Papa Story

Papa's Back-Road Short Stories

Papa's Back-Road Short Stories by Sam Cross Old highways and back roads seem less traveled, as many people would rather be on main highways to save travel time. Sam "Papa Smurf" Cross is different. This biker prefers to start his adventures in the old highways and back roads leading to old bait houses and old stores, where he might chance upon friendly strangers willing to share wonderful stories, stories he finds worthy of retelling. This treasure of compelling and inspiring stories of ordinary people whose simple acts of kindness brought happiness and hope to families and individuals who survived life's trials, even gaining a new lease on life, are immortalized in Papa's Back-Road Short Stories. A widower opens his life and home to a cat, who, in turn, shares his unconditional love to the widower and later to a cancer stricken girl in need of a friend in "Henry." A lasting friendship that follows after are retold in "Cindy and Henry," "Randy," and "Gunner." A person's worth is more than his or her appearance as the story of a homeless man living his life digging trash cans imparts in "Silver Star." God moves in mysterious ways and nobody would suspect that his help would come from unexpected people, like when two young troublemakers decide to help a widow in need during the time of the Great Depression, in an untitled humorous story that would never get old. Stories like this encourage positivity and belief in God much needed in these times of troubles and deserves a place in anyone's bookshelf.

Papa’s Christmas Stories

My wife, Karen and I, (Karen has passed away) had four children and 14 grandchildren. The birth of those grandchildren brought great joy to us and motivated me to create a story upon the birth of the first eight grandchildren, the first in 1986 and the last in 1998. Each chapter lists chronologically the names of these eight grandchildren. One of the stories was created as I was driving one night from a YMCA job interview in Chattanooga, Tennessee to Kokomo, Indiana, where I served as CEO. This book contains Christmas stories I created for children to enjoy. It begins with Santa’s dog who gets lost and must be found so he can accompany Santa on his trip. Other unique characters are introduced, the Blue Angel, Miss Frilly Fox, a little boy named Bo who could fly, the walking trees, how snow began, the batmasters Desmo and his brother Rufus, the twin girls I and Y and many more. My grandchildren took great pleasure from reading their stories and I’m hoping to instill imaginative minds in others. Older children will enjoy reading the stories themselves and younger children having them read to them. The stories provide the children with something to think about. Many people said I should put these stories in a book, and so I did!

The Brook's Story; and Other Narratives