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Missed Signals: A Novel About Life, Love, Loss, and Football
Big Deal, Small Town…Dale Fox is the long-time football coach at the local junior college. People look up to him. He does commercials for the hometown car dealership in return for the use of a shiny new truck. He's a deacon at church, hosts his own radio show, and has his own table at the local diner. His wife is beautiful, his daughter is successful, his grandson is perfect.
That's the life of Coach Dale Fox.
Until the wheels fall off.
Until his wife dies unexpectedly, and he learns she was living a life he knew nothing about. Until his daughter moves home and tells him she's getting a divorce. Until the new college president starts asking questions about why the team isn't winning like it used to.
Suddenly, Coach Fox isn't such a big deal anymore. He's struggling to hold on to the only life he knows. His family is upended, his job is on the line, and his reputation is threatened.
That’s also the life of Coach Dale Fox
That's the life of Coach Dale Fox.
Until the wheels fall off.
Until his wife dies unexpectedly, and he learns she was living a life he knew nothing about. Until his daughter moves home and tells him she's getting a divorce. Until the new college president starts asking questions about why the team isn't winning like it used to.
Suddenly, Coach Fox isn't such a big deal anymore. He's struggling to hold on to the only life he knows. His family is upended, his job is on the line, and his reputation is threatened.
That’s also the life of Coach Dale Fox
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 17, 2020
16 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Paul E. Wootten
7 books4 followersHome is Galestown, Maryland. I was born there and it remains with me. My parents are farmers. My grandparents were farmers. My brother is a farmer. Everyone knew early on that I wasn't going to be a farmer. You have to be able to see to be a farmer. They plant straight rows, examine young plants for insects and disease, and deliver crops to market. I wasn't able to do any of that.
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
I was blind.
Well, not totally blind, like "blind like a bat" blind (Though you should know that bats aren't really blind). I was legally blind, the result of an eye disease called Scheie Syndrome. I could see faces and landscape, and could read just fine if I held the books close enough. Driving a pickup, tractor, combine or bean-picker, though? No chance. Those things cost lots of money and there was no way Dad was entrusting them to me. I always had bicycles, though, and when I was eleven I got a mini-bike for Christmas. Despite crashing into a hay elevator, slamming through a large wooden storage box, and almost hanging myself on fishing nets strung out to dry, I survived.
During high school, I decided I wanted to become a teacher. There were some good role models in Dorchester County. After four years at Western Kentucky University, I moved to Perryville, Missouri where I taught Marketing and Business classes for seven wonderful years. That area of Southeast Missouri serves as a backdrop for most of Harvest of Thorns, and folks in that area will recognize plenty of names and locations.
Unfortunately, my vision was deteriorating. The writing on my teacher notes was getting larger and the back of the class was pretty much impossible to see. A St. Louis ophthalmologist confirmed I was losing my sight.
But, he said, there was hope.
A cornea transplant. Still considered experimental in the 1980's, but as the doc said, "You don't have much to lose by trying."
And guess what? It worked!
Within a few months, my vision had improved dramatically. I could see things I never saw before, like leaves on a tree and blades of grass. Best of all, I was able to pass the driver's test. At age 28 I bought a red sports car and accumulated speeding tickets like candy.
Eventually, I slowed down. My career took a turn toward school leadership. Along the way, I accepted Jesus into my life. That happened while watching a famous TV evangelist one day when school was called off because of snow. I wish I could say it's been smooth sailing ever since. God never left me, though I sure pulled away from Him plenty of times. I fell short, stumbled, and fell, but discovered that His love for me never wavered. It's because of His love that my writing is aimed at solving real-world issues using Biblical truths. My books aren't always comfortable. They're pretty gritty, actually. People get hurt, even killed. Unkind things are said and situations sometimes reach the breaking point - just like real life. But also like real life, we serve a God who is bigger than our problems. I want that to shine through.
My wife Robin is the most upbeat, optimistic person I know. She and I split our time between Kansas City and Florida's Gulf Coast. We have four grown kids, Jill, Lynnea, Cody, and Alison, a son-in-law, Bryce, and daughter-in-law, Kelcy. In January, 2016, Jill and Bryce gave us our first grandchild, Fletcher Wade. You'll find his mug all over the place.
In 2011 I retired from the field of education. Since then, I've worked for the Kansas City Royals, who pay me to watch baseball and be nice to people. Along the way I've written freelance features on a variety of subjects for Royals Baseball Insider and a number of local and national publications. Harvest of Thorns is my first attempt at fiction. I hope you like it!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 20, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. For the genre that it is in, it hits on so many interests. This is for anyone from a small town, anyone that has experienced loss, anyone with a father and child relationship, college
football fans and even romance/ mystery fans will enjoy the story. Coach Dale is someone that everyone has experienced in their life. He has a small town life and routine as well as a small minded outlook. Thankfully he does have many redeeming qualities that keep you routing for him and his band of misfit country bumpkin friends. You want to know more and more about all the characters throughout the story. I recommend checking out this book and other books by this author.
football fans and even romance/ mystery fans will enjoy the story. Coach Dale is someone that everyone has experienced in their life. He has a small town life and routine as well as a small minded outlook. Thankfully he does have many redeeming qualities that keep you routing for him and his band of misfit country bumpkin friends. You want to know more and more about all the characters throughout the story. I recommend checking out this book and other books by this author.
December 18, 2020
I’m not sure exactly why I liked this book so much but I did. It was narrated through the voice of the has-been coach of a football team. It was about his life and how he was so focused on football, he lost his family, didn’t have close friends, and the team couldn’t win games anymore. He was an “old school” coach and life moved on and he didn’t realize it until too late. It was sad and depressing but I loved the writing and the lessons learned! I also loved reading the conversations about plays, offense, defense, strategies, and recruiting.
September 30, 2024
This was an excellent book. It reminds me of John Grisham‘s writing. The story of a college football coach enduring changes in his life. The author places the reader in the story. His character development is spot on.
He is enjoying life as a successful, junior college football coach when his wife dies, many other things happen in a short period of time. It truly is a story of life, love and. Football.
He is enjoying life as a successful, junior college football coach when his wife dies, many other things happen in a short period of time. It truly is a story of life, love and. Football.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews