They have the heart and the fortitude that all of us want.  They stand up for what they believe in, regardless of their background, their social status or even their memories.

In Search of Himself tells the story of a man that wakes up one day and has a headache, but no memory.  In a house that he doesn’t recognize, in clothes that are not his own, he tries to make some sense of what has brought him to this foreign place.  What would you do in that situation? 

In Looking Down on the Moon, Dolores Del Los Rios rebels against a “golden spoon in her mouth” upbringing to live in an isolated area and help unfortunate children. Her father’s goal was to make money. Her goal was to give it all away.

As one of his biggest fans, I hope that J Russell Rose has many other stories to tell. Read any one of his current novels and you will become a fan, too. I am sure that you will join me in the hope that he will share more of his stories with us, wherever they come from. 

 Patsy Hamilton