LJ Smothers grew up in the good old days. His recollection of the life and times of a Catholic son with multiple siblings has been poured into the pages of this book, Dead Language. These stories are a half fantasy yet whole-hearted tribute to a lost era when life was grand and a bit magical. LJ served with the 101st Airborne Division during his military career and spent the majority of his professional career with the Miami-Dade Police Department Mounted Patrol in Miami, Florida before retiring to the mountains of East Tennessee.