Tales From The Day: Life shaping events that truth be told all happened under the heading of "oops."

by Wayne D. McFarland

Overview

Yeah, this is a memoir of sorts, if shark fishing in one’s underwear, roping a bear, getting drunk with your Grandfather, or losing ten grand at the Hollywood Sign is a memoir. The Day Johnny Cash Hit On My Wife is on the roster as well, for the only name drop in all the stories.  There’s also a thing about getting shot in Arkansas and a road trip with a monkey. I can’t deny these were life shaping events, but truth be told they all happened under the heading of “oops.”

Wayne McFarland wandered away from a small, mid-western town some years ago.  With no planning at all, his history is one of stumbling into one bog after another from the Dakotas to California, from Pamplona to Paris.  His main claim to fame is mostly and surprisingly not being dead, plus getting involved with a lot of strange stuff, usually unwillingly or by accident. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781645503477
Publisher:	Wayne McFarland
Publication date:	11/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	124
File size:	225 KB

About the Author

Wayne McFarland wandered away from a small, mid-western town some years ago. With no planning at all, his history is one of stumbling into one bog after another from the Dakotas to California, from Pamplona to Paris. His main claim to fame is mostly and surprisingly not being dead, plus getting involved with a lot of strange stuff, usually unwillingly or by accident.

Table of Contents

The Day we Roped The Bear; The Day Kenny's Cousin Tried To Kill Us All; The Day We Humped A Cement Mixer Up the Mountain; The Day We Went To Orofino; The Day we Sparked A Riot In Fargo, North Dakota; The Day We Went Shark Fishing In Our Underwear; The Day I Ran With the Bulls; The Day The Game Warden Died; The Day My Grandfather Was Tagged As A Psychopath; The Day I Got A Beating From My Grandfather; The Day I Had A Hot Date And We Fell Out Of The Sky; The Day We Blew Town With The Monkey; The Day I Was Saved By Mickey Mouse; The Day I Became An Ass Producer; The Day We Lost Ten Grand At The Hollywood Sign; The Day Johnny Cash Hit On My Wife; The Day We Triggered The Doomsday Code; The Day They Tried To Kill Us In Arkansas; Colorado Fireworks

Editorial Reviews

"McFarland’s prose is colorful and conversational, filled with sharp details and wonderfully evocative asides…These are stories for…around the campfire…” “… readers…should thoroughly enjoy these feats of boldness, chaos, wit, and luck. A collection of anecdotes in the classic sense: happenings meant to thrill and entertain.” — Kirkus Reviews

McFarland takes the reader on a rollicking, freewheeling, often times poignant and scary ride across a landscape few of us have ever seen or imagined. He uses the hidden, off-the-beaten path as a canvas to paint a portrait of a life well lived, full of the triumphs, failures, and introspection that define the human experience. His story telling style lies at the intersection where William Least Heat Moon, Poe Ballentine, Ken Kesey, and Hunter S. Thompson meet and mingle yet it is totally unique in tone and texture. It is an honest and straight-forward read that everyone can enjoy and relate to. Michael Kaiser Literary Blogger

McFarland is one helluva story teller - and a good guy to have along when you get thrown in jail. Mike Delaney, Author Cyclone Bobcat

"...extremely well written. Read this book for pure fun and enjoyment. The stories are amazing and incredibly, all TRUE!" Steven Arenas, Emmy nominee. 21 years, TV animation. Director, major studio TV animation post production, 15 years.

An apt title for this book would be Adventures of a Young Man. But alas, Hemingway has already gobbled that one up. Wayne McFarland’s rollicking memoir reads like the autobiography of a mature Huckleberry Finn. This series of separate vignettes weaves into a narrative arc, that describes a number of humorous misadventures strewn along the pathway to maturity and ultimate success. The tales are all well-paced, brilliantly written, poignant, agonizing, funny and, in places, all-consuming. It is told with great verve, pluck and gusto. The rich metaphors and sometimes self-debasing similes produced peals of laughter in this hardened old combat soldier. Set largely in the 60’s, any reader from boomer to millennial will find meaning in the life lessons imparted by this story. An excellent read. R.Bruce Logan, Author, Back to Vietnam: Tours of the Heart; Finding Lien, and As The Lotus Blooms

Wayne has a way of telling a true story that captivates and holds your attention. Can’t put it down. Want to know what’s next. This shows what an exciting life you can have if you try hard enough. Exciting, scary, hilarious and poignant. Richard Bultman, Attached To Army Intelligence (Cold war)

“Entertaining, funny and well written. Will Rodgers would be proud.” Ken Bangs, author of Guardians in Blue

“In general, memoirs really suck,” observes new author Wayne McFarland in the opening line of Tales From The Day. “…feast on a remarkable array of first-person accounts. McFarland combines astute observations, skilled storytelling, and a blend of amusement, self-awareness and candor that most of us couldn’t muster even after years of therapy. You may alternate between “I wish I’d been there” and “I’m glad it was him and he lived to tell it.” As the book wraps, McFarland muses that some tales still remain untold. Count me among the eager readers who look forward to the day he tells them. Bill. Lenz, Writer, Producer, Director, Narrator, 4 time Cindy Award Winner, 2 time Cine Golden Eagle Award winner, winner Grand Award and many others.

From the Publisher