Todd Parnell

Fictional account of two young lovers in the middle of a struggle between a discredited scientist trying to bring a cure for the Coronavirus to the public and pharmaceutical and government regulators out to make sure the cure never makes it to market. Set in the Ozarks of Missouri during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fictional story of how a small group of vigilante environmentalists, spearheaded by a young couple in love, expose and bring down a conspiracy between corporate agriculture and government officials who plan to control the global future of food production. Todd Parnell is the retired President of Drury University, founding CEO of THE BANK in Springfield, Mo., civic leader, environmental advocate as co-founder of the Upper White River Basin Foundation and recently retired Chairman of the Missouri Clean Water Commission, and award-winning author inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame in 2012. He holds Masters degrees in Business Administration from Dartmouth University and History from Missouri State University, and an undergraduate degree from Drury University. Parnell began writing non-fiction during his years as a banker and educator, including published works The Buffalo, Ben, and Me, Trails of the Heart: Along the Buffalo River, Mom at War, and Postcards from Branson. He tried his hand at fiction upon retiring from the Drury presidency and hasn't stopped writing since, publishing the Ozarkian Folk Tales Trilogy (Skunk Creek, Swine Branch, andDonny Brook), with a second trilogy, Children of the Creek in production. Recently released are Pig Farm, the sweeping and rollicking historical tall tale set in the context of a real time environmental tragedy, and Privilege and Privation-A Love Story (2019), a tale of two young people from diverse economic backgrounds who fall in love and how the disparity affects their relationship and that of the people in their lives. Parnell was born in Branson, Mo. and is an eighth-generation Ozarker. He resides with his wife of 42 years, Betty, in Springfield, Mo. and is blessed with four children and five grandchildren. The Parnells were inaugural co-chairs of the Every Child Promise initiative, and serve on its executive advisory board.

Who knows what lurks in the deep, dark corners of the Ozarks? The colorful characters of tiny Hardlyville are thrown into a panic when brutal murders, environmental disasters, corruption, and threats to their beloved and pristine Skunk Creek arise and upend their bucolic lives. Larger-than-life Sheriff Sephus Adonis, devoted newspaper editor Pierce Arrow, libidinous librarian Billious Bloom, and Hardlyville's most influential citizens are forced to contend with a community divided by greed and self-interest to solve the riddle of a mother's love vs. inherent evil. Will the Hardlyvillains stop the murders and save their indispensable water?

Who knows what lurks in the deepest, darkest corners of the Ozarks? The residents of Hardlyville And what do a local environmental disaster of unprecedented proportions, a series of ghastly murders, corrupt state politics, a bedouin shivaree, crooked investment bankers, and Noodler's Anonymous have in common? Skunk Creek For Sheriff Sephus Adonis, congressman Pierce Arrow, and his true love Lettie Jones, justice is nolonger an intellectual concept . . . it's a matter of life and death. From Hardlyville city hall to Washington, DC's halls of government, to the international stage, resilient Hardlyvillains wage a fierce battle to protect their precious waters and way of life. Hilarity abounds in their madcap and unorthodox rush to remain alive . . . and relevant. Swine Branch is rowdy, irreverent, insightful, and grounded in Ozarks waters and history. It confronts and entertains amidst some of the most vexing questions of our times. A worthy follow-up to Skunk Creek, Book I in the Ozarkian Trilogy.

WHO KNOWS WHAT LURKSIN THE HEART OF THE OZARKS? A gruesome murder on the banks of Skunk Creek leads to a mystery and a rollicking adventure story. Populated by the crusading editor of a small town newspaper, an oversized Sheriff, a lovable band of merry misfits, and an evil cult, an Ozarks village is steeped in beauty, tragedy, love, and lust. Hardlyville and her colorful, unforgettable Hardlyvillains bring laughter, tears, and celebration of life at every turn as they seek to prevail over natural and unnatural threats to their way of life. Warning: Do not read if you blush or tire easily. Skunk Creek grabs readers from page one and rushes on through each disaster and fiasco. In the end, love of place and people carry the day to an unlikely conclusion. Skunk Creek is rowdy, ribald, insightful, and grounded in Ozarks waters and history. It confronts and entertains amidst the vexing questions of our times.

The Buffalo River in northwest Arkansas is one of the longest free-flowing, undammed rivers west of the Mississippi - and one of the most beautiful waterways on earth. Almost lost to development, it proved to be the perfect testing ground for a young boy almost lost to mediocrity. Middle-schooler Ben is struggling with learning challenges that have left him resentful and underachieving. His father, middle-ager Todd, wants to help his son gain self-confidence but is searching for his own identity. For twelve adventure-filled days on the river - all 125 miles of her navigable course, from Ponca to the White River - father and son discover the formative, curative, and redemptive powers of nature. Leaving video games and cell phones behind isn't easy for kids these days, but in the great outdoors parents and youngsters can connect in unimaginable ways. The ""Buffalo, Ben, and Me"" shares such a connection in an adventure story set on a wild river. It is a captivating tale featuring a host of colorful characters and enlivened by photos that reflect the essence of the wilderness. But deeper than that, it is the story of crossing a threshold from dream to possibility - of one man's search for meaning in his life and his efforts to motivate his son, blending love of family with love of nature in a tale of transformation. It tells how a rebellious teen and a bored banker conspired to buck a system keyed to predictability, and how a wild river inspired both to a better use of their lives. ""This trip hit me as hard as it did Ben,"" writes Parnell, ""as a wake-up call to life, to what is important, to what is not."" The trip down the Buffalo was one that even Ben admits changed his life in more ways than one, as he later went on to earn a master of science degree specializing in stream ecology. For any reader who loves the outdoors - and especially those seeking to connect with their children - ""The Buffalo, Ben, and Me"" is essential reading that reminds us of possibilities to be had in facing life head-on as it raises awareness of the need to protect the Ozarks' water resources and heritage.