January Keck

Writer  ♥ Author  ♥ Songwriter  ♥ Illustrator

Credits & Publishments

January Keck is a fresh, freestyle writing voice. Her multi-genre books are published by SparrowCrowne Press, Ladybug Press, Lucky Press, Quill books, SparrowCrowne Cross of Sydney and Auckland, The McConnell Group--a National Association of Women Writers affiliated company, and Digital Pulp Publishing. Ms. Keck is a senior staff writer for DRB Technologies, a business-to-business computer networking firm and web site developer.

  What took her down the writing path? 

A closet genealogist, when it comes to what family is and what it means, January Keck has a plethora of answers. With shining soulfulness, the author reaches across generations, geographical borders, and cultural differences, mining her sevenfold heritage to shed light upon the subject of one grandmother's historical memoir.  Ms. Keck is, perhaps, one of literature's finest purveyors of family memoir.

"My writing would not have taken off had it not been for my grandmother.  She was a thwarted English teacher in the early farming community, which was Arlington, Texas in its founding stage.  The families of the community of that time would not allow her to teach their children because she had dared to Bob her hair, thus placing her in the category of "flapper."

Grandmother was dressed to the prim and proper nines when she walked down furrowed rows of a field to have what would be her first and last interview with the head of the school board.  The man stopped his plowing just momentarily to look her up and down from head to toe.  He said, "We don't want no flappers here." 

The Memoir, "IN THE GARDEN OF MY HEART," is often a reading club featured selection. Keck spent much of her youth collecting family memorabilia, discovering 7 distinct and traceable nationalities in her family tree, as far back as the 12th century. Upon more than one family Thanksgiving gathering she would be reminded that she is a child of many nations brought under one.

"Family relationships evolve and change over the years. It is fascinating to discover who we were and what we became. I visit the past and present, reveal it in my writing, and share the experience with others who want to do their own family histories in a unique and personal way that goes far beyond the a family tree diagram.

Family Ties

     About my family "history" books:

"My family was once a lot closer than it is right now. Many of us are aging, dying off, and moving around the map and across the globe. I wanted them to have an idea of who we once were.

     So noted:

Ms. Keck is 1/16th Cherokee Nation, and of Irish, English, French, Russian, German, and Swedish descent. 

"America is still the melting pot." She says.  " I'm multi-racial true, but first and foremost, I'm an American.  People are forgetting who they were, and I believe that if you know who you were, it gives you the pepper and ginger for what you can become and the way you should live your life.

If your ancestors were scamps and scalawags you can see just how far from the family branch of origin you have traveled. It's uplifting and exciting!

Her family history was brought vividly to life by research, word-of-mouth, family records, historical period studies of times in Texas and United States history that certain ancestors lived through and played key roles.

" My favorite relative—my great, great, grandfather, Rolly Matkin, was the first Chief of Police and Fire Chief in the 1860's of Fort Worth's early cow town history! 

Her stories were originally articles that grew into the critically acclaimed memoir, with recorded interviews from her grandmother (Ruth Hartin Sloan) the two, working as a team.

I feel so blessed to be able to share my family stories and fictional works with a growing audience.

Credits and Kudos

Keck is a former NAWW columnist and contributor to the book, WOMEN ON WRITING.  She coordinated several net forum groups for writers upon America On Line (in association with the former Dan Hurley's INSTANT NOVELIST website) and upon several recovery-oriented websites.

Applauded for her activism in the towing industry and coverage of political hot potatoes, her cutting-edge, commercial trade articles have reprinted and circulated worldwide, appearing in Tow Times, Texas Towing & Storage Association, and Towing & Recovery Footnotes.

Writing under a presumably male pseudonym afforded Ms.Keck the ability to reach the typically male audience that works in the blue collar industry.  Known by a few of her peers as a "hired ink assassin" in the area of political research and consumer interest groups, she delves into unique writing territories that have earned her great respect among the personages who truly know her.

Her Writing Adventures

Of her ghost writing exploits, she explains, "It's fun and keeps me in practice, reading other styles and being paid to imitate that style." 

The world is now apathetic.  This is why I take on select causes now and then. Most believe there is not much they can do to change the world.  The truth is that change starts with one person, in the home and in the community.

Her Footsteps

Ms. Keck appeared at the gala event of the decade, the 100th birthday of the Fort Worth Public Library, with authors such as Max Lale and Hollis Ava Weiner.

In 2000 she appeared in several Texas area Wal-Mart stores as a featured Entertainer promoting Wal-Mart's "Word's Are Your Wheels Literacy Campaign."  She is a contributor to STARS OF TEXAS (A Shih Tzu rescue operation) and holds a vast interest in a network of similar animal rescue operations.

She often appears as a guest speaker at writing workshops that address self-publishing, print-on-demand, as well as inspiring those who have great need of physical "recovery."

Ms. Keck was a contributing life story writer in Grace Terry's book: PROSPERITY GUARANTEED, a self-help book for people who are overcoming great obstacles in order to change their lives.

Her Former Life Challenge

Read  January's life story

Go to  Recovery Speakers site, then find "January"  in the list of life stories.