Bucket lists provide people with goals to complete throughout their lives, and now Sherry Rankin can cross one thing off: being a published writer. 

Rankin, assistant professor of language and literature, published her first book on Feb. 1. She said it has always been her dream to write a book, published or not. 

“I’d like to be able to say on my deathbed, I wrote a novel, not published, because I don’t have any control over that,” Rankin said. “I just want to say I wrote it.”

While Rankin said she was glad that the book was published, it was not a necessity for her. She said she simply enjoys writing.

“If it doesn’t get published, it’s a completely cheap hobby, and I just really enjoy it,” she said. “It’s a good mental exercise; you just get really into it.”

Rankin’s book, The Killing Plains, is a mystery and crime fiction novel, which has been her favorite genre for as long as she can remember. 

“Mysteries have always been the genre that appealed to me most,” she said. “I read a lot of them, mostly like the classic British – Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and G.K. Chesterton. Early 20th century, golden age writers.”

The Killing Plains is available on Amazon, Google Books and at Barnes & Noble. The summary of the story written by Rankin is:

“Crescent Bluff, West Texas. Everybody knows everybody. And everybody has a secret.”

“When a boy is found dead with the skin of a hare’s head in his hand, everyone knows who killed him—Willis Newland, just released from prison after serving twenty years for an identical murder.

“But what if everyone’s wrong?

“Detective Colly Newland reluctantly agrees to investigate a case that seems to involve the whole town, including her dead husband’s extended family. But the deeper she digs, the more secrets she unearths. And as threats against her escalate, Colly realizes someone is willing to kill to keep theirs…”

As part of the Department of Language and Literature, Rankin started a writing club with other professors to encourage and motivate each other to write, even when life gets busy.

“Having that accountability once a week of somebody expecting something to read was huge for me personally,” Rankin said. “I think it’s a very creative department and a lot of good stuff comes out of it.”

Aside from writing, Rankin teaches several classes, most of which are general education classes. She hopes her love for the material will spread. 

“I just really enjoy the stuff I teach,” she said. “So hopefully that is infectious. I just try to come in with an excited attitude about it.”