Wattpad - by Sheldon_Stodder

The way a man's hat hangs

In a town where every road, every roof, and every paycheck traces back to one man, freedom is a story people whisper-never something they live. Big Daddy owns it all. The land. The church. The silence. And if you cross him, you don't just lose your job-you disappear. The ranch hand knows this better than anyone. Paid just enough to survive, buried just deep enough to stay, he's spent his life under the weight of a name he doesn't trust... and a father he believes abandoned him. The only thing left behind is a worn hat-and the quiet question of what kind of man wore it. But when he falls for the one person he was never meant to touch-Big Daddy's daughter-truth begins to surface. About the past. About his father. About the kind of man Big Daddy really is. In a town built on control, love becomes rebellion. And rebellion has a cost. Because Big Daddy doesn't lose what he believes belongs to him. He buries it. As the past and present collide, a choice must be made-between obedience and identity, survival and truth. And when that choice is forced to its breaking point, one act will shatter the illusion of power forever... and leave a town to decide what freedom is worth. Some men own everything. But no man owns a soul.

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The way a man's hat hangs

What Lurks Beneath

Ethan Cole is the kind of man who shows up. For his family. For his responsibilities. For the life he's built. So when something begins to feel off, he ignores it. At first. But the distance grows. Small moments slip through his fingers. Conversations blur. Reactions don't come when they should. And the man he sees himself as begins to feel just out of reach. His wife notices. His son feels it. And Ethan is left trying to hold together a life that's quietly unraveling. As buried pieces of his past begin to surface, he's forced to confront something he's never truly faced. Not just what's happening to him-but why. Because the hardest truth isn't that something is wrong. It's that it's always been there. What Lurks Beneath is a powerful story of identity, trauma, and the cost of disconnection-and what it takes to come back from the edge when everything you love is on the line.

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What Lurks Beneath

The Cycle Ends With Me

The Cycle Ends With Me This is not a story about a perfect man learning lessons. This is a story about a man who became someone he never wanted to be-and the moment he finally stopped blaming everything else and took responsibility for it. Raised around instability, anger, and addiction, Sheldon Stodder grew up believing he would be different. But over time, the same patterns he swore he would never repeat began to show up in his own life-damaging his marriage, shaping his behavior, and ultimately leading to a moment that forced him to confront the truth about who he had become. This book walks through that reality without excuses. From the quiet buildup of resentment and distorted thinking, to the escalation of anger, to the consequences that followed-this is an honest look at how destructive patterns form, how they are justified, and how they hurt the people closest to us. But this is not where the story ends. Through accountability, sobriety, self-reflection, and deliberate change, Sheldon begins the work of breaking the cycle-learning how to regulate his emotions, rebuild trust, and become a different kind of man, husband, and father. Not perfect. Not finished. But committed. The Cycle Ends With Me is about recognizing the patterns you were given, taking responsibility for the ones you continued, and making the conscious decision to end them-no matter how difficult that work may be.

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The Cycle Ends With Me

Beautiful Things In Broken Places

This is a collection of poems I've written. I will add new ones as often as I write them. Thanks for checking it out!

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Beautiful Things In Broken Places

Meditations of a Blind Man: Notes On Becoming

On What It Means to Live Well In a world full of noise, convenience, and easy answers, one question remains: What kind of person will I choose to be? This book is a conversation with the self-a meditation on integrity, freedom, and the responsibilities of living intentionally. It explores the invisible threads that connect strength to service, loyalty to love, and courage to compassion. From the quiet duties of family to the moral obligations we carry toward strangers, it challenges the reader to think independently, act deliberately, and cultivate a life of meaning rather than comfort. Here, you will find reflections on: -The nature of freedom and self-mastery -The dignity owed to every human being -The balance between loyalty to one's nation and compassion for humanity -The responsibilities that come with strength -The shaping of character through friendship, family, and everyday action -The courage to embrace complexity and pursue purpose A life well-lived is not measured in recognition, wealth, or ease-but in alignment between what one believes and how one acts. This book offers a roadmap for anyone seeking to live with clarity, conviction, and quiet courage.

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Meditations of a Blind Man: Notes On Becoming

Saying Goodbye to Grandma

Saying Goodbye to Grandma is a tender story about love that lasts forever. Through simple moments-puzzles, painting, gardening, and giggles-a young boy builds precious memories with his grandma. When the time comes to say goodbye, he learns that the people we love never truly leave us. They live on in our hearts, our stories, and all the special things we shared with them. Warm, gentle, and reassuring, this picture book offers young readers a comforting way to understand loss while celebrating the joy, connection, and love that continues long after goodbye.

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Saying Goodbye to Grandma