Thou Shalt Not

Typically, historical fiction tells a story set in the past with characters tending to be fictional. Although genres vary, the made-up account of ordinary people is interwoven with historical events of the time. Thou Shalt Not is the exception. The characters existed, the setting was real, and many of the incidents are authentic. Many of the conversations were taken directly from court documents as printed in the area's 1898-99 newspapers. As I read these accounts over and over, took notes, and started reading between the lines, the narrative developed.

"All the Rivers Run into the Sea was easily one of the best books I have seen in a long time. You handled the suspense of Martin masterfully."
- Dorothy Garlock,
best selling American author of over 50 historical romance novels

"Stauffer used a true story from rural Iowa in the late 1800s and created an historical novel that will keep you spell-bound until the end when a quiet village exploded with the ultimate evil."
- Curtis W. Younker,
Mitchell County Sheriff (1964-2012)

"My dad told this story to me as a child. David was my hometown. Although an unusual event, the same circumstances exist today in some relationships. I loved all the connections."
- Vivian Emerson DuShane,
author, History of David, 2004