About Me

About the Author

A bird's eye view

Meet Me

Larry L Franklin holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University. He performed in the U.S. Navy Band located in Washington, D.C. from 1967 to 1971. From 1972 to 1975, he taught music at Southern Illinois University. In 1976, he completed requirements for a certified financial planner designation and maintained a successful investment business until 2007 when he retired to devote his energies to writing. In 2003, he received an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. He is the author of Mnemosyne: A Love Affair with Memory, published by Xlibris, The Rita Nitz Story: A Life without Parole, published by Southern Illinois University Press, Cherry Blossoms & Barron Plains: A woman’s journey from mental illness to a prison cell, published by Chipmunka Publishing Company, Supermax Prison: Controlling the most dangerous criminals, published by History Publishing Company.

Dr. Bruce D. Perry, American psychiatrist

Senior fellow of the Child Trauma Academy in Houston, Texas

Adjunct professor Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Il

For many abused children, the most nurturing, predictable, and unconditional experiences come from animals—dogs or cats. Children with abusive and unpredictable adults caring for them, put their hopes and dreams in relationships with nonhumans. So when they see an animal die, they actually feel the loss. But when a human dies—they may not.

what i do ?

Unable to feel, trauma can last a lifetime.

I was seven years old and had walked from grade school to my grandmother’s house. My mother and grandmother were sitting at the kitchen table. Both were squeezing their coffee cups hard. I knew something was wrong. My mother took me to the bedroom where I was told to sit down. She had something to say. “Keith and your dad were in a car wreck. Your dad was driving fast and ran into a stock truck loaded with horses. Your dad’s car slid under the horse trailer taking off the top of his car. Your Dad, Grandfather, Brother, Cousin, and your dad’s girlfriend died immediately. Your dad was decapitated. He probably didn’t feel a thing. The funeral will be held in two days. You sit here, pull yourself together, and come to the kitchen. We’ll be eating soon.”

WHAT MY READERS SAY...

TESTIMONIALS

“Larry L. Franklin exposes the many inconsistencies and half-truths in the case. Along the way, he portrays a subculture of drifters in small-town southern Illinois and explains the life of an abused woman while confronting his own story of abuse as a child. Franklin’s investigation could change a woman’s life and correct a glaring injustice. This is a story that must be heard.”—Ted Anton, author of Eros, Magic, and the Murder of Professor Culianu

Ted Anton Author of Eros, Magic, and the Murder of Professor Culianu

“The Rita Nitz Story is a compelling read, not because it's a slick thriller. . . but because Franklin is a passionate writer telling his readers a gritty tale—a story about a woman who has been a victim of one kind or another all of her life, and a story about how America's judicial system treats those without resources or even the imagination to seek them.”

ForeWord

"Franklin's ability to draw the reader in held me captive from the beginning. His story epitomizes how the journey to healing from childhood sexual abuse can be arduous and painful, but in the end, a triumph. His writing style allows you to take the journey with him and thus, it is an emotional upheaval at times. Like his other books, I was always anxious to turn the next page."

C.j. Excellent Read

For my granddaughters

What I learned during years of healing

Next, buy a dog. Any animal will do but a dog is my favourite. Yours can be of the mixed variety obtained from a humane shelter or a pure blood with official looking papers. It makes no difference: a dog is a dog. I’ve had five dogs in my life and they all offered the same magnificent gift: unconditional love. Take on the responsible for the care of your dog, and whether you’re arriving or leaving, give your dog a hug. In return, you will receive devotion and love like you never imagined. This, too, is important…