Gather around the campfire and listen to the historical tales of storyteller Dale Roberts!

About Dale

Just so's we can get acquainted, let me introduce myself and give you a little of my background. I was born in west Texas in an old ranch house in the middle of the Great Depression. My ma told me that it was a wretched night with thunder, lighting, rain, sleet and hail. She went into labor and, because they had no telephone, my father put her in their Model-T Ford and drove her to her parent's ranch because they had a telephone and could call the doctor. The doctor and I arrived about the same time - about one o'clock in the morning. An old black woman told me once that I was a "Sto'm Baby...and Sto'm Babies is different from other folks!" Heh heh, maybe that explains some things about me!

The doctor was put out for having to get up in the middle of this stormy night and drive 20 miles out in the wilderness to deliver another brat that didn't have sense enough to be born at proper hours. He never recorded my birth and I had the devil's own time later on, proving I was born.

All in all it was a very poor beginning and to tell the truth it didn't improve much for the next twenty years. The day after I was born I had to go to work. Yessir, folks started them young in them thar days. I soon found myself on the back of a horse with my ma protesting to my grandpa that I was too young. I've been sort of partial to horses ever since. My current equine friend is a gelding named Trooper. He and I like to reenact together as Confederate cavalry.

I also became interested in aviation while a teenager and learned to fly. This wound up being a hobby of mine and eventually I flew commercially as my livelihood. Most of it was as an instructor, cropduster, forest service patrol and charter pilot. I also owned and operated a small construction company for quite a number of years.

During my school years I developed a love of history and as years went by it grew. I 'specially became interested in the antebellum South and the War Between the States. My wife and I, for some years now, have been involved in reenactment and living history events. I also enjoy entertaining at public and private schools as a living history actor depicting life of a soldier in various wars. My daughter and her family have been infected with the "reenacting bug" and join us for living history events as well.

I've always liked to write and have an active imagination. So it's no surprise that I wound up writing a novel set in the War Between the States. Tales of Travis Hawkins McCleod is my first published novel, but hopefully will not be my last.

So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about yours truly!