About the author
Ranny Grady describes himself as "an old man chasing a dream." He was born in Herington in 1941, to Pete and Jessie Grady. The family lived in Ramona for a few years, where he attended his first three grades of elementary school before returning to Herington. As a child, Grady and his father went hunting with Ed Childs and his sons of Marion.
The family moved to Oklahoma from Herington when Grady was 12 years old. The tall and slender teenager was a star basketball player at El Reno High School. He played on the basketball team at Phillips University in Enid, Okla., and graduated in 1965. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy.
Grady was a teacher and coach at Enid before taking a job with Prentice Hall Publishing Co., traveling throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. He was sent to Florida as a front man for Lawrence Welk, spending one month every year setting up appointments and making arrangements for Welk's performances and accommodations.
Brady grew tired of that and at age 37 returned to graduate school. He received a Master of Divinity in Theology from Cincinnati Bible College and Seminary and was a pastor for 25 years before retiring to pursue his love of writing.
Brady and his wife, Denise, own a bed and breakfast in Monticello, Ky., where he pursues his dream in a peaceful, secluded environment.
Brady also is a licensed marriage and family therapist and holds weekend seminars for married couples.
"Lou's Dirty Dozen" is his first novel. He said it is at least 85 percent factual. The idea for the book was formed 13 years ago when he and his mother Jessie made a trip from Oklahoma to Tampa to visit her uncle. He was inspired by the many stories she shared with him of her formative years.
"Mother, I'm going to write this story," he told her. He gathered material for 10 years before sitting down to write. The first draft of the book was completed in two months. He found a couple of professional editors to correct and refine his manuscript. The book was published in 2007. Grady is hoping it someday can be made into a movie. He submitted a copy to Oprah and Melissa Gilbert but has not yet gotten a response.
Grady said writing novels comes naturally for him. He has written three other novels and two children's books which have not been published yet. All of them are biblically-based.
"God prepared me to be a writer," he said. "People say I'm a 'dumper.' It just flows. I don't make an outline. I just sit down and write."
