Barely Retired (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781495456046)

Born in the small town of Clintwood, in southwestern Virginia's coalfields, Adam Lawler was the son and grandson of coal miners. Determined not to work in the mines, Adam graduated from high school at age sixteen and attended Coastal Carolina Community College in Jacksonville, North Carolina, where he not only earned an Associates degree, but met his wife Karen. Adam continued his education at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where he earned a B.A. in History with a minor in Psychology, and a M.A. in Appalachian Studies. Finding little work for professional hillbillies, Adam went to work in the retail automotive industry, holding several sales and finance management positions over a twenty-year career. He also taught Western Civilization and Southern Culture at Wilkes Community College. Adam is an avid ham radio operator, holding the callsign WK4P. He has been actively involved in the hobby for over twenty years and supports our sailors and marines by serving in the Navy-Marine Corps Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) program. Adam and Karen settled in West Jefferson, North Carolina where they raised three children; Cyndi, a fourth grade teacher, Wayne, a glass artist, and Rachel, an art history student at UNC-Wilmington. They are currently empty nesters and live in West Jefferson with their Doberman Pinscher, Freyja.