Trust but Verify

  Blog March 2024 West Texas As we travel and tell folks we live in Texas, especially West Texas, they curl their lips, squint, and spew, "Why would you want to live there?" At first, I was insulted that someone would say that, but eventually, I understood it precisely. Good people who have never lived here don't honestly know or understand Texas—especially West Texas. We live in the Llano Estacado of Texas, or to be precise, we are at 3,239 feet in altitude in the South Plains, just south of the Panhandle. But there is much more to why we live here. Take the next five minutes and enjoy this video. Then, you will want to pack up and get moving because life here is exceptional. Click on Wyman Meinzer's West Texas (youtube.com) and inhale the truth of West Texas . This is the Texas we live in and love. From here, there is no limit to the creative juices  that flow and the stories to tell. We keep roughly 4,500 acres under lease just off the  Caprock, which gives

  Trust but Verify February 2024 Where Did I Find That Story? Among the many questions I receive as an author is: How do you arrive at what you are writing? My response is simple yet complex. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Every story has to have a start and an ending. Think of it as a sandwich—two slices of bread are the beginning and end; the “meat” is the story itself. It needs primary and supporting characters and a specific setting. But, most importantly, it must have a compelling storyline—the “who, where, what, and how” of the story. I found the foundation for my writing in my professional career—fifty years of policing.  Adding to that is my personal life of family, religion, and education. Pulling this together is my passion for research and writing. I combine that with my wife and enjoy traveling throughout North America, the U.K., Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. That covers millions of square miles, cultures, religions, and customs. Add that to my personal lif