Tahlequah Single Dad Finds Lucrative Second Career As An Author

Ever think to yourself, if I just had the time, I could spin a pretty good yarn and maybe write a novel?

A temporary bout with bad health gave a Tahlequah single dad the time to write and published not only one novel, but six.

D. W. Jackson is now working on novel number seven.

"I've sold 30,000 books in my first year, which puts me in the top 5 percent of self published authors," Jackson said.

It wasn't that long ago he was a correctional officer in the Oklahoma prison system. Well, the whole story changed when he decided to adopt the two kids his sister was fostering, Eddie and Katy.

"I was working at Stringtown, but when I adopted the kids they were living down here," Jackson said.

So, he transferred to be closer, so the kids wouldn't have to move again. Then he got sick and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital.

"You can only watch TV for so long, so I started working on a book."

When he finished it, Jackson had some family members read it. They suggested he publish it, and that was the beginning of his career as an author.

"I sold enough to pay the bills; I wrote the next one," Jackson said.

His stories are all set in the Middle Ages. He loves the time period, but it requires a lot of research about clothing, weapons, and houses.

"If you mess something up small, they'll notice it," Jackson said.

"They," of course, are his readers and fans. They send him emails with comments, like this one from a soldier in Afghanistan: "The only thing I don't like about the book is I have to wait for the sequel."

His life has really changed and in a hurry: He's adopted two beautiful kids and found a new career.

"I hardly have time to leave the house, I work about 14 hours a day," Jackson said.

You can find his books on Amazon.com and other online sources.