Searching Ashes for Burning Embers

About the Book

Olin Tunnel's journalistic curiosity led him in many directions. He drove to a secluded rural Ku Klux Klan meeting on a night in the 1950's and risked taking notes by flashlight while robed Klansmen were speaking and burning crosses. Later he recalls posing as a homeless vagrant at various Salvation Army lodges. He also admits sneaking into a CBS network rehearsal wearing dark glasses and carrying a clipboard.

He shares a unique style of expression through stories, reflections and poetry. Writing for as long as he remembers, he brings humor, inspiration and insight from over seven decades of living.

In spite of chronic childhood asthma that continued into high school and almost prevented graduation, he became an Eagle Scout, ordained United Methodist Minister, speech and drama teacher, and a school social worker.

He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Texas Wesleyan University and a Master of Divinity Degree from Emory University. He is a Texas Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Chemical Dependency Counselor.

About the Author

Olin Joseph Tunnell was married twice to women born on April 1. He was a Methodist minister married to the first wife for fifteen years and was damaged professionally and emotionally by the divorce she wanted. After eight years of recovery, he married another woman who was also born on April 1. The second marriage has been successful for over thirty-three years. Ironically, both wives were born outside his home state, have first names starting with the letter J, and were special education teachers who became licensed counselors. The first was a Methodist in Tennessee and the second was a Jewish agnostic from New York. He believes that all losses including divorce and death offer opportunities for recovery and joyful living. He shares his own experiences to encourage the reader to overcome grief and anger despite painful losses. Olin is an ordained United Methodist minister with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and maintains licensing as a clinical social worker and chemical dependency counselor. He published his first book entitled Searching Ashes for Burning Embers. In the current book, he has an amazing story to share that will encourage faith for confronting all losses in life. Even after the anguish of divorce, he and his first wife are now friends. Both wives enjoy each other at family gatherings. He often laughs about the irony that only an April Fool married him.