Who is Dale W. Howard?
Dale is an 85-year-old storyteller with a life as rich and remarkable as the pages he writes. A retired veterinarian and epidemiologist, he’s spent a lifetime healing animals, studying the patterns of life and death, and reflecting on what it all means.
His true passion—writing—has always lived at the center of his soul. His work blends philosophy, spirituality, and humanity, grounded in real-world wisdom and an insatiable curiosity.
He is a father, grandfather and great-grandfather and has been in love with one woman throughout 66 years of marriage.
For years, Dale Howard chose to write under the nom de plumes Tom Richards and Darby Lane Richards, keeping his true identity tucked quietly in the shadows. It wasn’t out of fear or modesty, but rather an act of artistic freedom—he wanted the ideas to be judged on their own merit, unbound by title, age, or expectation.
But there was also something deeper: The Teacher Series was born from a profoundly personal real-life experience—one so intimate and transformative, he wasn’t ready to share the full truth behind it. Writing under a pseudonym gave him the space to process, to protect, and to explore those truths without constraint. Now, with wisdom earned and a heart unburdened, Dale steps into the light—name and all—ready to let the world meet both the author and the man behind the words.
Amazon Reviews
Atlanta Reader
Recommended Read for the Introspective Soul
Tom Richards offers that suppressing the negative aspects of one's past only serves to discolor and straightjacket one's future. More importantly in his book, he offers a thoughtful solution. Through Mr. Richards unique interactive communication between him and his computer (the computer which likely represents his actualized subconsciousness), he lays out a simple algorhythm with which one can learn to "face and embrace" the past. Stepwise, acknowledging this past will open doors to forgiving both our own faults and those who may have ever inflicted wrongs upon us, and move positively forward with a brightened and potentiated future. Although this psychology is not new, Mr. Richards illustrates the concept with a novel approach and has penned a simple, easy, and rewarding read with which most of us can apply to our own lives.
Patricia Braden - California
Authentic and riveting
Written with a gentle but dynamic style, this awesome little book is both authentic and riveting. It is profoundly insightful with its look back into the life of the author as he searches his past for answers that might prove beneficial to his future.
The author offers a treasure trove of spot-on wisdom. The book is engaging, incredible and a must read. Please do not pass up the opportunity to incorporate the wisdom of this book into your life.
Nebraska Reader
Small gem of big insights
Secrets of our past float just below the surface of our memories. Only when we allow them to surface, confront them, and forgive can we be truly free. Tom Richards has shown us how to do this in this small gem of a book and given us much to think about. This is truly a worthy read.
Sojourners
A Tale of Truth
Tom (Royal T.) Ripley has his hands full trying to cope with his stroke-debilitated, adoptive father, "Pop", and their small Arizona ranch. He's delivering a calf when a blow to his head triggers memories that yank him back to the summer of 1978, his eighteenth year. One day Pop up and retired after thirty-six years as an Episcopal priest, and moved them halfway across the country to a twenty-acre ranch in the Arizona mountains.The Arizona ranch was a dream come true for young Royal T., who believed his life was finally complete. That is until he met Cat and Goody, two exotic teenagers who were on a mystical search for answers to Goody's recent near-death experience. Royal T. didn't expect to be drawn into a web of drug-crazed suicide attempts, and bizarre spiritual adventures. And the last thing he expected was to find the love of his life-then tragically lose it.
"I was touched by Sojourners, and found it to be a book of love, suspense, true spiritual values, and with a great cast of characters." - John Randolph Price, best-selling author of The Superbeings, and The Abundance Book
"I love the way you work deep esoteric truth into the story. It is dear and sweet and packed with wisdom." -Jan Price, best-selling author of The Other Side of Death
Peter Spotswood Dillard
"A Tale of Truth" rings true.
In this gem of a novel, author Dale Howard tells the engaging story of Royal T. Ripley, a teenager who moves with his father to central Arizona and eventually finds spiritual wisdom. Howard deftly interweaves the mature Ripley's experiences of dealing with his beloved father's stroke and his boyhood memories of his friends Carole Ann "Cat" Terwilliger and her brother, Goody. The result is a satisfying and moving conclusion, with plenty of tight writing and finely drawn characters along the way.
This is a little book with a great big heart. It deserves a wide audience. Read it to understand the meaning of "Namaste."