Writing That’s Mostly Thoughtful (and Occasionally Decent)
I’m a writer (serious writer pic to the left to prove it) who sometimes gets called things like “authentic” or “insightful,” and other times just “interesting.” I’ll take it.
Here’s where you’ll find my books, my blog, and the occasional play that snuck its way into the world. Whether you're here to browse, buy, or just figure out what exactly a "Soul Audit" is, I'm glad you made it.
Kirk’s Newest Release
"Kirk just gets it. This book proves that." — "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson
Luke Anderson has spent fifteen years behind the curtain — designing flyers, managing egos, cleaning blood off concrete floors, and holding together a small-time Indiana wrestling operation that its owner keeps trying to burn down.
He's not a wrestler. He doesn't take bumps. But he's the one who makes sure the show goes on — even when the champion can't stand up, the new kid can't be trusted, and a rich outsider with deep pockets is circling.
Every Friday night at the Elmwood Armory, a few hundred fans pay to believe in something they know isn't real. Behind the curtain, a handful of wrestlers — a scarred veteran who doesn't know who he is without the business, a 400-pound gentle giant who's never once complained, a woman fighting for respect in a world that wasn't built for her, and a hungry kid who listens — put their bodies on the line for fifty bucks and a hot dog.
Luke keeps it all running. What he can't explain is why he's sacrificed every relationship, every career opportunity, and every Friday night for fifteen years to prop up someone else's dream.
Some passions leave marks that never fade.
Coming June 16, 2026
You've planned the perfect Disney trip. So why does everyone want to kill each other by Day Three?
You did everything right. You watched the YouTube videos. You studied the crowd calendars. You mapped out every FastPass—sorry, Lightning Lane—and booked your dining reservations exactly 60 days in advance.
And yet here you are: exhausted, overstimulated, arguing about whether to push through for one more ride or just give up and go back to the hotel. The kids are melting down. Your feet are destroyed. And you're wondering why this "magical" vacation feels more like a military operation.
There's a better way.
The Magic of It All is not another guide telling you how to rope-drop every park and maximize your attraction count. This is a book for people who want to actually enjoy Disney World—without the exhaustion, anxiety, or meltdowns.
Written by a licensed therapist and Disney travel agent who spent years crashing on Day Three before finally figuring out a better approach, this book will help you:
Plan without spiraling into analysis paralysis
Recognize when to rest—and give yourself permission to do it
Set boundaries with your kids, your travel companions, and yourself
Navigate Disney World with mobility, sensory, or size-related challenges
Come home restored, not needing another vacation to recover
Whether you're a first-timer overwhelmed by the planning, an anxious traveler who needs a slower pace, or someone who's had a miserable Disney experience and wants to try again differently—this book will show you how to experience Disney on your own terms.
Because the magic isn't about doing everything. It's about being present for the moments that matter.
Stop being a theme park commando. Start making memories you'll actually want to remember.
For Kirk Sheppard, the answers didn’t come easily. Raised in a conservative Christian community, Kirk spent years living by a script of rigid doctrines and certainties. But as he began to confront his own identity and the inconsistencies in his faith, the walls of certainty began to fall.
In Jesus & Me: Questioning God, Life, and Everything in Between, Kirk shares his journey of unraveling and rebuilding—from challenging dogmas to embracing his authentic self as a gay man. Through moments of humor, heartbreak, and profound revelation, Kirk’s story offers a raw and relatable account of what it means to find grace in the mess of faith and identity.
This memoir goes beyond personal storytelling, inviting readers to reflect on their own journeys of faith and authenticity. Kirk poses questions that resonate with anyone navigating the tension between belief and doubt: Where do you feel out of alignment with your faith or identity? How do you find peace when answers seem elusive?
With empathy and insight, Jesus & Me serves as a guide for those seeking to reconcile who they are with what they believe. Whether you are questioning rigid doctrines, redefining your relationship with faith, or learning to embrace the beauty of life’s gray areas, Kirk’s story will inspire you to live with courage, curiosity, and grace.
2nd Edition Now Available!
In Harper’s Crossing, the fog creeps in thick, the river flows cold, and the past is never far behind. When college student Daniel Baker disappears into the night, campus security officer Andrew Foster is tasked with finding him. But the search dredges up more than clues—it unearths the haunting echoes of Andrew’s own unresolved loss.
As Andrew delves deeper into the missing boy’s life, he finds unsettling connections to his fractured past and the river that seems to hold all their secrets. The lines blur between memory and reality, duty and redemption, as the case pulls him closer to the answers he’s been avoiding.
The Search Party is a moody and evocative tale of grief, resilience, and the quiet ways people come undone. Suspenseful and poignant, it asks: how do you move forward when the past still pulls at your feet?
Soul Audit: A Not-So-Perfect, Broadly Spiritual (Or Not) Guide to Aligning Your Life is a not-so-perfect guide to living in alignment with who you actually are — not who you were told to be. Through stories, reflection, and a little dry humor, it invites you to notice where you’re editing yourself, where you’re exhausted, and where something better might be possible. It’s not about fixing your life — it’s about finally listening to it.
AVAILABLE NOW
Broken Stools: Falling Off Furniture and 52 Other Lessons About Humility
We've all fallen off a stool—metaphorically speaking. Some of us have done it literally.
Sometimes the most humble thing you can do is admit you don't have it all figured out.
Kirk Sheppard has broken multiple stools, made mistakes in his counseling office, and embarrassed himself on stage and off.
Featuring fifty-two vulnerable stories, this book explores what Sheppard has learned from falling and from getting back up.
From Disney World apologies to chasing cows on the farm, these reflections reveal that the opposite of humility isn't confidence—it's certainty.
My Plays
Tales about what it means to be seen, to heal, and find connection even in the strangest places.
