New Book Announcement

 Hello dear readers, old friends, and new visitors — I’m excited to share some big news: I’ve just released two new books on Amazon — and this time I’m diving into story-telling in a different direction.

📚 Two new titles to explore

The first book is The Handyman’s Guild, a novel rooted in the idea of small acts of courage, ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and the hidden architecture of care that protects our lives when we’re not even looking. As one brief description puts it: “Heartfelt, mysterious, and deeply human… about legacy, small acts of courage, and the invisible ways we protect.” 

The second is The Apprentices – A Handyman’s Guild Adventure, which builds on the world of the first, introducing fresh faces, new challenges, and deeper mysteries of the Guild’s work. (Think of it as the next chapter, the next set of apprentices learning the ropes — and uncovering the ledger.)

Why these books, and why now

You’ve probably noticed I have a foot in memoir, photography, local history, and community storytelling. With these two books I wanted to stretch into the realm of fiction — but fiction that still carries the weight of memory, purpose, and service.

• In The Handyman’s Guild, the story revolves around those “quiet heroes” in overalls, the ones we don’t notice until the shelf is fixed, the lightbulb quietly replaced, the problem quietly averted.

• In The Apprentices, the narrative expands: what happens when the next generation steps in, when the ledger is found, when the secret brotherhood is revealed to new eyes? There are children to protect, unseen dangers to face — and in true Guild fashion, the tools are as much trust, relationship and hidden knowledge as hammers and screwdrivers.

A few things that I hope you’ll love

• A sense of otherworldly fantasy without horror — I’ve kept the tone gentle, imaginative, and redemptive (as I tend to prefer).

• A nostalgic, home-spun feel — rural Alabama, old houses, community gatherings, recollections of lost time and found meaning.

• Characters you’ll care about — imperfect, hopeful, sometimes weary, but always trying.

• The twist of secret brotherhood + everyday work — the idea that the real magic happens in the mundane, in the supporting role, in the hands that fix, protect, restore.

How to grab your copy

Both books are now available on Amazon and Kindle.

• The Handyman’s Guild is out in paperback and eBook. 

• The Apprentices – A Handyman’s Guild Adventure is also ready for your reading list in paperback and eBook format.

If you enjoy them, I’d be deeply grateful if you’d consider leaving a review on Amazon — reviews help other readers find the work, and every one means the world to me.

What’s next?

In the coming months I’ll be:

• Hosting a giveaway (signed copies + memorabilia) for blog subscribers

• Sharing behind-the-scenes posts (photos of my writing desk in Leeds, Alabama; sketches of characters; the “ledger” mock-up)

• Possibly audio/YouTube shorts featuring me reading some scene excerpts (suiting my YouTube channels ‘It’s Nanny & Pop’,  ‘Ron Howard Photography’, and Hometown Life").

• And continuing the blog with more “simple contemplations” — the little moments, the big reflections, the stories that connect heart to hammer, memory to masonry.

A word of thanks

If you’ve followed me for a while — through the blog, the photography, my hometown Leeds walking tours, the memoir pieces — thank you. These two books are a new creative branch, rooted in the same soil: memory, community, craft, transformation. I hope they reach you in good time, in good spirit, and that you’ll invite others into the world of the Guild.

Here’s to your next reading adventure — and to all the hidden handymen and women among us who quietly keep things running.

Warmly,
Ron