Dr. Amzi Sherling was born and grew up in Yazoo City, Mississippi, but spent many summers on his grandmother's dairy farm in Faunsdale, Alabama. His cousins called him a "city slicker" since Sherling wore shoes, even in the summertime. And perhaps because of this, the author began to embrace "all things country" at an early age. That included listening to the bluesy, melodic drawl of Southern voices around the milk house, and enjoying stories from Bill Mack Johnson about coon and possum hunting, running dogs, and digging tree stumps with his mule, "Stomp Diggah".Sherling began his own Southern story after a freshman English teacher at Delta State College gave him an assignment to create and illustrate a children's book. Sherling received an A+ for his efforts and a recommendation that he submit the story for publication. He dismissed the idea, however, and gave the book to his girlfriend, now his wife, Eileen. When Eileen's house burned, the book idea went up in flames-until 50 years later when Sherling recreated the story, as faithfully as his memory would allow. Sherling married Eileen in 1973, and, together, they raised five children and now have nine grandchildren who enjoy listening to stories of Bill, the Bluetick Hound. "As a Christian, I wanted my grandchildren to hear stories that would invoke a spiritual thought process," Sherling says. "I want them to see things with a Christian world-view. I hope parents will use Bill's antics as a springboard for discussions about responsibility, accountability and, above all, learning about the Savior's love and grace to us." Sherling holds a dental degree from the University of Tennessee and has had successful dental practices in both Mississippi and Alabama.
