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Todd Allen Smith

Goodreads Author

Born

in Marshall, Missouri, The United States

Website

https://www.thatawaydad.com/

Twitter

@ToddSmithSTL

Genre

Biography, Gay and Lesbian, Travel

Influences

Cheryl Strayed, David Sedaris, John Berendt, Augusten Burroughs, Glori ...more

Member Since

February 2012

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/toddallensmith

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Todd Allen Smith went from journalist to news story when he was shot while covering the Kirkwood City Council on February 7, 2008. In a case of truth being stranger than fiction, Todd had survived a pervious shooting as part of a robbery in 1997. He brings that unique perspective to his first book, “Murder, Romance, and Two Shootings,” which comes out June 18.

In the book he shares his story of survival and recovery from both shootings. The latter includes the romance that has resulted in his getting married. Finally, the book recounts the unsolved gay bashing murder of his friend.

While this is Todd’s first novel, his work has already appeared in press. Most recently, he was included in “Queer Families: An LGBTQ+True Stories Anthology.”
In ...more

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Todd Allen Smith’s books

Average rating: 3.79 · 14 ratings · 13 reviews · 1 distinct work

Murder, Romance, and Two Shootings

3.79 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2018 — 3 editions

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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Todd Allen Smith's Blog

Garden and Grotto Walk at Our Lady of the Snows

Walk through gardens and through grottos at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Ill., and in winter, see a huge lighting display.

Overview

The walk covers 2.25 miles along quiet roads and sidewalks, with some hills that add up to 262 feet of elevation gain. It took me about 48 minutes to finish.

The Shrine includes a church, a natural outdoor amphitheater, Stations of the Cro

Todd is Currently Reading

Todd Smith is currently reading

The Measure of a Man

by Sidney Poitier

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Apr 29, 2021 09:04PM

Todd Smith is currently reading

Your Life is a Book: How to Craft & Publish Your Memoir

by Brenda Peterson (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 23, 2021 08:27AM

Todd Smith is currently reading

Obachan: A Young Girl's Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth Century Japan

by Tani Hanes (Goodreads Author)

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Dec 30, 2020 08:58PM

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Todd’s Recent Updates

Todd Smith rated a book really liked it Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Norman Lear’s iconic television programs—most memorably All in the Family—drew in as many as 120 million viewers each week. These shows dealt with the most serious issues of the day—racism, poverty, abortion—yet still left audiences howling with laug ...more
Dec 14, 2025 08:16PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Even This I Get to Experience by Norman Lear <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it My Trip Down the Pink Carpet by Leslie Jordan	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Leslie Jordan is best known for his bravura recurring role as Karen’s nemesis, Beverley Leslie, on Will & Grace and who has also made memorable appearances on Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Monk, and Murphy Brown. Raised in a conservative family in Chatt ...more
Nov 24, 2025 07:02AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of My Trip Down the Pink Carpet by Leslie Jordan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — My Trip Down the Pink Carpet by Leslie Jordan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir by Jake Shears	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Years before he became the lead singer of the iconic glam rock band Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears was Jason Sellards, a teenage boy living a fraught life, resulting in a confusing, confining time in high school as his classmates bullied him, and few t ...more
Nov 17, 2025 04:06PM · like · see review
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
In The Pink Marine, Greg Cope White recounts how an insecure New Orleans weakling transforms into a Devil Dog Marine. A coming-of-age story set in the most unlikely place: boot camp. When Greg's straight best friend, Dale, tells him he's spending the ...more
Nov 05, 2025 07:46PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it I Wrote This for Attention by Lukas Gage	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Lukas Gage was having one of the worst weeks of his life. His beloved grandmother was dying. And Lukas was sitting next to his father, a man who had been mostly absent in his son’s childhood—except when talking to Lukas about tits because he loved no ...more
Oct 26, 2025 08:16AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of I Wrote This for Attention by Lukas Gage. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — I Wrote This for Attention by Lukas Gage <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star by Rich Merritt	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Rich Merritt was the good son, teacher’s pet, Southern gentleman, model Christian student at Bob Jones University, Marine officer, and the not-so-anonymous poster boy for a New York Times Magazine article on gays in the military. Then his complicated ...more
Oct 17, 2025 04:28PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star by Rich Merritt. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Secrets of a Gay Marine Porn Star by Rich Merritt <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood by Richard Blanco (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The author’s childhood and adolescence were experienced between two imaginary worlds: his parents' nostalgic world of 1950s Cuba and his imagined America, the country he saw on reruns of The Brady Bunch and Leave it to Beaver—an "exotic" life he year ...more
Oct 12, 2025 08:01PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Prince of Los Cocuyos by Richard Blanco. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Prince of Los Cocuyos by Richard Blanco <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Todd Smith rated a book really liked it The Best Little Boy in the World: The 25th Anniversary Edition of the Classic Memoir by John Reid	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The book recounts growing up gay through the 1960s-1970s. He shares how he remained in the closet through most of his formative years. He finally came out slowly, one person at a time, after college. It was interesting to see how times have changed, y ...more
Sep 29, 2025 09:29AM · like · see review
Todd Smith rated a book liked it Pee-wee as Himself: The Paul Reubens Story by Darrell Shuler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The book embarks on an intimate journey through the life of Paul Reubens, the man behind one of television’s most beloved and bizarre characters—Pee-wee Herman. From his early years in the entertainment industry to the iconic creation of Pee-wee and ...more
Sep 23, 2025 06:20PM · like · see review
Sep 23, 2025 08:59AM · like · view books