Napoleon Crews began writing his first manuscript, for publication, in 1990. He was told often throughout his life, that he had a special way with words and empathy. The gift of writing culminated in Napoleon penning 9 completed manuscripts, some of which are short stories and others are longer novel-length works. In addition, he has written and produced 3 dramatic plays of an historical bent. Unable to find a national publisher for other of his works, Napoleon self-published and distributed them throughout the Midwest, where they have been popular.
The driving force behind the first published manuscript, The Emancipation of Nate Bynum, was Napoleon’s desire to tell the unknown stories about the integral part that Blacks played in the American Civil War and the Wild West, and to right the wrongs of early historical writers who depicted Blacks, women, and other minorities as inept, weak-minded, and inferior to their white counterparts.
Napoleon poured his experience as a cowboy, rodeo team roper, private investigator, martial artist, bodyguard, and trial lawyer into the building of his characters. He used family legends and oral and written history to form his plots. When he describes the way a horse moves, a steer bolts, or a punch is thrown, he’s rode the move, headed off the bolt, and threw the punch. His experience as a practicing trial lawyer is used to craft the many legal and ethical dilemmas in which his characters find themselves.
Napoleon resides with his wife and family in Lawrence, Kansas, the seed-bed in which the buddings of the American Civil War were sewn. He still practices law 50 to 60 hours per week, and many of his nights are reserved for writing and polishing his manuscripts with a view for future publication.
