A very powerful and emotional character introduced in DOGWOODS is former wrestler and TV star, Joe LaHoud. In the book, Joe was an entertainment legend who fell apart when his 16-year old daughter vanished a decade ago in Los Angeles, never to be heard from again. Readers who have actually read Dogwoods know that Joe returns with a vengeance as a main character in the next chapter in my storyline, DOVE OF WAR, which I am writing now (more on that later). The fictional Joe LaHoud is based on the real-life wrestler and icon from the 1970's, Canadian Joe LeDuc. I was about 15 when Joe LeDuc hit the TV screens as a wrestler. I was immediately mesmerized by this giant of a man (he boasted having 22-inch biceps) who was tough as nails and stood against the "bad buys" like Dusty Rhodes, Dick Slater, Pak Song and Playboy Gary Hart. Some weekends he would appear in nearby Tallahasse, Florida and my Dad or brother-in-law would drive me down from Thomasville to watch him in-person. Imagine my thrill when I actually got to meet him and shake his hand behind the bleachers one night! Taking a cigar from his mouth, he shook my hand and said, "You are alright, kid!" And he sorta smiled at me! This real-life experience is recreated in DOGWOODS in the scene where young Jerry Bronson meets his idol, Joe LaHoud. Sadly, Joe LeDuc passed away several years ago in Atlanta, Georgia, from various health issues. But he is forever strong and mighty in my memory, and I hope his fans and family will be pleased with my homage character to this great and underrated wrestling star of the 70's.
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