Farewell, and Amen

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Sometimes we don’t have to use all the words we know. You can convey entire stories full of feeling with just a few sentences. Today’s blog post:

Our little Shih Tzu, Willie, now sleeps in the garden. As I work, the house is silent, save for the ticking of the clock.

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About Reavis Wortham

NYT Bestselling Author and two-time Spur Award winner Reavis Z. Wortham pens the Texas Red River historical mystery series, and the high-octane Sonny Hawke contemporary western thrillers. His new Tucker Snow series begins in 2022. The Red River books are set in rural Northeast Texas in the 1960s. Kirkus Reviews listed his first novel in a Starred Review, The Rock Hole, as one of the “Top 12 Mysteries of 2011.” His Sonny Hawke series from Kensington Publishing features Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke and debuted in 2018 with Hawke’s Prey. Hawke’s War, the second in this series won the Spur Award from the Western Writers Association of America as the Best Mass Market Paperback of 2019. He also garnered a second Spur for Hawke’s Target in 2020. A frequent speaker at literary events across the country. Reavis also teaches seminars on mystery and thriller writing techniques at a wide variety of venues, from local libraries to writing conventions, to the Pat Conroy Literary Center in Beaufort, SC. He frequently speaks to smaller groups, encouraging future authors, and offers dozens of tips for them to avoid the writing pitfalls and hazards he has survived. His most popular talk is entitled, My Road to Publication, and Other Great Disasters. He has been a newspaper columnist and magazine writer since 1988, penning over 2,000 columns and articles, and has been the Humor Editor for Texas Fish and Game Magazine for the past 25 years. He and his wife, Shana, live in Northeast Texas. All his works are available at your favorite online bookstore or outlet, in all formats. Check out his website at www.reaviszwortham.com. “Burrows, Wortham’s outstanding sequel to The Rock Hole combines the gonzo sensibility of Joe R. Lansdale and the elegiac mood of To Kill a Mockingbird to strike just the right balance between childhood innocence and adult horror.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “The cinematic characters have substance and a pulse. They walk off the page and talk Texas.” —The Dallas Morning News On his most recent Red River novel, Laying Bones: “Captivating. Wortham adroitly balances richly nuanced human drama with two-fisted action, and displays a knack for the striking phrase (‘R.B. was the best drunk driver in the county, and I don’t believe he run off in here on his own’). This entry is sure to win the author new fans.” —Publishers Weekly “Well-drawn characters and clever blending of light and dark kept this reader thinking of Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.” —Mystery Scene Magazine

25 thoughts on “Farewell, and Amen”

  1. Boo (short for Boomerang), a black ‘void kitty’ which adopted my son and DIL in Houston before Hurricane Harvey, and moved with them to Colorado, also, as of today, sleeps in their garden. I know how loved he was.

    My condolences. It never gets easier.

  2. Sincere condolences, Rev. At 70 years old, the greatest loss I’ve suffered was when my little daughter cat died in my arms on April 11, 2023 just before 10 a.m. I’m still in deep mourning.

  4. I’m so sorry, Rev. May sweet memories of Willie soften the pain little by little. Almost 50 years after our Weimaraner Eva died, she is still with us daily when we laugh about her endearing antics and see the chew marks from her puppy teeth on the dining table legs.

  8. I am so sorry. We lost my 16-year-old Japanese Chin, Princess Miyuki, back before Christmas. No matter how long we have them, it’s never enough. Hugs and love.

  9. I’m so sorry, Rev. It is always so hard when a beloved pet passes. There’s a void where they were. We lost our beloved cat Simba four years ago. His litter mate, Mittens, is still with us, nearly 17, but I know his time is coming and it will hurt when he is gone. At the same time, I’m grateful that our pets have graced us with their lives and their love. I hope the memories of Willie provide a little solace.

  12. Sincerest condolences. Dogs are treasures that God puts into our lives for a time. It never feels long enough but the memories are forever.

  17. So sorry, Rev. I’ve often said about dogs they can breed for size, color, temperament, and skills, so why can’t they breed for more years? I know, it’s the metabolism, but my heart doesn’t understand that. It just hurts.

  23. Rev,

    Few words said always have the most powerful and beautiful meaning.
    My mother told me once that our pets are only meant to be with us for a short time but remain with us in our hearts forever.

    I’m so sorry for your loss.

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