Today we’d like to introduce you to D.L. Struble.
Hi D.L., we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My wife Tammy and I sold our business (The Loose Screw Craft Beer House and Garden) about six months ago with the anticipation of moving on to the next adventure. We are a nomadic couple that is always looking forward around the next bend in the road.
I have always been a writer and have decided to pursue my storytelling full-time. Since the business sale, I completed my 4th novel “Mari Quinn and The House of Salt and Sea”, and my 2nd collection of free verse poetry “Throwing Shade”.
Life is not without its challenges. Tammy and I also care for my adult son, Mark. He has Cri du Chat syndrome. His syndrome has kept him trapped cognitively at two years old in a body of a twenty-two year old man.
He requires full-time care in a state where getting any kind of assistance is difficult. Mark is a lovely man with a pure and open heart. Mark also has self-injurious behaviors that can be both difficult and heartbreaking if he is not on his medication.
Being a former Helicopter Search and Rescue Swimmer in the Navy has taught me both patience and endurance. However, being a full-time caregiver tests me in ways I could never have prepared for.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life has a way of kicking you when you are down. Tammy and I seem to jump from one struggle to another. Whether the struggle is financial (as it often is), or emotional (as it often is), we have each other.
Tammy is a breast cancer survivor and navigating the healthcare system without adequate insurance is a whole new pile of yuck. She has beaten cancer and that is what we focus on.
Caring for Mark full-time limits our ability to work “regular” jobs – so we find other ways to hustle a buck or two.
My stepson took his life sometime ago. It is a subject I don’t talk too much about.
We seem to struggle a lot (I could write a book about it), but we have each other. Tammy is the fuel that keeps me going. I try hard to be the same for her. We don’t get down in the dumps, we hold each other up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in third grade. I actually suffer from dysgraphia but back then the doctor couldn’t tell the difference. Regardless, my parents got me help at a time when there wasn’t much available. I learned “workarounds” that helped with my reading and writing. All of that work and practice allowed me to be creative. I wrote stories and in sixth grade I got recognized for my short story “Apache Pass”. That little bit of affirmation was enough for me to continue writing. And I have been writing ever since.
I published “A Coven of Crows” a few years ago and followed that up with “A Crow Alone Does Not A Murder Make”, and “As The Crow Flies”.
I wrote a collection of poetry called “Barbed Wire Fences”. BWF reaches back to my poetry beginnings and is a collection of my early work with some recent work sprinkled in.
I just published my second collection “Throwing Shade”. It has received very positive reviews. It is a bit dark, but has enough humor in its pages to keep the reader engaged.
I have just finished my 4th novel, “Mari Quinn and The House of Salt and Sea”. It might be available by the time this article is published. I am very proud of this one.
I am still writing. “Dirty Windshields and Lonely Roads” is well on its way. And there will be another novel at some point.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Just keep hustling. If you are lucky to have a loving partner, hang on tight. Whatever journey you are on will be peppered with both salt and sugar. A good partner will help you choke down the spicy so you both can enjoy the sweet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.dlstrublewriter.com
- Facebook: Dlstruble
