Publisher's Synopsis
Read chapters 1-5 FREE by subscribing to thepuckerdillykiss.com. If you enjoyed Indiana Jones, Secondhand Lions, The Beverly Hillbillies, or need a faith boost, you will love this collection of true, yet unbelievable stories from the lives of Rex and Marie Cherry Ledford, their extended families, and their children. Reared in a dysfunctional, abusive, alcoholic family, Rex weds a sweet, innocent child-bride from a stable, Christian, Appalachian family. The meshing of their lives is certain to leave you laughing, crying, and shaking your head in disbelief as their 62-year long love story unfolds. Madcap antics, gifted storytelling, and his piloting skills made Rex a local legend in Clay County, North Carolina. My father, Rex Ledford, had developed the ability to captivate an audience like few people I have ever met. Not only were his stories unbelievable and true, he recounted them with a style that left the listener both laughing and crying. I have spent a lifetime listening to and reliving his stories. I have pondered the writing of this book for over thirty years, however, family and my career as a high school math teacher always took precedence. As my Dad's health began to decline in his early seventies, the book became more of a priority. At my prodding, he penciled a few stories, but that proved to be a labor-intensive process for him. I captured a few stories on video and finally, I purchased a voice recorder and insisted he use it. It has taken five years to collect the stories you are about to read. I have spent countless hours and shed many tears reliving my father's life as I attempted to capture the essence of his style and document his adventures in a readable format. I have tried to assume his persona as the writer. My daddy died one month before the book was completed, but he did get to read the skeleton of it. The stories are not necessarily in chronological order. Do visit thepuckerdillykiss.com for videos, slide shows, numerous pictures of the family, and even listen to my father telling stories himself. This work is a labor of love for my family. I hope you enjoy reading his stories as much as I have enjoyed watching "that crazy Rex Ledford" tell them.