I was asked about the characters and various locales in my latest published work, my novella The Calendar. Neither Toby nor Cassie have a basis in my experience. Reverend Taylor is based on a former pastor of mine. As with Morgan’s family in Half of Faith, Toby’s family is very much my real-life family. Goatneck is a real community near my hometown of Cleburne, Texas. The central event of the novella is entirely made up, except to the extent that we tragically hear of such events on the news. The stream side where Toby and Cassie spend much of their time is an actual place, as is the ranch where they roam, and the rural road they meet on everyday is a place I played. The spots are at different locations. I just put them together for the story. Oh, the episode with the bees in the barn? Happened to me.