Lawrence author publishes new book, 48 Acres

By GARY ARRINGTON Staff writer

As you drive into the township of Lawrence from Huntington on what is known by some as Tin Can Alley and by others as the back road to Lawrence, one cannot help but see a Welcome to Lawrence sign. Whether that sign accurately describes the beginning of town does not matter, it does accurately reflect the opinion of the landowner on which that sign rests.
Vallyn Bernard moved to Emery County and to Lawrence in 1995 and now, as far as I know, is Emery County’s latest author. 48 Acres was published in March of this year by Author House and is available at many bookstores, both brick and mortar and online.
48 Acres is a story of the life and times of a 1960s young boy growing up in the big city but unwillingly was forced to move to his grandpa’s farm. Although the book is fictional, the plot is loosely based on the author’s early years.
After leaving behind the street gangs of the city, the lad gradually begins to enjoy the simpler life of living on a small farm. Grandpa is a force in the boy’s life and readers will enjoy the lessons taught by him, as he is both wise and mischievous.
Bernard is the father of six boys. All six became Eagle scouts with way too many merit badges and all six graduated from Emery High School. Vallyn’s wife Debbie is a Carbon County native and a descendant of a mother and a grandmother that were both born and raised in Lawrence.
Vallyn is a native of Kentucky but was raised in Ohio, first in the city and then out on the farm. After serving in the military, he moved to Utah in 1975, met Debbie in 1976, fell in love and now they live happily ever after. Bernard worked at Des-Bee-Dove coal mine in the late 70s and early 80s.
Vallyn has spent years entertaining individuals, small groups and large audiences with his stories and adventures of real life. Today, one cannot be around him very long before one notices his doodling. Upon closer examination, one sees that it is not doodling but the artwork of a very gifted artist. Vallyn has pages and pages of black and white landscapes of the desert as he sees it. From time to time, some of those have been on display at our county fair.
Bernard was a Navy man in his first stint of military service, serving on an aircraft carrier. In his second stint, Bernard was a Green Beret, a member of the military’s special forces.
In other times, Bernard has faced and conquered many challenges in his life. Bernard, besides military service, has been a Chicago bank auditor, a coal miner, a derrick hand, a construction worker, in the securities business and even a homeless man that was the user of many vices in his life. Vallyn draws on his life for his entertaining viewpoint and one does not have to be around him long to know that his viewpoint is definitely unique.
Bernard has another book that is being edited now. Pink Pigeons is a story of a junior high tackle football game between the boys and the irritated girls. In this fictional tale, young teenage girls have had enough of the boys in their school and stand up for themselves. The girls, the challengers to the boy’s domain of sports, play the game against the boys and story is an emotional roller coaster that has one laughing and crying.
Bernard is also working on two other books currently. One is called Prom Knights and the other is called Never Alone. Prom Knights is a fictional tale based on a real life event. Never Alone is a story of a military sniper separated on the battlefield from his own and in the midst of the enemy while his wife is home giving birth to their first child.
The easiest way to put this book into your library is through authorhouse.com.