Welcome! I’m Duke Southard, an author, retired educator, and lecturer.
I have published seven novels, a commissioned history, and an anthology of
award-winning short stories and essays.
Please check out my blog where I write about true crime and a wide ranging variety of literary and everyday subjects.
My Programs
My programs are offered free of charge to any schools, public libraries, and educational/community groups.
Free Book
Grab a free copy of my book, The Week from Heaven and Hell
My Books
View a list of my published books, including Tainted Justice.
Recent Posts
Is Fifteen Years Too Long To Wait?
This murder case will either give some of you hope that the murderer of Stacey Burns will eventually be caught or it will be discouraging because of the length of time involved in making an arrest. Here's a synopsis of the story which just broke out here in Tucson....
Schedule Update for May
The time for my appearance at the Country Bookseller is set. I will be in the store from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, May 16. Hope to see a lot of my Wolfeboro friends there to say hello. Other than that, the schedule remains as published previously. Here it is again for...
May 10, 2015- A Dreadful Anniversary
Two weeks from this Sunday, Stacey Burns will have been dead exactly six years. It happens that this is the first year since she was killed when the day(May 10) is the same as the day when she was taken from those who loved her. In Volume II of Life's Little...
May Schedule
For those interested, here is my schedule for the "book tour" in May to Maryland, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. Saturday, May 16, 2015- Country Bookseller- Wolfeboro, New Hampshire- Afternoon, exact time to be determined Sunday, May 17, 2015- Willing Workers Hall,...
An Open Offer re: Stacey Burns
From Saturday, May 16 through Wednesday, May 20, I will be presenting a variety of programs in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. There will be some free time during those five days and I will make an offer I've made on previous trips. If anyone would like to...
East Coast Trip
Final details are falling into place for my two weeks on the East Coast in May. Tentative schedule for New Hampshire includes stops at the book store in Wolfeboro, a program in Melvin Village, programs at the Moultonborough and Meredith Libraries, and a program at the...
Not Cold Cases?
In the last few days, I received an article from a former student detailing the formation of the "Cold Case Unit" of the New Hampshire State Police. This came to me via Facebook which means that many of my regular readers would not have seen it. The article lists the...
Wild Hog?
As I reread my posts, I realize that one could become depressed as they always seem so serious. Let's take a break today! This photo of a purchase we made a short while after my seventy-fifth birthday (with my wife, Barbara's, complete and unequivocal blessing) might...
Stacey’s Legacy
I never met Stacey Burns. I know her only through hours and hours of interviews with those friends and acquaintances who have chosen to speak with me during the last four plus years of working on trying to tell her story. Here is what I know for certain about her. She...
Maryland/New Jersey/New Hampshire-Here I Come!
From May 15 through May 25, I will be visiting the East Coast. So far, I have six definite venues for programs and book signings. Watch for specific listings as the time gets closer. Available dates for others are May 18th and 19th in New Hampshire and May 24 in...
Cracks in the Wall
Was Stacey Burns looking backward at "cracks in the wall" at the same time as she was looking forward to Mothers' Day in 2009? Paraphrasing one of my favorite characters, Josie Havenot, in my latest Parker Havenot novel, Live Free or Die, sometimes we can still peer...
Making a buck!
It is time to once again "clear the air" since this comment has been made regarding my work on a book about the Stacey Burns murder case. I'll issue this challenge to anyone who says I am in this project for the money. Prove it! 1. I have stated that any profits from...