A Good Run

Life in the United States after the Civil War was a tumultuous time for both Union and Confederate sympathizers alike. In a captivating historical fiction novel entitled A Good Run from Keith E. and Barbara Phillips Stuart, twenty-year-old Private Joseph McDonald is left desolate. His home has been destroyed, and his family is gone so he moves west to Fort Smith, Arkansas to begin his life anew.

Barbara Phillips Stuart was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her love of writing surfaced early in her life. While still in high school, she wrote a weekly column for a local newspaper. Later, her five children provided her with numerous opportunities for writing vignettes, which for six years were a weekly feature in the Douglas Dispatch in Douglas, Arizona.

After returning to the Cincinnati area in 1981, those stories were compiled into three volumes and were self-published. Currently, her grandchildren continually provide her with a new generation of stories.

Her personal interests include her grandchildren, bridge, oil painting, needlework, gardening, and world travel.

Keith E. Stuart was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. His strong love of nature has its roots in this beautiful country. He served in the infantry during the Korean War. Later, he completed his education including a PhD in Counseling Psychology. Keith has four daughters and six grandchildren all of whom live in the far west.

During the early years of his life he enjoyed working experiences as a deckhand, a farm laborer, a logger, and a factory worker. Later, he taught college psychology and served in the Reserve. After moving to the Cincinnati area in 1981, he and Barbara started their own business that they operated until retirement. On the side, Keith owned and operated cattle ranch.

His many interests include writing, research, and world travel.

The Stuarts currently live in Villa Hills, Kentucky with their dog, Benjie.