Richard L Fricks

The Boaz Stenographer Richard L Fricks

Walt Shepherd, a 35 year veteran of the White House's stenographic team, is fired by President Andrew Kane for refusing to lie. Walt returns to his hometown of Boaz, Alabama and renews his relationship with Regina Gillan, his high school sweetheart, who he had ditched to marry the daughter of a prominent businessman. Regina has recently moved back to Boaz after over forty years in Chicago working at the Tribune. She is now editor of the Sand Mountain Reporter, a local newspaper. Walt and Regina's relationship transforms into a once in life love at the same time they are being immersed in a growing local and national divide between Democrats and traditional Republicans, and extremist Republicans (known as Kanites) who are becoming more dogmatic about the revolution that began during President Kanes initial campaign. Walt accepts two part-time jobs. One as a stenography instructor at Snead State Community College, and one as a itenerate stenographer with Rains & Associates. Walt later learns the owner of Rains & Associates is also one of five men who created the Constitution Foundation and is involved in a sinister plot to destroy President Kane, but is using an unorthodox method to achieve its objective. The Foundation is doing everything it can to get Kane reelected and afterwards to start a civil war that will hopefully restore alligience to the U. S. Constitution. While Walt is writing a book, The Coming Civil War, he is, unwittingly, gathering key information for the Foundation. Will Walt discover a connection between the Foundation and the deaths of three U. S. Congressmen in time to save his relationship with Regina and stop President Kane from being reelected?