About the Author

I'm John Chaney — most folks just call me Big John. I grew up in the Kentucky mountains, spent the better part of my life as a community pharmacist standing behind the counter, and these days I spend my time writing down the stories these hills have given me.

My books are about coalfields and family, faithful old mules and little girls with big dreams, the hard times and the good ones. They're the kind of tales you might've heard on a porch on a long summer evening, back when folks still told them.

Writing, for me, isn't about being fancy. It's about keeping a way of life alive — one that's earnest, hard-working, and deeply rooted in the soil of Appalachia. If my words help you remember something good, or feel a little more at home, then I've done my job.

More of my story — and a picture or two of me and Velma — coming soon to this page.