I love camping, and I guess my favorite part of camping is the campfire. Whether we are just roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, or grilling burgers, that campfire is the central point of the campsite. Just sitting around staring into the embers is mesmerizing.
For my family, camping is fun. For Dylan, it was his way of life. After returning from Viet Nam and being so mistreated by the ‘make love not war’ generation, he threw up his hands in disgust and chose to live in the woods with the animals.
Dylan’s campfire was for light after the sun went down. It was for warmth on chilly evenings, and it was for cooking his meals. His meals generally consisted of venison, squirrel, or even fish caught in the nearby pond, supplemented by a can of beans.
Some things he was forced to purchase: coffee, toilet paper, canned goods, matches, so occasionally he made the trip into town and picked up a handyman job or two to pay for these necessities.
It never failed. Every time he went into town, for weeks afterwards, if anything disappeared, he was blamed for it. The townspeople called him Rambo because of his long hair and his obvious combat training. (Plus, when the Rambo movies came out, I had a huge crush on Sylvester Stallone, just don’t tell my husband I said that.)
I hope you like Dylan as much as I do. He ended up being one of my favorite characters. If you haven’t met him yet, you will find him in the pages of Fire Light Fire Bright.
Fire Light Fire Bright
The small north-central town of Glenwood, Texas is being methodically burned to the ground. Every few days another fire. Acres of scorched pasture, and skeletal remains of the once majestic trees that surrounded the township attest to the skill of the arsonist. Sheriff Dodge Brewster is frustrated by his inability to find even a single shred of evidence.
Several teenage girls in surrounding communities have been brutally raped. When the rapist finally targets Glenwood, the girls are not only raped, but murdered also. Deep in the woods outside of town, a Vietnam vet lives as a hermit. The people of Glenwood accuse him of every misdeed that occurs. The arson, rape and murders are no exception. They are demanding that Dodge arrest the vet, but new evidence in a turn of events point to his own friend.
Will Dodge be able to prove his friend’s innocence? Will he have to arrest him? Or will he go along with the townspeople and arrest the Vietnam vet?
Elsie Varn Harrell Official Site 