Pampa man pens book set in early Clarendon

Pampa native Terry Burns will be at the Burton Memorial Library this Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. to promote and sign copies of his new book, To Keep a Promise, which is set in Old Clarendon.

A trade paperback classified as inspirational fiction, the electronic version of the book was one of five finalists for the EPPIE Award given by the electronic publishers.

To Keep a Promise is the story of a rather naïve young lady on her way west with her newly ordained missionary husband.  Poorly equipped to do the job, he falls prey to the first potential converts that he meets, leaving her alone and terrified in the wilderness.  As she seeks to survive, she feels an obligation to carry on her husband’s work in a land that does not readily accept women in such a role yet finds strength in herself that she did not know was there. This book has memorable characters, is set against a background of historic Saints’ Roost, and is written with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor.

“Clarendon was the perfect setting for this little lady’s story,” Burns said.  “The history I used is pretty accurate, as are a lot of the people these fictional characters interacted with.  Of course, they never really met my characters, but if they had, I’d like to think they would have really reacted to them just as the book shows.”

Terry was a former chamber of commerce manager for over 25 years and says, “I’ve always written, but most of my writing was consumed by my profession in those days.  It’s only the past few years that I’ve begun to be able to enjoy writing fiction.”  He has four business oriented non-fiction books to his credit, has written a newspaper column for seventeen years, has had works in short story collections and magazines, and has a small book of cowboy poetry in print.

“I’m a fifth generation Irish storyteller,” Burns says, “and a fourth generation Texas bullshipper.  Telling stories is easy; writing them down is what’s hard.”  Terry has been inducted into the Western Writers of America and is currently serving as the President of the Panhandle Professional Writers. 

More detailed information on him may be found at his web site, www.terryburns.net