Home

About
Duane Byerley

About 50 years ago, author Duane Byerley sat down and wrote a short story to entertain his young niece when her father was serving in Vietnam. A half century later, determined to evoke the bygone and pivotal American era of the 1960s and 70s, he has taken that short story and developed it into a thoughtful and moving two volume young adult novel.

A self-described storyteller, Duane prides himself on his keen powers of observation and equally impressive ability to “stand along the reader and show them the horizons.” That is precisely what he does in Of Sticks and Stones, making the novel highly readable, relatable and engaging.

In addition to writing fiction, Duane publishes widely in magazines and trade journals. He lives fulltime in a motor coach with Maggie, his wife of 47 years, and typically travels throughout the spring, summer and fall.

About
Of Sticks and Stones

Join Libby and her Grandfather Gene as they navigate the changes of life together in of Sticks and Stones - a duology

A traditional story that highlights family values, struggles, and perseverance. A read for the whole family.

Don’t be fooled by this young adult novel. It may seem like it’s a story about baseball and motorcycles, but it is at its core a lovely, heartwarming and perceptive work of fiction about friendships, family, love and support. Set during the late 1960s and 70s, Of Sticks and Stones (Volume 1) mainly focuses on the adventures and ambitions of nine-year-old Libby, who moves to a small Midwestern town with her mother and brother when her navy pilot father goes missing in Vietnam. As Libby adjusts to the slower pace of her new environment and the bullying of new classmates, she develops an extraordinary bond with her grandfather Gene—the kind of grandfather every kid deserves! While Gene nurtures his granddaughter’s interest in two unusual hobbies, he manages in the process, through his words and his deeds, to teach her a variety of lifetime lessons about patience, perseverance, loyalty, and courage.

Of Sticks and Stones (Volume 2) continues the story of Libby and her grandfather, while shedding more light on other family members and their personal struggles. Libby’s younger brother, Nathan, is envious of all the attention she is getting, while her mother, Bobbi, is feeling doubly stressed. She is worried about the declining health of her friend and boss, café owner Shirley, and also starting to question how realistic it is to keep waiting for her missing husband’s return. While Bobbi gradually figures out how to help Shirley, and how to move forward with her own life, Libby and Gene continue to tinker with their beloved motorcycle, and continue to strategize how to win a single baseball game. While their efforts on both those fronts finally start to be rewarded, the arrival of an unexpected visitor means major changes are in store for the entire family.