: About Me

I am a retired riverboat Captain & contact- pilot, Tax & Financial Adviser,  entrepeneur and author, dedicated to helping senior citizens, the working class and anyone make and save money by reducing taxes and recycling their tax refunds..My latest book, titled, "Tips&Strategies for Creating Wealth," shows how most anyone can  become wealthy in a very short time from tax tips and strategies used by many of our present and past millionaires. This is not about tax fraud or cheating on our taxes, but about using all the tax deductions the law allows and which the law has created. To read an excerpt// synopsis go to www.recycle-your-money.com;  

Also Author of "Once Upon a River" a true story of my journey on the river can be found at www.AuthorHouse.com

Over the years I have made money in real estate, Mutual Funds, Marine Consulting, writing books and as an Expert witness in the Marine industry. I'm a "Duke of Paducah;" A "Kentucky Colonel;" An "Arkansas Traveler and a "Tennessee Squire." not necessarily in that order.

I have the keys to several cities, but after being presented the keys to three adjoining cities, I remarked to one Mayor that, "I can hardly wait to get into town with all these keys!"
"I'm afraid they won't open a damned thing!" he replied with a grin..

HOW TO BECOME A RIVER PILOT-published by VANTAGE PRESS-is out of print,but can be found on amazon.com. ONCE UPON A RIVER is a story of my journey on the rivers, published by AuthorHouse at www.AuthorHouse.com. or can be ordered through www.amazon.com; www.abebooks.com or ordered through most any online bookstore. You can also order them through your local bookstore.

Below is a selection from a review of the book from KIRKUS. Reviews from Kirkus are rather expensive- $2500 for this one- and I will never do that again!

February 24, 2010 -  Part Book Review
Current mood:  amused

Category:  BOOK REVIEW.                                         
KIRKUS DISCOVERIES

A manual for amassing wealth through maximizing tax  deductions on real-estate purchases. A graduate of the "school of hard knocks," Shewmaker(Once Upon a River, 2004) found himself, raising his family, in “an impossible financial situation”—he had acquired monumental credit-card debt and was saddled with an adjustable-rate mortgage with skyrocketing monthly payments. No banks would loan him money, so he worked three jobs to pay the bills. The problem, Shewmaker discovered, was that the more money he brought home, the more taxes he owed on income. He spiraled further into debt until he hit upon a plan to recycle money— The author argues that you can become a millionaire in a short time.   Then [use] property depreciation on income taxes for more tax deductions, plus property appreciation to build a financial empire.” He also recommends forming a Mutual Alliance Money Agreement (“The MAMA of finance plans!”),  Shewmaker also offers other seemingly obvious tips, including being wary of car salesmen, using credit cards sparingly and never taking out a payday loan, among others. 
TIPS & STRATEGIES FOR CREATING WEALTH: 

Recycle Your Money $24.99; $15.99 paperback September 30, 2008

 ISBN: 978-1-4363-7241-1 Paper: 978-1-4363-7240-4

ONCE UPON a RIVER is an autobiogaphy of my journey on the river and  of my fascination with the river, leaving home at 16 with only fifty cents borrowed from our local Minister.. Then spending 30 odd years as a river pilot and master of towboats and later serving as Master of 3 overnight passenger steamboats. The DELTA QUEEN, MISSISSIPPI QUEEN and the AMERICAN QUEEN.

This is life on a river boat and characters of the river. Quotes and jokes from passengers, other river pilots, and characters I have met or worked with over the years.

TIPS & STRATEGIES for CREATING WEALTH- Describes methods for recycling your money so you get to use it over and over instead of losing it to high taxes. Methods in this book can be used by most anyone to get from 18% to 20% of your tax dollars refunded each year and it is all legal and above-board. You can read a synopsis of the book at: www.recycle-your-money.com;  and through the search engine of most on line bookstores.  Also you can google me by entering my name as Shewmaker,Garland in the Google search engine. 

At present I am working on another title which I am excited about. The working title is: THE MASTER KEY to SUCCESS, and the key factors to why we succeed or fail in reaching our goals.

PRESS RELEASE: Caught in the Current of a Dream-  New Memoir Traces fascinating Life of Riverboat Pilot......SALEM, KY.- Ever since Mark Twain penned his legendary tales, America's waterways have inspired a sense of adventure. Garland Shewmaker stayed on course with his childhood fantasies and shares his exciting experiences in ONCE UPON A RIVER "This is a true story of practically growing up on the riverboats, starting from scratch, earning your keep, making a little money and having a dab of fun," writes Shewmaker. Some of his experiences may seem like tall tales, but as he succinctly says from the beginnibg, "this ain't no lie."

Once Upon a River follows a young man as he seeks out his destiny at the tender age of 16. With only 50 cents and one change of clothes, Shewmaker left home to hunt for fame and fortune on the riverboats. He soon found out this would not be easy, but perseverance finally landed him a job as a deckhand.

From there, he launches into true tales of "river characters" at their best and sometimes their worst. He also traces his successful path from deckhand to pilot and on to master of riverboats. A wide array of human qualities and emotions from the people he met along the way create a vibrant and humorous life story that is unique and refreshing. Once Upon a River connects with the adventurer in everyone and offers important messages that Shewmaker gleaned from his nomadic life. "The challenge of the river is far-reaching," he writes. "Determination is the key."

Shewmaker has piloted riverboats throughout the Western Rivers and has traveled more than one million miles on the water. Throughout his visits to cities far and wide, he has earned such local titles as Kentucky Colonel, Tennessee Squire, Duke of Paducah and Arkansas Traveler. He has also acquired the keys to several cities, but he likes to quip that one mayor told him, "Captain, I'm sorry to tell you, but I'm afraid they won't open a damned thing!"

This is a story you don't want to miss!

My passion is ...

Writing, golfing, music, friends and family.

I know too much about ...

Financial Demons;

My parents always told me ...

"Can't never did anything."

My childhood ambition ...

To become a river pilot;

My favorite memory ...

Classmates & growing up. My first job as deckhand. My first published book.

Why I write ...

To benefit others & to exercise my creative leanings..

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Robt. Ludlum; John Grisham; Tax Codes; Watching News&Sports

My first job ...

Green deckhand on Ohio River

My best moment ...

Made the grade to river pilot in spite of my adversaries.

My inspiration ...

Elementary School Teacher; & MARK TWAIN

Politics, News & Issues > US Economy Social security: An open letter to the commissioner

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SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE INJUSTICE After working our butt off, paying faithfully into the system for most our life, if we “kick the bucket” before we get to draw any of our benefits, then$255 is all we get from our investment. Not a very good return for something that we invested in for almost half a century! This is like working 40 odd years and paying 7.65 % of your wages for a $255 burial policy! Think about it. At this time – just due to the high costs of medical insurance alone— hardly anyone can afford to retire, because name brand prescription drugs are outr...

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